The English department is out to get me
You may remember a video I posted on the blog about a month and a half ago. It was a satirical look at the English T.A. program that I've been involved in for the past two years. Well, I posted that video on YouTube in two parts (you can find them here and here) and somehow the Dean caught wind of it. I can't imagine how, considering the videos only received around 100 hits, but of course the Dean didn't like my videos and neither did the head of the English department. Monday I was called into a meeting with all of the departmental administration where they told me to take the videos down.
Initially, I caved. I didn't want to fight about it and, since I'm graduating in two weeks, I figured I could just put the video up after graduation without them noticing. I didn't feel good about bowing to their will, but it seemed like the best option at the time. Then, last night, someone changed my mind.
Neal Bowers, who teaches my Contemporary American Poetry class, had seen the video and really liked it. He happened to mention it last night and I told him about my meeting the day before. He was pissed. I tried to tell him it wasn't a big deal but he said, "Not a big deal that they trampled all over your right to free speech?"
I decided he had a point.
So with Neal as my 'consultant' I reposted the videos. He also sent an email to the members of the administration (or Spanish Inquisition, as he called them) letting them know what he thought of their censorship. The head of the department responded with the same line of bullshit about libel and lawsuits that he gave me. In his response, Neal revealed that the video was back up and that if anyone was going to get fired over it, he wanted to be first.
Not long after, the other T.A.s in the video started getting called in, Tim included. Charlie and Barb (the Spanish Inquisition) tried to intimidate them into turning against me. It seemed to work on Joe, who is now afraid the video will jeopardize his future as a college instructor.
I'm convinced I'm doing the right thing by leaving the video up. I think it is an apt satire of a broken system. The T.A.s in the English Department here are given a heavy workload and very little support. We are expected to teach 56 students, grade their papers, and still manage to keep up with our own classes. I found it nearly impossible. Of course, I'm pretty lazy, but I know some of the other T.A.s have been struggling as well.
I don't think I would be as irked about it if the students we teach appreciated the work we do. Most of the students wouldn't even show up to class if we didn't have strict attendance policies and the amount of work they put into their papers is nil. The class is just some bullshit they have to take to fulfill a requirement.
I finally gave up this semester. I quit teaching my class and I made that video in my spare time as a gift to the other T.A.s, to let them know that we all put up with the same bullshit. I also made it because I wanted the administration to see what I think of their program.
Unfortunately, they found out a little sooner than I had hoped. Oh well. I stand by the video and I hope the shit storm it has created will encourage the administration to rethink their T.A. program.
I don't know what's going to happen now. I think the administration is hoping that the other T.A.s in the video will pressure me into taking it down. I don't think they'll sue me, but good luck to them if they do. I'll make sure every major newspaper and TV station in the country gets wind of it.
I may go down, but I'm gonna get my fifteen minutes, by gum!
Initially, I caved. I didn't want to fight about it and, since I'm graduating in two weeks, I figured I could just put the video up after graduation without them noticing. I didn't feel good about bowing to their will, but it seemed like the best option at the time. Then, last night, someone changed my mind.
Neal Bowers, who teaches my Contemporary American Poetry class, had seen the video and really liked it. He happened to mention it last night and I told him about my meeting the day before. He was pissed. I tried to tell him it wasn't a big deal but he said, "Not a big deal that they trampled all over your right to free speech?"
I decided he had a point.
So with Neal as my 'consultant' I reposted the videos. He also sent an email to the members of the administration (or Spanish Inquisition, as he called them) letting them know what he thought of their censorship. The head of the department responded with the same line of bullshit about libel and lawsuits that he gave me. In his response, Neal revealed that the video was back up and that if anyone was going to get fired over it, he wanted to be first.
Not long after, the other T.A.s in the video started getting called in, Tim included. Charlie and Barb (the Spanish Inquisition) tried to intimidate them into turning against me. It seemed to work on Joe, who is now afraid the video will jeopardize his future as a college instructor.
I'm convinced I'm doing the right thing by leaving the video up. I think it is an apt satire of a broken system. The T.A.s in the English Department here are given a heavy workload and very little support. We are expected to teach 56 students, grade their papers, and still manage to keep up with our own classes. I found it nearly impossible. Of course, I'm pretty lazy, but I know some of the other T.A.s have been struggling as well.
I don't think I would be as irked about it if the students we teach appreciated the work we do. Most of the students wouldn't even show up to class if we didn't have strict attendance policies and the amount of work they put into their papers is nil. The class is just some bullshit they have to take to fulfill a requirement.
I finally gave up this semester. I quit teaching my class and I made that video in my spare time as a gift to the other T.A.s, to let them know that we all put up with the same bullshit. I also made it because I wanted the administration to see what I think of their program.
Unfortunately, they found out a little sooner than I had hoped. Oh well. I stand by the video and I hope the shit storm it has created will encourage the administration to rethink their T.A. program.
I don't know what's going to happen now. I think the administration is hoping that the other T.A.s in the video will pressure me into taking it down. I don't think they'll sue me, but good luck to them if they do. I'll make sure every major newspaper and TV station in the country gets wind of it.
I may go down, but I'm gonna get my fifteen minutes, by gum!
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