As my adventures in higher education move ever-forward, some days stand out more than others...

I just gave the Roman theatre and culture lecture yesterday - and true to form, like every stinkin' year, it became this weird, random series of questions I could not possibly know the answer to. I love that the students get engaged in the topic and discussion, but - seriously - how the hell could I know some of what they are asking? My favorite from yesterday was in regards to "raising" a child (the Pater Familias has to recognize the child by "raising" them up a la "Roots" above their head and declaring them a part of the family - hence the term "raising kids"). So, I had just finished explaining also that at any time the Pater Familias could own/disown a family member - regardless of blood ties (oversimplified, but basically the truth). So for example if a slave bears a child from the P.F., at any point in that offspring's life the P.F. can declare them "his," give them the family name, and "ta da" - they are no longer a slave but a bearer of the family name (P.F. can do this with anyone - progeny or not). So a person who shall go unnamed raises her hand and says: "So, if that happens, does the Pater Familias actually lift them over his head? I mean, how could he hold up a teenager or a grown man? Does he get people to help him?"I am not kidding. And this was just one example of so many. I think maybe it is because they know that to earn full participation I expect them to raise their hands and actually add to the discussion? Like, maybe this person was so desperate for anything to say that she said that just to raise her hand? I kinda hope so - because if that's not the case with some of them - I truly worry for the fate of this world.

In addition to teaching duties, I have the added *joy* of sitting, like a duck, during office hours - awaiting the random student "fly by" visit with the emergency du jour. Just one example of my day yesterday, in office hours: I have a transfer student come in to my office - this, mind you - is THE transfer student who studied at a very prestigious acting academy in NY (this is where you go, "oooooh!") and feels she needn't be bothered with taking the actual acting series to meet her degree in... acting. (Of course, my mind goes to: "well, if you were so freakin' great with the Academy, WTF are you doing here?) But that is not the purpose of her visit. Oh, no. It is to chat with me about her therapy animal. Mind you, I understand completely about therapy animals - one student brings her dog every day for medical reasons that entail performing simple tasks but mainly as emotional support. I actually have a note from my own doctor about my dog, giving me permission to bring him anywhere I need to to help with my panic attacks (who doesn't have the occasional blinding panic attack, right?). So, I am sympathetic as The Greatest Actress In The World proceeds to tell me about her therapy animal. Her therapy duck. Yes, read that again."He wears diapers," she says, "and so he doesn't make a mess it's just for some reason some people get upset about him in class and in stores and stuff..." So it appears we are to be labeled even stranger as a department as we welcome Piddle-Widdles, the Therapy Duck. No shit.
Makes the random questions in class seem positively lucid.