Charlie Brown
I know he told us not to call him that, but it is too tempting not to, and besides, he is not going to be reading this. (I hope.) Anyway, CB is my Sociology professor, for those of you who don't know, and I have decided that he is quite a character. And since lists are a fun way to express almost anything, I shall make a list of all the habits and interesting things that he does and says.
1. Every name he calls on the attendance list sounds exactly the same.
2. He told us it is okay to pass notes during class, as long as we don't talk to each other.
3. On the second day of classes, he thought it was a Tuesday and came in half an hour later, was suprised to find that only four of thirty-six people had left, and told us he would have left a long time ago if he was a student.
4. One out of every four examples he gives involves a story about drinking in some bar in some random place. So far we have heard about Milwalkee and Australia. By far the more interesing was the story that took place in Australia, where apparently he didn't have enough sense not to non-verbally announce to everyone in the bar that he was the toughest son of a b. and get into a fistfight that left him with a scar.
5. His second favorite topic to use in examples is betting references.
6. As a freshman in college, he changed his major six times; his future plans went from baseball player to accounting to guitar-playing in a band. He left school for a year to work in the lumber industry, then returned to discover that he was meant to be a teacher.
7. He uses phrases such as "shaking your head yes", "the nice thing about suicide", and "not to brag, but I was good".
8. He gave us an assignment to challenge societal norms: next time you are at the grocery store, take items from someone else's cart instead of the shelves. If they get upset, innocently say, "Oh, I didn't know you had already paid for this."
And these are only in the first week and a half of classes. Just wait to see what else he does...
1. Every name he calls on the attendance list sounds exactly the same.
2. He told us it is okay to pass notes during class, as long as we don't talk to each other.
3. On the second day of classes, he thought it was a Tuesday and came in half an hour later, was suprised to find that only four of thirty-six people had left, and told us he would have left a long time ago if he was a student.
4. One out of every four examples he gives involves a story about drinking in some bar in some random place. So far we have heard about Milwalkee and Australia. By far the more interesing was the story that took place in Australia, where apparently he didn't have enough sense not to non-verbally announce to everyone in the bar that he was the toughest son of a b. and get into a fistfight that left him with a scar.
5. His second favorite topic to use in examples is betting references.
6. As a freshman in college, he changed his major six times; his future plans went from baseball player to accounting to guitar-playing in a band. He left school for a year to work in the lumber industry, then returned to discover that he was meant to be a teacher.
7. He uses phrases such as "shaking your head yes", "the nice thing about suicide", and "not to brag, but I was good".
8. He gave us an assignment to challenge societal norms: next time you are at the grocery store, take items from someone else's cart instead of the shelves. If they get upset, innocently say, "Oh, I didn't know you had already paid for this."
And these are only in the first week and a half of classes. Just wait to see what else he does...
posted by Elizabeth at
3:00 PM
5 Comments:
Hahaha! Your teacher is so weird! He sounds hilarious though. I still say that you should pose the idea of number 8 to Sarah...Im sure she would be more than happy to help you with this assignment! -m
Not that you shouldn't try #8, but what would it teach you? Or prove to you? That society has norms? We know that. The unfortunate thing is that when many people challenge societal norms, for example by talking loudly on their cell phones anywhere and everywhere, or by wearing pants that hang off their butts and shirts that reveal bulging guts, they think they are being unique and making a statement. But when "everybody" does it, it becomes the "new norm" and people are too dumb to see that just because its the "norm" doesn't make it any less obnoxious or inconsiderate or unattractive.
I'd much rather see people challenge norms by being smarter, or more attractive, or more helpful, or more polite. Just say "thank you" when a salesperson helps you, or a stranger helps you with a door. That would challenge today's norms and push us in the right direction.
Speaking of the pants that can't stay where they belong, did you hear about the state that passed a law that fines anyone whose underwear can be seen too much. Someplace like Maryland or Virginia.
And I am pretty sure I challenge societal norms in lots of ways, but at lot more like the way you are describing, Mom, than our prof suggests.
I think you do...and most days I'm proud of that.
BTW, what is "the good thing about suicide"?
Sadly, I can't remember. The bad part about all his fun examples and stories is that I never remember what their point is.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home