The Harold Lounge

A Space for HWC (& CCC) Faculty to Congregate

Author Archive

Monday Music – Summer Contest

Posted by Realist on May 29, 2012

For this 2012 Summer Edition of Monday Music, I thought we could have some fun. I’ll post some selections and y’all tell me what they have in common. You’ll have more (and better) opportunities to guess right as the weeks progress. If the answer comes forward, then pat yourself on the back, and I’ll be done. Perhaps I’ll slip a gift in your mailbox when I return in the Fall. The only rule is that you be exact with your guess. None of this coulda, woulda, shoulda answers. Be direct and to the point to earn your place in the history of The Lounge contests.

As promised, Monday Music comes to you this week on Tuesday, out of respect for yesterday’s holiday. Back to a regular schedule next week and thereafter. You now have a couple of clues. Take a guess and I’ll let ya know if you’re hot or cold, ‘kay?

Here’s the second musical clue/selection:

Posted in Social, Whimsy | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

A Truth about Memorial Day 2012

Posted by Realist on May 28, 2012

Today is about remembering what this day of rest is all about. Perhaps making a visit to a cemetery or pausing for a moment to remember a fallen soldier. Then, it’s about enjoying it with family/friends.

I was looking for a good link to commemorate the occasion when I came upon this one. From the online article:

Most people don’t know that when a soldier is discharged on disability it often destroys their family. Their pay is reduced to a fraction of what it was, while their cost of living skyrockets without access to housing, commissaries and other benefits of life on a military base.

Read it all and share your comments. Then get out there and enjoy the day!

If you have any wonderful stories to share, I’m all eyes.

Monday Music takes a break today (the second clue comes your way tomorrow).

Posted in Events, News, Opinion | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Monday Music – Summer Contest

Posted by Realist on May 21, 2012

For this Summer Edition of Monday Music, I thought we could have some fun. I’ll post some selections and y’all tell me what they have in common. Not sure you can get it after just one posting, but you’ll have more (and better) opportunities to guess right as the weeks progress. If the answer comes forward, then pat yourself on the back, and I’ll be done. Perhaps I’ll slip a gift in your mailbox when I return in the Fall. The only rule is that you be exact with your guess. None of this coulda, woulda, shoulda answers. Be direct and to the point to earn your place in the history of The Lounge contests.

Enjoy your summer break peeps!

Here’s the first musical clue/selection:

Posted in Social, Whimsy | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

The Name Game (or Lame Game) in honor of Dave

Posted by Realist on May 4, 2012

What I am about to share with you may seem goofy, silly, cheesy, or (you give it a name). It’s a game we, the members of Camp Realist, have played for some time now. I’m not sure how it got started (or why, for that matter), but it evolved to this, fundamentally speaking:

You take a person’s name and then you ask a silly question wherein the answer rhymes with said person’s name. Today’s name is DAVE. (David is acceptable. PhiloDave if you’re up for the challenge!) It goes like this:

Silly question – What did faculty say about Dave at the Banquet today?
Rhyming answer – He was… the RAVE!

Ok, one more example.

Silly question – What did the student who was submitting a late assignment for Dave‘s class tell his secretary?
Rhyming answer – I CRAVE Dave!

See, the question can be silly; and at Camp Realist they become more irrational as the game goes on. Same for the answers. Bonus points of you can come up with a variation that meets the fundamental rules. Literal creativity or Nonsense at it’s finest. Play first, then you be the judge.

So, in honor of Dave (or any other alias he goes by these days) gettin’ that nice big recognition today at the Union Banquet, go ahead and play if you’d like. Or stop by tomorrow if  today’s festivities will produce better material.

Have a good time!

Posted in Faculty, Social, Union, Whimsy | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Website Wednesday: CCC Edition

Posted by Realist on May 2, 2012

With consent from blogmaster PhiloDave, this is a special edition of Website Wednesday that will appear from time to time over the course of the semester. The focus will be on our [somewhat] newly designed [and Audrey-modified]  HWC website, and the CCC website, in an effort to give the folks at District some feedback on what we believe to be working or not working with the sites.

Cheese Whiz! I forgot to post this last week at the regularly scheduled time (and Dave thought he was behind schedule).

Alrighty then, better late than later.

Feel free to give your two-cents on things you’d like to see stay or go away on our official college and district sites OR…, OR…

Got any outstanding issues with the migration to Microsoft email accounts? Is it workin’ for ya? Did any peep tune into the online training session? Was it helpful?

I’ve found some pros (I can actually use Outlook now-the Calendar is nice. Ditto with the Tasks.) and cons (browsing to Microsoft Ofice 365 is a two-step process – first you go to mail.ccc.edu, then you are redirected to the CCC version of the Office 365 sign-in – UGH! GIVE. ME. A. BREAK!).

What say you peeps? What’s the good, or the bad (as in terrible or awesome-spin it any way you want), or the ugly?

Anonymity encouraged.

Posted in Faculty, Work | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

Distinguished Professor Award – Great News!

Posted by Realist on April 23, 2012

Per Don’s email, which I’ll include below, I am very excited to know that the cat is finally out of the hat!

Congratulations PhiloDave on being this year’s HWC Distinguished Professor!

It is a well deserved honor (and IMHO, one that you should have received a couple of years ago).

Ok kids, feel free to leave your kind words, or heck, go ahead and roast the man. It don’t matter.

Perhaps you just want to give him a pat on the back the next time you see him. That’ll be fine too!

In any case, here’s to a professor that epitomizes the words college and community.

One last thing: Since we will not hear from Dave at this year’s graduation (bwah, bwah, bwah), I’m suggesting that he be the main speaker at the Fall State of the College get-together. I can think of no better way of making this more personal.

Ok, here’s Don’s email (he’s much more eloquent than this peep):

To the Harold Washington College Community,

Please join me in congratulating this year’s Distinguished Professor, David W. Richardson.

Professor Richardson is an Assistant Professor who teaches a wide range of general education philosophy and humanities courses that emphasize active learning and facilitating student engagement with primary philosophical and literary texts.

Professor Richardson serves as an active member of the Harold Washington College community. He has served for the last two and a half years on Faculty Council, including one as Secretary and one and a half as Vice President. In his role as Secretary, he created The Harold Lounge, a blog site that he has since continued to administer. Other activities at the college have included work with the Women’s Studies Committee, including a year as Secretary, the Assessment Committee, and many other college wide and departmental initiatives, including chairing Humanifest-OH!, the Humanities Department’s annual Festival of the Arts from 2006 to 2008 and again in 2010. He was named Employee of the Month in February of 2009.

Mr. Richardson’s teaching career began with a TV course in 1997. Three years later, he was hired as an adjunct at Columbia and Harold Washington Colleges and thereby convinced to quit his full-time job as a whiskey slinger on Division Street and commit himself to the possibility of a teaching career. Hired to the full-time faculty at Harold Washington for fall 2003, he was named department chair a year later, where he served for four years, earning tenure in 2006.

Having personally observed Professor Richardson in the classroom, I can attest to his skill at engaging students and pushing them outside of their comfort zone to wrestle with challenging texts and concepts. The Harold Washington Community is enriched by Professor Richardson’s excellence as a faculty member.

Posted in Faculty, News, Teaching | Tagged: , , | 11 Comments »

Website Wednesday: CCC Edition

Posted by Realist on March 28, 2012

With consent from blogmaster PhiloDave, this is a special edition of Website Wednesday that will appear from time to time over the course of the semester. The focus will be on our [somewhat] newly designed [and Audrey-modified]  HWC website, and the CCC website, in an effort to give the folks at District some feedback on what we believe to be working or not working with the sites.

OK, so it’s the last week of the month and that means it’s time for another round of feedback. Honorary Peep, Audrey, has probably been waiting all month for this day! Right, Audrey?

Give ‘er what you gots! She has been a regular contributor. Thus, the honorary title.

Are the revisions on the website workin’ for ya? Findin’ what ya need and where ya need it? Wanna see some last minute changes before Spring Break?

Speak up now before the rush of questions from students for Summer and Fall registration leave you wishin’ you had said somethin’ sooner.

Have at it. Anonymity welcomed.

Posted in Advice, Faculty, Students | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Harold Lounge Braggin’ Rights Bracket Contest Update

Posted by Realist on March 21, 2012

I told ya I’d have updates whenever possible. The standings as of 10:39pm today:

Rank Team Name Score Correct Best Score Best Correct Champion
1 Michael Russell 46 34 170 48 North Carolina  (141)
2 Chris Sabino 42 32 154 44 Ohio St.  (123)
2 Don Laackman 42 32 154 44 Kentucky  (135)
2 Kamran Swanson 42 32 142 42 Kansas  (160)
5 David Richardson 38 28 94 37 Missouri  (137)
6 Jivin Jenny 35 27 143 38 Kentucky  (135)
7 Anthony Escuadro 29 24 137 35 Kentucky  (139)
8 Chicago Realist 0 0 0 0  ()

Part of me wants to think there’s an error somewhere. Part of me believes there ain’t no errors, just some bad picks. (That’s right, I can trash talk ’cause a)anyone can, and b)I’m all the way at the bottom.

~Michael Russell – holding strong at No. 1, with that Mitt Romney smile. Yeah, baby.

~Chris Sabino – might have a hard time catchin’ up to Cinde-Russell story.

~Don -holdin’ nice and steady here; showin’ us how a leader goes about his business.

~K-man showin’ he can hang with the best (or is it the rest?)

~PhiloDave – pullin’ a Jeremy Lin on the other players. Came out strong but is now faddin’.

~JJ – Headin’ south, but not necessarily home.

~A-square (isn’t that how you spells it in spanish?) – The Santorum of the brackets.

~Realist – that makes me Gingrich. Just a side show for the masses.

When does it all end anyway?

Posted in Faculty, Social | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Harold Lounge Braggin’ Rights Bracket Contest Update

Posted by Realist on March 16, 2012

The brackets have been set and the curious want to know (well, maybe I’m the only one with curiosidad). Here’s how the standings are looking as of 3pm today:

Group Standings
Rank Team Name Score Correct Best Score Best Correct Champion
1 Michael Russell 15 15 188 59 North Carolina  (141)
2 Chris Sabino 14 14 187 58 Ohio St.  (123)
2 Don Laackman 14 14 185 57 Kentucky  (135)
4 David Richardson 13 13 186 57 Missouri  (137)
4 Jivin Jenny 13 13 180 54 Kentucky  (135)
4 Kamran Swanson 13 13 184 56 Kansas  (160)
7 Anthony Escuadro 12 12 179 53 Kentucky  (139)
8 Chicago Realist 0 0 0 0  ()

Do your trash talkin’ by leavin’ a reply. Here’s my play-by-play:

~Michael Russell looked like odd man out with all these heavyweights, but it looks like he knows his teams. Question is, can he hold the lead. Is he our Cinderella story on The Lounge?

~Hey look, Chris is ahead of Dave! Did junior help with the picks?

~Wow, my man Don is ahead of David! Is this part of Dave’s plan? Are ya worried, PhiloDave? Are YOU worried, Don?

~Jivin Jenny is in 4th? Really? What up Jenny?! Say it isn’t so!

~I’m gonna give Kamran a pass. That Hegel paper is messin’ with his mind. Hint: there’s no logic to these picks, K-man!

~Anthony… so long as you don’t let me down with my grievances, we’re all good. I’ll give you a pass, if your union will permit me to do so.

~I tolds ya I wasn’t playin’. I’ll leave it at that.

OK kids, let’s see where we are in a few days (I’ll do my best to provide regular updates. Blink, and this thing is over!)

Posted in Faculty, Social | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Harold Lounge 2012 Brackets

Posted by Realist on March 12, 2012

Hey kids,

If you are really interested in an NCAA bracket competition, I’ve got it all set up on CBSSports.com. The rules are simple:

Sign-up to play and every win gets you points. The points increase every round, from 1 for picking first-round winners, all the way to 32 for the finals.

I know, the first round is over, but better late than not at all. Does anypeep even care about the first round? Let’s just say you can’t go wrong with those picks. Round 2 starts this Thursday so there’s still time.

Have some fun. I know you’re still grading, but this can be a good distraction. Here’s the link to the Harold Lounge 2012 Brackets:

http://hl12b.mayhem.cbssports.com/e

Here’s the password: hl2012

(I won’t be participating for two reasons. Number 1, I did not follow the college basketball scene this season (Northwestern is out and I don’t understand the big deal – even after watching a report last night). Number 2, I don’t know if all these big sponsors are participating because they support college basketball or they support profits. In any case my pondering should not dictate whether or not a bracket competition should or should not occur, so have at it and may the best bracket player and team win!)

Posted in Events, Social | Tagged: , | 6 Comments »

Website Wednesday: CCC Edition

Posted by Realist on February 29, 2012

With consent from blogmaster PhiloDave, this is a special edition of Website Wednesday that will appear from time to time over the course of the semester. The focus will be our newly designed HWC website, and the CCC website in general, in an effort to give the folks at District some feedback on what we believe to be working or not working with the sites.

We’re posting and commenting. District is listening. Audrey is replying. Life is good in the land of two-way communication.

So, you’ve been using the site for a couple of months now. Anything missing? Finding everything in the right place at the right time? If the answer is yes, then say so and put a smile on Audrey’s face. If not, then say so and put a smile on Audrey’s face while she moves to resolve the concern. (High-five to you Audrey!)

Have at it. Anonymity welcomed. (according to Matt U., Anonymity def. Identity 2-0.)

Posted in Advice, Faculty, Students | Tagged: , | 13 Comments »

This one’s for Dave

Posted by Realist on February 29, 2012

Happy 2nd Lounge-iversary, PhiloDave! Better late than never.

Just so y’all know, Dave was kind enough to exchange a few emails with me in order to make this movie. Those are his answers to the questions. My apologies in advance for some of the strange pauses. Technology is still playing catch-up to the nuances of speech. Feel free to send Dave warm wishes – in person, via email, or leave a comment.

Thanks for your participation and patience, PhiloDave.

Posted in Events, Fascinating, Opinion, Whimsy | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Solution to SURS

Posted by Realist on February 21, 2012

Yep. Leave it up to non-politicos for some good ideas on how to solve the SURS problem. I ran across this article (or did this article run across me, I don’t know anymore) over the weekend titled Two U of I Profs Suggest Overhaul of SURS. That’s right they’re faculty and they have some ideas they’d like to share. From the article:

Brown said the plan got good marks when discussed with legislators, labor groups, and U of I faculty. Those include University Economist Fred Giertz, who also sits on the Board of Directors of the State Universities Retirement System. He said Brown and Rich’s plan takes the time to fund pensions in a way the state hasn’t done in decades.

There’s a link at the bottom of the article to the full proposal which has a link to read the full paper. Check it out.

Posted in Faculty, Politics, Union | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Talk to Them

Posted by Realist on February 13, 2012

I ran across the following post on the official Reinvention blog:

City Colleges of Chicago Boosts Outreach With New Student Support Software

It’s been up for ten days and there have been no comments. If you want to have a say in your college’s future, take a look and perhaps leave a comment.

According to the GradesFirst website:

The GradesFirst Student Support System combines Early Alert, Advising Management, Tutor Management, and advanced communications tools to improve student success and increase university retention rates.

Will we be using this in the Fall?

Posted in Faculty, News, Opinion, Students | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

This one’s for Gitte

Posted by Realist on February 10, 2012

Posted in CAST, Faculty, Whimsy | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

 
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