Death of an adjunct

Attention must be paid. Meanwhile, in the past year, her teaching load had been reduced by the university to one class a semester, which meant she was making well below $10,000 a year. With huge out-of-pocket bills from UPMC Mercy for her cancer treatment, Margaret Mary was left in abject penury. She could no longer…

@CordeliaLogan If he were real, and had been my co…

@CordeliaLogan If he were real, and had been my colleague, I wouldn’t want to discuss his personal life in a public forum. Similar:Tweet: For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan…For an anatomy project, my #geekling mad…TweetsJuror's CreedWhile researching my obligations for #ju…CultureI asked my geekling whether she was ready for bed…I asked my…

“2011 called. They want their meme back,” I teased…

“2011 called. They want their meme back,” I teased a student w/ a Nyan Cat T-shirt. (I was NOT actually wearing my fanny pack at the time.) Similar:My Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig at art camp. Next up: Stage Right summer musical th…AestheticsRT @DDeClaudio: Who do you think controls the news…RT @DDeClaudio: Who…

I was briefly excited that Turnitin.com’s new app works in a park with no WiFi

Then I realized… I’m a guy who gets excited about grading papers in a park. Similar:Page Weight MattersUnexpected consequences, when a develope…CybercultureI have more to do than mark 99 assignments, but this is a nice stopping point.PersonalHow Common Core Testing Damaged High School English ClassesHelping my students understand how my ro…AcademiaWhat does a professor do,…

14 Machines That Were Brilliant in 1985

I used something very similar to this shoulder-bag mobile phone when I interned at a radio news station my junior year in college. —14 Machines That Were Brilliant in 1985. Similar:A Note of Recognition for: Filmation's ''Star Trek'' AnimatorsEven if the animation of Star Trek was l…AestheticsRefreshing my memory of working with reel-to-reel tape as…

Word to describe the sorry state of the MLA Job In…

Word to describe the sorry state of the MLA Job Information List: “@QSlobodian: @pannapacker Jöbberdämmerung.” Similar:Carolyn Gombell Is Not a Real Person: #JusticeforCarolyn Is a Campaign Against Twitter Ref…Fascinating use of social media. To be c…Current_EventsIt's been nice knowing you, iPad3 It’s been nice knowing you, iPad3, but…TweetsRT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #context htt…RT…

My son just scoffed at Kirk’s infamous “One to the…

My son just scoffed at Kirk’s infamous “One to the fourth power” gaffe from #startrek #tos “Court Martial.” Similar:She doesn't have keys or a phone or an ID. Why does my tween need a purse?To stash her Lemonheads and Smarties. ht…AmusingJury Duty UpdateI’m a happy, responsible, and no-longer-…GovernmentMy Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig…

The “Monsters, Inc” company play helped me teach Shakespeare

Today the awkward but delightful “Monsters, Inc” company play helped me explain why Shakespeare put the awful “Pyramus and Thisby” play after the main plot has resolved in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. http://t.co/WSXD943LpG Similar:Paper too short? Here are actual tips for serious students, not dumb tricks your prof will…Is your academic essay a bit short?…

Insipidest. Play. Ever. –Pepys, on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Sort of.

After attending a performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pepys wrote in his diary: “Insipidest. Play. Ever.” (Or words to that effect.) Similar:"Chores" — Clip from Snow White: The Musical (Stage Right Greensburg, Sept 2012)Here’s what it sounded like at our first…CultureI love my students enough to teach them the difference between passive voice and past…

Club Fair at @setonhill Griffins, get involved! (F…

Club Fair at @setonhill Griffins, get involved! (Free Starbursts at the @SetonianOnline table.) http://t.co/aAFylsl425 Similar:My Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig at art camp. Next up: Stage Right summer musical th…AestheticsLoved seeing A Comedy of Errors @setonhillLoved seeing A Comedy of Errors @setonhi…TweetsMaybe I'll just delete these QUARTER OF A MILLION spam comments.Not kidding…

Dennis G. Jerz | Associate Professor of English -- New Media Journalism, Seton Hill University | jerz.setonhill.edu

I told them to put their name on both pages.

I told them to put their name on both pages. 6 of 22 forgot. I had to do handwriting forensics to match the orphan pages. I hate quizzes. Similar:6 Problems with our School SystemI spend a lot of time re-educating my st…AcademiaTime Squared (ST:TNG Rewatch, Season 2, Episode 13)Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generatio…PersonalNo more…

@setonhill Fall Honors Convocation receiving line….

@setonhill Fall Honors Convocation receiving line. #tradition http://t.co/Wg7D9DaEx4 Similar:Classroom collaboration marketplaceWhile I am uncomfortable with the whole …BusinessMaybe I'll just delete these QUARTER OF A MILLION spam comments.Not kidding — 254,460 spam comments in …CybercultureTweet: Came around the corner and saw my kids huddled on…Came around the corner and saw my kids h…TweetsShe doesn't have…

Curious George and the Twin Towers

On 9/11/2001, I was remote enough from the tragedies that I managed to hold together pretty well, until that night, when my son, who was 3, asked me to read him this book. I recently noticed that the cover has been redesigned. Similar:Almost Flat DesignApple, Google and Microsoft have very di…AestheticsWhat does a professor do,…

My working theory: the @sramsay departure is a Jim…

My working theory: the @sramsay departure is a Jimmy Kimmel prank. Similar:Carolyn Gombell Is Not a Real Person: #JusticeforCarolyn Is a Campaign Against Twitter Ref…Fascinating use of social media. To be c…Current_EventsMaybe I'll just delete these QUARTER OF A MILLION spam comments.Not kidding — 254,460 spam comments in …CybercultureIn Defense Of Metaphors In Science WritingWe…