Category Archives: work

Mickey’s American Dream

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This, my friends, is an actual course being offered this semester… how cool does this sound? Is it just me?

“This course investigates the themes of the classic fairy tales, both those collected by the brothers Grimm and the literary fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen. It then turns to the fairy tale films of Walt Disney and explores the ways in which they, like the tales, offer an understanding of how boys and girls must think and act in order to be good citizens or to achieve “The American Dream”. Texts in literature, sociology, psychology and popular culture. This is an inter-active discussion course; attendance is required. Tasks include a paper, a group presentation, one student composed examination and Blackboard postings.”

Of course, this is the reason I have like 60 hours of post-bacc work and no degree to show for it. Way too many interesting courses that cannot be applied toward anything useful.

You-All

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Over the years I have consistently seen errors in spelling and grammar and I always say something, even when I shouldn’t. I can’t help it. I know that I am not perfect and we all take liberties now and then but one thing that will always bother me – and probably because I’m from the south – is when people spell you all as ya’ll instead of y’all (check out this website for more apostrophe errors).

Okay, I realize this isn’t that big of a deal to some people. But, to me, it’s like spelling you’re as your. It’s a pet peeve and an annoying one at that. I can’t help but double check my work and go back and correct mistakes I find in my own writing and it bothers the heck out of me that people don’t do that in their own work. It’s like they just don’t care. This speaks more to their personality than anything and definitely not in a good way. For me, when I’m making a mistake I want to know. I want to change. I want to constantly improve.

I mean, don’t get me wrong… I understand that we all make mistakes and most are unintentional. I also understand that if we’re never shown any different, then we may not know the correct way to spell, speak, or even behave for that matter. Once you are exposed to the correct form and usage, it is your responsibility to adapt as necessary. Once someone points out that it’s you’re (you are) and not your (as in something you have). It shouldn’t be a mistake made any further.

This same concept is applied to y’all. It’s a contraction. We learned in grade school that the apostrophe takes the place of the missing letters. Like in the word don’t, it is a shortened form of do and then not where the words are combined and the o in not is replaced by an apostrophe. You’re is a shortened form of you are where the words are combined and the a in are is replaced by an apostrophe. Therefore, y’all is a shortened form of you all where the words are combined and the ou is replaced by an apostrophe. If it were ya’ll then the apostrophe is in the wrong place and the original words would have to have been something else. Maybe yahoo fall? Or yarn ball? or yak call?

There are currently four generally recognized properties that “y’all” follows:

  1. A replacement for the plural of you.
    • Example: “Y’all can use the internet at the same time.”
  2. An associative plural, including individuals associated but not present with the singular addressee.
    • Example: “Y’all can come over at around 10:30,” Chris says. - Chris explains to John that John and John’s friends, who are not present at the time, can come over at around 10:30. Chris is speaking to John, but treats John as a representative for others.
  3. An institutional plural addressed to one person representing a group.
    • Example: “Y’all sell the best candies, Mrs. Johnson.” - Y’all is received by Mrs. Johnson who is the representative of a small candy business.
  4. A form used in direct address in certain contexts (e.g., partings, greetings, invitations, and vocatives)
    • Example: “Hey, y’all!”- A greeting that addresses a multitude of people without referencing a singular identity comprising that multitude

Rather than say you-all, you-uns, you lot, or you guys… y’all may be construed as a single element requiring only one morpheme. You all arose as a means of distinguishing the second-person plural from the second-person singular, very much like vosotros (you others), the Spanish second-person plural, the latter having arisen when vos (originally the second-person plural) became the prevailing polite second-person singular term.

Now that you know… you don’t have to make the mistake anymore. Please spread the word. When you notice someone mis-using y’all, please correct them. You can blame it on me. I’m fine with that. Also, please know that slang is something different altogether. When we write funny words like “interwebs” or “for reals” or “dizam” we are doing so to place emphasis on the hilarity and not because we don’t know better. Y’all is an actual word and it deserves to be written correctly. For more fun in regards to the subject of grammar, I highly recommend Eats, Shoots & Leaves. GREAT BOOK!

Okay, I’m off my soap-box (one of many I have, I know). Back to your regularly scheduled programming. LOL. I hope that Y’ALL have a wonderful weekend! :)

Reference: Ching, Marvin K. L. (2001) Plural You/Y’all Variation by a Court Judge: Situational Use. American Speech – Volume 76, Number 2, pp. 115-127. Duke University Press.

D.R.E.A.M.

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I have this poster in my office (and no it’s not in reference to the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act). Ha ha ha.

I look this poster daily and am beginning to think that maybe it’s not the best thing to have in my office. I mean, all it really does is cause me to dream about not being here but instead being on a beautiful island somewhere.

This then leads me to thinking about why I can’t just win the lotto (I don’t actually play) or why I can’t just marry a rich old man (gross) or even why can’t I leave this job and head for the corporate world where I’d be making bank (too much pressure). I know that one of the main reasons I work in higher education is because it’s for “the greater good” and I know that if I truly were to leave this job for another I wouldn’t get near the satisfaction of feeling I’m making a difference in this world.

So, I’m back at square one … sitting in my office staring into this picture and imagining I’m there. Really though, that’s good for someone to do as far as their sanity goes (it’s called guided imagery and is often used in therapy to help people deal with various neurosis).

I’m sitting here wondering if I should actually have some posters on my wall of horrible atrocities or places that are far worse than my little humble abode. Maybe if I put this poster on the wall it would help remind me how well off I really am.

Say what?

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“I wasn’t under the influence that financial aid was given out for only two semester”

Yes folks, this is an actual sentence from a student here at the University and of course I have to comment on this.

First, you can’t be under the influence of Financial Aid. You can easily not be aware of the rules but cannot be under the influence of them.

Second, two is more than one, therefore semester should be plural, semesters. This is something we learned in like 2nd grade.

Third, this was part of a much larger email that was incredibly condescending. It’s not cool to write a condescending note to an office when you’re at fault buddy, it really doesn’t make us want to help you. Rather, it makes us want to delete your email and claim that we’d never rec’d it.

However, because we’re awesome, we will respond to this student (and nicely I may add) overlooking the grammatical errors as best we can.

Okay, back to your regularly scheduled programming…

Financial Aid 101

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Welcome to class!

Everyone please pay attention … this is very important.

Now, yes NOW is the time to not only file your FAFSA for the upcoming school year but to also be checking on other sources of aid which you should have started researching this past fall. No excuses.

There are some things you have to remember about Financial Aid and one of the most important things is that SO MUCH of the aid available is first come first served. This means that even if you qualify for a “free ride” you may not get one because all the aid available has already been awarded to other students.

READ THIS. This school has a great document on Paying For College that is essential reading, especially for first time applicants.

Also, THIS is a great resource. Recently written by the staff at MSNBC, this article goes into detail on how to pay for college in these tough economic times and excerpted from “Paying for College Without Going Broke: 2010 Edition” by Kalman A. Chany (Random House/Princeton Review Books, Published October 2009).

The feds put together a great website at COLLEGE.GOV that brings together so many different resources and covers not only how to pay but also why you should even consider going to college.

Another great resource is this document by the feds that contains a CHECKLIST for helping you find money for school, taking the right courses, and choosing your major. It’s a must read for sure!

Finally, be sure that you are checking out EACH school that you are applying to in order to be sure that there aren’t additional steps you must complete with them to be eligible for their institutional scholarships, etc. Don’t forget to be actively searching for scholarships and calling schools to ask questions because there is no excuse for a lack of preparation.

No one should be able to claim the excuse of “no one told me,” because there are too many resources out there to help with financial planning in regards to higher education.

Class dismissed! :)

yet another interesting conversation

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Caller: I have questions about this here immunization requirement. I don’t know why I should have to complete this, I mean, I’m 40 years old!
Me: Well, actually that question you have is best directed toward the Medical Compliance office themselves as they handle all that information. would you like their number?
Caller: Oh, no, it’s listed right here on the form. So I have to call them?
Me: Yes, actually, that’s why they list their number. If you have questions they’d rather you call them directly.

My question for all you folks out there … would you call an office that has a number that isn’t listed on the document or page or whatever you’re viewing and ask them questions about said issue? I really want to know. Because if you do and I find out about it … I will personally make fun of you on these here interwebs without nary a hesitation.

That is all. Carry on.

Free Is Not Easy

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Actual email from a student:

“Your process became too difficult to register.  I went through the process to  get a waiver to take some classes in the College of Business; however, I still could not register on-line.  I was not about to pay $3 parking and gas to make another visit on campus to register.  I’ll try again in a few years which you fix some programing errors in your registeration process. Free is not easy.”

I left the wording and spelling intact. Please note that this person did not call us or ask questions or anything prior to the email received indicating that the admission had been cancelled for the spring. We have absolutely no documentation on file that he ever tried to receive help from us regarding his “issues”.

I tell ya folks … people just want everything done for them and for us to psychically know what they need and then seek them out to give them the information. This job never ceases to amaze me.

confession time … attitude

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I’m extremely peeved by the attitudes I encounter on a daily basis. I’m sorry you think we should be psychic and know what you want without you having to tell us.

I’m sorry you didn’t read the bold lettered options that said to send out your transcript once the degree was posted but instead just assumed that it was already on your account even though you didn’t receive any notification from us to indicate this was so. I’m sorry that you feel it’s an inconvenience to order another transcript and that you choose to move to another state without notifying us of your new address so we can make sure your diploma and transcripts make it to the correct location. I really am.

I really don’t understand the attitude that is so widespread right now. When I was a child I remember my mother saying quite clearly that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. It is best to enter into a conversation with a friendly tone and if necessary and things are escalating then you can take a more aggressive tone.

I actually saw an email that a student sent in to us that said, “Am I admitted or what!?!” I couldn’t believe it! The audacity! Didn’t she understand that you want to be kind to the people who could determine if you’re admitted to their college or not? This does not just pertain to the students I speak with on a daily basis, but for the employees here, the lady taking my order at the drive through, and the person in the checkout line at Target as well.

I understand that we all have bad days. I am just as guilty of the next person for taking out my frustrations on innocent passers by but as a rule I try very hard to keep positivity flowing outward and to not subject anyone to my issues.

I found this statement by Charles Swindoll and I thought you would enjoy reading it:

yet again

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Another true story from the world of higher education.

The other day someone spoke to our office on the phone and literally said (and I quote verbatim), “I’ve never mailed a mail before, do I have to pay for stamps and stuff like that?”

I’m not kidding. I don’t even know what to do with that. I mean, she didn’t say, “I’ve never mailed a letter” … she said, “I’ve never mailed a mail”. What the heck? Can you believe it?

So yeah, we’re officially old folks. People today don’t even know how to use the postal service. It’s a crazy world we live in, that’s for sure!

Okay, back to your regularly scheduled programming…

How do you spell that?

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Listen up folks.

If you name your child something unusual … DO NOT get all huffy and puffy when I ask you to spell it.

When we’re asking for the spelling of the name, it is a common thing to do and is in no way meant to call you out or treat you special as though you have no right being unique (although the whole unique name really pisses me off but whatever).

So, please DO NOT make loud sighing noises in my ear when I ask for the spelling when you say your daughter’s name is Rickayla. For reals!

Nancy’s Baby Names wrote a fabulous post on this very thing and I encourage you to check it out! Click here for “That Baby Name Might Be A Bad Baby Name If…” I also love reading Appellation Mountain as she posts interesting names and their meanings, etc.

P.S. since we’re on that subject. Check out these other beauties that have come across my desk. I tried very hard to make sure that they were all “American” names (please keep in mind these are all girls and no, I’m not making them up) …

We have: Arel, Ajanai, Anjella, Anizza, Anatricia, Angellee, and Anjela. Brecken and Bryanna. Chastaney, Chinnery, and Christal. Danika, Danetta, Darianne, Daetrina, Dishawn, and Dushawn. Eherin, Hentoya, Joshlyn, Jenalyn and Juvonya.

Then: Kayontay, Khristian, Kenteria, Katelind, Karlyne, Kimicia, and Kamisue. Leidy Dayana, Lashantah, Lindie, Linane, Lyvette, Latroya, and Latory. Milbrey, Mallorye, Mishell, Myesha, Micolette, Nyckolette, and Nallison.

As well as: Qiana, Quarcena, Raynita, Rasheedah, Rodneshia, and Recara. Shakayla, Shabreene, Shelina, Sandrea, Sherica, Shawanna, Shawandie, Shatraya, and Shanlatae. Tondricka, Tranette, Tiera, Tabresha, Taurean, Ugonna and Umekie.

And finally we have those with punctuation or random capitalization in them: D’Ashley, Ke’Tera, Ka’Trina, Kir’Ston, Mi’Kelle, La’Chele, CorAndrea, DeeAnne, LeChae, La-Keisha and Kryssie-Dee.