Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great Spring. I have enjoyed the warm sunshine, clear skies, flower and tree blooms, the sound of crickets, the crack of baseballs, smiling faces, the splashing of kids in the swimming pool, and of course laughter. No matter how hard the days filled with all sorts of issues are, I know I can count on these things to brighten the dilemma at hand.
Well, I finished my papers, finally!! Then exams! I did well on them, except for one that makes me feel deeply disappointed about (with myself). This past semester was good, even great on some days. As usual, I enjoyed the courses, and lectures from such wonderful instructors/professors. No matter the subject, all professors have a way of making it interesting (even if I don’t like it). Also, they have their own unique style so it is always interesting to figure it out and work with it. For the most part, however, I just enjoy learning and ‘ah ha’ moments when a past idea or thought or recollection is identified – who knew there are actually legitimate names/theories to explain just about everything for everything?
This semester I am taking a class about Japanese Anime – a stretch for me, but I knew the professor would ‘learn me a thing or two’ so I took the risk. Prior to this week, I never liked magna or anime and I think it is merely due to the fact that I did not understand it. Now, just three days in and I am actually liking it! My son (26) laughs when I talk about this, but is glad that I am finally learning about something he has been interested in for years…I wonder if there is a class on Playstation/video games? Anyway, I am enjoying the class and look forward to the next three weeks.
As to challenges this past semester, I would refer you to the ones I mentioned here and there in past blogs. I will say that there were the usual issues - being ignored, overlooked, dismissed – but somehow I made it through those awkward moments/days. One of the most interesting things issue is with a club I thought that I joined. No student or staff ever responded to my offer, to my emails; I received no notification that I was accepted or not; no emails were sent to me, no calls made about it, nothing! That was an experience from which I learned more than enough from, but at the same time was left scratching my head over. Why in the world wouldn’t someone at least acknowledge your interest and be honest enough to at least explain why you are not needed – a polite fib would be better than nothing, for goodness sakes! The biggest lesson was that just because a nontraditional student is interested in a club or event, it does not mean that they are actually welcome. Personally I would love to share the reasons for such behavior, but since it was not provided I will just have to suppose it has something to do with the fact that other students do not recognize me as a student, that I am too old, too fat and ugly, or maybe that I have nothing to offer that would be beneficial to the club or students for whom they reach out to – which is basically all students.
Subsequently, since the first nontraditional meeting, I found out that the other ladies experienced the same sort of treatment. Even though the problems hurt and are wrong, it is comforting in a weird way to learn that someone else has had the same or similar issue(s). It was so great to have a few other ladies to discuss issues with and to hear of their experiences. Apparently nontraditional students are not welcome in any of the clubs and other social entities on campus. As one student pointed out, we pay the exact same tuition that the other students pay, but there are none, not one single thing that is for or about us. Nor, is there an effort made to incorporate us into the CCU community (that we are aware of anyway). Actually, I have heard of a nontraditional something or other but I don’t know who runs it or who/how one qualifies for it – I am investigating it though. Sad folks, I know, but, the truth is often sad.
Fortunately, however, we met and will meet and our group will grow. We will discuss issues, identify things to be done, and create relationships that, together, we can make a difference within the CCU community. Nontraditional students want and deserve the same opportunities afforded to traditional students. So, everything that we accomplish will not only help us, but will set the path for those in the future. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance our (present and past) CCU educational experience.
Okay, now on to the best part of my May – working at the Women’s Resource Center. I cannot tell you how great it is to be here. I am so excited about all of the things the WRC is working on and will be offering. There is so much to do and little time to do it all in but I am going to make the best of it. Which reminds me I need to work on some things right now – so, until next time…
Happy CCU trails!
