What's been threatening my sleep

Just a few blocks down the street from me - on my daily route to and from work - something huge and bad has happened within the last 72 hours. At least 3 agencies, including state and federal (ATF, Animal Control, Sheriff's Office confirmed so far), have been cooperating - and doing and excellent job of not releasing information.

For the first 24 hours the helicopters annoyed me. I counted at least 3, and identified 2 as news crews from Kansas City. KCTV 5 and Channel 9 had mobile units camped out for the first 36 hours - and one crew was still there 2 days after the initial raid. The Emergency Response Command Unit ( a big honkin' RV) just left.

The way people respond to the excitement and lack of information interests me as much as the language skills and usage of the people commenting on the local paper's online post (blog). Interesting discussions about appropriate use of written language and the relationship to class and social status relates to class discussions - as does the lack of civility (and moments of kindness) on the message boards. Several well-intentioned members of the accused s' families have been compulsively attending and contributing to the discussions - which have some rather silly participants as well as some real trolls. The back and forth disturbs me and compels my attention. Loads of lurid elements and history connected to that patch of real estate. The packs of wild dogs are real, and I remember the guy the exotic dancer ran over (he went to sleep in the middle of the road walking home from the club) but many of the stories strain credibility way too far.

• Video from Lawrence Journal World.
• LJW blog post with insane dialogue #1 - comments are where the action is.
  
• LJW blog post with insane dialogue #2 - see comments
  

Bad weather coming - what's procedure?

Weather agencies predict dangerous conditions. I hear our school is really on top of the web page info, but KS weather is unpredictable. This is what I've found online re: school alerts/ closing notification. I've generally had the attitude that I get more done at work than I do at school - so I tend to make it anyway, but safety is a top priority.

We are a commuter school. We spend more time on the road. We may want to establish a quick and informal forum here to communicate our concerns and thoughts in how we deal with any challenge. Next semester we may have a phone tree set up.

Has anyone signed up for the JCCC instant messaging service? Then you know about school alerts before anyone else (particularly me; my cell is ancient - pre-texting capabilities). If so comment to this post now and let us know if you have "connections" for inside info, and comment again when/ if you learn anything.

I don't anticipate canceling class - but check this post for most up to date info - and share what you know. Also, suggest better or additional questions for the poll/survey. We might use the survey from 6:00 am to 6:30 am if weather is bad and school decision hasn't been made.

Applied integrity in the Community College classroom

Think instructors are suspicious anal-retentive, obsessive compulsive, misanthropes? Could be, but check out corrupted-files.com. This service will corrupt your perfectly good paper that you turn in via email. That buys you 2 days to write, rewrite or revise your paper. The ultimate excuse for an extension - only $4.95!

I'll repeat for the record, I do not allow email submissions for formal papers. A student or two emailed me a paper weeks ago or more. They won't print it off and turn it in. I won't either. Wish they'd talk to me. English teachers often like communication - it even figures in to course objectives.

Often this behavior co-presents with attendance issues. Many young people haven't had to set their own priorities yet, and are just learning how. I'm coming to think excuses can be seen as a form of communication - regardless of their veracity. It's the end of communication that disturbs me. Chronic absenteeism can be a rejection of an institutionally agreed on outcome.

At least it was when I was 19, but I shouldn't judge all by my misspent youth.

And on the subject of communication. The college in general, and the English Dept. in particular are reacting and proacting to the H1N1 / Mondo-flu season. While a hardline approach to absences is what many students typically need - these are extenuating circumstances and times. There will be no excuse from work - or class, but there will be accommodations to allow everyone to more fully participate - even when sick. Not cynical, but not easily played; however, I don't call anyone's bluff when it comes to health.

Our objectives MUST be met for a student to pass. Students will get exactly what they earn. I'm allowing for make up points for those who miss class - Provided they respond or post a new thread to the daily notes discussion thread on ANGEL.

I jot notes (try to) every day during or after class in a discussion forum. Find it in the course documents folder. As long as sick students post to the daily discussion thread by noon the day of class, I'll put an assignment in an online form that best recreates what we accomplished in class. They then have 48 hours make up the points from any place they can find a computer. Posting to the thread is private from the outside world, but shared with other classmates and team mates who care about and depend on each other. That thread could also be used for expressions of "get well" and the like.

All relevant due dates still apply.

Keighley found

Police have arrested 3 men: Joseph Mattox, Gerald Calbreck and Dustin Hilt. According to news coverage [See Fox 4 news coverage] she dated Hilt in the past. Looks like last week's domestic violence was not related to her disappearance.

Hilt has a myspace page. It's creepy.

Student missing: worst feared

Overland Park police are asking for help locating a JCCC student: Keighley Alyea. Fox 4 News has video from their newscast here. She's 18, 5 ft 1 inches tall, and approx. 113 lbs. Classmates note that her hair color may have changed since this picture.

She was last seen Tuesday, 9.29.9. Her car was found last night, Sunday 10.4.9.

Crime Scene KC has indicated a person(s) of interest (POI) and provided these pictures; Missingexploited.com lists details of the relationship of the POI and notes that she was the victim of domestic violence as recently as 9.21.9 [correction: The Kansas City Star noted that].


Her class is communicating and gathering information at their student generated Facebook page.

On Disasters: H1N1, earthquakes and outbreaks.

The flu has turned up in several of my classes, but in one, there have been 2 reported cases of the illness formerly known as swine flu. One purported to be confirmed by a doctor, and the other of a student who fell ill immediately after a sibling had been diagnosed by a physician, and with identical symptoms. This reminds me of a funny story.

One of my favorite professors ambled in to class during one of the annual Mumps outbreaks in the dorms of a state university. He said he hadn't been to a doctor yet, but he was displaying all the symptoms of the mumps. He asked the class to decide if he should teach that night. There was a long pause for reflection. I'd just gotten married. The potential offspring topic had been shelved, but I wanted that option left open. The mumps can do mondo-bad things to men after puberty, and I had been 29 for a while already. A male relative lost something supremely near and dear to him...

The teacher asked us to make a decision. Was maintaining the impression that grades or the class were more important than my health expected of a grad. student? Luckily nurse working on a Ph. D. put on their official mien and asked us all if we were insane.

But disasters demand common - sense adjustments on everyone's part.

Monday, 9.21.9 is the anniversary of the big Taiwan earthquake of 1999. It hit at 1:47 am. I couldn't turn off a movie and felt a little guilty for being up so late when it hit. Richter scales as far as California measured it at 7.6 or higher at the epicenter - about 30 miles from my house in the mountains of JuDong. Over 3000 dead. It wasn't the weirdest disaster I've dealt with in a class - but it took the highest human toll. Rolling blackouts and aftershocks for months. I later heard "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire and listened to the words for the first time (lyrics, see video) in a really gritty dive and freaked mildly out. Maybe it was all the candles and flashlights. Maybe it was the way we recognized temblors by the sloshing bottles behind the bar. Betel nut and Whisbih may have been involved.

And don't get me started on SARS. My wedding anniversary is on the hottest day of the Kansas summer because of SARS.

The point:

• stay on top of your student email,
• log in to ANGEL often,
• read your announcements,
• communicate with your classmates.
• Let me know if you have flu-like symptoms - by email or phone, im whatever.

Prepare. If you don't have a home computer but your cell phone is important to you - set up a calling tree. We will adapt.