First Week Rush

First week of spring semester, complete with whinging and moaning and resentment. On Monday, with no acknowledgement of MLK holiday, I had 4 emails from advisees with issues, and another 3-4 from those in my ACUN who needed help with internship info, etc. Not the way I wanted to start, particularly as I was still futzing with syllabi, building websites, etc.

Lo and behold, however, a good class meeting or two and I'm a whole new girl! I've undertaken the mammoth lit crit course for my department this semester, and it's been sending me into a panic. What to teach? What to assign for writing? Who's more important: Baudrillard or Bourdieu? Postcolonialism or Cultural Studies? Was I going to totally suck at this whole endeavor? All of the above may still be in play, but my students--or at least the vast majority of them--are perky and have a good sense of humor. Example: in order to introduce themselves, I asked them to come up with the most bizarre factoid they could--and encouraged them to lie. A few choice responses: a tattoo of Old Jerusalem; grew up in a nudist colony; replacing Bob Barker on the Price is Right... How bad can this semester really be? [Someone remind me that I said that...] If they can maintain a modicum of that humor and willingness to play along as we wander through the desert of deconstruction, we'll be in good shape!

Let this be a reminder to me: why is it that I love my job? It's not for the endless meetings and political intrigues--it's for the students. [Remind me that I said THAT too.]

And I haven't even worn my new boots yet...