My partner works at a a local university. I’m extremely proud of her for landing the coveted U-job (English majors might live for this kind of stuff). Today I went in to work with her in order to experience what her environment is like (it’s a couples thing. I think it is really important to know where your partner is coming from and what they do all day long. This is not feasible for most professions, but for what we do it is easy).
I used to teach at University before I transitioned to desert living. In truth, I came here to teach at University but wound up finding a home at the Community Colleges. I’m not mad about that or even jealous of her and her opportunities. On the one hand I recognize her ceiling for recognition and prestige is much higher than my own and I like that. On the other hand, none of that stuff actually has mattered to me for a good seven years. I just want the space and freedom to teach how I think works and fill classes with the context I find interesting. I get to do that where I am at and she’s starting to do that in her own space.
What made me sit and ‘ten-minute’ this experience is the exasperation and occasionally awesome experience of being back on a U-campus. It is really different. It started with crashing my car into a curb as a group of Asian bicyclists straight cut me off at a turn. Apparently bikes have the right of way. As a New Yorker I find this antithetical to the very nature of human existence. Stupid should not survive. Period.
Once I moved past that (slowly and agonizingly and I hope my car is alright) we walked across the campus enjoying the sights and sounds and surprising lack of people. I suspect most students are about later-in-the-day classes. I love the campus’ quiet spots. It feels very post industrial, as if Matheson’s Vampire (actually they were more like Zombies in the short) story came to life not on the screen but in a real space overgrown with vines and desert trees. Experiencing the University space was my favorite part about working at a U.
The students are different here than in CC. More formal and driven. The conversations I happened by were about their pursuits and classes. Students here deal in business, not bullshit. I miss that. I miss no nonsense high level discourse driven discussions in the classroom. I miss the bound community of a University. I miss teaching at a higher level.
Some Thoughts:
- Life is good.