Data Projector

Having managed a successful visit to that hellhole of a restroom and having gathered up my stuff, I head out to the classroom at a comfortable amble, only to remember when I am half way there that I have forgotten to pick up my digital data projector.  Now I have to go back nearly to where I started, and I must hurry.

I am very unhappy about that.  I have for perhaps 8 years now been attempting to integrate intodataprojector
the classroom the use of digital equipment, a laptop in particular and a data projector.With these two devices I am able to access my on line syllabus, my blog where students make entries about what they have read, special readings I may have assigned, and the web which I use both as a source of information and a subject of analysis. Consequently, I have repeatedly asked the front office to insure that I have a room with a data projector built into it.

In spite of my best efforts however every other quarter it seems I must return to the office and tell them the rooms assigned me do not have a data projector.  I don’t like doing this since doing it might imply that the staff is incompetent or that perhaps I am senile and forgot somehow to tell them once again that I wanted a data projector for my rooms.  This problem is exacerbated by the ungodly turnover in the front office.  So that just when I have managed fully to indoctrinate the responsible party into my peculiar needs they leave for a better job.

 This time, I must say, perhaps I did not get on the problem early enough.  But I didn’t think there would be a problem soon enough.  In any case, the responsible party tried repeatedly but could not get me a room with a data projector.  No sooner had she told me that, than she moved on to a better job.  Now I have to train a new person about my particular needs.  But perhaps since I was one of the persons who interviewed her for her job, she will think I am important and pay attention to my requests.

So I rush back to the AV place to get the data projector I have reserved for my class.  When I get there, the door is closed because it’s the lunch hour, and for a second I think, oh god Jesus no, but then remember if I knock they will let me in.  So I knock and then knock again and finally somebody opens up and I tell them I am there for the data projector I have reserved for my class.  I expect they will lead me to the data projectors and say, here take this one.

But, no.  Everything is written down and you can only take the one assigned to you as if there was some huge difference between the damn things.  I find myself standing there as a rather oafish looking student worker begins to thumb through some pages to find my particular data projector.  I can’t believe it.  You would think the thing would be in alphabetical order and the guy would just go to the page with the first letter of my name on it.  But, no.  Maybe it’s not in alphabetical order or maybe the guy doesn’t know the alphabet.  Because he starts with the first page, looks at it, turns to the next for ten damn pages before he glumly says, “D-15.”  The code apparently for the projector they have assigned to me.

It’s pretty clear I am going to be late to my second day of class.