Thoughts on Kony

It’s hard to be on social media and miss the buzz on the KONY2012 campaign. In all honesty, I have not watched the video. The LRA’s reputation precedes it. In October, President Obama announced that he was sending 100 soldiers to Africa as advisors, specifically to target the LRA. His announcement made a little noise in the newsmedia and then disappeared. It is a little odd therefore that less than five months later, this massive campaign ignites the social media. I see it as quite a testament to the ephemerality of news and both the awareness and memory of many who seem to spend more time on social media than the news media.

Joseph Kony has done horrible things. What makes his atrocities even worse is he claims to do it in the name of God (amid a strange mix of occult tribal faiths). I would dearly love to see him stop, preferably repent, or failing that, be removed from the scene permanently.

Yet, when I first heard of the KONY 2012 campaign, I had reservations. I guess the main reason was that I’ve been on the web long enough to be suspicious of any online movement or sensationalism. Thus, I didn’t rush to watch it or support it. Sure enough, as more information came out about the Invisible Children organization, there was reason to be cautious.

Old School

Think back to the time when you first decided you wanted to be a professor. What did you imagine it would be like?

Hours in the lab or library finding either new cutting-edge or ancient discoveries?

Drawing new conclusions from apparently tired out data?

Teaching starry-eyed students waiting to hear wisdom pour forth like a refreshing mountain stream from your mouth?

Shaping the careers of future scholars in your research group like fresh clay in the hands of a master potter?

Writing monographs that revolutionize your field, drawing accolades from your academic idols?

Sitting in a richly furnished study talking over deep things with colleagues that have become close friends?

Yeah, me too.

Perfection

{Note:  Computer problems nixed last night’s post. My apologies.}

What is a perfect life?

This weekend we are all over at my sister’s for various family events. It is a busy, rocking household under normal conditions, but with grandparents, cousins and other relations all present, “plan” is even more of a four letter word.

The living room is strewn with toys and clean-up consists of shoving the mess into a corner to reduce tripping and breakage. There is a known set of activities, but the logistics change without notice, like cloud formations on a windy day.

Muddle Choice Test

Someone once said something to the effect that “For the believer in Christ, this world is the most of Hell they’ll ever see. For the unbeliever, this world is the most of Heaven they will ever see.”

That sounds like a pretty easy T/F question, A or B. Simple. However, to us educators, test making is an art. A ‘well-designed’ multiple choice question will have a variety of plausible answers. If you make this common mistake, you will get “A,” this other mistake will be “C,” and so on, such that only the student who really understands the material will pick the right answer. Neither guessing nor partial understanding will help. Students tend to hate this kind of question because they feel like they are being tricked, when really the instructor wants to see how well you really understand the material. On the occasion when I’ve done this technique and had the time, I would set up the key so that these partial answers would receive partial credit, and the closer you got to the right answer, the more points received. However, few take the time to go to this extra step because it does take a LOT more effort, and I only did either occasionally.

Some people perceive this is how God has stacked the deck against them.

The Collegium of Feudal Lords

Ask non-academics, or students who want to be academics about their picture of the professoriate, and I suspect their picture will be like mine was, once. I had a somewhat romantic notion of mostly slightly socially awkward introverts who nonetheless liked to gather with each other over some mild refreshment or socially acceptable vice like pipes and scotch to chat informally over esoterica on any number of subjects, sometimes with good-natured heat.

Enter the reality.