Re: A Slow Spring

[cleveren@garnet.acns.fsu.edu (Carrie Leverenz)]

Southern Louisiana sounds a lot like North Florida.  The blooms on my
camellias are dead and so are the lilies-of-the-valley that poked their
heads out of the ground about mid-January.  Of course, the students in the
Reading/Writing Center at Florida State are enrolled in for-credit
instruction, so they have to come, cold or not.  Many of them are preparing
for the state competency exam February 17th, so they don't have time to wait
for the weather to get better.  Of course, today is gorgeous--sunny and in
the mid-70s.  Another reason why students might be tempted to skip their
tutorials.  Carrie

>Our problem this spring is two fold:
>1) We relocated over the break from a location on the main quad 
>to the first floor of the library. The library is a newer building 
>located two blocks from the main quad. Its convenient for 
>students in the library (we figure business will pickup around 
>research paper time), but we are inconvenient for students in the 
>core curriculum courses, like English and history, that take place 
>in the older buildings around the quad. Yet we have seen an influx 
>from the life sciences people (nursing, biology, etc.). But their 
>newer building is right next to ours.
>2) Our second wrinkle is the weather. It has been unseasonalbly 
>cold this winter. Most Januarys in South Louisiana are spent in 
>sweaters and light jackets. This winter I had to zip the wool 
>lining into my London Fog in mid-December, when I normally 
>never use it all. We've had 5 hard freezes in the past six weeks; 
>normally we don't have that many in 5 years! Typical January 
>temps run about 55-65 with warm fronts bringing 70's (and rain).  
>Our current average is 40. Our students, who are not used to such 
>hardships (you can laugh; its okay) are coming to campus simply 
>to attend class. They then go home to try and find plumbers to 
>come and fix the frozen, burst pipes. 
>
>Students are unwilling to walk through the 15 degree wind chill 
>to go to the wc. And I don't blame them. It's time for me to walk 
>over there, and I'm not looking forward to it either. Maybe I'll 
>drive today.
>
>deany
>
>
>DEANY M. CHERAMIE   
>engl-dmc@nich-nsunet.nich.edu
>504-448-4207 
>Dept. of English 
>Nicholls State University
>PO Box 2023            
>Thibodaux, LA 70310   
>
>TODAY'S QUOTE: "I have spent my life in opposition
>and I rather like the role."  -Eleanor Roosevelt
>
>