Symbolism. I Can Take It. I Live By It. 6:30 a.m. on Campus Getting Ready for a 3-hour Turbo. It's Symbolism. We All Get It.

Tuesday night, I came home at 9 p.m. from teaching and transitioning to an 8 a.m. the next morning I realize, "Fudge." There aren't enough hours in the day, especially when you lost two days doing the administrative biddings of a Dean's Office that needs you to work for them (without any favors in return). I stayed up until midnight to catch up. The result? I also arrived at the University at 6 a.m. with 4 hours sleep, so I could prepare for a turbo course that I'm actually paid to teach. I needed two hours to finish preparation. My time was taken up by uncompensated administrative requests (who, by the way, were absent because they were stressed out by having to make requests, so took yet another day off)

But, on the way up to my 8 am. class, the bag of dry-erase markers exploded and without enough caffeine I found myselff] picking up markers. It's symbolism I tell yourself, and knowing there's always a good reason to exercise, I made the explosion into a an aerobic opportunity. And one, and up. And two and up. And three and up.

You don't make too much noise because you realize the hallway is empty and you won't disturb anyone, and truth be told, it will be this way from 6 a.m. until 5 p.m. because no one will be in your hallway. You can scream in agony as you pick up your markers, but it doesn't matter. Who's there to hear you? No one. The halls remain empty for the entire day. 

Honestly, I think faculty are done. They're sick of the narrative given to them by administrators who claim they have the back of others, but who never come to campus, unless it looks good for the narrative they want others to believe about them. And faculty recognize that their students aren't okay, and are doing everything in their power to maintain and upheld the instruction they need.

A week before break, almost 50% of the students were absent. Why? They're lost. They're wondering why they and their parents are investing what they are so they can attend a campus that is vacant and almost 100% online. It's desolate. There are no faculty. The University marketing is that it won't be this way, but it is this way. And the kids are frustrated, perplexed, stressed, and full of anxiety. It doesn't matter because the hallways are empty and they'll talk to anyone who is present and wlll listen. That is what happened to me for 5 hours yesterday, I listened, simply because I was there.

So, I think a hallway full of dry-erase markers is right. I picked them up, taught a class in person, and thought it was successful. Then, after class I was met with the angst of students who feel faculty and administration has left them neglected and behind. I wonder the same.

Empty hallways. There's no there there.

I wonder the same. 

And how much do these kids pay?