Canyon Attention Deficit Disorder

Overlooking Modjeska Canyon (2007, RB)

Guest Editorial: OC Canyon Elections Merit Attention (Voice of OC)
     If anybody were looking for it, a tiny if instructive drama of proxy development-war politics in Orange County couldn’t be easier to find....

Saddleback College’s MRAP makes it to OC Weekly’s “OC’s Scariest” list

OC's Scariest People 2014! Scary People to Avoid in the Dark!

15. SADDLEBACK COLLEGE'S MRAP
     Terrorists and lone-wolf school shooters beware: Saddleback College is ready for you! Thanks to a federal program that allows local police departments to get military hand-me-downs, the Mission Viejo community college snagged itself a mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle better suited to fighting jihadis than sixth-year communication majors. It's the only campus police force in the nation with less than 10 full-time cops to have one, which is only used to wow dumb high school kids. No word yet if the MRAP is equipped to protect students from exploding textbook costs and tuition fees, though.
     Mitigating Factor: Just waiting for a Gaucho to take it for a joy ride on Alicia Parkway.

Morley's fig leaf issued

     This just in. In an email from IVC’s President Roquemore, we learn that

Richard Morley, IVC Foundation Executive Director since September 2011, has been appointed the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Society for Professional Engineers, (SHPE), a nonprofit with national presence and prestige, based in City of Industry, CA.

Roquemore goes on to describe this plumb job. In the City of Industry. He then writes

Richard was chosen for his knowledge of nonprofit operations, financial management, grant funding and management, fundraising and his extensive entrepreneurial background in professional development at his own company with scientists and engineers for over 18 years.

Richard's leaf is smaller

     Next, Glenn lists the “advancements in the IVC Foundation” that have occurred during Richard’s tenure.
     He closes his letter by writing, “We congratulate Richard on his new opportunity and thank him for his service to IVC.”
     I've already heard a rumor concerning Morley's replacement: BH
    At least one reader has seemed to insist that the administrator whose contract was not renewed Monday night was Morley. No, that administrator was Mr. DG. In this case, Mr. Morley somehow found a motivation to seek a job elsewhere sans the sort of process that occurred Monday night.

The City of Industry

The October meeting of the SOCCCD BOT: live and direct!

     (Be sure to read Tere's Board Meeting Highlights.)
     6:13 - It's a bit of a madhouse here at the Ronald Reagan Corral and Dude Ranch in lovely Mission Viejo. For some reason, the RR meeting room is occupied (perhaps by the trustees?), or so says the sign, and we're all being made to wait outside in the hallway or the exterior of the building, in the grass and concrete, like dang blame varmints. Just outside, I see plenty of folks from the faculty union in their lurid green shirts. Plus there's a good complement of the usual suspects: VPIs, et al. Like tumblin' tumbleweed.
     As I sashayed onto campus, it was like a scene from The Birds, what with hundreds of squawking birds circling overhead. Don't know what that's about. They kept squawking and circling at least while I was out there, but they didn't attack anyone. Not yet. Sign of the end times maybe? More later. [Update: a friend who lives in the area informs me that a large flock of crows routinely gathers and circles in that part of Mission Viejo.]
     6:17 - looks like the board is evaluating the performance of a raft of administrators tonight in closed session (that session is supposed to end by 6:15). The list includes IVC's notorious VPI. I fully expect that tyrannical fellow to be given a blue ribbon tonight by this clueless board. No doubt, later tonight, they'll give the abysmal IVC Prez, Glenn Roquemore, that bully magnet, a prize too. He'll be tapped for "good leadership," and then my head will pop.
     6:19 - The sea of green still hovers behind me, but it's gotten no fatter.
     I do believe that the district's Techno guy, Bob B, just moseyed on by, looking like he's lost 50 pounds. Sheesh. Lookin' good though. Bat Masterson.
     I'm spottin' some red CSEA shirts too (I think that's what they are). People sure can yap. It's deafening in here.

* * *

     6:38 - Yes folks, we're still in the hallway (or outside), waiting for the trustees to finish evaluating administrators in closed session. Maybe there's significant disagreement about somebody, who knows. No sign of the trustees yet.

     It's hot and loud here in the hallway. Ronnie Reagan's ugly green bust is five feet in front of me. Evidently, it was produced by one "Woodrow Butterfield" and donated by the late Tom Fuentes. I seem to recall something interesting about Butterfield. I'll look 'im up.

     Sure enough. Back in July of 2011, I reported the following:

[Woodrow] Butterfield, who owned a statue place, dumped lots of acid on adjacent public land. He repeatedly blew off demands that he clean it up. Ultimately, he paid a $17,000 fine and was placed on probation

     Old Tom had all sorts of pals like Woodrow. Rat bastards, liars, cheats, good ol' boys. Of course, old Tom himself got his start with one of the nastiest and most ruthless politicians in the history of OC Politics: that innovator of dirty tricks and campaign mailers, OC Supervisor Ronald Caspers. Caspers and his right-hand man (Fred Harber) were known to be open for business, routinely negotiating the old quid pro quo in secret places (e.g., dingies in the Sea of Cortez). The DA was all over that scullduggery when Caspers disappeared mysteriously off of his yacht off Baja in 1974, putting a sudden end to the DA's investigation. Reagan attempted to appoint Tom (Harber, too, went down with Caspers' yacht, and Tom was next in line) as Caspers' replacement, but that went south because of pesky residency requirements. That news sent Tom into a downward spiral and straight to priest school in the Bay area. But that didn't take either. Pretty soon, Tom was back in OC, "consulting" for industry, making big bucks in mysterious ways (essentially, he lobbied for private firms; he wined and dined public officials in order to acquire public contracts; total abject sleazitude).
     6:48 - They've just opened those doors! —Nope. False alarm. (They let Saddleback Prez Burnett through the doors but no one else.)
     6:55 - The din has quieted, but we're still out here like tumbleweeds and varmints. Get along, li'l dogey.
     7:00 - They just let us into the room, but still there's no sign of Trustees. Does this mean they made us stand out there all this time for no reason? Hmmm. Now, we're just sittin' out here chewin' our cud as the sun goes down. Yeah, our time ain't worth a dang!
     7:15 - Still nothin'. I see twenty or thirty green shirts in the back of the room. The Techno crew is setting up and joking around like they do. People are in a pretty good mood considering. But crowds can turn in a flash. Things could get ugly (not).
     I'm left here with only my imagination. Maybe Nancy Padberg rolled her eyes once too often and Marcia finally shouted, "Gee willikers, Nancy, that's impolite!" —at which point Nancy finally had it and took a swing at Marcia but missed and hit Jim Wright's glass chin instead. Jim then shouted "Nurse! Nurse!" and when none of 'em came to his rescue, he said, "that's the last time I'll carry water for those dang blame..." —But then Bill Jay emited an enormous snort, and choked himself into consciousness while Tim Jemal steadied Nancy from her pugilistic exertions and Dave Lang counted beans and sadly caressed an old photo of Tom F, the one great love of his life.
     Sheesh, the trustees are now officially 66 minutes late.
     7:22 - aha, they are emerging! Nancy seems to be disappearing into her suit. Prendergast seems chirpy, as does Jemal. But maybe they're puttin' lipstick on a pig.
     7:25 - could start soon. Burnett just came over and told some folks we'll "do it next time." I think that means that some presentations won't be given tonight. Marcia and Bill and Jim just arrived. They seem to be in good moods, but who knows. Nancy's disappeared again. Maybe sunk further into her suit. Nope, here she is.

* * *

     Here we go:
     7:28 - Prendergast opens the meeting.
     Marcia reads actions: on a 7-0 vote, acted to not renew (contract of) ivc academic administrator. (Likely David G, Dean of Fine Arts and Business Sciences. The other two IVC academic admins were Justice and Greiner.) Prendergast huddles with Poertner about why they're not reading something else out. More buzzing up there. Seeming confusion.
     Bugay speaks: MOU with FA about faculty chair compensation. That too occurred during closed session. "That" says Marcia, correcting her ommission.
    Bill Jay does the invocation -- moment of silence for recent deaths somewhere
    Public comments: (Please adhere to two minutes, says Board Prez Prendergast, who seems to be getting the hang of this gig.)
    Claire C: because of late start, half of our number left. Still, many green shirts remain. Claire discusses "our part time faculty," who work at low pay and only paid for their time in the classroom. Don't have adequate time for classes, feedback, office hours, professional development, etc. There's an increased awareness of their plight in the country. We need to begin to rectify the situation. (Applause)
    Loma Hopkins: reading on behalf of IVC part-instructor who is teaching tonight. Wendy E: we're not compensated for work outside classroom. The more work, the less we are paid, a paradox. (Applause)
    Kurt Meyer: prof of English at IVC. My 18th Wed anniversary. My wife remembers what it was like being married to an adjunct. We struggled. Refers to low pay, the need to teach half a dozen classes. Had to work at Ralphs. This district does not pay for all the hours part-timers work (outside the classroom). Hard pill to swallow. Why aren't you paid for work grading, answering emails, etc.? Nowadays, $62 an hour for part-timers at highest rate. Not good. (Applause)
     Mike J: I teach full-time at another campus. This year, there was a need for another econ instructor at Saddleback, so I filled in because I was mentored by an adjunct here. You need to pay adjuncts for office hours, preparation for classes, etc. You need to listen to these stories. They are true. You are paying them much too little. (Applause)
     Barbara: I'm full-time faculty member. Reads for Part-timer: part-time faculty do the work fulltime do for their classes, but they're not paid for they're out-of-class work. Move to equitable compensation. This district should lead the way toward equity. Etc. (Applause)
     Paula Jacobs: will read something for part-timer. They are uncomfortable speaking up for obvious reasons: treatment of part-timers is very poor, morale is worse. Says Paula, most of our classes are taught by part-time faculty now. Wasn't always so. Etc. (Applause)
 
Recognitions:
     Commendations: Nope, put off until next meeting.

Board reports:
     Bill Jay: no board report "as of this evening"
     Tim Jemal: a good month, lots of activities at the colleges, district. State-of-the college breakfast at Saddleback College. Well done. Attended OC Tech alliance awards, showcasing technology, innovactions in our county. Excellent event. South OC economic coalition on Friday night, attended with Marcia. Good event.
     Marcia Milchiker: I've got 27,000 items! (Prendergast looks askance.) I attended many events. Why am I wearing orange? Yes, I attended the Solar Decathalon at IVC last Friday. Incredible event. IVC, SC, Chapman and UCI have a joint team. Presidents spoke, discussed project. Casa del Sol-team orange. One of 20 teams chosen. Competition in October 2015. Our students will work with students from the other colleges, building a solar powered house--competing with Yale, Stanford. We've got a shot!
     Nancy Padberg: abbreviated report. I've done lots of work for the college last few weeks. I really do enjoy it. (She seems to be missing a step or two, fails to indicate what she attended, etc.). Thank you. (Nancy is recovering from some health issues.)
     Prendergast: yadda, yadda, yadda. Homecoming game, etc.
     Jim Wright: attended a few events. State-of-college breakfast. 150 guests there. Politicians there, well-attended, well-done. Calif. dept of vet affairs conference, IVC hosted, did an oustanding job. OC is home to nearly 2 million veterans. Many vets get very little guidance. "All they told me was goodbye," said a vet there. Disturbing. Attended football games, homecoming.
     Dave Lang: in the interest of time, no report.
     Student Trustee Carrillo: natch, has much to say. He explains why he's wearing a medal. Something about debate tourneys. Reads names of various winners in these tourneys. 21 IVC students competed. They got 25 medals. He reads all the winners (to Prendergast's chagrin; the meeting is running an hour late). His litany seems interminable. 30 community colleges and 4 universities. They all deserve a clap, he orders. (People comply.)

     Chancellor Poertner: I'll defer my comments until the next meeting.
     IVC Prez Roquemore: I'll be quick. Solar Decathlon has been covered (and yet he yammers about it anyway). Thanks various people. A great event, evidently.
     SC Prez Burnett: homecoming, yadda yadda yadda. Blah, blah, blah. The Solar Decathlon one of the finest college events I've ever been to. Thanks Glenn, et al. "Made us proud." We had a main water break at Saddleback. 3 staff instrumental in dealing with that crisis. We have a transfer fair coming. Condolences: high school students lost in car accident in Irvine. Students in our area.
     ASIVC: blah, blah ,blah

No board requests for reports

Puts off board report for Marcia M (until next meeting)

Consent calendar: anything to pull beyond 5.7? No. VC Fitz wants to read a correction, 5.2 (Model UN). Seems minor. They vote: unanimous.

5.7: Resolution: We have to pass a res declaring an "emergency situation." Have to do this to avoid advertising for vendors (?) for emergency work. Lang: could you elaborate on actual costs of cleanup? Brandye D comes up to speak: main broke in parking lot; 4 days of repair. had to dig fairly deeply, undermined nearby building. Don't know what the costs will be yet. Lang: blah blah blah. Wright: is the water main underneath the building? Not smart, that. I think the answer is "yes." Brandye, alluding this trashing of trustees/staff of the past, jokes about future boards discussing (i.e., trashing) our present moves. Laughter. Fitz: insurance claim submitted for this.
They vote to approve resolution: unanimous approval

General action items:

6.1 IVC 2014 Student Equity Plan Report
(Beware: dog and pony)
     Linda F and another woman (Lisa Wang?, research analyst) come up. This is the final report.
Blah, blah, blah -- and I do mean that. Targetted populations, disproportionate impact, modified budget, and so on. (Utterly mind numbing verbiage.) Introduces Lisa:
     Lisa: identified areas where students were disproportionally "impacted." Proportionality index, etc. Veteran students--could be serving more than we are. Shows graphs and such. Shows plan. Indicates areas we can "delve into" to improve matters. Pretty jargony, almost unintelligible. Sheesh. BSI ESL completion. group 35 years old and older: not well represented. "Disproportionally impacted" is the idiotic language. (Good grief.) Blah blah blah. BSI English Completion. Students who are 40-49. Another "impacted" group. African-American students "impacted." Fifth group: Degree and Certificate completion ages 25-29. Sixth "indicator": hispanic students. (Why don't they just speak English? Why all the BS?)
     Linda F starts to yammer. Almost a year-long process. Recently, allocations given to the district, but not yet to the colleges. (She's sending me into a coma.)
     Other questions? (Have there been any questions?)
     Lang: item for action tonight. But there's no expected outcomes for goals and activities. Not a complete plan that I can vote on. Linda F: we're in the process of figuring that out. The state was aware that we were given a short time-frame. They've changed the date twice on us. Now due January. We're working toward completing plans. Lang: this is incomplete. Can't vote on this tonight. I'd vote no if you want me to vote tonight. Come back with this info. Linda: we'll attempt to do that. We're trying to "have conversations" to move forward on this, blah blah blah. "Having conversations" seems to be code for -- well you're guess is as good as mine.
     Jemal: I'm struck by: we're underserving our veterans. Many of us attended veterans services center event a year ago. I was under impression that we're serving that group. But now we hear they are "severely underrepresented" at the college! WTF
     Linda: Our veteran students have to "self identify" to us. (Her aversion to plain English is awesome, inveterate.) If they don't, we don't know who they are. A difficult transition for them. Building a resource center is a foundation for serving them. We plan to do "outreaching" so the veterans will feel comfortable "identifying themselves to us." Jemal seems unimpressed.
Motion to table: passes unanimously (student abstention)

6.2 IVC grant acceptance. Motion to accept grant. Lang: noticed a sizeable matching funds. Bulk of that, $850K... Glenn says can't answer; asks VPI Craig Justice to come up and explain. Lang again: matching in kind funds. Bulk of that is contracated services and other expenses: what does that consist of? Justice: we'll have to research that. Don't have that info. Don't have a detailed list tonight. Fitz: we need to approve tonight. Lang: I'm not interested in holding this up, but let's get the information. "Workplace training providers"... Individuals already on staff providing services already. (Justice confers with Werle) "We can get that for you."
Vote: unanimous.

6.3. Paying for absent trustee. Always unanimous. (No, Jay fumbles. Abstains second time.)

6.4 fullltime faculty hiring. One correction from Bugay. Motion to approve. Unanimous vote. Wright then says, "I've got a question." Nope, never mind.

6.5 Academic personnel actions. No changes. Motion to approve. Unanimous.

6.6 Classified personnel actions. Bugay: minor change of date. Motion to approve. Student trustee: Michal Chan. He's an ex officer for ASIVC. Will this be a concern for the future? (His worry seems to add up to nada.)

6.7 Ethics training for trustees, annual event. Poertner: each year, the Grand Jury studies political agencies in the county of Orange. This year, community colleges were on the list. made recommendations for OC CCs. Most districts are doing the same thing. One recommendation is to have biennial Ethics training. The original legislation did not apply to CCs. But seems like a good idea anyway. Two ways to do this. Can hire an attorney to come give presentation (yeah, when I think "ethics," I think "attorneys"). Second: online training that the C Fair Polical Practices Commission has online. Might as well do that. The other recommendation had to do with reports of travel expenditures. Recommendation to do that once a year. Blah blah blah. Will post this on website for public viewing after this. Lang: isn't there a third option beyond those two? Ethics training is provided by CC league and other organizations. Isn't that viable? Why restrict this to FPPC online? Poertner: not a bad option. CCLC does this. Vote: unanimous. Jay fumbles again. Back to main motion: unanimous.

REPORTS:

7.1 SC and IVC speakers. No questions
7.2 Basic aid report
7.3 Monthly facilities..
7.4 montly financial
7.5 trust fund
7.6 Quarterly financial status report

8.0 Reports from admin and governance groups.

Mostly, they forgo reports. IVC Senate notes will have state senate conference at IVC.
Blah blah blah
I'm outta here

Joann Williams dies

Wife of former SOCCCD trustee [Williams] dies after battling disease (10/24/2014; Lariat)

Edwards to go to ATEP, to serve as Brandye D’Lena’s assistant

     As usual (four days prior to the district's monthly board meeting), district Chancellor Gary Poertner sent us all a link to the agenda.
     I noticed a curious item under “Classified Personnel Actions” (6.6). “Exhibit A” includes “Authorization to establish and announce a classified position." One of the positions is a new “director”:

DIRECTOR OF SITE DEVELOPMENT, Specially Funded, Classified Manager... District seeks authorization to establish and announce a full-time, 40 hours per week, 12 months per year position to its staff complement, effective November 1, 2014. This position is specially funded through Capital Outlay Projects on a limited term basis, to be considered for renewal annually. Employment in this specially funded position is contingent upon these funds.

     Exhibit B provides a “definition” of the position:

To assist the Executive Director of Facilities Planning and Purchasing [i.e., Brandye D’Lena] by planning, developing and delivering facilities improvements district wide, including programs, supporting documentation, budgets and schedules; provide technical direction to projects including prepare and administer contracts for project consultants and contractors from programming to close out; attend/facilitate district, college, agency and project meetings, provide support to College building committees; coordinate project requirements and schedules and provide project status reports including assistance by the project architects, consultants and contractors, when appropriate, and present to college, district and Board of Trustees as assigned....

     Yadda, yadda, yadda.
     The document goes on to say:

… The employee assigned to this classification assists the Executive Director of Facilities Planning & Purchasing [D'Lena], as assigned, by overseeing the development and construction of district and college facilities, especially at the Advanced Technical Education Park (ATEP).

     Today at IVC, we began hearing that, recently, at a college meeting (there are endless meetings), it was announced that John Edwards, IVC's Director of Facilities, will cease occupying that position; he would be switching to a new position.
     This seems to be that position.
     (If so), we wish him well.

Former SOCCCD Board President: member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans

OC Park aka Irvine Park.
OC's curious past

     The June 2011 edition of the Ship’s Log, the newsletter of the local chapter (Camp 1770) of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), begins thus:

Dear Compatriots, Family & Friends:
     I want to thank our members and friends who showed their support during our Confederate Memorial Day at Santa Ana Cemetery on May 22nd. We had folks from all over Southern California visit with us and join in our service, including the UDC [United Daughters of the Confederacy], Commanders of Inland Empire and Long Beach. Thanks to our guest speaker and member Steven Frogue for his very special words he shared with us this day [and to] the 1st NC Cavalry Reenactment Team….

     Steven Frogue, of course, was a trustee (and sometimes President) of the SOCCCD board of trustees. He served from 1992 until his resignation in the summer of 2000, which permitted the board appointment of Tom Fuentes (who then easily won election as an "incumbent" four months later).
     Since then, he's been retired (from high school teaching) and active in his church. We've sorta kept an eye on him. See Weird Uncle Steve, living in obscurity.
     And he's been active in other organizations, it seems. Steve has always seen himself as a historian (at Chapman, he got some kind of "Teaching" Masters with an emphasis in history) with something important to teach the world about what "really happened"—the ADL (or was it the BSA?) killing Kennedy, etc.—not the "lies" we've been told.
     And just who are the “Sons of Confederate Veterans”? Well, they’re pretty much what you’d expect them to be: clueless right-wing knuckleheads and sometimes worse. (You'll recall that, twenty years ago, Steve was enamored of the notorious Institute for Historical Review, a local Holocaust denial group.) The SCV in particular seem to have become a rallying point around the notion that history has lied about the Confederacy and the Union and their little war and that "the South was right"—about "state's rights," among other things.
     No doubt that’s true in all sorts of ways—about the lying, not the state's rights. But one must be careful how one restacks the deck.
     These people aren’t careful.
     Four months before the June 2011 Ship's Log, in an article by Mark Potok appearing in the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Hatewatch (Once Again, Racism Rears Up in the Sons of Confederate Veterans), we’re told that

     For much of the last decade, the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) has been roiled by an internal civil war between racial extremists and those who want to keep the Southern heritage group a kind of history and genealogy club.
     It’s beginning to look like the racists won.
     First came the news, originally reported on this blog last August [2010], that the SCV was planning a Feb. 19 march down Dexter Avenue here in Montgomery, Ala., to “CELEBRATE THE BEGINNING OF THE CONFEDERACY” and ensure that it “is remembered and portrayed in the right way.” What the SCV meant by “the right way” was made obvious by its website promoting the event, which insists that “the South was right!”….
     And now, from the Mississippi Division of the SCV, comes this new gem: The group wants the state to issue a special license plate, keyed like the Montgomery march to the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, to honor Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest — a millionaire Memphis slave trader before the war, an apparent war criminal who presided over the massacre of surrendering black prisoners at Fort Pillow, Tenn., during it, and the first national leader of the Ku Klux Klan afterward, when the Klan’s terrorist violence paved the way to a Jim Crow South.

     Potok goes on to provide the grisly details. And they are pretty grisly.

No doubt Steve got all breathy, like he used to do

     South Orange County is pretty special, ain't it? Lots of rednecks, amateur historians, Tea Partiers, et al.
     So it appears that old Steve, Marine vet and resident of Lake Forest, has continued his Revisionist ways and, as usual, he's found lots of company.
     Frogue’s still a member of the local “Sons.” You can find him in the Sept/Oct 2014 edition of the Ship's Log getting some kind of prize:

So, what’s happened to Jolene Fuentes, Tom’s widow?

     She and the Fuentes wing of the OC GOP got in a huff when Jolene was not selected to replace her husband on the SOCCCD Board. They made lots of noise, but the event faded without consequence.
     After that, Jolene was appointed, by the Lake Forest City Council, to the City’s planning commission in 2013.
     That looked mighty hinky. Fuentes had no experience. Alternative candidates did.
     In March of this year, the generally excellent “Voice of OC” published a guest editorial by Jim Gardner, a psychologist and businessman who ran (and lost) for City Council in 2008. (See Community Editorial: Planning Commission Is Not for Politics, Voice of OC, March 26, 2014)
     He wrote:

     A little more than six months ago, Jolene Fuentes was appointed to the Planning Commission in Lake Forest amid controversy about her lack of background, experience and education, given the excellent qualifications of the applicants passed over in favor of her.
     The controversy was exacerbated by the claim of then Mayor Scott Voigts that he had no idea why he cast the deciding vote for Fuentes, failing to mention the $1,000 contribution to his 2010 campaign from (now deceased) Tom Fuentes, the Republican bigwig and husband of Jolene.
     In the intervening months, Fuentes' record of attendance has been poor, and that’s on a commission that already cancels more than 20% of its meetings.
     Fuentes has made few, if any, constructive contributions to the proceedings on the Planning Commission….

     Well, you can read the piece for yourself.
     Four months later, Gardner offered similar points in the far less reliable “OC Politics Blog,” run by political loose cannon Art Pedroza:

Political cronyism destroys Lake Forest’s Planning Commission
July 29, 2014 by James Gardner

     …Lake Forest is undergoing its own “spoils system” scandal since the election of Dwight Robinson and Adam Nick to the City Council in 2012. Joining together with incumbent Scott Voigts, they dismissed the well regarded and long standing members of both the Planning Commission (PC) and the Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC), and inserted their own set of loyalists, many of whom had no prior experience in either area, and had never attended meetings of either group. What they did share was personal loyalty to Voigts and/or Robinson. Their first appointments included an employee of Robinson and a campaign worker for Voigts and the son-in-law of a big campaign contributor to both Robinson and Voigts. The most blatant and most egregious appointment was Jolene Fuentes, widow of long-time Republican old guard big wig Tom Fuentes, who confessed to no knowledge of the PC or of planning in general, and who upon appointment proceeded to miss two of her first three meetings.
     Now more than 18 months after their “Kristallnacht”, we can view the results of political cronyism and the spoils system at work. With regard to the Planning Commission, since the Voigts cabal joined the PC –

• there have been more appeals of PC decisions than in the previous 20 year history of the City
• there have been more PC decisions overturned than in the previous 20 year history of the City
• there have been more resignations of PC Commissioners than in the previous 20 year history of the City, with one Commissioner specifically mentioning the disruption caused by the Voigts’ sycophants as a proximate cause….

     So the Fuentes legacy lives on, it seems. Bullying, cheating, hypocrisy, etc.

SEE ALSO Lake Forest Ex-Councilman Calls on Residents to 'Rise Up' (Voice of OC, October 24, 2013)

Cal State and Its Faculty Reach Tentative Contract Deal
(Inside Higher Ed)

But the “telephonic narration” never came

     Back on the 7th, we were informed about the coming “Great California ShakeOut.” In an email (from theVPI, I think), we were told:

Major earthquakes may happen at any time, nearly anywhere in California. Help us keep our students and community prepared and safe by encouraging participation in this year’s Great California ShakeOut statewide annual earthquake drill. At 10:16 a.m. on October 16, 2014, millions of Californians will practice “Drop, Cover, and Hold On,” along with millions of others in many other states and countries….

     There were instructions. Before the drill, we’re supposed to read stuff about how Cal is earthquake country, etc. Then we’re supposed to explain to students what they can do when an earthquake hits: drop to the floor, that sort of thing.
     “When the drill begins,” we’re told, “loudly instruct your students to

• Drop to the ground now, before the ground jerks strongly and throws you down.

• Take Cover under something sturdy to protect yourself from objects being hurled across the room. Or stay low and protect yourself from flying objects with your hands and arms.

• Hold On to your shelter or hold your position until the shaking stops.

     OK. Then it says:

Once the telephonic narration is over, all buildings will be evacuated….

     Well, anyway, I kind of forgot about the drill when I got to the college this morning, though I had read through the instructions and was prepared to tell the students to drop and grab onto something, etc.
     So, just after 10, the buzzer (loud!) went off. Students looked amazed and bewildered. I told ‘em to drop to the floor and hang onto something. They resisted. I had to insist. They kept giving me this look: “Really? You’re not kidding?”
     Nope, not kidding. Over the din, I explained that the exercise is a good thing. Everybody should be prepared for the Big One, which is bound to come.
     The kids complied. I was impressed. I told 'em they look good down there.
     I told ‘em about how stuff would fly around in a real big quake. You don’t wanna be hit by that clock over there and the glass over here, I said.
     Meanwhile, that buzzer sounded.
     BUT HERE'S THE THING: the “telephonic narration” never came. I kept waiting for it. Nope. Nothin'.
     After a bit, the students started to look at me for direction. “Now what?”
     I said, “We’re supposed to get directions over the phone. Doesn’t look like that’s gonna happen.”
     I’ve been through this before. During the last ShakeOut (I’m in room A202), the phone refused to utter a sound, though we were told it would, and so, afterward, I complained.
     Wasn’t fixed, I guess.
     So, again, over the din, I explained that the Big One is REAL and it is important to stop and think about it before it happens, get prepared for it. Get a kit for your car. Coordinate with friends and loved ones pre-earthquake. Etc.
     I was pretty compelling, I think. I meant everything I said, and students saw that.
     But that telephonic narration never came.
     So, whatever.
     Have a nice day.

Steam heat!

Rebel Girl's own camera failed her today so here is a stock photo of cleanliness.  Come to A-200 and see for yourself.

Today it was brought to Rebel Girl's attention that the A-200 restrooms, usually bio-hazards by mid-morning, had been, by dawn's early light, power-washed and steam cleaned.   They are now gleaming - even the stalls where visible dust had been rising for some time now like distant storm clouds on the horizon.  Colleagues, staff - and yes, students, told her all about it.  (It's really something when your students speak to you about the restrooms.  Just sayin'.) She had to go see for herself.  She tried to take a photo, but somehow clean is much more difficult to photograph than filth.  You'll have to see for yourself.

So many thanks to those who labored on this project.

For your enjoyment below,  "Steam Heat," a clip from the unlikely pro-labor musical, "The Pajama Game."  "Fellow union members, that's what we're doing: getting HOT!"



*

The office furnishings imbroglio

     As you know, for years now, IVC faculty have been consternatin’ and peevin’ about the planning and construction of new buildings—the latest being A400, the new home of Humanities and Languages (and Social Sciences), scheduled to open in a semester or two.
     It’s a repeating cycle. At first, Brandye and the architects (and, at IVC, the unpopular Director of Facilities/Maintenance, John Edwards) show up making big happy noises about a new era of faculty input. “You’ll have input at every stage!”
     But that always ends up seeming like a sack of hooey.
     Consider the case of A400. Recently, faculty were informed that, in order to save money, the Director has decided that the college must stick to the established “standard,” according to which only designated shitty muted colors will be allowed and furniture options will run the gamut from A (odd1) to B (odd2). (Never mind that faculty have at no point been consulted about any college standard.)
     A particular sore point was the discovery that A400 planners were proceeding on the assumption that there will be no office bookshelves, or that the bookshelving will be highly limited.
     That inspired some serious gnashing of teeth among Humanists, boy. “Don’t these people know what a college is!” we thundered. WTF!
     As usual, President Roquemore has only made things worse by seemingly positioning himself on both sides of the issue and writing confusing clarifying blatherings.
     It’s the same old same old here at IVC.
     We’ve been told that there’ll be no faculty desks in the strict sense of desk. Nope, there’ll be deskesque flat surfaces, sans drawers, held up by two legs.
     Really?
     Some faculty have been carpin’ that there’s no need for all this. Why not just lug over the desks we’re using now? Why do we have to spend money on this odd, Spartan desketry?
     In the midst of all this drama, "word" is that, according to the district, we'll be spending about $25,000 per office for furnishings.
     $25,000! And for what?
     The “standard” desketry for the new A400 offices is mighty pricey, it seems. The desk “legs,” we've been told, are about $700 per pair. And the deskular surface (sans drawers) that those legs will be holding up is about $1,100. That’s nearly two thousand bucks for deskus minimus simpliciter!
     How’s that possible?
     We’ve been considering the possibilities. Some suggest a visit to IKEA. Some sense a boondoggle. Some suggest that, um, maybe those are the list prices, not the real prices!
     We’re trying to get the facts. We'll get back atcha.

Andrew C. Jones Faced Racism as Coast College District Chancellor: Rancho Santiago Chancellor 
(NavelGazing)

     …In the email to [CCCD chancellor] Jones, [RSCCD chancellor] Rodriguez called Coast trustees "dysfunctional" and said he was "disgusted with that board and their passive aggressive racism."
. . .
     In his own email back to Rodriguez, Jones thanked his fellow educator for the support--but did not acknowledge the racism chatter.

Michael A. Harris dies at 92; journalist's stories led to Brown Act
(LA Times)

Andrew Jones

'Racism' cited in O.C. chancellor's exit (OC Reg)
Rancho Santiago college head says counterpart worked under “passive aggressive racism.”

     Hours before Andrew Jones abruptly resigned as the chancellor of three community colleges Aug. 14, a fellow Orange County chancellor got wind of the news and wrote Jones a scathing criticism of his soon-to-be former bosses, five elected trustees.
     Raul Rodriguez, chancellor of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, called the Coast Community College District’s trustees “dysfunctional” and told Jones he was “disgusted with that board and their passive aggressive racism.”  

Raul Rodriguez

     “You have done an amazing job as the chancellor of (Coast) in spite of tremendous obstacles,” Rodriguez wrote in an email to Jones. “You did better than anyone could have imagined and lasted longer than most predicted. It is a tragedy that you have been treated in this manner, and you have done nothing at all to deserve such treatment.”
     The email, one of hundreds obtained by the Register through a California Public Records Act request, raises new questions about the circumstances of Jones’ split from Coast. Jones is African American. Coast’s trustees are predominantly white....

SEE ALSO “Boards are supposed to be nonpartisan,” he said

Tommy, cat
Excellent pal

IVC sponsors the Young Professionals Leadership Summit. NATCH.

     Earlier today, the campus community received an email from President Glenn Roquemore. “Irvine Valley College,” we were informed, “is sponsoring the 2014 Young Professionals Leadership Summit … at the Irvine Marriott….”
     It’s on the 17th.
     The email raises a question, “why attend?” It provides a 4-point answer:

1. Network with 10 participating young professional groups
2. over 200 attendees
3. 7+ expert speakers, breakouts & panelist
4. exploring hot topics like “creating your personal brand,” “working with multi-generations,” and “the art of closing the deal”

     Um, OK. But I’ve got to ask: what kind of thing is this summit? Some kind of business thingy, of course. A pageant of Babbitry.
     The chief business of Americans, you know, is business.
     It is what it is, and Prez Roquemore and VPSS Linda Fontanilla, we’re told, “would like to invite 20 individuals to attend” the dang thing.
     If you want to attend, you’ve got to got permission, evidently. What's that all about?
     Have I missed something? Are we now a business college?
     You know what I mean. We’re so seldom invited, by Glenn and his merry Glennsters, to anything academic. Meanwhile, we seem forever to be elbowing our way onto the business and “entrepreneurial” scene. You know, Chamber of Commerce, that sort of thing.
     —That's the scene many of us college types spend our time examining and criticizing in the classroom.
     That's not a secret, is it? (Uh-oh.)

* * *

     I still wanna know more about what kind of thing this summit is. So I Googled the summit title and that brought me to the Summit website.
     It’s pretty slick. It sports lots of pics of 20-somethings in business suits.
     We’re told: “Become a strong leader and dynamic professional while building your network at the most collaborative young professionals event in Orange County.”
     I scrolled down and found a list of sponsors:

• US Bank [“a financial services company that serves the banking needs of consumers and businesses alike”]
• Irvine Valley College [um, a college, sort of]
• Dirt-Free Power, Inc. [“implementing energy solutions for residential and commercial clients in the United States and Europe, we are proud to be the first commercial anti-utility in the United States.”]

     What an odd list. US Bank, Dirt-Free Power—and IVC, that little college in the orange groves.
     I did some clicking and found that the list continues. And it continues to be odd, what with a community college's inclusion:

• Eberle Company [“Eberle Company provides Commercial Real Estate advice”]
• d2 Business Solutions [“We provide IT outsourcing and project management, maintenance agreements, hosted Spam filtering, hosted backup and hourly technical support to clients nationwide”]
• Margowsky Design [“I specialize in logo, print and website design”]

     I looked up the summit schedule. Here are the various presentations on "summit" day, from noon to 5:00:

• “How to Get Lucky” - Rob Friedman, Auction.com [real estate auctions; the company is “an international seller of distressed properties,” according to the OC Reg]
• “The Art of Networking: Building Beneficial Business Relationships” - Kecia Wimmer Lyons, “CEO, Entrepreneur, Speaker,” according to Linkedin
• “Don’t Underestimate the Power of Culture” - Kristen Allison, CEO & Owner of Burnham Health Benefits
• “Building a Personal Brand Within the Social Media Landscape” - Ash Kumra, Co-Founder of DreamItAlive.com
• “How to Sell Yourself… And Stay Out of Jail” - Todd Tripp, Wealth Management Advisor

     According to the YPLS folks, keynote speaker, Rob Friedman, is “Truly the visionary of [his] dynamic company[.] [H]is exceptional business instinct and experience has shown a path to success amidst some of the nation’s most difficult economic times.”
     Translation: when the recession hit, he made a killing on real estate forclosures:

Co-founded by entrepreneurs Jeff Frieden and Rob Friedman, Auction.com caught the wave of bank-owned foreclosures during the recession and flourished while other real estate firms floundered. (OC Register)

     At one point, Mr. Friedman announced plans to publish a book entitled “How to Make a Fortune at Real Estate Auctions.” Not sure if he ever published it. Didn't have to, I guess.
     What a classy guy.
     Ms. Kecia Wimmer Lyons’ Linkedin bio explains that, at one point, “Kecia quickly accelerated her income and personally earned more than $250,000 a month and over $1.2 million in a year”!
     Golly. She's Glenn's idea of a "good citizen," a pillar of the community, no doubt.
     Evidently, early in her career, she was “a Corporate Trainer for The Anthony Robbins Companies.” Robbins, of course, is a major poster child for New Age claptrap and hucksterism—the sort of thing that critical thinking instructors like me bash all day long.
     According to her Linkedin bio, Kristen Allison runs and owns Burnham Benefits Insurance Services, “an industry leading regional employee benefits consulting and brokerage firm.” Evidently, Allison “received the 2012 Enterprising Woman of the Year award from Enterprising Women magazine.” Good for her.
     According to his Linkedin bio,

“Ash Kumra is an award winning entrepreneur, author and public speaker recognized twice by the White House as an entrepreneur making an impact. Ash is currently co-founder of DreamItAlive.com; a global community guiding users to create their “dream life” with scientifically proven visualization tools, dreamboards® and personal development content.”

     Scientifically proven, eh? Don't think so. Didn’t people once try to visualize (or wish) world hunger away? Didn’t work. Idjits.
     We’re also told that “Ash is an active advisor to numerous early stage companies and venture accelerators including”

- Zendy Beauty…: Empowers you to look your best at your price by saving on aesthetic and cosmetic procedures including Botox, fillers, laser hair removal, tattoo removal, and more from top quality Providers at prices you can afford.
- MotorMood…: An accessory for your car which lets you share good will with other drivers using a light-up happy face in your rear window.

     Hmmm. Isn't college the anti-matter to this blithering matter? Think so.
     In one of his many publications, the, um, dreamy Mr. Kumra tells us:

I have found the best way to express dreams is by creating a visual collage representing pictures and statements on the things that represent your idea. It’s called a vision board in some circles; my company calls it a Dreamboard. Begin by putting different pictures that represent what value your dream will bring, along with the personal rewards you’ll receive (yes, it’s okay to create your dream life as well!). You can either make this at home with a physical corkboard and images or use online tools.

     Gosh, it's as though Mr. Kumra exists just so that I can have lots of things to bash vigorously in my logic and ethics and philosophy classrooms.
     Mr. Tripp is a Wealth Management Advisor, and, in truth, he seems like a nice guy. According to the YPLS folks,

Having changed careers in his early thirties from law enforcement to financial services [Todd] is grateful for the ability to have an impact on people with something other than pepper spray, hand cuffs, or a mug shot.

     Elsewhere, we’re told that he “enjoys golf, racquetball, playing guitar, good wine, and the Good Book.”
     OK, I guess he’s not so bad, even if his choice of reading material is kind of limited.

* * *

     The website also lists past speakers. One of ‘em works for the scandal-ridden Susan G Komen organization, but she’s probably swell anyway (she works with charities). Another past speaker “is one of America’s leading experts at launching new businesses, products, and services.” He too got his start working with New Age guru (and huckster) Tony “Firewalk” Robbins.
     Well, maybe he grew out of the Robbins, um, approach (namely, talking people out of their cash with total egregious bullshit).
     Another past speaker is a "corporate vice president of quality"—I didn’t realize there was such a thing!
     This guy loves to tell people that he has a Ph. D. He doesn’t tell ‘em, however, that he got it from an unaccredited “distance ed” college (California Coast University, in Santa Ana) once investigated by the feds for being a “diploma mill.” (CCU somehow eventually received accreditation in 2005, the same year our boy finished his “studies” there.)
     Another past speaker has been an employee (now executive) for Allergan, maker of Botox, since 1993. If you've been paying attention, you'll know that Allergan has been in and out of hot water over its products and practices for many years. (See.)
     So maybe you're getting sense of what kind of thing this summit is.
     We shouldn't be surprised, given Glenn's recent photo op with some bigshot from the U of Phoenix. When I think "U of P," I think about business opportunities all right.
     The chief business of IVC, it seems, is business, including the filthy kind.

"This developmental algebra is a stainless-steel wall and there’s no way up it, around it or under it."

The hallways of LaGuardia Community College are crowded with
 students in the mornings. Credit: Jake Naughton for The New York Times.

In the New York Times, a sobering portrait of a community college and one of its typical students.

...As a community college student, Mr. de Jesus is both prototype and outlier. The majority of community college students come from low-income families, and many arrive at school, as he did, with competing obligations (29 percent of community college students in the United States are parents), as well as the need for extensive remediation. The widely held impression that community colleges are essentially vocational is inaccurate. Data released by the American Association of Community Colleges in September indicated that most of the associate degrees awarded in 2012 were given in the liberal arts and sciences, outnumbering those for nursing, say, or marketing.

In recent years, mounting concerns about inequality have fixated on the need for greater economic diversity at elite colleges, but the interest has tended to obscure the fact that the vast majority of high school students — including the wealthiest — will never go to Stanford or the University of Chicago or Yale. Even if each of U.S. News and World Report’s 25 top-ranked universities committed to turning over all of its spots to poor students, the effort would serve fewer than 218,000 of them. Community colleges have 7.7 million students enrolled, 45 percent of all undergraduates in the country....

To read the rest: Community College Students Face a Very Long Road to Graduation.

Check out the video too.

*

What comes of reading books

Proposed motto for IVC's School of Humanities.

Just Like me

When she was younger, the band Paul Revere and the Raiders confused Rebel Girl.  Still does.

2.6 earthquake hits near Trabuco Canyon (OC Reg)

Several ghost turds had combined in the corner—I offered a Cheektowaga scream

A hideous cluster of dust bunnies threatened both
our safety and our sanity (dramatization)

     Things are crummy at IVC these days.
     The Reb called me up and talked about the hideous “dust bunnies” in her classroom. I thought they were called “dust monkeys.” Nope. Bunnies.
     I decided to find more terms like “dust bunnies.” I didn’t get far. I did find these synonyms:

• Woolies
• Ghost turds
• House moss

     I like "ghost turds" best. If ghosts had turds, they'd be wispy and shit, I guess.

     I happened across an odd reference work, the Probert Encyclopedia of Slang. The Probert people scraped up some swell stuff.
     I only got through the C’s though.

“Cacatorium” was old British slang for a lavatory. 

“Cackle fruit” is American army slang for chicken's eggs. 

“Call buicks” is American slang for to vomit 

“Call dinosaurs” is American slang for to vomit  

“Call Earl” is American slang for to vomit. 

“Camp comedian” is military slang for a camp commandant. 

Chuckin' a cheesy

“Captain kangaroo” is medical slang for the head of a paediatrics department. 

“Ceiling inspector” is slang for a willing female sexual partner. 

“Celestial discharge” is nursing slang for death. 

“Chancre mechanic” is naval slang for a ship's doctor. 

“Charlie's dead” is British slang for your underwear or petticoat is showing. 

“Cheektowaga scream” is American slang for to vomit 

“Cheese-cutter” is slang for an aquiline nose. 

“Chuck a cheesy” is Australian slang for to grin.

UPDATE: from the A's:

A grape on the business

“A grape on the business” is Australian slang for a person whose presence spoils things for others. 

“A-hunky” is Maine slang for all right, fine, okay. 

“Abdominable voorheaves” is American slang for to vomit. 

“Ackempucky” is American slang for a food mixture of unknown ingredients. 

“Acknowledge the corn” is American slang for to admit that one is at fault or defeated. 

“Act the maggot” is Irish slang for to play the fool, to clown around. 

“Ailish” is Mississippi slang for ill, sick, unwell, nauseous. 

“Aim Archie at the Armitage” is Australian slang for to urinate. 

“Air the diced carrots” is American slang for to vomit. 

“Airedale” is American slang for a film extra with a natural beard. 

“All arms and legs” is slang for weak beer. 

“All mouth and trousers” is British slang for blustering, boastful, showing off without having the qualities to justify it. 

All mouth and trousers

“All piss and wind” is slang for full of bluster and noise, but without substance. 

“All snot and tears” is British slang for mournful, remorseful. 

“All tits and teeth” is derogatory British slang for a woman who gets on by using her physical attributes rather than her brain. 

“Alvin” is American slang for an unsophisticated rural-dwelling person. 

“Ambidexter” was 17th century British slang for a corrupt lawyer, one who takes fees from both the plaintiff and defendant. 

“American lad” is Irish slang for fatty bacon imported from the USA. 

“Ammunition” is Texan slang for uneducated.

SOME Ds:

“Dust kitty” is American slang for a ball of fluff in an undusted part of the house. 

“Dust-bin” is Black-American slang for grave 

“Dusters” is British slang for the testicle. 

“Dusty” is British slang for an old person. 

“Dusty butt” is Black-American slang for short person whose rear end almost touches the ground

The Corporatization of Higher Education Comes to IVC: "You would think my college would value this hard work"

The vision of the A-400 building. But inside, faculty
offices without adequate space for books. 

As denizens of IVC may have noticed, the A-400 building has been reduced to rubble and a long-awaited new A-400 is rising. Among the people who plan to spend the rest of their professional careers in the faculty offices of that building are the instructors in the schools of Humanities and their colleagues in Languages. For some veteran teachers like Rebel Girl that means ten more years, but others anticipate another 20-30 years at the little college in the orange groves.

Understandably, this building means a great deal. The development and planning process has been ongoing, with the usual challenges. However, the faculty office design process has been especially frustrating and disappointing (others would use—and do use—less mild terms).  February 7 was the last meeting on this issue with the faculty who would spend the next 10-20-30 years in those offices. Now the deadline is here and the options or the discussion or the input that was promised in order to make this work for the people who will work there has all but vanished.

But let someone who know how to say it better, say it.  Rebel Girl asks you to consider this letter, written by Professor Steve Felder and sent to Academic Senate President Kathy Schmeidler and shared here with his permission. (Emphases mine, says Rebel Girl).

Hi Kathy,

I attended the senate meeting today in hopes of seeking support from the senate in gaining faculty input for the furnishing design of the new A-400 building. I was disappointed both that we ran out of time and by the fact that you had the impression that Glenn [Roquemore, IVC President] was open to faculty input on this issue and was not going to enforce a particular standard. I believe this claim is false. While Glenn may be sincere in his claim, he is mistaken; there is no openness to anything but a few minor changes in the design.

Others can speak to their concerns (related to color scheme, etc.), but I want to represent an issue that deeply concerns me and some of my colleagues in the School of Humanities. It relates to the insistence of [Director of Facilities] John Edwards on outfitting each office with two enormous, L-shaped desks to be bolted to the walls. The effect of this will be that even though the new offices will be slightly larger than the ones we have now, we will have even less space for bookshelves than we have in A200. Claims that nothing can be done seem insincere. I have been to many community college campuses in this state, and I assure you there is no requirement for us to drop these two enormous desks in every faculty office in every community college in the state. 

I realize that not all disciplines rely on books to the degree that we do in the Humanities. I have no doubt that some disciplines communicate primarily through symposia, articles, etc., but for us, in the Humanities, the book is still the primary mode of scholarly discussion. To be a competent professional requires us to read, study, and re-read many books on a constant basis. 

Perhaps some assume that because we are not required to publish, as are our colleagues in the UC's and CSU's, that we don't need to read. This is absurd. In some sense, our work requires more reading since we are not able to specialize to the same degree they are. Just in the last 48 hours I've taught Euripides, Fashion Theory, Deconstruction, the Use of Lacan's concept of "suture" in film analysis, Hitchcock's Rebecca, and Sartre. Some classes, like World History to 1500, require an expertise that is incredibly broad: Homo Habilius and the Han Dynasty, Chaco Canyon and  Charlemagne, the Aztecs and the Abbasids, etc. The range of primary sources and theoretical approaches required to do my job is MORE intensive, and requires MORE reading than that required of my colleagues at UCI. You would think my college (and its administration) would value this hard work and support it. You would think they would WANT us to be readers, who were constantly engaged in our subject, continually revising lectures and assignments instead of repackaging the same tired old ideas from a graduate seminar we were in 20 years ago. Instead, one administrator actually told me that when the new A400 was completed I'd need to pack up my books and but them in my garage!

Admin to faculty: Put your books in your garage!

I park my car in my garage, and, as I've pointed out, I use my books, but there are good reasons for me not to take them home, but to keep them in my office.

First, my students and I are constantly accessing my personal library. Just today, before coming to the senate, a student working on a paper asked a question related to a quote he saw from Marcuse's Eros and Civilization. Fortunately, my copy of that book was two feet from my desk. Yesterday, my modern culture class got a little off topic and engaged in a discussion about how various mental illnesses might either disrupt or bolster Sartre's conception of consciousness as it's articulated in Being and Nothingness. Fortunately, my copy of that book, as well as the obviously related, Anti-Oedipus by Deleuze and Guattari, were in my office. This summer, while I was working through a passage in Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents, a student questioned my interpretation of a particular sentence. On closer examination I acknowledged that the English translation was ambiguous, but that I thought by consulting with the German text we could sort this all out. During the class break (it was a night class), I walked to my office, looked up the passage in Das Unbehagen in der Kultur and discovered that the student was right and I was wrong! I was able to go right back into the classroom and my ability to correct my error was instructive for them and me on a number of levels. (Something similar happened three weeks ago with the text of the Iliad—for which I have multiple English translations and the OUP Greek Text, along with my trusty Liddell & Scott Greek-English Dictionary—and I was able to confirm that I was right . . . but I could have been wrong.) If my books are boxed up in my garage, or a storage facility (as are [film instructor] Jamie Poster's books), or the closet of the guest bedroom (as are [history instructor] Brittany Adams' books), none of this would be possible.

Second, students benefit just from walking into our offices and encountering the overwhelming presence of all these volumes. For most of them, even our very brightest students, competence is achieved through Wikipedia articles and Googling. While Wikipedia and the hyperlinked exploration of various topics does have its place, there is another kind of engagement that is only possible with books. Some ideas and arguments can only be developed in three hundred pages. Some stories can only be told with the length of the novel. What students grasp instantly when stepping into our offices is that there is another way of exploring the world (of ideas) beyond online articles that can be digested in three minutes. Some ideas, some stories, require 10, or 15, or 20 hours of your time in order to fully engage them. Furthermore, some books and ideas demand you engage them with marks, and highlights, and comments in the margins. Some books want you to re-read them, at least parts of them, many, many times. Our students are not doing that. They are not native readers. This is a world to which they must be introduced. As libraries increasingly become computer, centers the office of the college faculty member is the last bastion of the intellectual for whom ideas are hard won through long hours of study and reflection. Our students not only need to borrow our books sometimes, they need to see us and our relationship to them as a vital piece of who we are and the knowledge we produce.

I understand that the "era of reading" is a relatively brief one in the history of our species, and one that is not likely to last. Still, it's an era with many benefits that we will lose to our detriment as a culture. I understand that ebooks are the wave of the future, and I own MANY. But many of my physical books have not been digitized, and even those that have would be expensive to replace. For this reason, I want to hang on to them. I want to keep them. When you bury me do what you will with the books I leave, but they will be objects that have transcended themselves. Yes, their transcendence exists in me and by them I transcend myself, but they also transcend themselves in the marks of my pen, the coffee stains from my mug, and the wear from my hands.

A-400 under construction

Yes, they don't deserve a place in the modern college infrastructure just because of their spectral nature, but they do deserve a place because of the kind of thinking and teaching they facilitate. The fact that IVC not only doesn't consider books as an essential feature of their architecture, but that they seem to be actually opposed to the idea of our having books, suggests something else is afoot. This is another sign of the corporatization of higher education in America. The administrators who prefer the current office design with the two giant L-shaped desks do so because of its power to fascinate them as corporatized subjects; they want our offices to look like the offices in every office building in Irvine. They don't want to work at a college; they want to work for a business. They don't want to live in a world of ideas that require hours of study and reflection; they want to live in a world where education is quantifiable and "success" can be measured. This is not the world of the Humanities. The world of the Humanities is a world of books and is, thus, a world they cannot understand and for which they feel hostility. Therefore, a giant L-shaped desk seems preferable to bookshelves. (I realize that not all administrators at IVC are like this, and that there are faculty who think everything I've just said is useless, antiquarian, and elitist. Thus, the divide is probably not administrator vs. faculty, but along the lines I've tried to outline here.)

Any support from the senate would be helpful. Giving us smaller desks need not costs the college/district more money (as Glenn suggests). Personally, though I know this is not an option, I'd prefer you put no furniture in their and let me and Jamie go to Ikea together and buy our own.

Please feel free to forward this to the academic senate (or to whomever you feel needs to read it). (The same goes for everyone cc'ed on this email. Please forward, post, delete at will.)

Your colleague,

Steve Felder

Guerrilla groundbreaking for the new A400 building earlier this year. Dig in.

the fairest blog in all the land