A Rebuttal
I started this one out as a comment to answer Suzanne's, but it was dragging on a bit, and I felt that my position on Wheelchair Basketball was a bit more controversial, yet equally defensible.
First, I like to use my blog as a form of a dialectic: I submit the first argument and then wait for people to tell me where I'm wrong. It's a great little filter to keep me from saying something stupid in clutch situations. Mike can testify that I all too often have a problem self-moderating.
Second, one of the two classes that I'm in is SPCM 323. I really don't have too big of a problem accepting that TAs are going to be teaching introductory courses if they are competent. However, 323 is more of an advanced course, unless my understanding of the University's course numbering system is flawed. It's with this class that I feel slightly more uneasy with a TA instructing.
Along the lines of my complaints in class, I have, of course, said that I thought Jon Stewart was a bad example of argument. Apparently, the TA does not agree.
In terms of my "getting drunk during Law & Order," I take exception for a few reasons, not the least of which is that I never drink during Law & Order. Jack McCoy deserves respect. Everyone drinks after Law & Order. In all seriousness, this argument is less for me than for the other people at the University. I typically don't use the library; I think I've been there twice. However, I know for a for a fact that there are a number of universities, Kansas being one of them, that has at least one library open. It's also a fact that the University of Illinois takes a great amount of pride in their libraries- none of which are open past three in the morning. There are times, and I know that you have most probably been there, where you're working on a paper the night before it's due, and you need one more source when you're pulling an all-nighter. Or maybe you just need to get out of the apartment in order to work someplace else. Some people, including myself, like to work later at night.
As to the wheelchair basketball team: I admit that the rant was in poor taste. It's one of those things that I've always had a bit of a quandary with. The guy that I was talking about is a friend of mine who happens to be in the same fraternity as me. Lars is about 6'1" and has full use of his legs, and all his other extremities for that matter. He's eligible for wheelchair basketball because of an injury that he sustained years ago while cliff diving. My statement in the last post was more an indictment of the establishment than of disabled sporting. That was a pretty poor decision on my part. Perhaps another lesson in choosing better examples.
My apologies go out to anyone who may have been insulted by the last post, which I have left in its entirety for purposes of posterity and future chastisement. Also, thanks to Suzanne for keeping me in line, as always. I like to think of her as the argumentative mother that I never had. I mean, I have a mother, she just doesn't argue with me like Suzanne does.