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USM Forum -- Message Board -> AAUP-USM MESSAGE BOARD -> THE WORLD!
Post Info TOPIC: THE WORLD!
NO EXCUSE

Date:
THE WORLD!
Permalink Closed

The world is a great place!  However, some people cannot function in a real society.  Is the academic community a real society?  Is the local community a real society?  I am no scholar as far as communities go but H'Burg is a good one.


Therefore, do we need all this complaining going on?  If the faculty at USM do not like thier bosses or their jobs then leave and leave now or suck it up and do what the rest of the world does work and work for the best interest of the entity.  Your entity is educating young people to be the future leaders!  WOW!  What will we get if they take you as role models?


At the rate the faculty is going we need 60 minutes or CNN to come in and do interviews from an objective perspective, then air them on national television so the rest of the world can see that the whole idea of the complaining and the ideology behind TENURE is to protect those who DO NOT want to accept difference of opinion and WORK!


All I have heard is this notion of shared governance but YOU FOLKS cannot accept difference of opinion!  WHAT happened to open debate.  OH! you like but how dare you challenge me!  Typical,  CREATE the problem then argue like heck!


WHY DON'T YOU TRY LIVING IN THE WORLD THAT YOU PROPOSE?  LIKE THE MOVIE STARS AND JOHN KERRY!  THEY MAKE ALL THE SOUNDS AND GREIF BUT THEY WOULD NOT BE WHERE THEY ARE AT TODAY IF THEY LIVED BY THEIR RULES>



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Unbelievable

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what a load of right wing crap !!

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truth4usm/AH

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In the noble words of our President:  "Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, we won't get fooled again."  Ignore the 'bad spellers' and 'wanton capitalizers' as best you can, fellow board members!


NO QUARTER!



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The Shadow

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Some things in Mississippi never change.

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Invictus

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quote:
Originally posted by: The Shadow
"Some things in Mississippi never change."


Yes, bad spelling & wanton capitalization have been the bane of economic development in this fair state since the Radical Reconstruction. (I am serious about this, folks!)



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stephen judd

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Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: The Shadow
"Some things in Mississippi never change."

The "real "  world recognizes that workers began to organize themselves because of abusive employers.


It really doesn't matter what work situation you are in -- farm, factory, office, university. They are all "real" -- just different. They are all populated by good people and bad people. The difference is that the bad, lazy worker not only is usually discovered and piunished, but he/she usually doesn't have a lot of control over the actions of others.


On the other hand, bad bosses (bosses who are lazy, cruel, stupid, or greedy among other things) can cause a lot of harm to a lot of people. They have the power. They have the authority. And they usually have lots of great adjectives from the people who only know them as community leaders or friends: things like "upsdtanding" "god-fearing"  and such. That is why it is so difficult for workers to win . . . .


 I am amazed that in America we can see the tyrant in King George the III but somehow are blind to the tyrants who affect our everyday lives. I didn't sign on, No Excuse, to teach young people to sacrifice their american right to think for themselves . . . and to stand up for things they believe to be right.


 And let me demolish another myth: I'll bet most of the faculty at USM:


 



  • were not born with silver spoons in our mouths

  • are the first or second generation of family to go to college

  • have worked low paying jobs over extended periods of time

  • know what it is like to sweat

  • remember where we came from

Notice, No Excuse, I said my piece without attacking you personally -- something you ought to bear in mind the next time you viciously attac a whole group of people whom you obviously barely know.


 


 


 


 



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dawy

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Cheap shot, Shadow. As if Mississippi has a monopoly on bad spelling and "wanton" capitalizing.

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The Shadow

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quote:
Originally posted by: dawy
"Cheap shot, Shadow. As if Mississippi has a monopoly on bad spelling and "wanton" capitalizing. "


I was referring to the attitudes expressed.

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Dawy

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Well said, Judd, and GAW LEE, I bet even some of those professors are the proud offspring of


bad spellers and wanton capitalizers!



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foot soldier

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quote:
Originally posted by: stephen judd
"
And let me demolish another myth: I'll bet most of the faculty at USM:
 

were not born with silver spoons in our mouths
are the first or second generation of family to go to college
have worked low paying jobs over extended periods of time
know what it is like to sweat
remember where we came from
"


Second generation. Waitressed for several years (and not in a high-class restaurant either).

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bb mac

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Excellent post Stephen.  Actually, what people tend to focus on so much is their view that faculty are whining when all SFT wants to do is "good" for the university.  Faculty are petty, and whine when they complain about SFT's policies, etc.  Another thing to think about for those who don't believe faculty/staff/student complaints about what he's doing to USM --- his madness is starting to impact the community at large:


1. He is supporting a sales tax on food/beverages to funds athletics (of all things), a proposal that is causing discord in several areas of Hattiesburg.  So much so, that Reve. Fairley is organizing a movement to fight it because a tax proposal to fund road repair etc. in some of Hattiesburg's poorer communities was shot down.


2. SFT's prints, along with his buddy's Brad Brian, seem to be all over the Halstead resignation, apparently because Halstead wanted to bring some economic development down on Mobile Street instead of out in Canebrake.


Don't believe that this mess can't extend itself to the H'burg community at-large, and cause just as much destruction out there that inside the confines of the USM campus.  Get ready folks, it's coming.



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LVN

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I'm gonna be square on the side of Rev. Fairley on this one. It's not unlike New Orleans, where people have millions to throw a party and children go to school with rats.

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Utopian Express

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Full academic scholarship to a prestigious school - poor and smart - worked like a dog at multiple jobs concurrently through three degrees.  Believe in education, believe in USM, believe in Hattiesburg and believe in silver spoons for my my children - didn't do this for naught.

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They call me the fireman

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quote:

Originally posted by: NO EXCUSE
"we need 60 minutes or CNN to come in and do interviews . . . ."


NE, The Chronicle of Higher Education has already been to campus and conducted interviews. They didn't seem to like what they found here. Why would you want 60 minutes to come in and dissiminate the sorry state of affairs at USM all across the country again - to further embarrass our state?



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Dawy

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Well, of course the first thing "60 Minutes" would show viewers is a beat up trailer in Tutwiler, never mind the fact that it would have nothing to do with USM. And the situation here and in Hattiesburg would only get worse with full national coverage.

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Dawy

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People in the community, no matter how rabid Golden Eagle supporters they be, cannot bring themselves to vote for a tax that will expand a stadium that is for the majority of games half full.

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Junk Yard Dog

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quote:





Originally posted by: stephen judd
"I'll bet most of the faculty at USM:  were not born with silver spoons in our mouths . . . are the first or second generation of family to go to college . . . have worked low paying jobs over extended periods of time . . .  know what it is like to sweat . . .  remember where we came from."


That's me, steven judd. Every single characteristic you describe.


No excuse, how many of these characteristics can be attributed to you? No excuse, I don't think you understand the natue of the beast.


 



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Invictus

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Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: stephen judd
"It really doesn't matter what work situation you are in -- farm, factory, office, university. They are all "real" -- just different. They are all populated by good people and bad people. The difference is that the bad, lazy worker not only is usually discovered and punished, but he/she usually doesn't have a lot of control over the actions of others."


That was one helluva post, Stephen. I've never quite figured out why folks think that the average college professor has no connection to the "real world." And your bulleted list is probably as accurate a demographic profile of the professorate as anything ever published in the Chronicle.

Thanks again.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled bad spelling & wanton capitalization.

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Yes Excuse

Date:
RE: THE WORLD! (Coming soon: THE UNIVERSE!)
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: NO EXCUSE
" I am no scholar as far as communities go . . .>"

Okay, No Excuse, I can buy that; but perhaps you are too modest.  Why limit yourself to just communities?


I've heard there are two kinds of people in this world.  I forget exactly who they are; but trust me, there are always two kinds of people. No matter how you see something, or how devoutly you believe it to be true, there is always at least one other well intending soul who devoutly believes the opposite to be just as true.  You just see things a teensy bit different than some others here.


For example, let's just start with a couple of simple statements. You pick the one with which you agree:


(a)  USM:  Love It or Leave It


(b)  USM:  Fix It or Forget It


Discourse may follow.


 



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foot soldier

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RE: RE: RE: THE WORLD!
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: stephen judd
"
I didn't sign on, No Excuse, to teach young people to sacrifice their american right to think for themselves . . . and to stand up for things they believe to be right. "


Mr. Wonderful take note. There are several worthy quotes in this post, but this is my favorite.

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Invictus

Date:
RE: RE: THE WORLD! (Coming soon: THE UNIVERSE!)
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: Yes Excuse
"(b)  USM:  Fix It or Forget It"


According to a quote I heard attributed to Carl Nicholson, USM was "fixed" when IHL hired Shelby Thames to be president.

A lot of people will say "we had the dog fixed" when they mean "we neutered it."

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LVN

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RE: RE: RE: RE: THE WORLD!
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: foot soldier
"

Mr. Wonderful take note. There are several worthy quotes in this post, but this is my favorite."


Steven Judd actually deserves his own special award. I don't respond to many of his posts, but I am always impressed and frequently moved by them.

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What part of NO don't you understand"

Date:
RE: RE: THE WORLD! (Coming soon: THE UNIVERSE!)
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: Yes Excuse
"You pick the one with which you agree: (a)  USM:  Love It or Leave It (b)  USM:  Fix It or Forget It Discourse may follow.  "

Let me reword your "a" choice somewhat in order to make it clearer for those who don't quite understand. When I was given that choice, this is the way it was phrased:


USM: Love It or Leave It = USM: Get Along or Git Along



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Yes Excuse

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quote:
Originally posted by: What part of NO don't you understand"
" Let me reword your "a" choice  USM: Get Along or Git Along"

Fair enough.  It eliminates any emotional committment to the institution, and reduces the question to one of mere expediency, but that's all right, too. 


Do you agree that one must "go along to get along"?  Are you familiar with "Vichy" and "Quisling" and the notion that history ignored is repeated?


I'll add another wrinkle.  Anyone who says, "Love it or leave it!" has chosen the easy way out; it requires no work to "love" USM.  Fixing USM is quite another matter.  I'm still thinking about what it takes to "Get along."  I suspect that in means "just don't make waves," "sit down and shut up," or "peace at any cost." 



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Jameela Lares

Date:
THE WORLD!
Permalink Closed

"You pick the one with which you agree: (a)  USM:  Love It or Leave It (b)  USM:  Fix It or Forget It Discourse may follow.  "


The problem with (a), of course, is that it misunderstands the nature of the institution.  Universities are not factories with workers punching in from 9-5.  Rather, they have their historic roots in learning communities whose members, who were originally monastics, took life vows.  That's where tenure comes from.  My commitment to USM is rather like a marriage.  You might as well say to someone, "Gee, if you're having an argument with your spouse today, you can just get a divorce."


NO QUARTER.



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Yes Excuse

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: Jameela Lares
"" USM:  Love It or Leave It" You might as well say to someone, "Gee, if you're having an argument with your spouse today, you can just get a divorce." "

The analolgy is apt.


The historical underpinings are interesting, but I suspect that many people would respond, "That was then, this is now."  The chancellor used to sit on a wool sack.  The monarch used to be supreme. Business owners used to reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.  Sufferage used to be reserved only for landowners. Monks and professors used to take lifetime vows.  You just don't see as many monks as you used to.



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Invictus

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quote:
Originally posted by: Dawy
"Well, of course the first thing "60 Minutes" would show viewers is a beat up trailer in Tutwiler, never mind the fact that it would have nothing to do with USM. And the situation here and in Hattiesburg would only get worse with full national coverage. "


I'm glad you mentioned Tutwiler. There are at least two connections between a beat up trailer in Tutwiler & USM:

(1) Tutwiler is where Highway 49 forms a crossroads with itself. (Okay, I know that US 49 extends up to Marks from Tutwiler as Miss. 3, but the cosmic significance is too great to ignore.) It makes a big "X" right in the middle of the Delta.

(2) There is a minority opinion that this crossroads -- and not the US 61/US 49 junction promoted by the City of Clarksdale -- is where bluesman Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil.

For several years after I moved from teaching to administration, I kept a picture of Robert Johnson in my briefcase to remind me of what I had done. I think more USM admins should study "The King of the Delta Blues," particularly tunes like "Me & the Devil" or "Hellhound on My Trail."

All this said, I agree that the last thing USM as an institution needs is more national attention. What USM needs is some attention from the IHL board.

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Paradign shift

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Mr. NO EXCUSE has an interesting view of the world, considering he lives in 2004. His views are right out of the early 1950s. A lot has happended in the world since then, but he has been living in Hattiesburg, so he never paid any attention to the change.


The modern world values diversity and actively seeks the minority view. Management has found over the decades that the fringe often times has a better view of the changes that are taking place around us than those at the center, huddled around the boss, looking for a spot to sew their lips.


Mr. NO EXCUSE should have worked away from Hattiesburg for a while. He would have done very well at Enron. He has the attidude that helps people take down large corporations. It is that, "Do what I say, never question!" mentality that has served the older generation of Mississippians so well for lo these many decades.


But the next generation deserves better. Unlike Mr. NO EXCUSE, they have not sold themselves into mediocraty. They should demand that we give them the skills to better question as well as to learn. After all, is learning not begun with a question?


At USM we do not accept students to merely teach them to recide drivel. We try to impart reason, curiosity, questioning, communication, understanding, appreciation and passion into their approach to life. We should expect no less from our leadership!


INSANITY: Constantly repeating the same task but expecting different results.



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What part of NO don't you understand?

Date:
RE: RE: RE: RE: THE WORLD! (Coming soon: THE UNIVERSE!)
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: Yes Excuse
"Anyone who says, "Love it or leave it!" has chosen the easy way out. . . . Fixing USM is quite another matter.  I'm still thinking about what it takes to "Get along."  I suspect that in means "just don't make waves," "sit down and shut up," or "peace at any cost."  "

Hi Yes Excuse,


It appears that perhaps you didn't read my posting carefully enough, so I am adding this addendum. Your posting provided two choices: (a) Love it or leave it, and (b) Fix it or forget it. I did not specify my choice: All I did in my was rephrase your choice "a" from "Love it or leave it" to a much more frightening term: "Get along or git along." Nor did I specify some other choices which exist but which did not appear in your posting. The term "Get along or git along" is one used a colleague of mine to describe the situation which we perceived to exist in my college at that particular time.There were quite a few of us who worked very hard for many years to "fix" what we perceived to be a very oppressive environment, and one which we perceived as ingrained into the institution for many years. But it appeared that some of those in charge did not seem to think things needed to be "fixed." After all, how can a "world class" place which is not "broken" be "fixed?" At that time, there was no USM AAUP for support or consultation. It was almost as if some had confused the four-letter term "AAUP" with other 4-letter organizations whose names also began with the letter "A" and to which they were historically opposed. I, and others, dealt with all of this the best we knew how. Those of us who had worked at other universities before coming to USM were probably more alarmed about what was going on than some of the others, but that may be an unfair statement.Those who adopted the "sit down and shut up" or "peace at any cost" choice seemed to prosper. I, and others, did not give in to the inappropriate compromises we were asked to make. Although I feel as if I will never recover from the trauma, I can at least live with myself and hold my head high - although I still feel, each and every day, as if I was kicked in the head my a mule.


NO QUARTER


 


 



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NO EXCUSE

Date:
RE: THE WORLD!
Permalink Closed

wah! wah! wah!


NO QUARTER = JOHN KERRY!  DO YOU THINK HE WOULD SURVIVE IN A WORLD THAT HE INVISIONS?  HECK NO!  THE ONLY REASON HE CAN SURVIVE AS PER HIS VISION IS BECAUSE OF HIS ECONOMIC STATUS.  LOOK AT HIS VOTING RECORD AND TELL ME.



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