Thread: A thoughtful statement on WW
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dpb dpb is offline
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Default A thoughtful statement on WW
wrote:
On Nov 2, 8:07 am, dpb wrote:

'Tis interesting to consider whether most of these current students here
and there will still be following their new track down the road when
things have turned around as inevitably will. At that point will he
then write a letter decrying the lack of interest in woodworking?

I think that is a very astute observation and an excellent point.
Once things get "back on track", the interest in a perceived more
simple life full of simple pleasures will go away.

All the self doubt, the self examination of where we went wrong as a
society, etc., that leads folks to a yearning for "the old ways" will
be gone when unemployment goes down and money is easier to come by.

....[elided rest of excellent posting simply for brevity]...

But the good news is that we will be able to read about the few that
hang in there and decide they really like it. Those few will show up
in the woodworking magazines with a mini bio next to their work
talking about how they "left it all behind one day".

Baloney. Those few are excepetions. Times change but people don't. I
would say, don't add too much to the college now unless you are going
to get the feed from the folks that can no longer afford the state run
schools.

As always.... just my opinion.

And that last is, Robert, a most astute observation indeed...

We are a part of the State regents' system and as community college/tech
school (these two were merged in KS as of last year by legislative
decree unless tech schools chose to become fully commercial/independent
non-tax-district entities) and as such are and must be very attuned to
local needs in what is a very rural community.

There are always (particularly the younger, of course) those instructors
or department chairs that see the momentary increase and immediately do
petition to add programs or other expansive plans. We are very careful
to not follow such trends too closely and only after we are sure there
is and will be a long-term future in an area will we add anything more
than perhaps some temporary staff.

(For a little in late summer it looked like I might have to teach an
intro-engineering class or two but fortunately was finally able to find
and--more importantly--coerce somebody else into it... )

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