This is getting serious
Thanks to my enterprising assistant and publicizer, news of my blog appeared today in American University's announcements, "AU Today." This is getting serious - will the pressure be on to come up with something profound every day? ...Impossible! This morning I was up at 5AM to play tennis and then off to a meeting with the University Librarian. No time for reading Gandhi.
Over the summer I was seized with a powerful vision of a transformed AU library - it even had sidewalk cafe, with striped awnings in front. It was overflowing with students who wanted to be there. When I started pushing these ideas, both my colleague, the Librarian and my own staff reminded me that the Library was not really my affair, I had enough to do running the Center for Teaching Excellence - which is true. I suspect may be viewed as a campus busybody, by some.
An undergraduate in the School of Communication stopped late late evening and we had a long interview/conversation about the Faculty Resident's role --- this for a class assignment on writing a feature story. She was a relaxed, poised interviewer, our discussion was fun and it highlighted my thinking on one aspect of life in the dorm, form my vantage point. She asked if I didn't find living in the dorm 'burdensome' at least from time and how I coped with that. I had to think about this --- my response will perhaps sound like Polyanna but is, nontheless true. I hardly ever find my life burdensome - students are considerate, friendly, and seem happy to have me there. I feel that I am making a difference. Most important, I am having an opportunity that must be shared by a relatively small number of 66 year olds in the US or anywhere - being able to authentically share, to some degree, in the lives of a generation that is nearly 40 years younger than I am. There is a a lot to be learned; and I have many teachers. Life in Anderson hall is a gift, not a burden.
Of course there are the occasionally fire alarm evacuations - the bane of life in American University's South complex, but this can be viewed as an opportunity for bonding. Lately, I have been handing out Reese Cups and Nestle's Crunch Bars to make the experience more bearable.
Over the summer I was seized with a powerful vision of a transformed AU library - it even had sidewalk cafe, with striped awnings in front. It was overflowing with students who wanted to be there. When I started pushing these ideas, both my colleague, the Librarian and my own staff reminded me that the Library was not really my affair, I had enough to do running the Center for Teaching Excellence - which is true. I suspect may be viewed as a campus busybody, by some.
An undergraduate in the School of Communication stopped late late evening and we had a long interview/conversation about the Faculty Resident's role --- this for a class assignment on writing a feature story. She was a relaxed, poised interviewer, our discussion was fun and it highlighted my thinking on one aspect of life in the dorm, form my vantage point. She asked if I didn't find living in the dorm 'burdensome' at least from time and how I coped with that. I had to think about this --- my response will perhaps sound like Polyanna but is, nontheless true. I hardly ever find my life burdensome - students are considerate, friendly, and seem happy to have me there. I feel that I am making a difference. Most important, I am having an opportunity that must be shared by a relatively small number of 66 year olds in the US or anywhere - being able to authentically share, to some degree, in the lives of a generation that is nearly 40 years younger than I am. There is a a lot to be learned; and I have many teachers. Life in Anderson hall is a gift, not a burden.
Of course there are the occasionally fire alarm evacuations - the bane of life in American University's South complex, but this can be viewed as an opportunity for bonding. Lately, I have been handing out Reese Cups and Nestle's Crunch Bars to make the experience more bearable.
posted by dormgrandpop at 11:22 AM
2 Comments:
The last fire alarm at 3AM was in fact made more bearable when we saw you standing at the door with a bucket of candy as we trooped back into the building. Thanks!
-Rachael from centennial
the candy is definately a bright spot in those early morning fire alarms. THANKS! --jamie from anderson 5
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