Wanted: Total Perspective Vortex

[freckles_and_doubt]

A Dear Little Student has just had an epistolary hissy-fit because my Cherished Institution, working at its usual mills-of-god speed, has not yet made available online the result of her entrance test. This is, may I point out, an extremely minor and not entirely instrumental data point in the admissions process: nonetheless, she has informed us that, narked by its non-appearance, she has taken the issue to President Jacob Zuma. The just-post-adolescent state of the undergrad does tend to exhibit a less than tenuous sense of proportion under certain conditions, but this example takes wild, hyperbolic threat to new heights. Normally they content themselves with a scattershot tale of woe to the Dean, the Registrar and the Vice Chancellor. I trust Jacob Zuma, after his first confusion, at least got a good laugh out of it.

I've spent a few hours this week reading the occasionally vitriolic rants at Rate Your Students, and thanking the pedagogical gods that this country's student population fails, on the whole, to aspire to quite that level of blinkered entitlement. Threats to the extreme demonstrated by today's example are on the whole mercifully rare in the annals of our institution. I don't know if young Madam is actually acquainted with Jacob Zuma or if she's merely blowing off steam, but I do wonder if students would try this sort of stunt if they stopped for a moment to consider their actual effect: the whole admin office has been laughing about it all day, it's quite made our week. Dear gazelles, at least they're occasionally good for entertainment.

I had all sorts of plans for this week: I owe dinner to herne_kzn and first_fallen and librsa, and have dismally failed to do anything about it owing to a week infested with board schedules and the concocting of plaintive letters in French to utilities companies who persist in charging my dad for power and phone services he cancelled in April. I'll get there eventually, promise.

Comments

A round tuit

[first-fallen.livejournal.com]

We leave in 2 weeks' time (eep!!) so it might have to be when we get back :). Don't stress, I'm sure the Hobbit isn't going anywhere (except home with me, mwahahaha!).

Re: A round tuit

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

Phooey, your email with list of your available evenings is on my home Thunderbird, which is one of the reasons I haven't got my act together. Also my mum arrives on Wed, so life gets a bit more complicated socialising-wise. Maybe it'll have to be after your return - when do you get back?

[veratiny.livejournal.com]

I am returning to the student world in a few months (My family have been strictly instructed that no jokes regarding the "third degree" will be tolerated.)...

I do look forward to re-entering the natural habit i.e. fantasy land of the undergrad. In the past I had never considered voiceing my student gripes to the Prime Minister. I probably should have when I was paying foreign student fees and didn't get a supervisor for 6 months of my honours.

However I doubt (unless maybe I write inpoorly spelt Manderin)that K.Rudd would get a laugh from my accusations...he appears to be a very boring man.

Re: A round tuit

[first-fallen.livejournal.com]

We leave next Friday and are back late on 6 Jan.