You've just been Punk'd Profs.
I often feel that the University of Malta needs some sense of humour. That is why I often dream of a group of jokers who organise themselves and pull stunts in the hope of teaching people to be less stuck up. They could wear masks of the Joker and inject some humour in an otherwise dull environment. Ideas of pranks keep coming to mind that would make University life a little bit more interesting. For example, how about a group of mocking photographers surrounding those students who deludingly think that they’re permanently on a catwalk? Or maybe a warden system that curbs pretension by issuing tickets to the guilty parties? Cream pies in the faces of ministers who come to University to talk down to students aren’t a bad idea either. Fart cushions would be funny too. Imagine the minister’s expression as he shockingly finds that the farting sound commences before he even moves his lips! Lecturers shouldn’t be exempt either. They should all be punk’d. Footage should be shown on big screens. Maybe it would burst those pomposity bubbles called egos that some/most of them have. Sod the Scream magazine. Where are the Communications students? Where is the creativity? Where is the inventiveness? In my dreams. Students couldn’t care less about University life. They only seem to care about parking, shopping and the next open bar party. Excuse me while I take 5 to act bulimic. Not all of them obviously. Heh, you gotta have a disclaimer eh? There are about 50 students (optimistically speaking) whose interests transcend the mundane consumer culture and they’re probably commendably trying to struggle the apathy tsunami, but they will all drown before University becomes a nucleus of any creative activity. Give me one more shop in the student’s house please, and a big sponsor to help me win the election so I can brand the KSU. Then I will take my top-of-the-range mobile phone which I left in my car (anzi I managed to find parking Maddddonna!) and let me tell the whole world how fabulously happy I am. Bleugh.
The students have nothing to lose but their boring educational life, they have a side-splitting laugh out loud marathon to win. Joker-men of all faculties UNITE!
The students have nothing to lose but their boring educational life, they have a side-splitting laugh out loud marathon to win. Joker-men of all faculties UNITE!
posted by Peklectrick at 1:34 AM
12 Comments:
I agree with the comments you made re the pomposity of certain Uni professors and students alike. But I must say that you are wrong re Scream magazine. I know for sure that there are a group of third year communications students who are working really hard on the next issue of Scream. I have read a couple of articles which will be published in the next issue, and they are really good.Most are written with a good measure of sense of humour and a little bit of irony thrown in for good measure. Do not know if it has been published yet, but when it does, I will definately try to get a copy of it.
It has already been published in fact. My point wasn't really to judge the merits or lacktherof of the magazine. The point was that it's repetative. And repetition stifles creativity. If I'm not mistaken, it is something they have to do rather than choose to do. :)
Students couldn’t care less about University life
At this point I should ask... What university life? Most people at University has one common charachteristic - too much apathy - and this apathy is generated by the institution itself.
Some professors and students do need to deflate their ego a bit though.
And repetition stifles creativity.
Għoġbitni ħafna din. Naf li ma tantx għandu x'jaqsam mal-bloggata, imma fakkartni fil-kliem ta' l-awtur Spanjol Francisco Umbral: "El escritor descansa inventando y se muere repitiéndose" - il-kittieb jistrieħ billi jivvinta u jmut billi jirrepeti ruħu.
Traduzzjoni aktar qrib is-sens ta' l-oriġinali (għax eżatta ma tkun qatt):
Il-kittieb jistrieħ hu u jivvinta u jmut hu u jirrepeti ruħu.
Stramba kif fl-4 snin preċedenti rnexxieli niddobba kopja ta' l-iScream u issa li dħalt l-Universita' ma lmaħthomx.
Imma nsomma, naqbel ma' li għidt pero' fl-Universita' t'hawn żgur m'hemmx lok għal dan. Rajt kemm-il vidjo ta' pranks li jsiru f'universitajiet Amerikani u, oħroġ il-għaġeb, il-professuri jispiċċaw jidħku ma' l-istudenti.
Marridx nipprova nimmaġina l-konsegwenzi ma' xi erba' fonqliet (għalkemm mhux kollha) li hemm l-UOM...
I wouldn't be so deterministic, and I wouldn't simply sigh.
True, apathy and crass commercialisation do exist at the University. But there are also pockets of resistance, examples of creativity. Various DIY initiatives have taken place during the past 10 years or so... We need more of these and less nagging!
Reproduction and transformation co-exist at University.
Nevermind the past ten years. In the last five the only worthy thing we've witnessed was the turning of Student's house into a shopping mall. Students rooms being knocked down to pave the way for shops doesn't augur well for optimism methinks.
Of course what you call pockets of resistance and some creativity exist. That was never contested, even in the post itself I refered to their brave endeavours. But the main point is that it's not a 50/50 thing. There is no struggle for dominance. The dominance of apathetic consumerist culture seems permanently set. It's kind of a 95% vs 5% thing rather than two forces fighting for temporary domination.
Creativity/activism/whatever is like a dwindling fire, existing in the periphery without ever being a contestant for domination or a threat to the established culture.
Of course nagging is not an alternative but hey that's what I do...
Well, as you know, I lecture there...
Yes, I am very disappointed by the crass commercialisation of students house and of apathy on various issues. Even the students' election seemed to be a contest between different packages with little debate on issues.
But still, in the dark I see the light. I see hope in the pockets of resistance and creativity. Hey, lots of interesting initiatives, including your very own petition against racism owe much to Campus DIY culture!
As Gramsci put it, "Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will"
Yes obviously, I partially agree. I dream of a change for the better, but realistically speaking, the present environment is not really conducive to any creative revolution. It does not mean people shouldn't try. Far from it. And we obviously agree on that. But the circumstances play a significant role in the campus' development (man make history but...), and the ball seems to be rolling in the opposite direction. One has to stop the ball to push it back. No?
I expect a place like University, a meeting place of young people should be bursting with creative activity. Unfortunately when campus is not playing Sahara, the activities are consumption-oriented.
i m sorry pecklectrick
but nagging comes with its implications
i ve heard you talk about this before about how moviment graffiti in their day did this and that
but i think you should say such things only if you have tried to do something else rather than just
simply stating that nothing is being done
That's just stupid. You don't have to be the weatherman to know it's raining. So no, one doesn't have to have tried to do something to say that Uni is deader than dodo.
I say it like I see it, and I don't need the permission of the Touchy Communications Student Association to do that. If it hurts it's only because it is too real; which serves to further validate my point.
The fact that I don't try to do something is irrelvant. It would have implicated me as an accomplice, if only I was a day student waisting my time on campus. It is quite a pathetic situation when students expect staff to inject life in campus...
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