Stopped by Billings on my way home from the dentist (where I think I saw Amy Wing, The Edge intern and sister of Katie Wing, an intern at The Rock when I was in The Rock oh so many years ago). Had a wonderful half hour chat about life and school. They’re looking for a network admin if anyone is interested.
This story comes from Duane Mullen. Duane is one my Bible Study leaders in Seattle. Recently, he was been in Mississippi helping with the hurricane relief. A few weeks ago, Duane’s grandmother fell and passed out on her back, vomited and aspirating some of that into her lungs causing pneumonia and collapsing one lung. Duane left his position in Mississippi to go be with Grammy. The following is an email Duane sent out a couple days ago that I think is too cool not to share. Duane has given his permission for me to edit and reprint:
My grandmother is in the hospital and she’s improving every day but the hospital is really frustrated with her recovery. It’s just not going as fast as they had hoped. She was off the ventilator for 20 minutes today and they think she should be able to breath on her own for at least 4 hours by now. Rough stuff.
We, about a week ago we got to the hospital as normal and there is a girl in the waiting room that looks like she’s about 16, maybe 18, but she doesn’t look any older than that. She is in a wheelchair and you can see that her face is a little battered. She’s surrounded by friends, all women, that are about the same age. They are all trying to comfort her, but she is crying every second, almost at the drop of a hat. She was in a car accident and the other person who was in the car with her, whom I assume was a young teenage guy driver, is in critical care. He’s not regaining consciousness and things look pretty grim.
Everyday after that we see her in the hospital. We can see her improve and everyday she is able to get out of the wheelchair and walk on her own a little more. The crowd of girls around her is changing to some girls and some guys and daily they are getting a little older.
Finally, most of the young people are gone. She comes to the same waiting room and there is an older couple there. Probably in their sixties. They spend time with her but don’t act like her parents.
Today when I got to the waiting room at the hospital there was the older couple, the girl was not there, but there was an average looking man about 40 years old. I recognize him but dismiss it being who I think it is because while this is a great regional hospital, nobody who’s not from here would know that it even existed. We made pleasantries as anyone would in a casual passing.
I go in and see my grandmother and come back out after several minutes. We’re trying to give her some rest. My grandfather and my aunt are both in with her.
I go sit in the waiting area and the older couple and the man are still there and the young girl is back again.
The man is trying to be encouraging to the older couple and they’re talking medically about how the young teenage guy is struggling with blood sugar levels and being diabetic. The man says that a sense of humor is important and that he’s going to go back one more time and give his friend “shit” for lying in bed.
He then says that he needs to get back to Seattle, but wanted to see him one more time before heading back.
Now I know for sure.
They ask him if he’s got a show in Philadelphia and he says “No, If I did I would give him shit for sure for not being there to run my lighting.”
He gets up with the young girl and goes back to see their friend. Another old woman, about 70, looks at me and exclaims, “DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT WAS!?”
I say, “Of course…. I’m from Seattle.”
She says, “That was Dave Matthews…you know, Dave Matthews Band”
I reply, “Yes, I know. I was trying to figure out what he was doing here of all places.”
The older couple explain that their son was in a car accident with “Courtney” the younger girl. She was driving the car and they made a left turn and were hit by a patrol car. Their son is Dave’s chief lighting engineer and Dave flew coast to coast just to see him.
Dave comes back in to say good bye to the family. I let them have their space but a woman comes around the corner who is visiting another patient and she stops dead in her tracks and says, “Oh My God… that looks just like…”
I say, “That’s because it is.”
She didn’t believe me enough to hear me, so I repeat myself. Quietly so as not to make a spectacle of the man.
Dave leaves and the old man comes over and talks to her and explains what he was doing there.
Wow. I think that’s so cool. I can’t speak from experience, but I would imagine that there are not many artists who would fly coast to coast just to see some light tech in the hospital. Perhaps if it was their stage manager or something, but a light tech? That’s very cool an awesome testament to just how down to earth Mr. Matthews is.
As a side note, Duane is looking for a job. I would imagine he would be looking for something in the Seattle area, so if you know of any open positions, send me an email (andrew [aatt] remove.this andrewferguson [ddoott] net) and I’ll be sure to send them on to Duane.
[tags]Dave Matthews, DMB, hire[/tags]
I sent an email to Mel Kirk, one of the Counselors at the Academic Services Office, about Physics today. The email preempts my earlier plans to contact the Faculty Senate, at least for now.
But wait! There’s more!
I’m also getting an INC (Incomplete) for my EPICS II, Mines Internet Radio. Chris Barnes also noticed the INC and gave me a call today. He’s busy tracking down Dr. Knect and will get back to me when he makes progress.
I also managed to pass Calc II, Human Systems, Handball, and Chem II. Aren’t grades fun!
Dr. Herrick, my old Chem II teacher send this out today:
Best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most joyous traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, but with respect for the religious persuasion of others who choose to practice their own religion as well as those who choose not to practice a religion at all;
Additionally, a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions have helped make Australia, North & South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe great, without regard to the race, creed, color, computer operating system, religious, or sexual preferences of the wishes.
(Disclaimer: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others and no responsibility for any unintended emotional stress these greetings may bring to those not caught up in the holiday spirit.)
“Holiday”actually comes from the word “Holy Day”:
1. A consecrated day, a religious festival. Now usually written HOLY-DAY, q.v.
2a. A day on which ordinary occupations (of an individual or a community) are suspended; a day of exemption or cessation from work; a day of festivity, recreation, or amusement. (In early use not separable from 1.)
Thus, in everyone’s attempt to be religiously neutral, you are actually wishing me a Happy Holy Day.
I was trying to update the Mines’ Telemark website and slate (the server I connect to) wouldn’t let me connect using FTP. So I tried secure FTP (SFTP) and it worked. Just a heads up for everyone else who usually SFTPs.
I’ve also talked extensively with Dad, Tom Hajduk (my English teacher/College counselor from SAAS), Dan Hough (from Mines), and others about this. One of the things that I have may not have adequately shown in my previous letter is my frustration at my ability to show that I know physics. I’m still trying to figure out an appropriate way to do that and any ideas are welcome.
I’ve been tossing around of couple ideas with them about other options and I thought I throw them out here to see what the AFdN community at large thinks:
Test out of Physics I:
I don’t know if this is a possibility, but it’s something that I plan on investigating. I know that you can test out of other classes at Mines.
Work with the Academic Accommodations Office:
I do qualify for Academic Accommodations. Typically, this has been just extra time on the test to alleviate stress.
I’ve already contacted the Academic Accommodations Office and will be talking with them more tomorrow.
Take Physics I and II at the same time:
I actually just thought of this one. I may be able to convince either the Physics department and/or the Academic Accommodations Office to allow me to take both courses at the same time. I know that’s really weird and might not be a good idea, but I think it’s worth investigating.
I typed this up on the plane last night. It’s a pretty good start, but still only my first draft. I hope to have a final draft finished within a week so that I can get it sent off to the Faculty Senate in time for them to rule before the next semester starts. They have 15 days to reach a decision after they recieve my appeal.
RFC = Request for Comment. If you have some free time, take a look at what I’ve written and feel free to provide feedback, even if it’s critical. The better my argument, the better my chance for appeal.
Faculty Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate,
If, after reading my appeal, any member of the Faculty Affairs Committee has further questions or requires further explanation of anything that I have presented, please do not hesitate to contact me; either by phone at (206) 948-1701 or by email at aferguso ÅT mines ÐØt edu.
I, Andrew James Ferguson (CWID XXXXXXXX), herby appeal the grade assigned in the class PHGN 100 (“Physics I”) for the Fall 2005 Semester at The Colorado School of Mines.
From page thirty (30) of The Colorado School of Mines 2005-2006 Undergraduate Bulletin:
In evaluating a grade appeal, the Faculty Affairs Committee will place the burden of proof on the student. For a grade to be revised by the Faculty Affairs Committee, the student must demonstrate that the grading decision was unfair by documenting that one
or more of the following conditions applied:1. The grading decision was based on something other than course performance, unless the grade was a result of penalty for academic dishonesty.
2. The grading decision was based on standards that were unreasonably different from those applied to other students in the same section of that course.
3. The grading decision was based on standards that differed substantially and unreasonably from those previously articulated by the instructor.
I will be documenting condition number one (1), “The grading decision was based on something other than course performance, unless the grade was a result of penalty for academic dishonesty,” referred to here on out as “The Condition”.
I have been assigned the grade of PRG, or Grade in Progress. I wish to appeal this grade to receive a grade that would allow me to continue to PHGN 200 (“Physics II”) for the Spring 2006 Semester.
The Condition can be broken into two parts. The first part of The Condition states that: The grading decision was based on something other than course performance. The second part of The Condition: unless the grade was a result of penalty for academic dishonesty, is an excluder that prohibits appealing the grade if a student was academically dishonest the class.
To absolve myself of the second part of The Condition, I would like to direct the attention of the Faculty Affairs Committee to a signed letter from Christopher Kelso, the instructor of the Physics I section that I was in, indicating the grade I have received was not due to academic dishonesty.
Exam Two and Exam Three, as well as a portion of Exam One was taken on-line using the Learning Online Network – Computer Assisted Personalized Approach, or LON-CAPA. Exam Four is unavailable because while it was generated using LON-CAPA, it not actually taken online.
I would like to direct the attention of the Faculty Affairs Committee to two (2) attached exams from Physics I for the Fall 2005 Semester; Exam Two and Exam Three. Each problem that was on the exams attached was graded in a binary fashion: it was either right or wrong. The work for any given problem on either exam could have been 99% correct, however if the final outcome is incorrect, the problem is considered wrong and is NOT REFLECTIVE OF THE ACTUAL COURSE PERFORMANCE. Instead, the exams reflect whether or a not a student has perfect knowledge of Physics I. In short, the system of examination for Physics I is severely flawed and not indicative of actual course performance.
Furthermore, the decision to implement LON-CAPA to give and grade exams (and thus introduce a flaw into the Physics I grading scheme) is recent, within the last 2 semesters. The exam flaw was a direct result of an attempt to reduce the amount of grading that the course instructions and associated teaching assistants needed to complete. While I sympathize with the instructors and teaching assistants, I believe that it is paramount to allow the students to demonstrate their ability of the comprehension of Physics I. Each student indubitably has a slightly different method for learning and Physics I and demonstrating his or her comprehension of Physics I.
As proof of my actual Physics I comprehension, both conceptual and practical, I would like to direct the attention of the Faculty Affairs Committee towards the attached Physic SAT II score and the attached transcript from Seattle Academy of the Arts and Sciences, the high school I attended. As you see, I garnered a score of 650 out of 800 (81.25%) on the Physics SAT II exam.
I also attained a grade of A in my physics class in high school. In the interest of full disclosure, the physics course taught at Seattle Academy is algebra based, rather than calculus based. However, I had taken calculus I the year previous to taking physics. I understood the integration of physics and calculus and was able to successfully use calculus techniques in my physics class, despite the fact that it was taught from an algebraic standpoint.
Additionally, the exact same in-class test was given at the beginning and the end of the semester. The test dealt strictly with the conceptual concepts of physics. At the beginning of the semester, I scored a 62/100 (62%). At the end of the semester, I scored a 90/100 (90%).
I have shown that that a flaw in the Physics I exam grading system exists that is not related to my performance in the class. I have shown that such a flaw cannot allow the grading decision to be based on something other than course performance and that the flaw has severely misrepresented my actual conceptual knowledge of physics as well as my actual practical knowledge of physics. I have shown that I posses the conceptual and practical knowledge of Physics I. I have shown that the grade was not a result of penalty for academic dishonesty. Quod erat demonstrandum.
Respectfully yours,
Andrew Ferguson
I’m done! I’m done! I’m done! Yeeeeees.
Although I do have to take Quant lab next semester. But that should be easy to get through.
Final grade was 71.064 or a C…which isn’t half bad.
I didn’t fail Physics, I just didn’t pass. I’m currently in the purgatory called PRG (or grade in progress). It’s really a shitty place to be and I am desperately trying to get out.
Here’s the way it works. There are certain classes (Calc I, Calc II, and Physics I to be exact) that you must get a C or higher to pass the class the first time. If you get a D, then you PRG. If you get an F, well then you get an F (and fail). You are then forced to take the class a second time. However, you only have to get a D or higher. It’s crap.
But it gets even worse. ALL of our Physics exams were graded as a binary answer. You either got it right, or you didn’t. It was frustrating because even one little error can cause your entire equation to be off and you receive not credit for it, even though it was 99% correct. I’m not even a fucking physics major!
So I broke out my 2005-2006 Student Handbook and looked up the PRG’s. There is a way to appeal them and that’s what I’m doing. I started the dice rolling last night by officially petitioning my grade to Chris Kelso, the teacher. No go. The next step is to appeal to the faculty senate. So that’s what I’m going to be working on. My argument will be this:
I also might make the following points, but I haven’t decided yet:
Physics test sucked. But at least it’s done, although it took almost 3 hours. It’ll be interesting to see how I did. I’m going to go take a nap.