Ubiquitous

Letter to Anonymous

// October 5th, 2008 // 10 Comments » // Academic

Dear Anonymous Student,

When you wasted five minutes of the class’s time on the proper way address the guest professor who was filling in for the day, I did not mind. We all like a little curiosity. However, when - a few minutes later - you waved your hand in the air again interrupting the prof’s lecture, you got my attention. Our prof nodded to give you the chance to speak, at which point you proceeded on a full-out rant on how useless you thought this course was, how you failed to understand its real-life applications, and how you believed the textbook “got nowhere” in its “vagueness” after six chapters. The prof decided to push back his lecture and open a little discussion.

Then, Anonymous Student, we heard about your “extensive experience in managing” others as well as a detailed, play-by-play description of some interview you participated in for a company.  Furthermore, you stated that you are not convinced that this course would help you in the future, and that it was “almost like psychology”, and that because it lacked the quantitative precisions of disciplines like calculus, accounting, and other courses in your “background”, it is unworthy of the attention of academia (I paraphrase of course, though I believe I put it more eloquently, hmm?)

Anonymous Student, there were more than fifty other students in the room plus a professor who had a Doctorate on the subject and is renowned for his expertise in the field.  Although you had every right to voice your concerns about the curriculum, I can’t help but think that during a LECTURE by a GUEST might not have been the best place to do it. I commend the said professor for giving you unlimited floor time to talk and for appreciating your challenging questions. Though for me personally, I think I got your point the FIRST THREE TIMES you made it.

I’m sure there were people in the room who agreed with parts of what you said. I FOR ONE would be willing to listen to you after class or in a small group setting with the professor during office hours. However, the manner in which you presented your displeasure was completely unprofessional, inconsiderate and disrespectful.

With your confident - though slightly verbose - speaking abilities, I have no doubt that you will have success in future meetings with clients and employers. However, I couldn’t help but notice how VERY ironic it was when you said that you believed you were a “good manager” and that the course’s material paled in comparison to the experience you got from the real world. If there was one person who needed to take this course on management and motivation, it would be you.

Regrettably yours,

Me.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Chatter at the Orthodontist’s

// April 22nd, 2008 // 22 Comments » // Personal

I don’t know what’s wrong with my orthodontist. At my appointment today, I told her that I need my braces off by May since I’ll be out of the country for a month (she actually first told me that I could have them off by last October, then March, then April…).  So she says something about “picky, crazy schedules” - yes, I’m so glad MY life isn’t monotonous and repetitive like yours, dear orthodontist!

Then I ask about follow-up appointments after I get them off, and mentioned in passing that I may not be available for a year. She inquires what school I’m going to, and I tell her Cal, most likely. It would’ve been great if she left it at that, but nooooo, this lady who’s been nice and cheerful for the past two years suddenly goes on this huge rant about Cal and how it’s gonna brainwash undergrad students like me and how its liberal influence will result in me cutting off all communications with my family and ruining my future prospects in marriage (”Just like York University in Ontario, my friend’s daughter went there!” she says).  First of all, wtf?! I never asked for her opinion so why give it, especially when I’m paying her (and her huge assistant staff) $6000 to do their jobs! She barely knows anything about me yet she insists that “don’t think that the liberal campus won’t effect you and turn you into someone else, because it will!”. She apparently visited it the campus with her daughter a few years back and her husband was highly offended that they even went there (gee, I wonder where her daughter ended up going, the ultra conservative local community college?). It’s a public education institution for God’s sake, not a hippie sex corner where radical young people riot all day!

In addition, there was also a mini-lecture about how “education won’t bring you happiness… trust Dr. - (she often talks about herself in third-person like I’m a little kid), I have blah blah blah many degrees and I’ve seen what happened to people I know!”

Wow, are people now-a-days in this industry SO TERRIFIED of and SO AGITATED over losing a customer that they will proceed to rant about stupid topics?! Ugh, get a grip woman!

Popularity: 4% [?]

Tibetan Terrorists and American Hypocrisy

// March 18th, 2008 // 28 Comments » // World for the Week

Free Quebec! Free Texas! Actually just give the whole lot back to the natives! What? That’s a little extreme you say? How can Canada remain Canada without a huge chunk of Quebec? What happened to all the history they shared together? If the public and the media continue to condemn the Chinese government and side with those bloody Free-Tibet protesters, I say our next step is to release Quebec from the evil grasp of the Canadian government and return USA soil to the Amerindians who got there first.

UPDATE: titled changed, yay.

For those who don’t think this is exactly headline news, here’s to quickly fill you in.

Free-Tibet Supporters: Free Tibet! Human rights abuse! Let Dalai Lama go back! No Olympics!
Tibetans: *burn stores* *harrass citizens* *threaten police*
Chinese government: LIES! ALL LIES! I’m giving you a deadline to stop burning things.
North American human rights groups: The Tibetans are suffering! Free Tibet! Shame on the Chinese government!
CNN: HEINOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN COMMITTED IN TIBET, PEOPLE DIED, SENSATIONAL STORIES, OMFGZ!!

(more…)

Popularity: 13% [?]

Apartheid, Coming to a Toronto School Near You

// February 2nd, 2008 // 21 Comments » // World for the Week

Toronto should open its first black-focused public school in the fall of 2009, says a staff report aimed at improving academic achievement among students of colour. (Source)

The black-focused school is a go. After a heated but civil debate, Canada’s largest school board voted 11-9 last night to open an alternative Africentric school to help fight a 40 per cent dropout rate among Toronto’s black teens. (Source)

The Toronto District School Board approved the decision on January 30th to open a Africentric public school in Toronto, projected for January 2009. The school would be open to students of all colour but will have extra curriculum dealing with African culture and history. This is the school board’s response to the 40% dropout rates among black students.

Okay, does anyone see anything wrong with this? Why don’t we have black-only buses? Black-only fountains? Martin Luther King Jr. should be turning in his grave right now because society is progressing backwards. Many of the articles in The Toronto Star lately have portrayed all black kids to be losers/dropouts/stupid gangsters. Who do you think would go to an Africentric school? The smart black kids would be trying to push their way into the REGULAR schools instead. And what do you have by the end of this? Losers/dropouts/stupid gangsters all grouped in one school, the Africentric one.

The price tag of the recommendation is, are you ready for this, $820 000. This money is coming from the tax payers and OTHER education programs in Ontario. Even some black parents are vehemently against the trustees’ decision. This whole promotion of “Black history and culture” is fine and dandy with me - I wouldn’t mind a few Asian studies course in high school - but it’s the outright labels that bother me. Some advocats of Black Schools are horrified of terms like “segragation” and “civil inequality”, but what else to describe these schools? What happened to promoting diversity, for after all, Canada is known for its multiculturalism! We are one, not divided.

Far from being segregationist, Wilson [supporter] said, the school is about making blacks and other marginalized students feel part of the school system.

It’s important that Africentric schools “are a reality for not just black children but all children of all races,” Wilson said. (Source)

Years from now, can’t you imagine walking down Yonge street and showing a tourist, “And here’s the Black school over here, the Jewish playground here, and Aryan Secondary is just around the corner”. If you’re on the other side of the fence on this one, I don’t blame you. The division on this issue is enormous and several trustees (one of them black) who voted against the proposal were harassed and called names. Thoughts?

Popularity: 2% [?]

SAT Scores are Online

// October 25th, 2007 // 13 Comments » // Academic

Bloody hell… my total from the October testing actually went down compared to the May one.

Combined total
Critical Reading: 700
Math: 800
Writing: 760
Total: 2260

The total score went up by 40 from the last test (yay for perfect on math… the first time with a 770 was a disgrace). I studied SO hard for reading, and yet it only went up by 10 point. Everyone I know bombed Writing this second time…. ahhhhhh. My boyfriend got a lower score than me in the October testing but managed to land a combined score of 2340. He just HAD to check it in front of me this smorning *grrr* ah well, at least he’s Yale-bound, I’m happy for him. He said he didn’t deserve his high 770 in CR and I didn’t deserve my 700 because I studied so much more than him. Guys somehow always managed to pull of a higher score with less studying AKSDFJDKJ.

The Early Decision deadline for the University of Pennsylvania is less than a week away. Oh god, I still have two one-page essays to write, so stressed out! I just got my 4000 word Extended Essay out of way today (Supervisor said she liked it, yay!) I often wonder what I’m doing applying there with such low SAT and IB scores.

Popularity: 2% [?]