The most fitting intro to a subject ever.

The very first class of every year, the teacher gives an intro to the subject, the class rules, what you're going to learn, blablabla.

The most unbeatable fitting intro to a class, but maybe not in terms of humor, was Ethics, which really is an intro to philosophy class.

You realize that this is a real philosophy class when the teacher is saying something like

screw the rules, screw generalizations! Think and ask yourself questions. Don't conform to societal norms! Be a rebel!

and then in the same hour, say something like,
As a team, I have to listen to the rules and my opinion is worth nothing. So I'm going to eval you according to the reform.

Now what do you think?
Welcome to intro to philosophy!

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IB quote of the day:

IB pickup line:
Baby, I'll treat you like my homework. I'll slam you on the table and do you all night long.

The most epic blog post of this epic blog!

Interestingly, at CSL, there is the epic returning generation syndrome. Past students will return to school in the form of staff.

Despite all the bad things at CSL, they still want to come back. So, you wonder,

A) are the graduates retarded?

or

B) do they want their turn at being the slave masters?


Of course, as answer A will lead you to brand yourself as retarded, answer B must be the correct one.

Naturally, your teacher imparts knowledge to you. Unfortunately, sometimes, what is imparted isn't knowledge of the subject at hand. Sometimes, it's just their epic wackiness that ends up being Xeroxed into you. Which is epic nevertheless.

With the returning-generation-of-students-now-staff, you get epic teachers because now, you have the wackiness of a couple of the good teachers mixed into one biped who's making a fool of him-/herself in the classroom. It's epic.
It's almost like it's the old teachers' way of reproducing themselves so they'll stay around when they've gone. It sure beats hanging around as a ghost. Now, there's natural selection. If this keeps going on, the teachers are going to get better and better as only the good parts are getting xeroxed into new students. (Thankfully, because the building and equipment certainly ain't improving)

At this point, I think I should apologize for the misleading title. This article is far from epic, and probably one of the duller ones on this blog.

But back to the point, this returning-generation-of-students-now-staff, of course, they aren't exact copies of old teachers. They have also their own load of eccentricities. For example, the returning-generation-of-students-now-staff like to play video games. They like music more openly. They don't get totally stumped by computers. And 21st century humor. Basically, a lot closer to our generation. We get along a little better.

Going off in a tangent now, the issue now is the increasing instances of when staff use the word "epic".

Remember the first time we heard used by staff?
We were whispering and snickering and pointing: "hehe, he said epic."

Hearing it being used by staff is pretty epic already, but more so is when they say something like "one of my students was showing off his capability for staying balanced on two legs of a chair and took an EPIC fall. He flew back, fell and also managed to smash his nose up and start bleeding."

As with all things, it's cool until it's overused. Epic this, epic that. I mean, reread this article. Epic suddenly ain't so epic nomore.
Also, "mais mon Dieu, c'était vraiment épique comment cons ils étaient" coming from Mr. Fiorito's mouth is surprisingly shocking.

But all in all, it's quite epic to see something like :

On in the physics teacher's powerpoint.


You can be sure the next time you get a zero in this particular teacher's class, the upper right corner will be occupied by the words : "Epic Fail"
Honestly, come to think of it, fuck the reform eval system. This is good enough. Grades should go as so:

Epic Win/ Epic Success

Feeble Win/ Feeble Success

Lose/Fail

EPIC FAIL

Believe it or not, this might just really be better than what we currently have.

Another depressing musing about the reform.

It's almost impossible to describe what we feel, us first generation children of the reform, on a first day of school.

Let me tell you why. Or at least attempt to.

When almost every one of your new teachers sigh, and treat you like you're stupider than non reform kids, you feel like dirt. Of course, some of it is good-natured, but nevertheless, having spent over a decade around teachers, you can feel deep down, that they really pity what's happened to us. And then you start pitying yourself.

When your new history teacher loudly proclaims her hate for the reform, and for the subject, you feel a little warmth in your heart, but then emptiness, as you realize that even your teacher doesn't have faith in the program you've been forced into... O.O

However, I feel I should give proper credit to the HIS teacher this year, as I like her reaction to the reform, which was not only saying no, but fuck no to the reform, and going ahead with teaching non reform material. Respect.
(And honestly, history is one of the [many] subjects that just inherently, by its very nature, not mix well with the reform)

Too bad, as students, saying no to the reform isn't a feasible option.
And don't take me wrong, I'm sure the reform will bring many good things to the system...when it's perfected. The test subjects, us, will just have to pay the sacrifice with our lives, in the symbolic sense. And I shudder to think of the first gen children-of-the-reform in less reputable schools. What will they do?

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IB quote of the day (from ibquotes.com duh)

When asked to comment on the IB a student replied: "I'd commit suicide but I don't have the time."