caut-digest V2001 #45 (CAUT spills his guts)

[Michael Jorgensen]

You're right Mary,
       --And I'm sorry I said that snotty thing about students and other
people.  Hope it can be excused as it was written without much thinking early
Monday morning.
    My wife was a student at my first contracted university job, 19 years ago.
If I hadn't befriended students, she wouldn't be my wife, so  I'm glad I broke
my own rule.  Faculty and staff can "fall" if they get "too friendly" with
students.  At that time though, I wasn't any older than my wife, and I'm still
not.
-Mike


"Mary C. Smith" wrote:

> I question the part about not "wasting
> time" befriending students. While it is most politically expedient to
> befriend faculty and administration, there is much to be gained from getting
> to know these talented young people. Of course, I have the luxury of working
> on a staff of four piano techs (2 full- and 2 half-time, I am half-time; we
> have about 265 pianos), and I am not the head technician. Still, I just
> wanted to make the point that students often have pianos in their homes that
> need to be serviced, and they are at school to learn, and can learn from us.
> I also gain a great deal musically, technically and personally from my
> friendships with students and, after nine years at UT, have made some
> friends for life among them. It is a privelege to serve them.