The Masked Doctoral Student

Three Weeks...er...two and a half, I guess.

2007-07-18T09:15:00.000-05:00

That's how my summer has been going it seems. I've got some time to get work done, and then, suddenly, it's gone. I came into mixed methods on Monday and said, "Three weeks left", meaning "until my wedding". My classmate heard my declaration, and immediately thought, "until class is finished". And we're both right, which means that I have only a few weeks to iron out all the wedding and reception details, finish my mixed methods work, write my dissertation literature review, and finish the final "Focus on BG" report for the TV station.

I know I'm up for the challenge. I just need to get at it. The summer has been hectic, but good As August approaches, I'm starting to look back on the past few months and see what I've gotten accomplished. It's been a lot. I'd list the things (or at least some of them), but I've got work to do.

I realized this the other day: when I pass my dissertation proposal defense, I'll no longer be the Masked Doctoral Student, I'll be the Masked Doctoral Candidate. Ooh, just like a promotion, except without any pay increase or new privileges.

Putting Pen to Paper

2007-07-03T09:10:00.000-05:00

Well, gentle readers, I did it yesterday. I finally did it. I finally put pen to paper (or, in the age of the personal computer, fingers to keys) and began to write my dissertation. To be accurate, I began my dissertation proposal/prospectus. I had spent days, hours, weeks, coming up with reason after reason to do something else. I had a paper to write. I had a class to finish (or two). I had an NCA submission to work on. I had a job to look for. I had wedding things to do. I had a cat to feed. I had a workout I needed to get in. I had...I had...I had...and the list was (and would continue to be) endless.

I don't know exactly why people fail to complete their dissertations. It happens a LOT, more than non-academics realize. I think over the next year I'm going to discover, one way or another, some of the pressures, commitments, responsibilities, priorities, and reasons why people don't finish heir dissertations. My thought right now is that dissertations don't get finished because people are tired. They are tired of their research, their field, their subject, their school, being a student, ad nauseum. Sometimes I feel tired.

But today, today I don't feel tired. I feel like a guy who, just yesterday, started one of the coolest, most original, and valuable pieces of research he's ever done. I want to go to the office, put on a pot of coffee, Ben Folds, and type until my fingers ache!

M.D.S. AWAY!

Irons (in the fire)

2007-06-26T09:26:00.000-05:00

I made a list yesterday of all the semi-completed projects that I have somewhere (in my office, at home by the computer, on-line, in my head). I have a lot of irons in the fire, I think. Speaking of that, I finished stuffing the wedding invitations yesterday. There's one project out of the way. That's not to say that there aren't three more waiting to take it's place. Thankfully, it looks like Dr. Earley's mixed methods class is going to be very helpful and informative toward writing my dissertation proposal. The rest of my irons are not nearly so bulky or important as that big one. Well, maybe finding a job, but really those are going to go hand-in-hand for me this year (I hope). I have to say I'm a little nervous about the job hunt. It feels like something that as a young (soon to be) married man, wanting to provide and make good on the promise that I have valued skills and talents in this field, that finding a job is intimately tied to my own sense of self-worth and confidence. So, time to stop blogging and get my ass on monster and crtnet.

200-level course

2007-06-19T08:34:00.000-05:00

I received work this week that, starting in the fall, I am teaching my first 200-level course. (ooohhh...ahhhh). It's called, 'presentational speaking in organizations'. I'm really looking forward to preparing for a new, challenging class. It should mean new assignments, activities, materials, and mostly non-Freshmen students.

I finish up my Free Speech class this week, and am sitting pretty as far as work goes for that class. I've finished both my final assignments for that class and am looking forward to moving on to mixed methods (which should be a fine primer for writing up my dissertation proposal).

Oh, yes, and I installed the air conditioner yesterday. Sleeping was soooooo sweeeet last night. Now I'm off to attempt to organize my syllabus for my IPC 205 course. Yippy!

-M.D.S.

The Week Ahead

2007-06-11T08:46:00.000-05:00

These summer sessions fly right by, don't they? This is my final week of SPSS; next week is my final week of Free Speech. This means I still have to finish my SPSS final project this week and my 10-page paper by next Thursday. (We take the good with the bad, methinks.)

I'm traveling to Columbus this Friday (a long drive that I hope will be well worth it). I'm meeting with Roxanne Swogger of the Ohio Office of Victim's Services and hopefully getting a peek at their operation there. I hope that will turn out to be the venue for my dissertation research. (I'll certainly be keeping my fingers crossed on the way there and, hopefully, elated on the way home.)

Other things keep on keepin' on. I will hopefully be talking with Dr. Burke this week about my assistantship, Gina and I got a lot of wedding things done this weekend (met with the DJ, looked at wedding bands (for fingers, not for the ears), and I asked Kyle to be my best man. Now, if I can only figure out what to get the guy...

-M.D.S.

Two Months

2007-06-04T08:59:00.000-05:00

From today, I will be married in two months. Gulp. We have a lot of things to do between now and then. I have a lot of things to do between now and then.

And now for something completely different: I have successfully defended my preliminary exams (yea). I am now officially (drum roll please): a guy who has passed his preliminary exam defense (yea). Now all I have to do is one final paper: the dissertation. Piece of cake, I hear. Oh, and finish my final three classes, and write my proposal, defend that, secure a context for my research, conduct my research, analyze the data, evaluate the results, and complete the dissertation, defend that, find a job...oh, and we're picking out our wedding invitations tonight. It seems I'm always one with a full plate. Thankfully, it's always filled with things I love.

M.D.S. Away!

Beyond Memorial Day

2007-05-29T08:19:00.000-05:00

Long Weekend=Short Week

It's Tuesday and I'm at work for the first time this week. Thank you federal holidays. That being said, it's going to be one heck of a week. I have a LOT of work in front of me in these next four days.

I, of course, have both my SPSS class with it's daily homework. I have my Free Speech course which has a final topic one-page summary due Thursday. Also, next Tuesday Victor and I present on a book I haven't cracked the cover of, yet (ok, that may be a slight exaggeration). I have a number of meetings, too, with Dr. Dixon, Victor and I end the week with one of the biggest meetings of my career.

I have my preliminary exam oral defense this Friday. It is the first of three such oral defenses on my way to "Dr." After this (if things go well), I get permission to start working on my dissertation proposal/prospectus. Looking ahead, I hope to have draft versions of that done in September or early October. That proposal/prospectus is the second document I will orally defend. Successful defense of that will allow me to start the data collection/research phase of my dissertation (the subject of my third oral defense).

It all started a long time ago...this road that is leading me closer and closer to that PhD. Friday is another milestone. Those of you who pray, I'll take prayers. Those of you who wish well, I'll take well-wishes. Those of you who sacrifice small animals to appease some sort of serpent-god, I like chicken.

-M.D.S. Away!

...and the beat goes on...

2007-05-23T09:05:00.000-05:00

...as does the sumer session. Although that's not all that's going on in my life. For one thing, Gina and I have been spring cleaning, working on our yard, and putting a few new pictures up on the walls.

In school-related news, I meet with Dr. Dixon this week (my dissertation adviser) to discuss my 'doctoral progress report' which I think will go very well. My 'progress' in this dissertation/doctoral program is moving right along. I'm poised to begin dissertation research and writing this academic year. For that to get off the ground, however, I'll need to stop getting the run around from the good folks at the Ohio Office of Victim's Services (OVS). Clearly, I don't rank too highly on their list of "Things To Do". I've sent three emails to Karen, with whom I had a face-to-face meeting over a month ago, with no follow-up. I called the office and was told that I would now be working with "Roxanne" who would call me once she got into the office. That was Monday. This is Wednesday. Guess who hasn't called. I think I'm going to give OVS another day or two and then give Roxanne a call. If OVS doesn't pan out as a venue for research...I'm not sure exactly what I'll do. It seems likely that I'll try and do some work with either BG or Heidelberg's student conduct code/program/policy. all very up in the air, right now...but I suppose that's ok.

And on that note, a diligent student of mine, Chris, sent me this link to PhD comic. It's a comic strip about the "life (or lack thereof) in Academia. I wouldn't say it's 100% spot on...but it's a hell of a lot more like my life than Dilbert, Mary Worth, or (God-forbid) Family Circus (shudder).

-M.D.S. AWAY!

Summer School

2007-05-21T07:56:00.000-05:00

For the first time, I am taking summer classes. I'm one week into the first session and have five weeks left of this session. Of course, this will be followed in short order with a second session, in which I have one class. One week down and things are going swimmingly. I need to meet with the graduate coordinator of our department soon to discuss my assistantship appointment for next year. I'm looking forward to teaching a new 200-level IPC course, and we'll see what comes for the other portion of my workload for the fall. For now it's time to work my little tail off at the TV station. -M.D.S. AWAY!

Summer Work

2007-05-16T08:37:00.000-05:00

I've started my new, "old" position at the TV station, WBGU, for the summer. I should be doing the same sort of work, for the same hours, for the same people at a drastically reduced pay scale. Not to mention that as a summer employee, my student fees remain gloriously intact. Summer employment is the best! Ok, nose to the grindstone.

-M.D.S.

Blogging in the saddle again

2007-05-15T11:30:00.000-05:00

Three months...Three Months! I know, I know it's been too long for gentle readers like you to go without an update...if there are even any of you left out there.

Summer sessions have started. I'm taking three classes and working for WBGU-TV this summer. I also defend my prelims in a couple of weeks. If all goes well, by the end of August I'll not only be ABD, but have some draft dissertation chapters finished, and a wife.

Phew, life comes at you pretty fast, huh?

-M.D.S.

The New Masked Doctoral Student

2007-02-19T12:25:00.000-05:00

New Outfit. Same old M.D.S. enjoy.

The Week After

2007-02-19T12:17:00.000-05:00

So much has happened since I last wrote, gentle readers.

I got all my NCA submissions in and finished. Now I only have to wait a few months to hear back. My own class is going well. We are in the midst of group presentations. The courses I am taking this semester are a breeze. I'm having a lot of fun in all of them, including stats. Yes, stats. The professor is engaging, excited about the material and straight-forward about it all. In fact, I've had good experiences in both stats courses I've taken here at the BG.

Today I'm running a class evaluation for a colleague. That should be finished promptly. I also found out this week that PCC is going to be around next year for sure. I hope that means that I'll be around here, too. I love teaching in this learning community. It's challenging and fulfilling at the same time. And to have a job like that is a rare and wonderful thing.

Gina and I have made some firm decisions about the wedding date, details, and reception. I feel content and at peace with the decisions we've made. That's nice, too. Now, it's just a matter of making things happen.

M.D.S. Away!

NCA

2007-01-18T10:12:00.000-05:00

NCA=National Communication Association.

Deadline for submissions for the 2007 conference (which takes place in November, by the way) is the middle of next month. February 15, to be exact. My goal is to submit three papers for consideration. Turning three papers into conference submissions in three weeks is a challenge, to say the least. I take solace in the fact that I don't also have final papers due this time of year.

Also, it looks like my comparative ed. final project might just work itself into Dr. Dixon's new intercultural book. Keep your fingers crossed on that one, gentle readers. As an added bonus, my philosophical foundations class might serve me well as a feeder into my dissertation prospectus. I'm just a killin' two birds with one stone MACHINE!

Back in the saddle again

2007-01-08T09:06:00.000-05:00

The new semester has begun! As I watched my semester break slip away day by day I felt more and more apprehensive, tired, skeptical, and generally negative about starting back up. Then, Friday, I took the morning to myself to read and drink coffee at our local caffeine hole. As I listened to some swell tunes, the singer's words hit me:

Love the life you choose.
keep yourself feeling brand new.
And love your strife with life.
Everyone wants to know why.
And love your strife with youth.
Keep yourself feeling brand new.
And love you strife with god.
Yeah, everyone wants to know love…

I stopped, rewound the digits and listened again:

Love the life you choose
keep yourself feeling brand new.

This week isn't a time to be feeling tired, run-down or depressed! This is a week to reinvigorate myself, to take the semester by the horns, to write run-on sentences like there is no tomorrow, to engage my classes, my colleagues, and my work, to love the discovery that comes with study and the challenge of learning new information and engaging new concepts and arguments. I get to introduce a whole new crop of students to fantastic and interesting communication concepts, to take them from what they learned in high school speech and deepen those concepts with research and theory.

I've chosen this life as a masked doctoral student...and this semester I'm going to face it like a brand new person, eager to accept its challenges.

-M.D.S. AWAY!

Semester's End

2006-12-15T11:08:00.000-05:00

Well, the papers have been turned in. The edits have been done. The exams have been graded. the grades have been turned in. I have a couple meetings left for this afternoon, and a couple loose ends to tie up, but the semester is essentially finished.

I conducted my teacher survey at Tiffin Columbian yesterday. It was fabulous. It was great to see all those old teachers (looking noticiably older, I must say). They actually clapped for me when I told them I'd be "Dr." in about a year or so. Clapped. I was taken aback.

Over the break I want to complete one HSRB application for the law-related television survey. I also want to input and run some of the teacher survey data and get some results from that. Two goals for the break. They're good goals, do-able and meaningful for my research. I also have to update the IPC 102 course at some point. I guess that means three goals. Two for research, one for pedagogy.

Happy Non-Specific Winter-Time Holiday Everyone!

Final Stretch

2006-11-29T09:50:00.000-05:00

The semester seems to be wrapping up nicely. I've finished one course entirely; I present in Philosophy tomorrow with my current version of that term paper (which will probably need at least another edit or two); Media Effects' presentation is Monday and then I have to spit polish that paper before the semester's out.

In the course I teach we finished up notes on two chapters yesterday and will be doing some activities to fill out the rest of the semester. I feel like I have a handle on all the assignments I need to finish up, all the work ahead of me, and have started gearing up for Christmas.

Ho, ho, ho...here we come.

One Year and Change

2006-11-27T15:44:00.000-05:00

Your friendly neighborhood doctoral student here, friends.

I know it's been a little while since I last posted. Here's the truth of it: I realized exactly one week ago that one of my course projects was due a week earlier than I thought. Up until last Monday I believed that my end-of-term project was due NEXT Monday, but when I checked the course syllabus I found out it is actually due TODAY. My 14 days to work was instantly cut in half (including the three days planned away for Thanksgiving). 14 days became 4.

So, with that load in front of me blogging took a backseat to getting my work done. Never before have I had so much to do in such a short amount of time. The definition of 'stressful situation'. It was only yesterday afternoon I finally felt I had a handle on all three of my end-of-semester projects. I think the semester will end smoothly, I finally feel in control.

Thanksgiving was great this year. My family's and Gina's all got together in Millersburg at Gina's parents' new place on Lake Buckhorn. Good food, good company, lots of things for which to be thankful. That includes the fact that this weekend marked one year since I met Gina. So, one year on, things are still fabulous. Fun, special, novel, interesting, smart, deep, loving, complicated, worderful-all the things that make a relationship so great a thing.

Chicago, Engage!

2006-11-13T20:19:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures of our most recent engagement trip to Chicago.

Saturday night we went to see "The Decemberists" in concert.

One of the Chicago skyline.

This is of my beautiful fiancee and me at Lincoln Park.

I proposed...

2006-11-09T21:09:00.000-05:00

...and she said, "Yes". Tomorrow we are off to Chicago to celebrate, sight-see and go to a Decemberists concert. Ahhh...true love.

-M.D.S. Away (to Chicago)!

Blue State

2006-11-08T09:47:00.000-05:00

Well, thanks in small part to yours truly, Ohio is a Blue State. We have a new Democratic Governor and Senator. In the House of Representatives, however, the incumbent Republican won. We also won an increase in the minimum wage, rejected slot machines and now can go into any restaurant, bar, or bowling alley and not reek of smoke. Triumph of the good guys. Also, I was unfortunately rejected as dog-catcher this time around. I have, however, been appointed to a lesser position by the winner, in a show of solidarity: I am now the Wood County Marmoset, Vole, and Yak catcher. Laugh all you want, but Yak's are a tricky, wily breed. -M.D.S.

Voting

2006-11-07T10:50:00.000-05:00

Today I voted. I love voting. I think it's fun. I, however, don't think it's fun when the lame poll workers nearly don't let me vote becuase (although I'm on their register, voter roll, have ID, and am standing right there confirming that I actually DO live where I am saying I live) my driver's license is old and says I live a few counties away. Arg.

Here's what I'm going for: Lots of Democrats winning, the smoking ban going through so that I can enter a bar without immediately smelling like stale ashtray scrapings, an increase in the minimum wage (so that the servers in those bars don't flinch so much when people stiff them on tips), and the school levy passing. Also, I wrote my own name in for Dog Catcher.

Fingers crossed, everyone.

And if that doesn't work:
Masked Doctoral Dog Catcher, 2008, here we come!

-M.D.S.

Linky Links

2006-10-25T08:44:00.001-05:00

I have a few links for all you readers. I know it's not really what a blog is for, but at least I didn't send you a forward with the links shoved in there. Count your blessings.

The first is the picture of now world-famous Stuart on stuffonmycat.com:

Stuart's Halloween Candy

Once again, musical genius, Deb Whalen has introduced me to another absolutely perfect song:

The Postal Service, "Such Great Heights"

And, as if that weren't enough, Ben Folds does a live cover of it on Australian radio:

Ben Folds, "Such Great Heights"

In "M.D.S." related news: Engagement plans are in the works for my beautiful sidekick and myself. In case she happens to read this, I think I'm planning on proposing as soon as the Tim Horton's opens. I figure we could go get some doughnuts, coffee and hash browns. Then I could profess my love in the most romantic place ever: a fast food/coffee shop named after a Canadian hockey player. If I did it before we completed our order, though, maybe they'd give us a discount. That's the ticket!

Additionally it seems like we'll both be heading to Millersburg this weekend to help move future mother-in-law and father-in-law into their new home.

Son-In-Laws = Cheap Labor. We work for food and parental approval.

-M.D.S. AWAY!

Report of the North-land

2006-10-17T08:28:00.000-05:00

It wasn't that cold. I spent an amazing amount of time talking about Belfast, Northern Ireland. I had no idea I had that much to say about it. My throat is froggy from all that jib-jabbing. Another success (in addition to making all my connecting flights-which was no small task) was successfully checking a backpack that contained both Spinach Punjab simmer sauce and a can of marinara sauce and having them successfully make it to Toledo moderately unharmed.

That's right, gentle readers, BE AWARE: If you fly on an American airline you are now NO LONGER allowed more than three fluid ounces of gels, pastes, or liquids. This, of course, includes all manner of simmer sauces and tomato pastes. I suppose the fear is that through some application of scientific knowledge I could somehow have made either:

A) Spaghetti (a truly tasty, edible object on an airplane flight has been, if not forbidden, certainly taboo for decades)
B) Some sort of concentrated super-acid which might have been used to blind the flight attendants and also to burn through the cabin door locking mechanism allowing me unfettered access to a machine I am wholly incapable of operating successfully.

After days of academic inertia, my slight lead on this semester's work has been handily erased. I am now, if not behind, than barely keeping my head above water. To avoid detrimental laziness I must steal myself away to begin work on a paper for my social marketing course.

-M.D.S. Away!

"Bbbrrrr" ...Here I come.

2006-10-12T10:13:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I am flying to Minnesota. I think it's supposed to snow. When I came into the office today, my former office-mate, Jamie was telling me about his latest conference trip (last week) to South Carolina. I am notably jealous.

For my international readers who may not be up on their U.S. geography (or for my U.S. readers who are similarly globally impaired), Minnesota is “The Land of 10,000 Lakes”. All of which are currently frozen over. Did you see Grumpy Old Men? It was about ice fishing retirees who were feuding. That movie took place in Minnesota, in July. It's like Canada, Jr. up there! Hell, it practically is Canada, if it were slightly more French. On the upside, they are the only state (as far as I know) to elect a former professional wrestler (yes, just like Terry “Hulk” Hogan and “The Macho Man” Randy Savage) as their governor.

South Carolina, on the other hand is where my grandparents live. It is warm and calm and full of churches and lunch platter specials. They would never dream of living in a state whose state drink is "ice", or who would place someone who knows how to reverse a pile driver into a choke slam into the governor's chair. They're much more sensible (and warm) than that.

-M.D.S.

Short Week

2006-10-11T08:38:00.000-05:00

Two days off Columbus Day plus one extra day apparently makes a "Fall Break". Monday my sister and her daughter came up for some breakfast. Later that afternoon, Super Hero Colleague Man and I made a fantastic voyage to White Castle in Toledo for a much-anticipated luncheon. We had a fine time. Tuesday was a day of work, preparing supper, and watching movies. All in all, a good break for the M.D.S. Today I'm back at the TV station, working hard (on my blog, clearly).

This weekend, Side Kick Extraordinaire Woman and I went engagement ring shopping. It was a pretty good experience and I think we've narrowed down the field to "affordable" and "so laughably expensive you simply respond 'mmm...that's beautiful, but not really what we're looking for'."

This weekend I'm being flown to Minnesota for a speaking engagement at a Presby Mission Do-Wop. That should be quite the good time. There will be a good number of former Y.A.V.s in attendance, including doppelganger, Brenton Thompson, A & M-ary Weeks, and others.

Well, I think I'm just about done "working" so I'll be heading home now.

M.D.S. AWAY!

27

2006-09-26T08:59:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to Me
Happy Birthday to Me
Happy Birthday Dear Masked Doctoral Student
Happy Birthday to Me.

Yea!

-M.D.S.

The routine

2006-09-19T08:50:00.000-05:00

There comes a point in each semester where you realize you've learnt your routine. I think that is this week. About a month or so in, you know now how long it is going to take you to do readings for class X, how the professor of seminar Y will organize and address the material. It's a comforting (even if only an expected) feeling. I know I'm going to have free time on such and such a day for so many hours and what I can reasonably fit into those hours. For me it becomes a scheduling issue. Now that I know what I need to do (and when) I can budget and plan ahead a little bit.

I have my first shoot for the TV station this Friday (I think). It totally depends on scheduling a camera crew (which doesn't depend on me). So, the learning process continues. I suppose next month I'll know better how to organize and schedule this TV work so as to get it done effectively and not waste time I need to spend on other responsibilities. -M.D.S. OUT!

What the HECK?!

2006-09-14T11:47:00.000-05:00

My wonderful, beautiful sidekick Gina introduced me to this entertaining website: http://www.stuffonmycat.com/ The site is exactly what it sounds like: people who put stuff on their cats, take pictures, and then send them in. In the hopes to make Wonder-Cat Stuart famous I today posted this picture of the little guy. Enjoy. -M.D.S.

Foreign Language

2006-09-06T09:04:00.000-05:00

The Masked Doctoral Student has never had a semester where each and every class was such a struggle. If you are lucky, you have a semester with a bit of a challenge, a class that's just a bit difficult enough so that you feel really great about working hard in it. But you also have some cake-walks. Those classes whose prep time is nearly nil. You breeze in, mumble something about theory, teaching experience, or oppression and it's all good. These are the classes of legend; Rocks for Jocks, or some such nonsense.

But, not so for your friendly neighborhood, blogging doctoral student. This semester, the cake does not walk. Media effects sounds like this, "I assume none of you know how to do quantitative methods. So, you will do them. I think you all hate it. But, within these four walls that's the way it's going to be. There will be no mention of any other sort of method that MAY otherwise be employed outside these walls." I sit there thinking, "I...I like quant methods...I think they’re nice."

My philosophy "Sustainability & Wisdom" seminar is taught brilliantly. I just wish I were smart enough to follow along. If I can muster the ability to actually formulate, define, and articulate my argument, I'll be fine. I'm just not sure I'm smart enough to pick up being a philosopher amongst people who have been doing it for years. I don't remember feeling this way last semester in my sociology class. I'm not sure if that's because what I study in communication is essentially sociology and it was just easier to adjust. OR (and I'm hoping this is the case) I did feel that same way at the start of my sociology course and I just adjusted and put that discomfort out of my head. That possibility gives me hope for this semester.

Last is my Persuasion class (which is 5% persuasion and 95% social marketing). Marketing is public relations. That makes this my first PR course, ever. I think I do have a good, solid footing through Dr. Morris Jenkins with a community restorative justice project in East Toledo. But, I have no background in PR or marketing, so this is definitely an experience in novel information.

Thus begins the M.D.S. semester.

How do I frame myself?

2006-08-30T08:26:00.000-05:00

I was invited this week to speak at a mission's conference in Minnesota. The conference is in mid-October and I'm currently considering how exactly I'm going to frame this opportunity so that I can list it on my vita. Hhmmm...

In general, academics in the humanities (English, theatre, communication studies, etc.) come across as pretty liberal in their acceptance of people regardless of race, sexual orientation, politics, and so forth. It would be unlikely in my department that even covert or subtle racist or homophobic comments would be tolerated.

But, as a Christian, I feel hesitant to be too vocal about my faith with academic colleagues. I’m afraid some of them will judge me as socially conservative, opposed to gay marriage, pro-Bush, and the like. I’m afraid they will make those assumptions by painting me with a broad brush, labeled “Christian”.

Instead of beginning with the base understanding that I'm Christian, and then adding to that picture, I find myself doing the exact opposite. I tend to be pretty clear about my politics and liberal acceptance of the sorts of things that my colleagues liberally accept. Then I have to add to that picture "Yeah, I go to church every week." Even then, it feels sometimes like the admission that I'm a Christian is somehow unaccepted, as if it colors the very picture individuals have of me.

If academics have already accomplished the feat of disregarding race, gender, and sexual stereotypes, why when I come out with my Christian faith do I automatically feel like I'm placed in a labeled box marked "Christian"? Is it the fault of media portrayals of Christians (i.e. Ned Flanders, Televangelists, protesters at funerals of people who have died of HIV-AIDS or in front of abortion clinics)? Is it out president's vocal faith that makes him into the poster-boy of what a Christian is and aught to be? Is it the fact that there are other, liberal Christians in my shoes who don't feel called to be a manic street preacher or one who condemns the sins of humanity with placard in-hand reading "The End Is Near"? Is it because the average non-Christian's experiences with the openly Christian is a bumper sticker reading "In case of rapture car will be empty" or "Jesus is with US." or "Eternity: Smoking or Non-Smoking" or some other, similarly trite, compressed theology?

What’s a liberal Christian academic to do?

Zooming forth into PBS

2006-08-23T09:02:00.000-05:00

Public Broadcasting is the name of the game here at Public Television Station WBGU, Bowling Green, Ohio. In addition to teaching seemingly wonderful (after one class, mind you) students in my P.C.C. Comm Intro class, I am also working at Bowling Green's local PBS station. Right now though, I'm pretty much sitting in a room with a couple computers, a lot of children's videotapes, some boxes filled with unintelligible files, and a tall, puke-green filing cabinet that is both half-filled and half-broken. The lap of luxury.

It seems, however, that the general manager here is keen on getting me started on a few different projects he has in mind. The staff here seems friendly, if spread out throught a relatively large building. I've been sitting in this new office, working away for about an hour and a half now, and haven't seen anybody. I keep hearing the hallway door open, but that's about the only sign of life of which I'm aware. I guess I'll be attending a meeting at some point later, but I'm neither sure when or with whom this so-called meeting might take place. Pretty soon I'm going to bust out my philosophy textbook and get some reading done. I suppose that would be more productive than bloggin all morning long.

One year on...

2006-08-18T08:25:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking a lot recently about how my last year has faired. For the past 12 months or so, I was accustomed to saying things like, "Oh, last year I was in Belfast" or "I've only been back in the States for three months..." or whatever. Now it's been a year. Northern Ireland is over a year in my past and I seem to have begun reflecting on where I am at now, and where that year has found me.

I started this doctoral program. I did very well in my classes both semesters and had research pieces presented at three conferences. I'm an advisor for the Inter-Personal Communication Organization. I know where I'm headed for my dissertation and I finally chose an academic advisor. I'm in a pretty cushy office with my own computer, coffee maker, and desk. I have a great view onto the main drag here in Bowling Green.

My girlfriend, Gina, and I are very happy. We just moved into a new place. It's quite the step up from the one-bedroom-type places I'd been living in prior and post-Belfast. We have a washer and dryer, a cat named Stuart, and our own garage. I can also digitally record EVERY EPISODE of Star Trek that I wish. God is good.

Speaking of God, we've found a great church home as well. We attend a Methodist church here in town. I think next month we're going to go through membership class. It has a fantastic pastor and choir. The congregation is warm and friendly. We feel very welcomed and needed there.

It feels good here, like everything is on track. My school-work is progressing at just the pace it should be, Gina and I are talking about getting engaged here in the next few months, and life in BG is filled with relaxing evenings on our porch, visits from friends, and getting our home in order.

This summer we took a vacation to New York City. Neither of us had ever seen the Big Apple before. It was a wonderful time. Fast-paced, but not rude or dirty or scary in any way. After leaving the big city, we stopped in Pennsylvania and camped for a few days before coming back to Ohio.

Now the school year starts for me on Monday and for Gina in a few weeks. My students moved back in yesterday and my syllabus needs to be edited and printed. I've also got a stack of assignments I need to write up for the semester. Not to mention the readings I still have to get on top of for the classes I'm taking this fall (seminars in Persuasion, Media Effects, and Systemic Sustainability and Wisdom). And that’s the update from this year. Now, on to another one.

Resume Transmission

2006-08-16T08:52:00.000-05:00

It's mid-August and I am returned! This new semester finds your faithful Masked Doctoral Student is a new building, with new colleagues, and a new (Mac) computer. (My super-powers are not super-powerful enough to allow me to right-click. Curses!) My new assistantship is through the P.C.C. (Partners in Context & Community). From what I understand, my students this year are all pre-service teachers who have expressed an interest in serving under-represented populations. I believe they do observations in classrooms in Toldeo and, here at BG, all live and take classes together.

In addition, I continue my PhD training by taking Persuasion, Media Effects, and a seminar in the Philosophy department called sustainability and Wisdom. My schedule has worked out so that I don't have to teach or take classes on Fridays.

In just the past few weeks, my wonderful girlfriend and I moved into a fine duplex in a residential area of Bowling Green. I think that my schedule is going to allow me to spend Fridays cleaning the house and doing the dishes for my lovely girlfriend...who is shouldered with the awesome responsibility of working five whole days each week. Mwa ha ha...

M.D.S. AWAY!

2006-05-26T18:24:00.001-05:00

The Old, Boring Mailbox of one W. Nick Wiget

2006-05-26T18:24:00.000-05:00

The New and Improved Mailbox of one W. Nick Wiget.

2006-05-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Luke Tong with his little girl, Lilly Ann.

2006-05-01T07:59:00.000-05:00

Mike Matthews, Jeff Nelson, and me...with Darren's picture in Ap Hall.

2006-05-01T07:58:00.000-05:00

The alumni who came back for the Aptonalton 85th Anniversary

Finality

2006-05-01T07:46:00.000-05:00

Salutations gentle readers.

I wrapped up two classes Friday, turning in projects, portfolios and the like. Then I made my way back to the hometown for my old fraternity's 85th Anniversary. It was lovely. There was a huge number of alumni present, and the actives dedicated a small shrine to Darren. We also incucted Darren's parents as honorary members. For those of you who don't know Darren, he was one of my three pledge brothers, and he died in a tornado in the fall of 2002.

After the fraternity activities I visited with my friend Luke and his wife. When I left, I somehow ran into my mother who was running errands with her cousin, Ann. At this point it was slightly past 12:00 am. Mom took me to my car, and I followed them to the nursing home where my grandmother has been since I was a senior in high school. She has had Alzheimer's for a decade.

Last Tuesday Amber called me and said that Grandma wouldn't last more than a few hours. She did; she was still with us when I drove over to the nursing home. When I walked into her room around 12:30, my father, aunt, and cousin were already there. We weren't there for long, though. She died at 12:48. It's the first time I've ever been with someone who died.

Today is the viewing and visitation in Tiffin; tomorrow is the funeral. Wednesday is my class's IPC 102 exam; Thursday is my sociology of law exam. And so begins my final's week of this year of graduate school.

Last lap

2006-04-24T07:05:00.000-05:00

This is the last week of classes. Next week is finals week, and I have one to do (which I have yet to begin to study for OR even look at the exam study guide). Eep.

I finished the first draft of my Spirek paper and REALLY like it. It came out very nicely, I must say. I think if I can keep on myself to get the survey through human subjects ASAP, then I might be able to collect some data before the school year out. Although, honestly, this is a bit ambitious.

Right now I just have to pound away on the keys, finish coding 6 more folders for Bradshaw, and finalize a few little things. Mostly, I'm done. Like I said a few months ago: Things get done. I feel swamped just like everyone else, but for as long as I can remember my work always gets done. This PhD is no different. It just takes earlier mornings, later nights, more trips to the library, more coffee, more conversations and more revisions. But, it's nothing your friendly neighborhod Masked Doctoral Student can't handle!

M.D.S. AWAY!

A Stunning Revelation

2006-04-14T08:52:00.000-05:00

After a particularly long evening of superhero daring-do and writing papers and researching in the library I returned home to my fortress of seclusion. I removed my M.D.S. superhero costume and sat down to enjoy a nice port.

I relaxed in my recliner, with my feet on my ottoman, reading The New Yorker. Then, to my amazement, my mysterious, beautiful, and vivacious partner said, "You have a grey hair."

"Noooooooo!"

What do you do with 30 minutes?

2006-04-13T12:18:00.000-05:00

30 Minutes is the worst amount of time in an academician's schedule. It's too much time to waste and too little time to do anything truly productive with. You can't start any real projects, you can't wrap up any major undertaking.

If you’re lucky you have a few, small errands to run. The best you can hope for is to be able to check your e-mails and have enough to fill the time with reading and replying. Maybe you have to go to the office to check your departmental mail...that's rarely a good time-killer, though. When all else fails, you pick up a copy of the campus paper and skim that.

If you get really really bored, you put a new post up on your blog. Hence...

So, I'm waiting for my first (of what will hopefully be many) meetings with Dr. Morris Jenkins. He's a professor at the University of Toledo in their Department of Criminal Justice. Today he is going to speak to my Sociology of Law class about restorative justice programs and his hopes for northwest Ohio.

I really hope this relationship becomes one of collaboration. He has already told me that he can train me as a restorative justice mediator (a step I've been looking to take for a while now). I look forward to writing some grants for restorative program funding and maybe co-authoring some pieces for publication. I'm pretty excited about the whole range of possibilities.

CSCA

2006-04-11T07:04:00.000-05:00

"The Central States Communication Association"

From Wednesday to Friday of last week I was at the CSCA meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. I presented a paper on teacher-student communication and feedback. It went pretty well. I got some free books. I drank some coffee. I talked some communication research. Upon my return I told one professor in my department, "It was like a Start Trek convention, only no one was dressed up."

I had a really cool meeting with Dr. Beth Goering, who has also studied restorative justice in communication. She did a study of the programs which are successful, and those that are not to explore what factors contribute to successful programs. The piece is helpful. I'm certain it will make it into my final paper for 630 this semester.

Now everyone is feeling the time pressure to finish everything up in a mad rush. I, on the other hand, already had that stress in my life and feel like I have a handle on the rest of the semester (all three weeks of it).

Now I'm off to do a bit of reading. Later today I have a lunch date with the prof. I think will be my dissertation advisor...Probably the most important professional relationship I'll ever forge. Then I have my IPC faculty meeting and then my sociology class. Time to strap on my cape and hit the sky.

-MDS up, up, and away!

April is the cruelest month?

2006-04-04T07:59:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I taught my IPC 102 class (it's the Communication basic course: public speaking, a bit of theory, small group, persuasion, etc.). Instead of giving them the rundown of the week's plan, I got to give them the plan for the remainder of the semester. THE REMAINDER OF THE SEMESTER. Egad.

So, things are speeding along, although I'm waiting to see how this month goes; I do have almost the whole of April left (and the first part of May, too). I foresee a pretty easy month. This biggest project I have looming in front of me is my Soc. Scientific methods project. But, I know exactly what I am going to do, what resources I need to write it, and how I am going to compile the research, so I'm in a very good place with that. Now it's a matter of beginning the actual writing of the thing. Other than that, I have some revisions to do for sociology and for education. I also have a final exam in sociology which I'm not looking forward to, but there it is...

Last week I filled in my doctoral progress report, so I know what I am going to be taking for the next two years and what I should have as my goals for publishing, etc. All in all, I'm right on track. Speaking of starting work on that paper...I think it's time to stop blogging and get to work.
Although, if I were a cyber-communication scholar, this would be my work...hhhmmm...

Everything's Comin' up IAN!

2006-03-31T10:25:00.000-05:00

In the past week, I've finished one major project (my paper for Sociology of Law). That's a load off. Then, yesterday in class my prof. gave me a fantastic compliment. After I made some comment, he said, "Ian, I think we're turning you into a sociologist." That really meant a lot to me. I'm the only non-sociology grad student in that class, and as the outsider, I always feel a little inadequate talking about Weber, Durkheim, and Marx. I've never even taken a sociology class before this one. I'm more at home talking about theories of persuasion and media effects, so to get that comment from my professor felt like a real pat on the back.

In the same vein, I got ahold of a professor at UT who does restorative justice work and can train me to be a mediator. He will be coming to speak to my sociology class sometime in the next two weeks. He's also interested in working on a few grants to get funding to start restorative justice projects in NW Ohio. This might just be a perfect person to include on my dissertation committee, and a perfect forum in which to conduct my dissertation research.

Other classes are going along fine, and I've only a month left until the semester's end. I have myself a summer job, a new place to move into in August and a fantastic girlfriend. I want for no good thing.

This week's docket

2006-03-28T08:15:00.000-05:00

Ok, back to another week of all the things that make my weeks go by. Yesterday I had the fine pleasure of speaking with two other superheros who completed their M.A.s with me in Illinois. It looks like I'm going to see at least one of them next weekend at CSCA (Central States Communication Association) in Indianapolis. I'm looking forward to that event with Cruea and Jake. I think that I'm the only student from B.G. who is presenting solo (that's a pretty good feeling).

This week, in addition to finishing my Sociology of Law paper, I have to fill out a program evaluation and meet with my temporary advisor to discuss how my program is coming along and what I need to take each semester to finish, etc. etc. I know they say that if you write down your goals, you're more likely to complete them...I wonder if that does the same for blogging your goals? I guess I'll find out. As soon as I get that program of study goals down on paper, I'll stick it up here in this forum. And now, it's off to write a few more pages here and there.

-M.D.S.

Movin' along

2006-03-21T07:25:00.000-05:00

Today I register for Fall classes. Today I continue working on my coding "research" for Dr. Bradshaw. Today I have a meeting about my intependant readings class. Today I have my sociology class. Today I have a whole lot to do.

I feel like I really just want this semester to be over. When I mention this to colleagues they seem quick to say, "But I have so much work to do." And they're right. We do each have a lot to do, but each semester I do eventually get all my work done. So, I know this semester will be no different. I WILL get all my work done.

I just want to already have it done. So remember two things, gentle readers, first keep plugging away, there's light at the end of the tunnel. Second, sometimes that light belongs to a swiftly moving on-coming train.

Time keeps on slipping...

2006-03-17T09:05:00.000-05:00

I've decided I'm not too good at this blog posting. I did ok last year, but I only really posted one long message a month and then pictures now and then (and heck, at least then I knew people were reading). Now it's just something else to ass into my day. Maybe I can make a discipline out of it (like every Friday, or something like that...).

The semester is winding down. Spring Break was last week. Although, by the snow on the ground outside, you couldn't tell we were in late March. Weather aside, the semester is but five weeks from ending. I have a LOT of work facing me in the next few weeks.

In fact, my goal for today is to get 4-5 pages written for my sociology class. It's one class that I'm really enjoying and I'm learning a lot. This week it really struck me the difference between classes that are taught well, and those that are not. I'm keenly aware of the differences.

My students start their second speech on Monday, which means a week and a half of lesson plans that are already done for me, (Yessss.) I sure do like teaching that class. They are interesting and talkative and pretty on the ball.

So, two more major papers to do, two more exams (including one next week), my presentation for Central States Communication Assn. meeting, and whatever homework Earley has for us in Stats...and time just keeps on slipping like I said at the beginning. But, I don't think that time slips into the future. All my time keeps slipping into the past. Doesn't that make more sense?
M.D.S., Out!

A little academic reality?

2006-02-13T16:55:00.000-05:00

How much of the academy is like this:

Yesterday I got an e-mail inviting people in the department to submit to the National Communication Association conference 2006. The conference is this coming fall. The e-mail asked people to submit if they had a research piece about teaching and being an international student teaching in America. I replied and asked if I could submit an abstract to their pannel as an American who taught in Northern Ireland. I got no reply.

Today I ran into the sender of the e-mail, Sandy. I asked her if it would be ok if I joined their pannel. She said it would be fine and that I could just e-mail her the abstract tonight. The problem comes in that I don't actually HAVE any research on being an American teaching in Northern Ireland.

The thing I'm wondering is: Is it common for pannels to be put together the night before the deadline (Feb. 14)? And, on top of that, how many abstracts are being submitted for papers that don't even exist (like mine)?

Just to recap: The most important academic conference is next fall. The deadline to submit research for presentation at this conference is tomorrow. Tonight, I'm going to submit an abstract for a paper that does not yet exist. So, is this the way academia really works?

February in Ohio

2006-02-07T08:16:00.000-05:00

I really shouldn't complain about winter coming two months, but it's here regardless. Both December and January were pretty mild here in N.West Ohio for your friendly neighborhood Doctoral Student.

Regarding the grant, I had a meeting with Brit last week and we talked about where it could be improved and changed and re-written. The thing is, the grant reviewers seemed most keen on the parts I was most willing to remove. For example, the grant we proposed suggested that we do an after-school program and a restorative justice project. I really feel that the after-school component was the stronger piece, requiring a LOT more money and materials and time. The RJ project was mainly for me to have a forum to start my dissertation research while learning from BGHS (Bowling Green High School) disciplinary policy and procedure. And when it was all over, the committee (I picture hoods, robes, black candles, and goblets of human blood) said the after-school component was the one we should cut. Additionally, it was clear from some of the reviewers' comments that the proposal wasn't read through very clearly. There were some questions left for Seamus and I that, had the person actually read through our project, would have been painfully clear. I guess doing a thorough job reviewing grants wasn't really high on that particular person's list of activities that day.

In a flashback to last year, I spoke to the Tiffin Lion's Club last night. I drove down after I taught my class and had dinner with the men (a fair number of them from First Christian, the church I went to growing up). I got to speak to them for about 20 minutes about the program I did, what Irish and Northern Irish history is like (very briefly), and what my weekly routine was like. In retrospect, I should have picked some pictures, projected them in a little slide show, and talked about them. The pictures were a big hit.

On the docket this week for the M.D.S. is a take-home exam for quant. methods, a draft of a letter for stats, readings for sociology of law (which has a paper I need to start next week), and my independent readings. I must admit that class, my independent readings in education is the toughest one I have to keep up with. I find that days go by without me even thinking about it. I need to discipline myself into a reading schedule for that course and then figure out how to direct my semester's research for that class so that I don't stagnate and neglect working on that stuff.

Speaking of research, I had a paper accepted at the Central States Communication Association. It's good news I get to go and present one piece of my M.A. thesis in a couple of months. But, there's a lot of work and crime-fighting between now and then.

-M.D.S.

Grant Report:

2006-01-25T13:19:00.000-05:00

"No."

I have to schedule a meeting with Brit later this week or next week to get more details than that...but that's the news as of now.

Otherwise, it really feels like this semester has a lot more stuff piled into it than last semester. It feels like I have a lot more reading, a lot more assignments, and a lot more meetings (so many that I am missing some of them to attend others). (sorry, GCA) On top of that, I have to sit down soon and post a real, in-depth update here so that you (whomever "you" are) know what's going on with a bit more detail and information. Sufficed to say that I'm not doing that right now so that I can hit the research assisting for Bradshaw. Those damn folders never cease coming. (And let's be fair, it's not a lot of work to pay for the roof over my head, food in my belly, and coffee a-brewin') It's just that it's only the third week of school and I want a break (which, of course, I got last week for MLK Day).

Time to strap the cape on a fly out the door to do battle with Injustice, Crime, and Social Scientific Research Methods.

-M.D.S.

Friday

2006-01-20T13:36:00.000-05:00

I just wrote a wonderful, articulate post and the freakin' computer just ate it. Confounded machine!

So, here's the good post in brief: I find out about the grant application today. I should hear sometime late this afternoon/ early evening. I need to buckle down on my quant methods homework, and I've got a class to teach in two hours.

Fine, lesson learned: Type in "Word", copy and paste. Damn it!

Off to hit the books; at the doctoral level, they hit back.

back again...

2006-01-09T22:53:00.000-05:00

Today was the first day of classes at Anonymous University. Back to the grindstone (that in no way describes what actually goes on in the hallowed halls of academia).

Grindstone, or no, I'm back to classes, and meetings, and students, and professors, and e-mails, and schedules, and assignments, and syllabi, and all the bits and bobs and nooks and crannies that go along with it all. I'm looking forward to it just fine, though.

My classroom, the one I teach in was changed today. It's amazing. I called the office not more than 48 hours ago and there was no word either way on my room change, and I was all set to be in the Fine Arts Building, when today at 11:00 I got an e-mail update that I get a nice room in the Ed. building, more central in campus, better facilities for pc connections (as opposed to mac).

My stats course was today and I need to buy some books for that (arg). It seems like a really fun class with lots of other COMS superhero M.A. and Doc. students in it. The prof. (from all reports) is supposed to be the best around and he certainly seems it. I'm looking forward to the rest of class with him this semester. I can only hope tomorrow's meetings (one w/ Bradshaw and one with IPC faculty) and my class in sociology come out as well.

Here's hoping.

I got to spend a nice lazy night watching a movie with Gina, chai and a Ben Affleck movie (one with more explosions than kisses). It was a fine conclusion to my first day back as combination doctoral student/masked avenger of justice/boyfriend.

-M.D.S.

2005-12-15T09:07:00.000-05:00

The New Masked Doctoral Student Suit. Check out the battle cry!

End of the semester

2005-12-15T08:57:00.000-05:00

Done. The last potluck party is over. The last paper has been turned in. The last task has been dotted and crossed and that's all she wrote. Last night we had a little class get-together after our potluck. We went to Beckett's, a pool hall bar.

I told myself when I left home that I'd leave as soon as Amy insulted and offended me for no reason. I made it until about 9:30. Admittedly I was already in a pissy mood, but every camel's back breaks eventually. And my tolerance for her is at it's end. I would have preferred to be at home, drinking coffee, watching a movie, snuggling with Gina.

Today I may go see King Kong, depending on the ammount of snow we get today. For those of you that are interrested, here is Gina's blog. http://menuez.motime.com/ I'm also updating my superhero suit (all thanks to Mark Cruea).

2005-12-07T13:54:00.000-05:00

A picture of Yours Truly, The Masked Doctoral Student! Learning, HO!

Waiting in an Office

2005-12-07T11:15:00.000-05:00

So, I have a teaching portfolio due tonight and (unlike many of my colleagues) mine is done...well, nearly done. I had my class video recorded with a digital video camera (oohhh, ahhh, technology). But the poorly trained helper monkey who attempted to record the event decided to mess up. Here's the issue in Ian-can-understand-what-the-tech-guy-is-saying terms: Digital video records at like 9 lines of code for 60 minutes, but when you set the machine up to record Long Play (90 minutes) it uses half of those lines. So, now when I try to record my digital tape to DVD, it skips like four 8-year-old girls with a jumprope and nothing better to do.

So, the extremely competent tech guy here in the Center for Teaching Learning and Technology (CTLT) has just hooked up my tape to the machines and through the magic of 1's and 0's I'm going to have a DVD of my lecture to put in my teaching portfolio tonight. Now it's just a matter of waiting and watching myself teach, which is a learning experience in itself.

That's the story of the day from here in arctic Bowling Green, Ohio. Tonight is my final Cassara class, and then tomorrow I pick up the final exams for IPC 102, and then I have my last 600 class. Things are winding down and I sure am looking forward to it.

On top of that, my father is coming to watch me teach on Friday. The students are excited and so am I. It'll be good to see the dad, and see how he likes what his son does.

"I'm Writing a Grant." & "I Met Someone."

2005-12-06T12:46:00.000-05:00

These two sentences ate the month of November. And let me tell you, I HATE one and am SO thankful for the second.

Writing a grant is horrible. If anyone says they like to write grants, 1) They’re lying or 2) Theyre lying. Even masochists hate this crap!

It's like no other experience I've ever had. It's all this nit-picking, double space this, single space that, don't use envelopes, get this signature here, yadda yadda yadda. I would have totally preferred nice presentation on why my project rocks hardcore. Then they would have seen the truth behind the 18 copies of my grant application. (A tree-killing process, if ever there were one). In fact, maybe that's the whole point of grants.

They're a scam: They're created by logging and Big Paper to make people use reams and reams of paper in these intricate, elaborate, and (mostly) rejected applications.

Well, here's what it boils down to: It's turned in. It's done. Now it's the waiting game, which would be fine if waiting were stress-less and enjoyable, but, of course, it's not. I have this paper to write, and that portfolio to turn in and paper-X to present on this afternoon. So, that's what's going on in the back of this brain.

As for the nice, three-word phrase in this title...I think it's totally indicative of my current and future life as an academic. Now I get to balance being a researcher/teacher/scholar with a personal relationship that’s becoming very important to me.

So, I'm working on a grant, I'm busy with class, I have readings, papers, classes to prepare for and teach and into my life walks Gina. BAM! (a la Emeril) Totally out of the blue and it's great. People around me sound really hesitant about the whole (for lack of a better phrase) "love at first sight". And to be truthful, I’ve got no idea what next week or next month hold, but being with Gina feels great and it’s been a LONG time since I’ve had the chance to really be with someone so cool and smart and classy (and who can cook), and is bold truthful and real and is really close to her family. She tells a good story, and listens to good music (when it doesn't skip).

So, now I've got one grant done, and I ALMOST have one semester done and I ALMOST have a girlfriend. Everything's coming up ME.

Welcome to my blog.

2005-11-04T15:04:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the blog of The Masked Doctoral Student. Here I intend to chronicle my experiences while working at a large, midwestern university (my first of many allusions to social scientific research). I expect this to be a space in which I may detail success stories, difficulties, publications, and my experiences with research and teaching, while balancing what might be termed my social life.

I want to think of this space as a hypertextual, post-modern space where I might post field notes as reflections on the research I am conducting. I hope that by engaging with my own reflections in a critical way (what Walter Jacobs would call a "pensieve"-alluding to Harry Potter 4), to provide myself an opportunity and a space to see connections and links that might not otherwise be apparent.

More to follow.
The Masked Doctoral Student