NEW SCHOOL PROTESTS!

Being in France studying abroad right now, but still an official New School student, I fully support the protests happening right now. The occupation of the building on 5th avenue is a courageous, important and revolutionary act that I wish I could be a part of.

Below is a copy of an email I sent to Dean Dunne, Bob Kerrey, and Tim Quigley back in April of this year (2008): 

Dear Dr. Quigley and Dean Dunne,

As a student who is financing his education on his own, I am constantly concerned with the amount of student loan debt that I am accruing. However, I realize that it was my choice to return to college after an almost 8-year hiatus and if the financial sacrifices I must make to attend a private school with very little financial support are necessary, then so be it. However, when The New School charges me unjustly, I must speak out about it.

The New School charges per-credit for internships - at least as they are handled through the General Studies Bachelors Program. That means to be able to do a 3-credit internship, the student must pay over $2600 to the school -- all to gain an experience that the school doesn't provide. Granted, a coordinator has to be paid to oversee the internship process, but the amount of work he or she has to do does not justify $2600 per student!

The way that students are charged for Prior Learning credit is much more fair and strikingly similar to the process by which internships are administered, so the same system -- or a comparable one -- needs to be in place for internships because the amount of time and effort a coordinator must exert is comparable. For the Prior Learning program, a student is required to take a 1-credit preparation course (which they pay for per-credit) and then is charged $600 for a portfolio review in the end – to receive up to six credits. This is much more fair.

I find it unacceptable that what may be lingering from a former way of doing things is still causing students to be charged thousands of dollars when it is not necessary. After already being over $120,000 in debt from student loans, I must at least attempt to defend those in my situation by not allowing unfair charging practices to still be in place.

I would love to sit down and talk about this issue further, but more importantly I would like to know that steps forward are being made to end unnecessary exorbitant charges for New School students.

Thank you in advance for hearing back from you on this important issue.

Sam Maher

General Studies Bachelor Program Student, Student ID N00579861
samlikesemail@gmail.com(if you must contact me at my New School email address, which forwards right back to this one, it is mahem861@newschool.edu)
phone: 917-747-3043

cc: Gustav Peebles, New School General Studies Bachelor Program Internship Coordinator and Bob Kerrey, New School University President

__________

To which I recieved only one response from Tim Quigley basically telling me that this is just how it's done!

UNACCEPTABLE!

Is Sarah Palin the biggest impetus for bloggers who are new to this and hardly ever update their blog? She is for me.

Ok, so I'm watching the clips from Sarah Palin's performance on Saturday Night Live and I'm freaking out. The woman is the ONLY thing that might save McCain's campaign from the get-go. When I found out that she was selected to be his candidate for VP that dreadful morning, I was appalled that he had nerve to choose a woman knowing full well that he would get some of the female votes he wouldn't have before as well as solidifying the conservative male vote by increasing the chances that their wives will support the McCain/Palin camp. That was hard enough to deal with because it was a really smart way to mask even more the real issues of modern American politics because it takes a really intelligent person to see behind the veneer of his selection for running mate.

However, I am even more upset now after this SNL episode because after a few weeks of feeling relief that the debates and overall campaigns have left Obama with a good shot of winning this incredibly delicate election, we young intelligent liberals have to lose some of our less intelligent camrades to the Palin camp. Even I, one of the staunchest democrats I know, was lured in by Sarah Palin's hotness, charm, composure and now we can add to the list: her ability to laugh at herself. Hard. The phrase "anti-christ" comes to mind. Any minute now (or any minute after McCain wins), we are probably going to witness a scene from a modern day fairy tale where the beautiful maiden was really just the evil witch in disguise and after having lured us in, she will control our lives.

It's bad enough that, during the most extreme financial crisis in 80 years -- coming close to the Stock Market Crash that caused the Great Depression, the base of current politics involves people voting with their religions and not with their pocketbooks. Now, we also have to hit the pinnacle of "politics as theatre" and forced to lose some of the voters that would have had no problem before this SNL episode of going with the (researched, valid, and overall) liberal press view of Palin as "scary".

It's becoming a cliché, but I'm really quite hesitant to book my plane ticket home in February until after the elections. Before this video, I hadn't been reminded for a long time of the idiots who populate the vast majority of our country.

And P/S I just used a French word in France about my being in France! (cliché)

Sarah Palin

so, i find this lady especially appealing physically. i think that is potentially a reason she was chosen. she is bright, charming, and pretty. totally different than anything we've seen before for the top two contention spots.

however, she is a republican, which i have heard for years are "evil" and learned so for myself this past year as a student teacher for 11th grade American History. to quote my friend ashley's facebook status, "Ashley is watching the nazi rally. I mean the RNC."

there are like 3 black people there. and all the white people look way too rich. scary.

if mccain wins, ya'll can come visit me in paris b/c i'm not coming back if he does.

RIP MA!

picture it: heaven, a few hours ago.

god: welcome, estelle. we have been waiting for you.
estelle: thank god, the past few years have been ROUGH
god: we have you lined up for tonight's cabaret act. alice ghostley is opening.
estelle: get me to the green room!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ohhhh, estelle getty.
ill clean out my purse every tuesday night in honor of you.
thank you for being PURE COMIC GENUIS!

student teaching redux

I'll let the words of the teacher of whom I was the student teacher for explain how I feel about my experience (I think he sums it up nicely! haha). He inscribed an edition of Zinn's A People's History of the United States "To Sam, who became a historian and a teacher this Spring..." and then included a card that said:

Sam,
When Janice suggested taking on a student teacher, I hardly imagined what an impact you would have. You made such an important difference this semester as a collaborator who strengthened and helped animate the curriculum, and as a incredibly dedicated support for the students who pushed and challenged them to strengthen their thinking and writing skills. I have been deeply impressed by your thoughtfulness, professionalism, energy, and above all commitment to the students. We were all very lucky you joined us, and I am especially grateful for all your hard work and dedication. If there was any doubt about your potential as a teacher, banish it. You have a tremendous amount to offer any class and school. Please let me know if I can help you in any way in your future endeavors. I wish you much success and hope you will enjoy some much deserved relaxation at your favorite Parisian cafe this fall.

All the best,
Ben

I'm really gonna miss going there every day and I'm especially going to miss Ben and the students who I loved so much. I'm really glad the experience turned out well, though. Hello, really strong resume and references.

coming soon

-my thoughts on estelle getty's absence every time the girls reunite for a photo op or lifetime special. no surprises here, she's obviously dead and they're not telling me to protect me.

-the ever-puzzling battle i choose to fight with the sun

-student teaching redux

-money concerns

-summer classes and the famous asian in my class who is gonna get fucking smacked

-Trale Lewous

alanis morrissette

i mean i'm certainly not someone who would consider themselves a fan of hers, but marco got some sort of special invite to an alanis morrisette show tomorrow night at the judson memorial church and invited me. even with the RSVP, its still first come first serve, so theres a chance we might not get in. i don't really care either way because it will be great to see marco but if we do get in, these are the dress code requirements:

smart casual

Please refrain from wearing the following items:

- baseball caps
- clothing with visible logos or words
- white and light colors
- flip-flops

wish me luck. i'm not sure i can avoid wearing flip flops tomorrow when its 97. maybe i can regular shoes in my bag?

is this potentially erin kelly posing as a perezhilton.com commenter?

this little doozy was on perez. in response to miley cyrus, one girl writes:

#69 - Carlie says:
This little cunt whore loves cock, LOTS of it. She even loves to suck her dad's cock. She loves to sit on Billy Rays' coch and feel daddy pulsating and spooging up her anus. What a whore. She loves to have daddy take a crap in her mouth while she picks out and eats the corn from his anus while she farts in daddy's face. She loves feeling that big daddy cock throb in her butt as she craps on it and while her new boyfriend eats her gamey twat. She's a dirty bird! She's a whore! Happy Tuesday! Xoxox :) Carlie Gurl from North Long Beach

i think i'd like to hang out with this girl, whoever she is. bitch knows whats up.

i love brooklyn the mostest

i just heard this scene between two old ladies outside Zam Zam deli on my corner. lady #1 is about 75 and fat and looks like an aged miss piggy. lady #2 is about 90 years old, wearing one of those hospital gowns that old ladies wear around the house with extremely thin frazzled white hair. they both have STRONG brooklyn jewish/italian accents and their families have clearly been warring block neighbors for decades. its a really nice early summer tuesday night around 10pm. the chair in question is clearly old and dirty and definitely not bought today.

1: excuse me thats my chair, i bought it today. thats my chair. i'd like to take it in now.

2: what?

1: you heard me that's my chair.

2: yeah and im sitting in it.

1: i'd like to take it in now. (to store owner:) shes sitting in my chair. i bought it today and i'd like to have it back now.

2: well i didnt have anything to sit in.

1: (grabbing chair from under old lady) you can sit in the rotting gutter for all i care.

2: (after a brief pause) well, thank you very much, you pig....(awkward silence as the chair owner begins to unlock her front door, and then she continues) i heard your house got robbed again. what the hell would they want in there anyway?

1: why dont you mind your own damn business?

2: i mean, what the hell could be YOUR house that they want?

1: (LOUDER) why don't you mind your own damn business? (and she goes inside. lady #2 sighs and does that famous brooklyn "to hell with ya" hand gesture)

hilarious.