About a week and a half ago I sent out a petition concerning the jobs of three adjunct professors in the Sociology Department. Through word of mouth from faculty & staff, I was informed that these three professors were not going to return in the fall, and may not ever return to teach here at the University. I was also informed that the Department of Sociology was having budget problems and that it was possible that their funds were being cut.

Feeling quite strongly for my professors, I thought writing a petition to express how I felt about the situation would be a noble thing to do. In fact, I was under the impression that it would please the department to know that students are concerned with which professors they are assigning to instruct us. I thought that the department would revere students who are more concerned with their education than their Saturday night extra-curricular activities. However, when I talked to Dr. Michaels yesterday in the afternoon, I was enlightened with a different standpoint.

Dr. Michaels told me the reality of the situation, and that, in fact, the College of Arts & Sciences had not cut the department's funds, contrary to popular belief. Dr. Michaels set the record straight for me, that my informants were obviously "ignorant" of the situation in the department. On this issue, I stand corrected.

In addition to correcting my false statements, Dr. Michaels felt a need to have a greater impact on my sociological education and college life. Expecting a quote from any classical sociological theorist such as Marx or Weber, Dr. Michaels showed me a different light. He taught me the moral of the situation through an example from a Saturday Night Live skit. He first asked me if I had seen this particular Saturday Night Live skit, which regretfully I denied, as I do not watch television very often. In the Saturday Night Live skit, a female character raved about an issue she felt strongly for. Later, after much ranting, she was informed by her peers that she had the information wrong, and that her passions were misdirected. In result, she was subdued and embarrassed in front of all her peers.

In giving me this example, I have learned that my education can extend far beyond class materials and weekday assignments. In fact, my education can continue throughout the weekend. I now realize that Saturday Night Live has a lot to offer me. For this, I am very grateful to Dr. Michaels. I will now make it an effort to watch Saturday Night Live religiously, every Saturday Night at midnight. Maybe, after watching these skits, I will learn more about how to handle situations. I urge all of you to do the same, as our interim head of the Sociology Department suggests it holds much valuable content that may further guide our impressionable minds.

In result of this educational encounter with Dr. Michaels, my friends Bob and Mary Jo have decided to watch, "Friends" on NBC, because they want to learn about friendship. My father has decided to start watching "Dallas." He wants to learn something about marriage. As you may have guessed, we are all very excited. I think all of us will be quite satisfied from what our television programs will teach us, thanks to Dr. Michael's insightful knowledge.

Sincerely,

Vanissa W. Chan
Psychology & Sociology/Crime & Deviance
vchan@vt.edu

I regard as lost the man who has lost his sense of shame - Plautus