He said that if we came up with reasoned arguments instead of whining he might let us off. This is what I've come up with so far, anyone have suggestions? Comments? (I know nuclear warfare is ridiculous, but I just love throwing it in!)
1. Economic stimulus. By giving us more time than we originally planned to have, he's giving us a chance to go out and shop, which will encourage our faltering state economy, and then through the domino effect encourage all economies as well as spreading the joy of thanksgiving which will have the effect of preventing nuclear warfare because people would rather eat turkey than bomb us.
2. if he lets us out at that time, it would allow all of us to start our trips home earlier-himself included-which has several advantages: 1. we all avoid the horrible thankgiving traffic. 2. We all get to see our families sooner and spend more time with them. 3. People are less likely to miss their planes. And 4-by lettting us avoid traffic, he is potentially saving lives, because teenagers have the highest percentage of accidents, and the more traffic one is in the higher ones chances of getting into an accident.
3. By letting us out early, treat is speading goodwill and holiday felicitations which makes us more likely to be feeling generous to others when we leave. This has lots of excellent side effects: 1. we're more likely to give food to the people collecting it for thanksgiving dinner drives, which means poor people are more likely to have a nice meal on thanksgiving. 2. we're more likely to give money to those silly santa clauses, which means lots of advantages for whatever they're collecting money from. 3. We will spread this joy to our families and they to theirs, until everyone in the world feels it which will mean the end of poverty everywhere. 4. All this money we're spending will stimulate the economy while also reducing the need for national spending on poor people because we'll be taking care of all of it which will reduce our national debt.
Posted by DarkKnight (Member # 7536) on :
Maybe you should surprise him and tell him that you want the class to be extended and see what happens....
Posted by tmservo (Member # 8552) on :
4. Because your teacher is (99% of the time for college) paid against a salary on the basis of learning, this is the most effective way to increase his payscale of time worked vs. pay, so this, in effect, a monetary gift from the class to your teacher. (this is assuming he is a college prof)
5. It provides a better opportunity for him to assign a longer, more detailed study of the class as homework, as students will have more time to evaluate it and think on it over a longer break.
6. The sheer creation of any argument to posit for this class to adjourn early is a sign that the class has worked hard on an outside project in order to achieve the results.
7. Leaving in the morning on any given day means you will fill up with gas in the morning, in a cooler temperature. This, for Ozone alerts, is the recommended time to fill up, so there is an environmental benefit.
*laugh* (some of these are far fetched, but just the airing of the arguments may be enough; I'm sure he/she wants to leave early as well)
Posted by Theaca (Member # 8325) on :
Do your own homework!
Kids these days... all whiney, lazy bums... Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
quote:1. we all avoid the horrible thankgiving traffic
And driving in traffic is far less fuel efficient and far more polluting per mile driven.
Think of the penguins!
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Here's the only reason he needs: most students will skip class that day anyway, so he won't get much teaching done. If he cancels class, he's only putting his plans in line with everyone else's. In other words, he gets to go home early too.
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
What's the class? Are you in college or high school?
Posted by Toretha (Member # 2233) on :
Public speaking, and I'm in college. I like the penguins!
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
Ah - your economic stimulus points aren't perfectly sound, but they're good enough to get by if your professor hasn't studied economics too deeply.
If you measure everyone's opportunity cost of attending the class (the cost being the activity they CAN'T do because they're at the class instead, and the loss of income or happiness from not doing the other activity), then if sum of the class's opportunity cost is higher than the class's utility (happiness/good things) gained from attending the class, the world would be a better place overall if he doesn't hold class.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I'm with Theca.
And get off my lawn!
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Gas prices cheaper the day before Thanksgiving than the day of, for traveling?
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
At my school, the administration specifically tells professors to hold classes the days immediately before and after breaks. I think they even sent out a memo last semester before spring break. I have the feeling that they would like every professor to hold exams or midterms on those days...
However, should a professor decide to not hold classes, typically the students don't report him to the administration. We're very good about keeping things like this on the DL - so that our beloved professors don't get in trouble with Admin, of course. Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :
BYU always gives the day before Thanksgiving off. If they didn't, all the students would drive overnight to get home in time for Thanksgiving on Thursday. They found that accidents, especially fatal ones, decreased significantly when they gave that extra day.
Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :
quote:Originally posted by Toretha: ...spreading the joy of thanksgiving which will have the effect of preventing nuclear warfare because people would rather eat turkey than bomb us.
This only works for internal enemies. The rest of the world doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving as far as I know (well, we do in Canada, but that was three weeks ago).
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
My school has no school the wednesday before thanksgiving, we get five days a semester off, two at labor day and 3 at thanksgiving. In the spring we get off a weeklong spring break and I think we get MLK day but I forget.
Posted by Toretha (Member # 2233) on :
and that is precisely why we need to spread the joy of thanksgiving to prevent nuclear warfare! If they don't celebrate it, nuclear warfare isn't prevented by them wanting to eat turkey
Posted by johnsonweed (Member # 8114) on :
Toretha,
As a professor at a small college I can tell you that we do not really like to teach that day any more than you like to attend class, but we must do as we must. The day is scheduled and not likely to change at most institutions for many reasons (not all of them bad). For example, if the Wednesday before the break were cancelled, then we have one less day in an already too short semester to get through the material we need to present. Does this matter? I sure does to those of us who have dedicated our lives to the disciplines that we teach.
Further, cancelling class becomes a slippery slope. If you cancel one class it becomes easy to start cancelling more. If the Wednesday before TG is cancelled then we would hear "what's the point in having class only once in a week, we should cancel the whole week" (classes meet generally MWF or TR). Then we have to hear about Easter break and how hard it is to be back in class the following Monday, so we should cancel that too!
My point is that you signed up for the class knowing what the schedule was now you should just deal with it. Considering that it is only likely to happen 4 times in your lifetime of Thanksgivings, sitting and learning something on that day is really not that big a deal.
JW
Posted by Ophelia (Member # 653) on :
But as long as he's already said he'll accept reasoned arguments, she should go for it. She's not whining and doesn't need to be told to "just deal with it." It seems like he'd kind of like to have the day off anyway, and is looking for an excuse to give it to them. So why shouldn't she think of some good arguments in that direction?
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
I would just skip it if it's really a problem with your traveling arrangements.
Posted by Toretha (Member # 2233) on :
but he asked for arguments! How can I pass up this chance? It's a challenge!
I really don't care that much about class. Doesn't effect my non existent travel plans, it's only one hour. But I'd like to have that hour off. More the the point-I like to argue! How can I pass up a chance to do so with a teacher who's invited argument knowing my background?
I didn't ask for the day off-someone else started to and he announced that if we wanted off we needed reasoned arguments. To a debater. That's just asking for trouble.
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
Here's the problem: You give people the Wednesday off, but still have class on Monday and Tuesday. People then skip class on Tuesday, or, more often, BOTH Monday and Tuesday.
IU gives the Wednesday off, but not the Monday and Tuesday.
When I taught a lecture on Tuesday, I gave a quiz on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
I agree that Toretha should go for it and present good arguments, if her professor is inclined to hear them (which it seems he is). My personal tendency is to do what the institution says and treat any days that are officially scheduled as normal class days.
That's just me, though.
Posted by Gryphonesse (Member # 6651) on :
You're paying for the classes, you decide. Personally, I like your suggestions. They're creative and amusing. I always hated profs and bosses who refused to consider what went on outside their classrooms and offices. At least this prof is making you think!
Posted by Toretha (Member # 2233) on :
I add, the professor was also a debate person, and is going to find my nuclear warfare arguments very amusing. I wouldn't do this with most teachers-but he asked for it, and he'll get it when I do it.
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