Indeed you should. I advise our international students, and the majority of them get upset if either their teachers don't demand enough of them or their fellow students start slacking off.
Thanks! This strip is based on real comments I've received from my students' parents over the years.
I've never done a comic strip before, and I am an IMPRACTICAL ACADEMIC. I've no idea how/where one would sell such a thing! :P But I do appreciate the compliments. :)
You know, I've had one international (Sweden). That brat was even more insolent, disrespectful, arrogant, and sullen than the rest of the students...And honestly, not that bright. If you're not planning on writing your name on the anonymous student evals, don't leave me a nasty little one-liner, in what is obviously Swedish, at the bottom of your paper.
True dat, Samantha, true dat. As a lowly 1st year Masters student, I was TAing one international student who prolifically bowed and never once showed his back to me (he would slowly back out of the room rather than turn around and exit). No matter how many times I told him to cut it out, I was just a student too, he insisted, stating "But sir, you are the senior student, SIR!"
Seriously, you are producing high quality stuff that someone would be interested in publishing. I don't know if the guy is too busy, but maybe send some of your best so far to Jorge Cham at PhD Comics and ask him how he got started?
Samantha, you could do it yourself on CafePress - a calendar or note cards or posters, that sort of thing. I think Zazzle offers the same services, not sure which is better.
Jorge Cham got started publishing his comics in the student newspaper at Stanford, when he was getting his PhD. After he graduated, he turned it into a business with books and seminars. I think that he makes most of his money off of the seminars.
I would contrast the welcome scenario of Comment #6 above with the tendency of brash American students to wring levels of sociopathy out of their pronunciations of this forgotten S-word. If one more fuzz-faced baseball-capped WalMart greeter wannabe blurts out "howareyoutoday SUHHRRR!!!" when I enter the lecture hall, I'm calling the campus police and reporting a disturbance.
2 issues: First, Samantha, your stuff is really clever and I agree that you should have a wider audience than us. Although we appreciate you and your creativity greatly, there is a big, wide world out there that could appreciate you more lucratively.
Second, I know it's polite and I appreciate that, but I detest being called ma'am. It made me feel old when I got it at age 26, and I'm a good bit older than that now. As a pirate who looks at 40, any indication that other people see me as older than I do is annoying.
Well, it's a bit unreasonable to be annoyed at people for being polite, even if it's polite in a way that grates on you. I don't particularly like being called "miss" by store clerks but I don't get annoyed at them. It's probably part of their job training. If our students called faculty "sir" or "ma'am," never mind actually saying "good morning," that'd be a huge improvement over the usual monosyllabic greeting or total lack of response. (Ever see a professor say "good afternoon" to a room full of students who can't even be bothered to reply? I think "how are you today, sir?" would be an improvement). But if you don't like it, tell them not to call you "ma'am" and hope they remember not to do so.
Oh Patty, you're so smart and helpful. I cannot believe anyone has never thought of the wonderful wisdom you dispense so freely and easily. Thanks so much for the help! We'd be lost without you.
Consider that the words I typed might actually mean the inverse of what I meant. Lesson over, ma'am.
I was merely pointing out that getting ticked off at someone for calling you "sir" or "ma'am" is rather unreasonable, since it is a polite form of address. Take it up with the linguists if you want to change "sir" and "ma'am" from courtesy titles to insults. Or just continue to be a douche to me, but I can't change the world for you, so it's a complete waste of your time. You have already established that you despise me, it's not necessary to continue to bring it up, your earlier blanket 'fuck you' is sufficient.
Just as a contrast, I teach in a former Soviet country and I have had parents of students going abroad ask me a lot of awful questions like, "Are there black people at that university? Will they bother him?" or make comments like, "The admissions department said he would have to wait 3 months to hear if he was accepted. So I want to call the President of the University and see if he can just make the decision now. Can you also call him and tell him about our son and how great he is?"
And yes, you should totally publish these. At least set up your own website and put up some paid adverts or something.
You should be selling these!
ReplyDeleteIndeed you should. I advise our international students, and the majority of them get upset if either their teachers don't demand enough of them or their fellow students start slacking off.
ReplyDeleteThanks! This strip is based on real comments I've received from my students' parents over the years.
ReplyDeleteI've never done a comic strip before, and I am an IMPRACTICAL ACADEMIC. I've no idea how/where one would sell such a thing! :P But I do appreciate the compliments. :)
You know, I've had one international (Sweden). That brat was even more insolent, disrespectful, arrogant, and sullen than the rest of the students...And honestly, not that bright. If you're not planning on writing your name on the anonymous student evals, don't leave me a nasty little one-liner, in what is obviously Swedish, at the bottom of your paper.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kimmy. You should get your 5 best and send them to editors at InsideHigherEd.com and the Chronicle.
ReplyDeleteTrue dat, Samantha, true dat. As a lowly 1st year Masters student, I was TAing one international student who prolifically bowed and never once showed his back to me (he would slowly back out of the room rather than turn around and exit). No matter how many times I told him to cut it out, I was just a student too, he insisted, stating "But sir, you are the senior student, SIR!"
ReplyDeleteSeriously, you are producing high quality stuff that someone would be interested in publishing. I don't know if the guy is too busy, but maybe send some of your best so far to Jorge Cham at PhD Comics and ask him how he got started?
Samantha, you could do it yourself on CafePress - a calendar or note cards or posters, that sort of thing. I think Zazzle offers the same services, not sure which is better.
ReplyDeleteJorge Cham got started publishing his comics in the student newspaper at Stanford, when he was getting his PhD. After he graduated, he turned it into a business with books and seminars. I think that he makes most of his money off of the seminars.
ReplyDeleteI would contrast the welcome scenario of Comment #6 above with the tendency of brash American students to wring levels of sociopathy out of their pronunciations of this forgotten S-word. If one more fuzz-faced baseball-capped WalMart greeter wannabe blurts out "howareyoutoday SUHHRRR!!!" when I enter the lecture hall, I'm calling the campus police and reporting a disturbance.
ReplyDeleteAt least they call you "sir." Isn't that a sign of respect, even if their pronounciation isn't to your liking?
ReplyDelete2 issues: First, Samantha, your stuff is really clever and I agree that you should have a wider audience than us. Although we appreciate you and your creativity greatly, there is a big, wide world out there that could appreciate you more lucratively.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I know it's polite and I appreciate that, but I detest being called ma'am. It made me feel old when I got it at age 26, and I'm a good bit older than that now. As a pirate who looks at 40, any indication that other people see me as older than I do is annoying.
Well, it's a bit unreasonable to be annoyed at people for being polite, even if it's polite in a way that grates on you. I don't particularly like being called "miss" by store clerks but I don't get annoyed at them. It's probably part of their job training. If our students called faculty "sir" or "ma'am," never mind actually saying "good morning," that'd be a huge improvement over the usual monosyllabic greeting or total lack of response. (Ever see a professor say "good afternoon" to a room full of students who can't even be bothered to reply? I think "how are you today, sir?" would be an improvement). But if you don't like it, tell them not to call you "ma'am" and hope they remember not to do so.
ReplyDeleteOh Patty, you're so smart and helpful. I cannot believe anyone has never thought of the wonderful wisdom you dispense so freely and easily. Thanks so much for the help! We'd be lost without you.
ReplyDeleteConsider that the words I typed might actually mean the inverse of what I meant. Lesson over, ma'am.
I was merely pointing out that getting ticked off at someone for calling you "sir" or "ma'am" is rather unreasonable, since it is a polite form of address. Take it up with the linguists if you want to change "sir" and "ma'am" from courtesy titles to insults. Or just continue to be a douche to me, but I can't change the world for you, so it's a complete waste of your time. You have already established that you despise me, it's not necessary to continue to bring it up, your earlier blanket 'fuck you' is sufficient.
ReplyDeleteJust as a contrast, I teach in a former Soviet country and I have had parents of students going abroad ask me a lot of awful questions like, "Are there black people at that university? Will they bother him?" or make comments like, "The admissions department said he would have to wait 3 months to hear if he was accepted. So I want to call the President of the University and see if he can just make the decision now. Can you also call him and tell him about our son and how great he is?"
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, you should totally publish these. At least set up your own website and put up some paid adverts or something.