Seeing as how it's the 13th week of classes, I'd like to take this time to make an announcement to everyone in my discussion sections. Hi everyone in my discussion sections, my name is Kevin, and I'm in your discussion section.
This statement might seem redundant. It might seem unnecessary. However, that is completely untrue—surprisingly little discussion occurs in the so-called discussion sections and nobody knows anybody. I've gone entire semesters knowing less than 10 percent of my section, and the number was only that high because I knew a couple people from my real life. It's facts like these that make my introduction so relevant.
I'm not ignorant, I do notice some of the people in my sections. Sure, I don't remember their names, I just remember defining traits which will stick out to me. This allows me to identify which blob speaks nonsense all the time versus one who is capable of making intelligent points.
Currently, in my sections I have such great classmates as guy who was in a previous discussion section, but I never learned his name,\ ""girl who thinks she's smarter than everyone… but she's not"" and ""guy who may or may not be one of my friend's brothers"" If so, hi Kyle!
What's weird is at the start of every semester, every TA leads their class in a game of get-to-know-you icebreaker. This seems like it would be a perfect way to get to know people in the class and what their dreams and aspirations are.
Unfortunately, what tends to happen is you don't remember anyone's names, but you do learn that just about everyone likes pizza—unless pizza causes them to die, then you find out that they don't like pizza, maybe.
I see only one solution to this problem—alcohol, glorious alcohol. It's a well known fact that the class that drinks together stays together. This knowledge actually comes from Socrates, for it's a well known fact that he and Plato drained bottles of Everclear as a form of bonding—I mean seriously, how else could anyone explain the togas?
The only problem I see with this idea is it might violate various local, state, national and possibly global laws, since it would not look good for a government institution to sponsor the younger members of the class in their drinking escapades.
This fact is unfortunate.
Some of the finest memories I'll take away from this institution are when I've seen my TAs plastered at a bar. It's an occurrence that happens few and far between, but when it happens I'll always make certain to find a discussion section classmate, so we can regale in our TA's shenanigans.
I might only know this person from discussion, and I can't put a name with a face, but I know we can grow together by watching our TA make a fool of himself.
With this, I say goodbye, my discussion section. Someday we shall bond, someday we shall go out on the town and hopefully our TA will get hammered. That's the only way we'll ever make Socrates proud.
To find out if Kevin likes pizza and if he's in one of your discussions, e-mail him at KevinNelson@wisc.edu.
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