Hello everybody!
Well, a big hello to all my current and former SATEC people - Though in truth, I doubt that there are any of my World Issues or Philosophy people reading the blog anymore, being waaayyy too busy with university to consider poor Mr. Kassam :P.
I'm teaching at a school in the west end called Emery Collegiate, it's about as different from SATEC as chalk and cheese. I do miss the halls at SATEC, and I've discovered something - I came back to SATEC a little while ago, before I started here, and I could almost navigate the place blindfolded, it was a little like slipping into a warm bath. Familiar things may be something you sometimes wish to leave, but coming back is a pleasure you rarely get to experience. That being said, it's nice here - The students aren't anywhere near like SATEC (And really, there aren't many schools like SATEC in the TDSB, are there? I mean, you guys used to come visit me during class so I wouldn't get bored! AWESOME!), but that's a good thing; change is sometimes necessary.
I am slowly, painfully, beginning to get organized - Apparently, Bip and I have both learned the important distinction between ORGANIZING stuff that needs to get done, and actually DOING it. It's a subtle, but importance difference, kinda like bringing equipment to a house on fire versus actually USING it.
To all my university people who are still reading this blog (I know you're in lecture while reading this - WAKE UP, PRY THE TIMMIES OUT OF YOUR HAND AND LISTEN TO THE PROF!), leave a message and let me know how life is! Especially if you're at my favourite university! And, if you're reading this in the midst of business class (Because I know you are), or you're in the library, take care not to annoy the librarian, would you?
Also, leave me a message and say hello!
Mr. K
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11 comments:
heey mr kassam, i hope the kids at emery high arent as gangster as the kids at satec o:
Hey Kassam.
Glad to hear everything's going well for you. Pertaining to one of the older posts; Ottawa U sucks (go Carleton!), however I went to Hull for my 18th and had beavertail shots...those things are delicious, and the bartender lit them on fire!
As far as actual school, it's alright I suppose. My marks have been pretty good for all my classes thus far, which kind of makes it even harder for me to motivate myself to do anything considering I am doing well while not really working at all. It also gives me the sense of lurking doom and that soon I will realize how utterly screwed I am for life. It's like waiting for the axe to drop. Oh well...I'm enjoying myself right now.
I'm not being a total slacker though, I am currently in the process of applying for internships and volunteering at local radio and television stations to get some experience in my field.
Well, just thought I'd drop in and say hey.
Allie
Ottawa U does suck. I'm glad you've realized it.
There's a hole in the city and its name is Ottawa U... SING IT WITH ME! :)
Well, it's still early in the semester yet - You're going through your first set of midterms, and undoubtedly you'll have essays and such to deal with near the end of the year. Like I said, learn to schedule and make a to-do list, and you won't feel quite so lost or apprehensive.
Volunteering at local stations? Wow! Give me shout-outs when you get on the air!
Enjoying yourself is certainly key. I remember waaaayyyyy back, there was a club in Hull called "Heaven", (Is it still there? Full of Quebecois thugs and trashy women) and their tag was "To get to Heaven, you gotta go to Hull."
Yeah, we had the same reaction.
I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself, but remember to bundle up. I know, I know, Carleton has tunnels everywhere (Those guys on the electric karts annoyed the HELL out of me with the flashing lights and whatnot, early in the mornings), but still... Bundle. Are you in Dundas Hall, or living off-rez?
Anyhoo, write back when you get the time!
Helllllo.
I am in the library working on an anthropology essay and I'm bored out of my mind.
My worst mark to date has been a 73%, so I figure I'm not doing too badly. My marks for my assignments have been all A's, I had two midterms that I got A's on, and the third was the 73. The only class that I am kind of worried about is my film class and that's because I haven't been going for the last couple weeks, a.k.a a month lol.
I've only been to Hull once and that was for my birthday so there is no way in hell I will remember what bars I was at that night. Although, you'd have to be a little more specific considering all the bars in Hull are full of sketchy thugs and skanks.
The tunnels suck. Those guys in the carts are soooo annoying. I saw one of them almost run over this poor guy one time when it was coming around a corner; I think the dude soiled himself.
I'm in rez, but I'm not in Dundas. I'm in a building called Glengarry also known as the ghetto. The windows don't open, the thermostats are just there for decoration, and I think it's the only rez building on all of campus in which the guys have to share communcal washrooms. The girls don't though. Sexist, I know. :)
HAHAHAHA MR. Kassam you will be annihilated!
Somehow I don't find that quite as intimidating as it might have been intended :P
Hey mr Kassam....
its Rajat its bout the website 4 the project:
http://archives.cbc.ca/science_technology/aeronautics/topics/275/
Can u check it it is fine 4 the project THnx
Hey, Mr. Kassam! It's Chantal from your Philosophy class!
I realize I'm EXTREMELY LATE on answering this post (I can't even lie; I TOTALLY forgot this blog even existed until a couple of minutes ago while browsing through stuff on my old computer. I now have a laptop *fist pump* lol) and for that, I am truly sorry.
Glad that everything is well with you at your new school. Do you miss us Satec folk very much? lool. I hope they appreciate you and your funny jokes/teaching methods at Emery High! =)
I go to UofT Scarborough (I know...lool) and it's...ALL RIGHT. It reminds me a lot of Satec...except...Satec had cooler people...and the females don't give me dirty looks (I swear, every female I walk by squints their eyes at me; I feel like I'm doing something wrong =S).
I had Mr. Gary Leonard for ENGA10 and ENGA11...He is THEEEE best Professor I've EVER had! His classes are not only informative, but they're hilarious and I've ACTUALLY found myself leaving the class with some sort of message that connects to my personal life; that scares me sometimes, actually. I will forever take any class he teaches!
In terms of food at the University, I actually think there's something wrong with the A&W there because whenever I eat it, I immediately feel tired and fall asleep as soon as I get home.(That just doesn't seem right o.0) So the only thing I really eat is Subway (amazing!) or Pizza Pizza.
I've also had the (unfortunate) pleasure of having this professor named Mrs. MacFarlan (umm, I just butchered her last name...oh well, lol) aannnndddd...I never thought you could be THAT. BAD. at teaching. She was my History Prof during the first semester...and yeah...it was horrible. I'm actually quite surprised that I passed her class because I could hardly understand what she was saying, she speaks so fast (and her slides SUCK!! How the HELL do you have a lesson that lasts one hour and only use FOUR SLIDES that have NOTHING ON THEM?!?!?!)
Another unfortunate pleasure - the bombardment of Uni people trying to get me to vote for them. At one point, I couldn't even walk through the hall that lead from AA119 towards the Student Center without twenty-thousand people asking me to "vote for them" and whatnot; extremely annoying.
But, other than that, UofT Scarbz is all right, like I said before. I'm trying ("TRYING") to study for exams (that never goes well) and hopefully I pass (I want at least a 60%. I know that's a horrible goal to go towards, but it's better than thinking I can get a 70% when I know that's not possible for me; the warm weather has clocked me out from paying much attention to anything that relates to school).
Have a great day, Sir! =)
Chantal,
Garry Leonard is an extraordinary professor, I think he was recently voted among the top 10 in Canada. Your issue with Ms. MacFarland is not surprising: I had a third-year compulsory course (One full credit Literature pre-19th century) with a professor named Susan Lamb, who perfected a style of lecture that I can only charitably call "The Baby-Puncher", primarily because after an hour of lecture, you wanted to go somewhere to punch babies from the sheer aggravation of sitting through her meandering, pointless, and irksomely obscure stream of unending chatter. Tangentially, if you are so interested, I believe Prof. Leonard still teaches ENGC26 Cinema and Modernity, and ENGD...something, Confessional Poetry (Since Kristin Guest's Aestheticism and Decadence, probably the best course I'd ever taken). His courses, along with Professor Bennett's works on Alice Munro and/or short-story works are highly recommended.
The greasy, queasy feeling of student food is something I'm glad I've long forgotten. I well understand the need to eat something after the end of a day of classes (How is it possible that three or four hours of lectures in university tires us more than an entire day at school?). I found, though, that my increased consumption of A&W, and the falsely-advertised Chinese food in the area were in direct proportion to my fashion sense - As soon as I started eating it on the regular, I'd come to school dressed in track pants, hoodie, and my I-don't-give-a-shit stare. Mind you, that might've just been the result of third year generally :P
In any case, I sincerely hope you're making some good use out of that fountain pen (If you still have it, of course), and that you've not given up writing; though I can understand with the rigours of university life, why you would choose to.
As a parting thought: Beware of plagiarism. I got busted by Dowler in my first year for it, even though it was, quite literally, by accident!
Mr. Kassam,
I've seen many students who dress with track pants, hoodies, and that "I-don't-give-a-shit-stare" many times; I think, slowly, as school has started to end, that is the new dress code of UofT Scarborough.
I actually still have that fountain pen that you gave me, but I haven't used it yet, not because I don't like it (because I DO! Fountain pens are AWESOME!) but I find it easier (and faster) to type out my writing (poetry, stories, etc) rather than writing it out (although, sometimes, when I'm too lazy to turn on my laptop, which happens, I will write. Maybe during the summer I'll put that pen into good use...unless I spill it...or break it...*knocks on wood*)
In terms of plagiarism: I have yet to do that (although for my History essay, it was very tempting, I can't lie, lool) and, hopefully, I never do it, either. But that sucks that it happened to you, even though it was by accident.
Anyways, I hope you have a great day!
Unfortunately, the new dress code of UTSC is the hijab :P. Religious tolerance is wonderful, but even as a Muslim, I found the... overt religiosity on campus more than a little distracting. Alas, I'm afraid that it is a trend that will grow, just like the meteoric rise of women on campus (I believe the ratio of women to men at UTSC is something like three-to-one and climbing, which is AWESOME), however, it's immensely more disquieting, as the same trend is present in other major universities such as York, McMaster, and Queens.
Writing by fountain pen is both an acquired talent and pleasure - It forces you to sit down and think through what you'd like to write, rather than banging it all away and instantly erasing it on a blank white screen. The creative process is as important as the result, and with the advent of computers we've forgotten that entirely. Sometimes, it's nice to see how a piece of writing metamorphoses as you begin and complete it; it develops its own fingerprint from the crossed-out words, scribbled arrows, and notations in the margins. It becomes a personalized, living thing written in your own hand, rather than a collection of bytes of data, to be wiped out by an overzealous electromagnet.
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