October 1, 2004

• Topic: Anonymous…not for long

  
  

  So, everyday, as I’ve shown, new networks are opening.  This afternoon, I sat in a circle in the quad, the ultimate college location, and help a 45 min. discussion w/ about 7 people who i had just met, about topics related to my book.  The way this came about was somewhat of a fluke, I called a guy that I had been told was a very activist students, and then heard someone shout his name, and realized the person I had been speaking to was 100ft. away from me.  So, I went over and introduced myself, we began chatting, his friends came by, we all started chatting, I sold two books, got invited to a screening of the movie “Outfoxed” on campus tom., a well-known poli sci professor will be speaking at it, and after they’re having a political party at their co-op (i’m going to wear my “free mandela” t-shirt that i made for an 80′s party i went to in south africa).  This little discussion I had was very inspiring.  First of all, it was the first group of people who I have had in depth discussion with, and the first group that I can count on having serious follow-up, and look to for support in further spreading the word.  Also, it showed me that I could be inspiring to others.  One girl said, “thanks for writing all this down.”  Clearly, many people are tired of apathy, but they are trying to fight it underground almost, because people feel safer in their apathetic worlds, and would rather not be bothered or confront issues.  Hopefully, I can help make the movement to combat apathy more mainstream.

  
  

  After, I went w/ a friend of mine to an education class.  Lettersat3am would have loved it, as the discussion tore apart schooling as creating a “wheel in the head,” where people are controlled by ideas, instead of people controlling ideas.  Essentially, schooling was the governements way of maintaining thought control, and one of the alternatives someone through out there was homeschooling.  I kind of smiled at that thinking of my xanga homeschooling friend.

  
  

  It was strange being back in a traditional classroom for the first time in about 18 months.  The first thing I noticed, being an outside observer, was the amount of classtime focussed on the “shit.”  25min. discussing the current grade distribution of the classroom, the highlighting of students who need to “see me” because their grades are low, the explanation of what the professor was looking for in papers, the q & a between student and professor about what the professor wanted in papers, students.  From the outset, it was established that grades were a major factor in the class, the grades were an indicator of how students were doing, and that students were expected to stay within the box constructed by the professor.  That one pissed me off the most, but hey, i’m out of the system already.  The prof. was a cool guy though, he did bring cookies into class, and was good at directing class discussion and pushing students to defend their positions, and not use “lazy talk.” At the end of class, I was a bit unsure what students were supposed to take away from the experience, and, since the class wouldn’t meet again till next thur., i felt pretty certain any energy that a student left class with, would probably be lost before the next class.  Also, at one point we were split into groups, and there was one kid who i labeled as “Dan in college.”  He was sitting w/ a blank stare, his mind obviously elsewhere.  And, he’ll probably get his 3-credits and do what he needs to do to pass, but he was so completely uninvoled in the class, that you felt sad that he had to be there because he was stuck on the conveyerbelt of getting a college degree, and probably needed these 3-credits in some way.

  
  

  Anyway…my friend introduced me at the beginning of class.  I’m starting to feel more comfortable around strangers, my ideas about what my book is about exactly are getting stronger, my evidence for alternative and experiential programs is gaining, and i’m expecting a call this week from the President of “interim” programs, which is a company that helps high school students find meaningful gap year programs, and was founded because of all of the above reasons of why students need to take a break and re-focus before going running straight from high school to college.

  
  

  Also got an e-mail from my book publisher friend in San Fran., who was impressed w/ my self-publishing a book.  I’m trying to get myself out there in mid-Oct., a 48hr. bus ride, but could possibly be my opportunity to get funded and get exposure in writing a second book, or to do something else with the first one.

  
  

  Get pumped people, get pumped!!!

  
  

  -dan

  • 12:55 am
  • 3 Comments