Big Changes are Comin'

And in most parts of my life.

In the school: This term's professor will NOT be continuing into next year. We've known for a while that they were looking for a candidate for next term to take over THREE classes (Majors, Advanced, and the first year class for a professor heading to East Asia - I can't recall it it's Cambodia again, or Beijing.), but his name was in and we were hopeful. It also looks like it will be the woman whose class I almost took first term, whom I believe to be a perfectly good teacher (So long as I get to throw more.) I was told at one point she wasn't even standing as a candidate, but I've heard several other unreliable speculations as time goes on.

Our current prof has another class, and will be staying on in the building, but it sounds like they gave him that ahead of time, partly because they didn't expect, or intend, him to get the full-time spot.

What annoys a lot of people is that a reasonably popular prof who's been teaching first-year ceramics for a while also didn't even get interviewed. I'm not sure what i think, as I wasn't in on the discussions. I think I'd be happy with any of the above, and likely many of the outsiders they have also interviewed; ceramics has been batting pretty high on good and accessible teachers.

BUt it is going to require a bit of a change in gears.

____________________

Our current Baron and Baroness are stepping down for personal reasons. They don't want to discuss what the personal reasons are -- We have reliable information that they and their families are physically healthy. I have probably reliable information on the details, but will respect their wishes in not elaborating.

I will also, since frisky_turtle sometimes reads this, say I wish them both well, and send my love.

The short version, though, is that we will likely have a Vicar for Twelfth Night (Probably our current Seneschal, Berengaria, who is stepping down then anyhow), and be having a new Baron and Baroness step up in June. Nominations are open until the week before Twelfth Night. So far, I know for a fact of one couple and one singleton nominated.

Colin asked me if we wanted to let our names stand. (Later, someone else asked him the same).

In spite of my fascination with the process (I asked the most questions at the Folkmoot, albeit partly because I suspected our crop of new people might not know enough to know what to ask.) I was uncertain about this. True, it would kick in *after* the currently insane business of my life is done. True that the demands aren't actually *That* high. (We'd have to travel more -- but not necessarily much further, or at great expense. The oaths of fealty aren't problematic in themselves, although they force some of the travel. I already do quarterly reports.)

Also true that there are other plans in our lives which could make our lives even busier sometime in the unknown future. And other complications. And a lot of the things that fall to the Baron and Baroness that are unspoken would add to the muddle: I'd want to hold myself to a higher standard of garb. I'd probably want to get myself a name and personal device I can actually register, which likely means having to change my whole name. It would also mean finessing a number of politics - supporting activities in the Barony is relatively easy, but that's far from the end of it. I'm reasonably good at politics, and inclined to forge straight into them, not hide from them, but that doesn't mean I enjoy them.

(ETA: Of course, I am fully aware that Colin and I have a pretty low chance of being voted in even if we stand - there's a pretty obvious set considered Most Likely to get it if they stand - but if we do, I won't do it just so there's some appearance of competition, I want to think through all potential consequences, and put earnest thought into it. it's a long-term position, after all.)

_____________________

And as for actual politics in the real world? I just hope the budget fails when it comes up again (Unless so much of it is changed that it is no longer the same budget), and the coalition can keep its ass together long enough to kick Harper out.

Big Changes are Comin'

And in most parts of my life.

In the school: This term's professor will NOT be continuing into next year. We've known for a while that they were looking for a candidate for next term to take over THREE classes (Majors, Advanced, and the first year class for a professor heading to East Asia - I can't recall it it's Cambodia again, or Beijing.), but his name was in and we were hopeful. It also looks like it will be the woman whose class I almost took first term, whom I believe to be a perfectly good teacher (So long as I get to throw more.) I was told at one point she wasn't even standing as a candidate, but I've heard several other unreliable speculations as time goes on.

Our current prof has another class, and will be staying on in the building, but it sounds like they gave him that ahead of time, partly because they didn't expect, or intend, him to get the full-time spot.

What annoys a lot of people is that a reasonably popular prof who's been teaching first-year ceramics for a while also didn't even get interviewed. I'm not sure what i think, as I wasn't in on the discussions. I think I'd be happy with any of the above, and likely many of the outsiders they have also interviewed; ceramics has been batting pretty high on good and accessible teachers.

BUt it is going to require a bit of a change in gears.

____________________

Our current Baron and Baroness are stepping down for personal reasons. They don't want to discuss what the personal reasons are -- We have reliable information that they and their families are physically healthy. I have probably reliable information on the details, but will respect their wishes in not elaborating.

I will also, since frisky_turtle sometimes reads this, say I wish them both well, and send my love.

The short version, though, is that we will likely have a Vicar for Twelfth Night (Probably our current Seneschal, Berengaria, who is stepping down then anyhow), and be having a new Baron and Baroness step up in June. Nominations are open until the week before Twelfth Night. So far, I know for a fact of one couple and one singleton nominated.

Colin asked me if we wanted to let our names stand. (Later, someone else asked him the same).

In spite of my fascination with the process (I asked the most questions at the Folkmoot, albeit partly because I suspected our crop of new people might not know enough to know what to ask.) I was uncertain about this. True, it would kick in *after* the currently insane business of my life is done. True that the demands aren't actually *That* high. (We'd have to travel more -- but not necessarily much further, or at great expense. The oaths of fealty aren't problematic in themselves, although they force some of the travel. I already do quarterly reports.)

Also true that there are other plans in our lives which could make our lives even busier sometime in the unknown future. And other complications. And a lot of the things that fall to the Baron and Baroness that are unspoken would add to the muddle: I'd want to hold myself to a higher standard of garb. I'd probably want to get myself a name and personal device I can actually register, which likely means having to change my whole name. It would also mean finessing a number of politics - supporting activities in the Barony is relatively easy, but that's far from the end of it. I'm reasonably good at politics, and inclined to forge straight into them, not hide from them, but that doesn't mean I enjoy them.

(ETA: Of course, I am fully aware that Colin and I have a pretty low chance of being voted in even if we stand - there's a pretty obvious set considered Most Likely to get it if they stand - but if we do, I won't do it just so there's some appearance of competition, I want to think through all potential consequences, and put earnest thought into it. it's a long-term position, after all.)

_____________________

And as for actual politics in the real world? I just hope the budget fails when it comes up again (Unless so much of it is changed that it is no longer the same budget), and the coalition can keep its ass together long enough to kick Harper out.