Let's Make Some CHANGE

Oh, how I love me some talk about social movements.

I come from a family of movers and shakers. My grandfather worked for peace among violent offenders in an unjust system, but eventually got shot for it (he lived). My dad and mom worked for FLOC fighting for farm workers rights and had many a run in with an angry farmer with a shot gun, while my mom's parents almost disowned her for acting like a "commi". I was brought up going to protests, having people yell at me and cops threaten jail time, but I was always told to keep on fighting. I remember going to my VERY conservative high school during the Bush/Kerry election wearing a "Buck Fush" shirt and having every teacher and faculty member tell me that I shouldn't be so brave. So, I guess this chapter really didn't come as much of a shock or much news to me. I have always been one who has been attracted to these people who push the system, or as Palmer calls it "living an undivided life". But, I will not say that I would call myself one of these people, because most of the time, this scares the crap out of me.

While reading though, I realized that my favorite teachers were these people. Sorry to go back to my mentor, Dr. Kimmel, but that man tried to change Texas State again and again. People loved him though. He had students that loved him, awards from administration, respect from the community, etc. I don't really know how he did it. So many other people that I ran into there were not the same way because you could tell they were trying so hard to get that tenure. His classes were not your normal State college classes. He gave his students the test 2 weeks before hand. He hated testing, so he just gave it to us and if we wanted to get A's, we could, EASILY. He focused on an end project that we basically did on our own. The great thing about the projects was that it forced us, as students, to go to him with our thoughts and questions. He would have a line outside of his office during office hours every single day! This always amazed me! But he made that available and open. He was the least threatening person, but everyone respected him. When he decided to write his second book, he pushed the envelope again. He went to the administrators to ask for the semester off, but instead of just telling them he needed it to study the Rio Grande, he told them that he would be studying the "paradigm shifts that were occuring along the Rio Grande". It was great! And they let him have his time off. I feel as though most people would have looked at him like he was a lunatic, but the man pulled it off...somehow.

Sorry, to get a little off track, but I couldn't help myself. I feel as though this change in academia and education in general needs to happen. I think the fate of our society rests on it. I don't know what the world will come to if we continue to have these institutions and teachers who follow them that are just training people not to think, but to follow. I don't think that these people are able to inspire anyone anymore, and that is the most important thing that education can do for a student. When I think about this change though, and I think about myself and the fact that I will be getting a "real job" soon enough, I get a little nervous. My head tells me that I should take a job, and do what is needed, in order to pay the bills (mainly loans for this fine education). But me, who was taught to be a radical, is yelling and screaming that I will refuse to do what I am told to do, unless I think it is right and I can do it without beating myself up for it. This is why I did not get the "English Education" degree. I couldn't put myself in this box and be able to live up to it. I knew that I had too much to offer and too much of a brain to do what the institution told me to do.