The recipient of today's Citation de la Semaine award needs no introduction. When the winning quote initially appeared on the message board, Invictus immediately described it as "one hell of a post" and deserving of "hall of fame status."  During our selection committee's teleconference meeting this morning, #1 Groupie said that when she first saw it she shouted "Great Balls of Fire! It shakes my nerves and rattles my brain," to which Delta Dawn exclaimed "Good golly Miss Molly!" When it first appeared on the message board, 80's Lady was speechless but suddenly developed an urge to burn her bra one more time. It is with great pleasure that we present today's Citation de la Semaine award to . . . .

THE WINNER - foot soldier: "I have taught at 6 different schools of varying sizes. 5 of them have been state-supported. When I worked at USM, I taught more different courses in a three year period than I did in the entire rest of my career. I worked at USM for 5 years, and I can count the number of times I went to the movies during that period on one hand. I worked nights, I worked weekends, I got up at 4:30 in the morning and wrote. My family never took a vacation during that time that did not involve visiting relatives or, mostly, doing work-related activities. Often I arranged my "vacations" to do research while grandma babysat. By the time I left USM, I was spending almost a tenth of my income on my own research or on traveling to conferences to present my research, because, although USM expected me to be an active professional scholar and do these things, it did not provide the funds for me to do it. The library did not begin to meet either the most basic needs for my research or for teaching my classes, and the funding for the library got worse and worse. I spent many many hours each year doing service activities for the school that were handled by professional staff members at every other school I have ever taught at (including the college with 1200 students). The buildings I taught in were filthy and poorly maintained. I bought my own chalk. I printed handouts for my students on my home computer or paid to make then at Kinkos, because my department could not afford to allow me to make enough photocopies for my students. Even making them at home, I often had to go beg for more so I could copy final exams. I made a salary which allowed me to live comfortably in Hattiesburg--but when I went on the job market, I discovered that although I am midcareer and established in field, my salary was now about entry level for my discipline.

In spite of all this, I liked my job. I liked my colleagues. I liked my students. But to hear IHL board members say we need to scale back and Hattiesburg citizen say that I'm lazy and overpaid, when I wasn't even allowed to xerox enough to for my students, makes my blood boil. They ought to be demanding that Mississippi fund education better than it does. USM was the most impoverished school I've taught at. They ought to be demanding improvements, library books, better facilities.

Sure there are a few lazy, even overpaid professors. There are lazy, overpaid people in all walks of life. But the vitriol that comes out in the papers and on this board, when I spent five years working the hardest I've every worked in my life--I simply can't take it. And it doesn't describe very many of the people I knew at USM. Gracie's mother and her ilk make me glad that I do not live in Hattiesburg anymore. I can't imagine having to explain to my child why people hate me. I don't think that these trolls really think we are lazy, or liberal, or whiners, or overpaid. I think they just desperately need someone to hate. And the faculty are their choice.

I fully expect Gracie's mother to start flaming now and telling me she/he is glad I'm gone and USM is better off without whiners like me. But USM students deserve the very best education that they can get. And if that means telling the truth about how bad things were, then that's not whining. And Gracie's mom, I bet this board is full of people who could tell the same story I have just told. They do not deserve to be harassed or derided."