random thinks

9th Annual "Magic of Science" Show

Again with the busy-ness!

Tomorrow night is the college's annual "Magic of Science" show. The Chemistry Department does this as an annual outreach to the community, to show how cool chemistry and other (*cough* lesser *cough*) sciences can be.

this will be a night of explosions, flames, explosions, glowing colors, changing colors, dancing flames, explosions, helix flames, and many other things. My students went heavy on the explosions this year. In actuality, they are not really explosions...they might not even be deflagrations... but I digress into total geekitude... Suffice it to say that things are busy and my time is not my own.

If you are in the great metropolitan Adrian, MI area, drop me a line and I can let you know how to get here. The show is at 7PM and is open to the public. It is also free!

Back in the Saddle, Part II

So, it is Monday morning and my first class starts in 18 minutes.  I am ready, but was not quite so ready until I got a handle on things yesterday.  Procrastination is not my forte, but things are at least set for the next week or so.

I am always jazzed to be in the classroom, and the first day is always surreal.  A new group of students wondering what the hell the bald guy is gonna do with/to them.  A bald guy wondering what the hell the students are going to think of him, and a whole lot of housekeeping chores/paperwork to fill out.

Syllabi, assessment surveys, info sheets, lab materials, homework, announcements.  I generally bury them with paper the first day, and ease off, at least until homework kicks into high gear.

Wish me luck...

Back in the Saddle...

...whether I want to be or not.

Susan's alarm rings at 4:20. She has to be at work at 5:30. I don't. However, I like to be the first one in the building. I often get more work done before 8:00 AM than I do the rest of the day. I think that was easy to do when my commute was less than 5 minutes. Now, with 39 miles to go, I think I may as well get up with her and see what I can get accomplished.

Classes start one week from Monday, and I am behind in my planning. Lots of stuff is getting in the way: moving adjustments, wedding plans (which are going pretty well), a faculty retreat planned for Monday and Tuesday, a much needed garage sale tomorrow, trips to the physical therapist, trips to the dentist, trips to the optometrist. I will make it, but still...

I always get neurotic at this time of the year. I am always ready, and I usually move into the semester smoothly, but the anticipation always kills me. I was the kid who could not wait until school started back up in the fall. As an adult, I am a creature of habit and routine, and mine have been shot this summer. I am very much looking forward to their re-establishment this semester. They are comforting, and keep me sane.

This summer has been different than any other in my time here in Adrian. Lots of good things, but lots of things still. I generally play more golf, and work less. I generally loaf more, and work less. I generally travel and read more, and work less. This year I taught during May, did consulting in June, moved in July, and got settled in August.

Enough of the whining, time to get moving.

Remote Blogging: Return of the King Style

I am over at our student center, watching these words play out on a 12 foot wide screen, via a Proxima projector. Wireless Internet courtesy of the school.

A group of us are getting set up to watch the Extended Version of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in stereo and on the big screen. I am here early to make sure the setup works and deliver the treats.

We have a 20 gallon bag of popcorn ($5 at the local convenience mart), Twizzlers and chocolate, biscotti and soda, and some comfy couches on which to see the conclusion of the trilogy.

I bought the "super duper gift set" version of the DVD, including the Minas Tirith bookend and the extra DVD of the making of the LOTR symphony with Howard Shore. It is playing in the background now.

I'm tellin ya, technology rocks, and so does having a few extra days off at the holidays (thanks to semester break) to plan fun stuff like this.

I have no idea how many of us will be here, but it really does not matter. It is gonna be way cool.

Last Day of Classes!

I was wondering there for a minute if I was going to make it through this semester. On or about 2:20 this afternoon, the semester will be over for me (except, of course, for final exams) and except for turning in final grades, I am officially in the holiday mode.

The house is on its way to being clean. It is partially decorated (outside lights), and the Chirstmas shopping is done (unless I want to add anything else).

Next up: The Christmas tree, some baking (I am going to do biscotti this year), and...one of my favorite things to do every year...wrap presents!!!

The family is coming here for the holidays, and I am always excited to have them here.

Son of Glam Rocks the House

(Click to enlarge)
Son of Glam an 80's "hair band" tribute group was on campus last night for the entertainment of the college community. Billed as "the ultimate 80's hair band tribute", they played for over 90 minutes of headbanging fun.

While never a huge fan of this type of music, I heard it all the time on the radio during my high school and college days. Not to mention watching MTV back when they really played videos. I was more than a little surprised when I found myself singing along to all but three of the tunes they played. These guys were funny, and amazingly talented. The lead guitarist had some serious chops. You might say that copying others is no big deal, but this guy played the stuff straight as an arrow.

I made the comment last night that mimicing the lyrics was not too hard for the lead singer since most of the guys he was covering sounded like cats being strangled anyhow. I know, bad joke, and this guy was fun.

There were 6 of us older non-student-type folks sitting in the back, having at least as much fun as the students. I had more than a few memory flashbacks to high school and college prompted by the tunes of: AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Ratt, Metallica, Van Halen, Def Leppard, Guns 'N Roses, Poison, Quiet Riot, and Twisted Sister.

The group's song list is here. Check it out and see if the songs don't bring back at least a couple of lines of forgotten big hair music.

I have to admit, I am going to head into iTunes to see if I can put together a playlist of some of the stuff from last night. Or at least stuff inspired by what I heard last night.

First Day of Classes

Well, I survived. Abbreviated index finger and all. Today was the first day of Fall Semester 2004 at Adrian College.

When I was a child, I was always the kid who wanted to go back to school about the first of August. By that time I was tired of summer, tired of too much unstructured free time, tired of goofing off or doing nothing. If we had taken a family vacation, it was long over. I wanted to be back in school. I wanted to be learning new stuff. I missed the classroom.

I guess it is a good thing I have the job I do. I tell people that college professors are the one percent of the one percent of the population that enjoyed school so much that we wanted to make it our careers. I love the campus environment. All campuses (campi?), not just the one I am on. The one I am one got a big boost in appeal this summer with the opening of our new student center. I am sitting in it right now, sipping coffee and blogging off the wireless connection.

Being on the other side of the lectern has its' issues though. I get frustrated pretty quickly with campus politics and some of my colleagues, although at the same time recognizing that it is just as likely for me to be part of the problem.

The start of the Fall Semester always has its share of problems, especially technologically speaking. When hundreds of students bring their PC's back on campus after a summer of P2P sharing, web surfing, AIM, and e-mail, there are always a few nasty little viruses lurking, ready to have their way with the campus net. Our IT guys are awesome, but overworked, and it seems there is always some small odd way that we get hit. The faculty bear their part of the blame as well. A lot of our faculty are gone all summer, never turning on their computers for virus or OS updates. Needless to say, the net has the flu.

Otherwise, it has been a busy, full, tiring, awesome, funny, wierd, goofy, annoying, sweet, sublime day. The students are rarely in better humor as they are after a summer full of whatever it is they do to relax and recharge.

My habit in the fall is to be up before dawn, showered, shaved, fed, with a copy of the Detroit Free Press under my arm on the way in to the office before 7AM. It is blissfully quiet up in my office at that time, and I usually have at least an hour and a half before I even hear footsteps coming down the hall. I generally get more work done in that period than I do the rest of the day between classes.

I am teaching two introductory Chemistry courses this semester (majors and "Chemistry for Poets", which is my design and one of my favorites), as well as a section of the college's new First Year Seminar. So, overall I have almost ninety students, most of whom I do not know. I only have one course for majors, so I don't have a whole lot of familiar faces in the classroom, but they do end up in my office, if only for the free Skittles that come out of the gumball machine that stands by the corner of my desk.

So...it is approaching 9PM, and I am yawning and rubbing my eyes like a five year old who is up past his bedtime. I will finish this post, get the dogs out for another walk, and hit the pillow by 10, with about thirty seconds between lights out and me out, like a light.

A good day. I love my job. Life is pretty damn good.

I'm Blowin' This Popstand...

I am packing and cleaning and getting ready to get out of town for a week. Travel? yes. Vacation? no. I am heading down to Clemson SC to meet up with about 125 other chemistry teacher geeks to read (grade) the 2004 Advanced Placement Chemistry Exam. Do I lead an exciting life or what?

I will spend seven 8 hour days, reading thousands of exams, grading one question over and over (and over and over). More fun than one man should be allowed to have you say? Actually, it is not that bad. The money is always good, and I have made some good friends among the chemistry geek-erati.

After a full reading day, there will be such things as golf, minor league baseball, the new Harry Potter movie, and if I find the time and a connection, blogging.

I am taking Beaker the wonder Element for her first big road trip, and leaving Shrunken Stuffed Patrick in charge of the house/dog sitter and the pooches whilst I am away. We'll see if fun and hilarity ensue in either place.

Now, I don't want to get off on a rant here...

A little ranting for a Friday morning...

Duke University is eliminating all 8:00 AM classes from its schedule. (link to Yahoo news story: Duke University Cuts 8 A.M. Classes).

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke University is eliminating 8 a.m. classes and trying to come up with other ways help its sleep-deprived students, who too often are struggling to survive on a mix of caffeine, adrenaline and ambition.

The school is also considering new orientation programs this fall that would help freshmen understand the importance of sleep.

The coddling of college students has reached a new peak. As a college professor, I understand that my students tend to be nightowls. I can deal with this. I also understand that students attempt to cram all of their classes into the 10AM to 2PM time schedule so that they can have their afternoons free. And if you are an athlete you cannot have a 3:00 course as you are getting prepped to go to practice.

Give me a break. My understanding is that part of what college is about is preparing you for the work world. A world where for the most part, you simply cannot wander in to your work place whenver the hell you feel like it. I really don't have much sympathy for students who complain about not getting enough sleep. 18 year olds should be able to figure out how much sleep they need, know how long it takes them to get ready in the morning, know when their first class is and then calculate what time they need to go to bed.

I generally teach 8 o'clock classes every semester. I teach chemistry. I tell the students that complain about the class time that part of my job is preparing them to work as a chemist. And for the vast majority, as a chemist, you get up and get to work before 9:00 AM. Get used to it.

What Duke is doing, in my opinion, is following a trend of catering to student whims. Some colleges no longer schedule any exams for Friday's because they recognize that a lot of students go out drinking on Thursday night. My colleagues who teach on Friday afternoons report seriously decreased attendance, especially weeks before breaks.

I've had students tell me that they will be gone from class for a week in the middle of the semester because they are going on vacation. They of course expect me to understand that and adjust my expectations of them because of it.

Sheesh.

Granted, this is still a minority of students. But it is growing.

Cool Workshop Today

I am down (over?) in Dearborn today at the Ritz-Carlton for a workshop by Edward Tufte. Tufte is an emeritus professor from Yale U, where he taught courses in statistical evidence, information design, and interface design. The New York Times calls him "The Leonardo da Vinci of data." In my opinion, he has written the definitive work on the subject, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information".

Most recently he has been on a crusade about the mangling of information by the use of PowerPoint. I am looking forward to seeing what he has to say about that.

I first picked up one of his books 4 or 5 years ago and have always marvelled at the beautiful design and presentation of the books. I have been looking forward to this workshop for months. I'll let you know how it was when I get back.