Please Fix the Titles

It's three days post-break, and the memories or why I struggle to survive these classes are already streaking back to me.

I realized I honestly have no problem with the classes themselves. My argument lies with the naming and description of the classes.

For example: When they named my "Media Ethics and Theory" course what they did, it misled me to think I might enjoy this class. I would not have taken the course, had they named it "Why Republicans are Evil."

Like-wise, the description for my Interpersonal Communication class said we would examine the different modes and means of communication, and learn how to use tools to better communicate with those around us.

If they were going for accuracy, it would have read something different:
"We're here to teach you that if you were born a white male, and haven't pulled a reverse-Michael Jackson, decided you were straight, and haven't tried to change that, and do not do drugs, you are offending a vast majority of the population, and you need to stop. In this course, we will also teach you that having these traits AND going into a public service job, like being a fireman or a policeman, is probably the worst, most sexist thing you can do, and you will be hated more."

I'd like to stop and actually talk about my "Small Group Communication" class, or as I would name it, "How to do nothing and get paid: the tutorial."

My professor in this class is, I have to admit, a genius. She has not taught a lecture since the third class, assigning groups to make and execute "teaching plans" for the class, and include possible test questions for review. On the days these groups do not go, we either do not have class, or have about 15-30 minutes of class, basically discussing things in groups.

Our last three classes went down a little something like this. Day one, we all go to the computer lab, and take these free personality tests, record our letters (a four letter code), and return to class. The professor would write our code on an index card, name on the back, then place it on the table. When everyone finished, she announced that we would be in charge of making four-person groups for our next "assignment," but could only use these cards to decide. She then briefly explained what types of personalities mixed well, and which didn't, then dumped half of the stack of cards in front of me, and half in front of another student.

With about 60% of the students in the classroom lazily drifting towards the cards in front of me, I took a quick look and decided to offer up an executive decision. "How about we just shuffle these up and deal them out to decide?"

The group seemed to agree, so while the other 40 percent of the class hemmed and hawed about which personality should go where, we dealt into piles until each pile had four cards, with our professor standing by watching, but apparently not caring.

The class ended once our groups were established.

Day two: We arrive at class and are informed of the day's assignment. Each group receives the same 12 close-up photos of something on campus. The assignment is for each group to find 10 of the 12 objects, and take a picture next to them, and post them online. The first group done would receive a "prize."

This time, no one wanted to listen to my idea, which was to go out as a class, pool our campus knowledge, and just knock the busy-work out in a standard 10 minutes. Competition, regardless of how ridiculous it was, got the best of the class, as they rushed out the door.

Our group wandered around looking for the pictures, and reflecting on how this assignment reminded everyone of a 4th grade birthday party, minus the fun and the willing participants. It took me convincing other groups that we were, in fact, not going to try and publish our photos first, to get them to share with us where things were, so we could finish before the next class period. In this exercise, those I spoke with learned nothing about "small group communication," but a lot about how to get paid for doing nothing.

Day three was today, and consisted of us looking at all the pictures of everyone standing next to these objects. Prizes, in the form of Swedish Fish or Sour Patch Kids, were awarded. It took 40 minutes to do something that could be done in 10... which means that the winning group spent that extra 30 minutes getting paid about three dollars... ok now split that among four people... everyone was paid at a rate of $1.50 an hour... in candy.

Bamboozled into going on this treasure hunt, just like the rest of my class, I left class today with a new respect for my professor. If the class had been named appropriately, I think I still would have taken it, and probably would have enjoyed it more.

On a final note, I received my sixth parking ticket of the year while trying to attend Augsburg College. I tried to save money this year by not buying their ridiculous $160 semesterly parking pass, and it looks like it's going to backfire on me. But as I write out yet another $45 check to the City of Minneapolis, I can only grin and think, "At least I'm not writing this out to 'Augsburg.'" I already pay enough to the school each year.