Status reports

I met my new class dean today, Monique. Besides acting as a class dean (read: guidance counselor/life coach/godparent) she worked in Student Academic Services and Students with Disabilities Office. She's one of the best admins I've ever met- respectful, kind, engaged. She's good people.

There are few things better than a good Administrator. Systems exist for a reason- they give structure and power. When people know how to navigate the system with kindness, care and humanity- they are enormously powerful.

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After catering, I got my syllabus for Novella class with Sylvia Watanabe. It's pretty common for professors teaching upper-level classes to distribute their syllubai before class begins, so students can prepare the readings/homework early, or go bargain book hunting to make textbooks more affordable.
Verdict: this class will be bliss and rapture.

From the syllabus- "Class mantra: This is a workshop. "

Our final Paper Topic is: "Why this book sucks/does not suck."

This is why I love writing classes. Whereas in English classes, you talk about the social implications and various merits, the Creative Writing questions are: "Does it work? How does it work? Can we change it?"

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Catering for the International students is pretty righteous. Everyone is from everywhere! At the opening International Students Dinner, I found some folks born in the US, but educated entirely abroad, who had taken my tour in the spring. One was from the Netherlands, but had gone to school in Croatia, Britain, South Africa... and had an awesome sense of humor.

Aries: So, your parents are spies?
Nederlad: They don't like me to talk about it.
A: Does that mean CIA?
Nederlad: It could mean that. If you want it to.

I forgot that most foreigners eat.... slowly. It's a bit agonizing when you're waitserving. At least Americans, for all our piggishness, eat fast. And finish fast.