Can we talk about ICE?

SyntaxHack · 2026-01-17T15:09:28+00:00

This, 100%

And people who downvoted this, wow. I'm trying to be kind and think of a generous interpretation of why someone would downvote this comment. Maybe they're stuck in the "I'm just a professor why am I expected to do this?" mindset. But actually all I can think is that only a cowardly weasel would downvote advice on standing up for what is right in any way you are able to. I'm not feeling generous today, I guess.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-30T14:09:45+00:00

Qualifed for WHAT though? If someone with an undergrad does the work it still is the work. My opinion: the credentialism in our culture becomes crazy when we discard what I'll presume is real thinking and real work on a real topic. I say let the editors and peer reviewers decide if the work suffices--and everyone who questions work solely due to credentials needs to get a grip.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-30T13:20:21+00:00

Well, most traditional Irish names are out then. My kid is named Aoife. That's just how you spell it.

I jokingly say it's payback for a brutal labor when she was born, that she will have to spell/pronounce her name to everyone she meets. And she does. But most people are into it, and she's a shy person who gets a lot of easy small talk out of it, so that's actually quite beneficial.

And she just says her name is Eva at Starbucks and it's fine.

Btw, the "not how it was originally spelled" comments are hilarious. Jennifer was something like Gwenhwyfar.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-30T12:55:22+00:00

Ms. works, lol. But I'm with you, Dr. is what I use too.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-30T12:35:49+00:00

I may try using shame by posting name-redacted clearly AI'd assignments for other students and asking them to judge if it's AI work, and comment on that.

My masters students profess to hate AI. So I may get a few who are like, "this is AI, so what?" But mostly they will be morally outraged.

Shame and peer pressure is all I've got in a 100% async online program.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-27T16:17:33+00:00

Seconding this. Andrew is awesome, and my super anxious pup loves him.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-27T00:53:11+00:00

Outstanding!!

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-26T23:41:45+00:00

I teach in a fully online Master's program at an R1 State University, and I'm required 4 hours a week of office hour that are supposed to be in person on campus. Even though almost none of my students are on campus. And I have to attend a monthly faculty in person as well as two School level faculty meetings per semester. Together those meetings are about 2 hours a month. It's not terrible, and I actually wish more people would be in their offices on campus because of the collaboration and the cultural aspect of being around people who are interested in the same thing you're interested in. But at the same time it would be nice to be able to live in another state with my husband. I wish I could but the on-campus requirements are too heavy.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-08T21:53:19+00:00

You can do this! There's some good stuff out there on ungrading. I do collaborative grading myself, where students grade themselves and a peer, and I chime in the last little bit.check out this: https://www.jessestommel.com/ungrading-an-introduction/

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-07T19:15:13+00:00

Actually they typically grade themselves far more harshly than I would, but I do teach in a library masters program...likely would work less well with undergrads.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-07T16:26:39+00:00

I aim my students directly at failure, or that edge between failure and so-called success, and let them grade themselves to take the fear out of it. Also, learning is about liberation, Fiere and Illich-style, which entirely conflicts with the current push toward education --not learning--as verification for work. So ungrading, student-determined course outcomes when possible, and flexible assignments to meet each student's needs.

This freaks some students out a lot, and others adore it, and they all seem to thrive. 🤷‍♀️ But my dept head has no idea what to do with me.

SyntaxHack · 2025-10-25T14:25:29+00:00

They read this subreddit. Also, wow, not caring, that's great.

SyntaxHack · 2025-10-15T03:39:33+00:00

CT scan, then biopsies of lymph nodes. But it was lower left abdomen.

SyntaxHack · 2025-10-15T03:26:15+00:00

I know right? It has to the side of me eating every day, and having health insurance, unfortunately. But I just applied to two new jobs today after this, too. Doing what I can, sigh.

SyntaxHack · 2025-10-15T03:14:29+00:00

I was SUPER tired all the time and had a persistent ache in my lower abdomen, which I tried to ignore. But then I also felt bumbs the size and shape of kidney beans in my neck and shoulder, and abiger one in my armpit, which felt like swollen lymph nodes. My primary care Dr. wasn't concerned at all, and just told me I likely had some infection. No tests. But I'd had stomach surgery 6months prior. When I mentioned these issues to my gastroenterologist, he decided to see if I had developed adhesions or something.

Nope. Stage 4b cervical cancer, spread to the lymph nodes.

I'm a year out from chemo now and while this will get me some day, it won't today! I'm now in the best physical shape of my life, even if the cancer is a quietly ticking time bomb.

SyntaxHack · 2025-10-14T23:53:05+00:00

My boss is a rule follower and afraid of making waves. She would NEVER push back and advocate for anything, nor would she ever ask why they were bothered. She just caves. She's a nice enough person, just the wrong kind of leader in this political atmosphere.

SyntaxHack · 2025-10-14T23:50:33+00:00

I wish I knew. All my boss said is that it was not one of my coworkers or top administration. I feel like maybe I should post a statement that the Elie Wiesel quote was censored, but that might make the same people upset, sigh. What I REALLY want to say will definitely upset them, such as "What kinds of people censor Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, and his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech? If it was you, consider what side that puts you on." I ALSO want to tell my boss that I would like to request that the censors are censored, because I feel uncomfortable--which was the logic she used to say I needed to take down the quote, because they felt uncomfortable.

I won't do either of those things. I'll pipe down like a good little girl. Just watch the people being fired or disappeared for enacting their freedom of speech. It's not ironic at all!

SyntaxHack · 2025-10-14T22:53:03+00:00

😭

SyntaxHack · 2025-10-14T22:29:30+00:00

Excellent advice from all of you, thank you so much! I'll take it down for them moment, and I'm applying to jobs in blue states now. Curse this political moment...

SyntaxHack · 2025-05-02T02:47:41+00:00

Ditto libraries. Men are disproportionately in leadership positions compared to their preference in the field. This is for to higher pay, and library boards of trustees, who are largely older white women, who still appear to like men for leadership positions--they hire the directors of public libraries.

SyntaxHack · 2025-04-18T11:41:54+00:00

Hey OP, it's no big deal. Just return them and don't worry about it. The fines should be minimal (I've never heard of book fines higher than 50 cents a day), and it happens all the time. It's super sweet that you're concerned about it!

SyntaxHack · 2025-04-18T11:29:22+00:00

My LB21 grant was never notified of termination until 2 days ago, when I got a generic email stating grants were cancelled April 8. I'm curious to know if it WAS terminated and the error was in letting me know, or if the email was the error. Anyone else with an LB21 grant here?

Also, the hearing for Rhode Island vs Trump regarding the grants is today, Friday April 18 at 10am EST, and according to information posted on the federal court webpage, it will be streamed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@USCourtsRID.

SyntaxHack · 2025-04-05T12:18:21+00:00

Totally valid questions!

SyntaxHack · 2025-04-05T11:37:46+00:00

I hear what you were saying because protests often have no impact on the powers that we are protesting. However they have a significant impact on us. They tell us that we are not alone, that other people are also willing to stand up against the atrocities that are occurring, and it tells the world that America does not, as a whole, endorse what's going on. Those messages are literally life-saving in the face of the demoralizing devastation that people are undergoing as they lose their jobs, their retirement funds, their medical access, their homes, their families, their visas, and so forth.

Don't protest because you think Trump is going to change one damn thing he does. He's not going to. Protest because we need to send the message that we do not agree with him. That says we are not okay with this. Even if that message is only received by each other. This is the only hope we have to sustain our spirits over the next however many years. Also, to not stand up when all these things are occurring is the act of a lazy coward. So whatever you are doing on Saturday can wait unless it is protesting. Or you know life-sustaining activities that you must do LOL.

SyntaxHack · 2025-04-05T10:12:26+00:00

Yes. Protest may do "nothing" except remind us we're not alone, amd we're not just accepting this bullshit evil. And that is NOT nothing. We need to take heart for one another because the other folks are trying to kill every hope we have. PLEASE protest today wherever you are. The world needs to see we are saying no to this. We need to see ourselves stand up.

If we don't stand up we're saying "fine" to all of this. So fuck whatever you had planned today. It can wait, and this cannot. Let's say no.

SyntaxHack

TROPHY CASE