Blackboard and Firefox 3 - resolved!

I am sure that you have figured out that Firefox 3 and the Blackboard assignment manager do not get along. Frustrated with having to switch to Internet Explorer just to use Blackboard, I did a quick Google search and found that there is a workaround to make Blackboard think that you're really not using Firefox.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

The Spring 2009 term is upon us

In a day and change, the spring 2009 term will start up after the winter recess. Tomorrow is MLK Jr Day, something that ASU is focusing on part of its movements to be socially embedded. And there are no classes tomorrow.

But that changes Tuesday. And it's also the same day as Pres.-elect Obama's inauguration. This presents dilemmas for many of my friends. My colleague Sam Richard has been in DC since Saturday. I have a class that begins at 10.30am. (The swearing-in is at 10.00am Phoenix time.) I'm probably going to go to my class because it's the first meeting for that class, but then again, this is an historic moment for the US and for the world. (I'm sure that the Cronkite building is going to have a live feed of the inauguration. So perhaps I'll go there and see the oath of office, the first bit of Pres. Obama's speech, and then run to class.)

At any rate, it will be good to get back to classes. I've accomplished all I wanted to during the break, so I'm ready to start with classes again. I'll be back on the Tempe campus after a semester break. If you're wondering about getting from Downtown Phoenix to Tempe, check out some of my previous entries. They'll guide you in the right direction.

One more thing: the ASU College of Public Programs is now on Twitter! Twitter is a micro-blogging social media service. We're on @coppasu, or http://twitter.com/coppasu.

In closing, to all who start classes this week or who have already started both here and abroad, my best wishes for a sucessful semester.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Happy New Year 2009!

Happy New Year 2009!

I think I'm glad to see 2008 go away. It was one of the roughest years in American history and it always seems like a new year symbolically brings changes.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

An open letter to METRO's persistent naysayers

Every time I read an article on METRO Light Rail, I am shocked at all the negative (and naive) comments that readers post. I offer this open letter to everyone who is still vehemently opposed to METRO.

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but METRO Light Rail is here and it's slated to open up in 13 days. I know that many of you are opposed to METRO and think that through your persistent complaints on it that it's going to go away and the investment will suddenly make Arizona's budget crisis disappear. I know that $1.6billion is a lot of money, but it was spent when the economy was in fine shape.

First, some history. METRO was originally going to be a project just within the City of Phoenix. When the Transit 2000 bond in Phoenix passed on 14 March 2000, the original route was just over 13 miles long would have been METRO's alignment from Christown (19th Ave/Montebello) to the Airport (44th St/Washington). Through many iterations, the process became a regional effort and METRO Light Rail (as we know it today) was born. The Transit 2000 bond called for a 20-year, 0.4% sales tax (or $0.04 in tax on a $10 purchase) with a federal match of $600million to METRO and $200million to the bus system. That bond passed and we are here today. In 2004, Maricopa County voters approved Proposition 400, allowing for a regional sales tax of 0.5% ($0.05 in tax on a $10 purchase).

Second, the art. Phoenix city ordinance requires that 1% of the capital construction costs of all publicly-financed buildings/projects go to art. For METRO, the artwork goes to the stations. In addition to the architecture of the station, each station has its own identity that individual artists have put into that station. The Heard Museum (Central/Encanto) station, for instance, has artwork inspired by the cultures represented inside the Heard Museum. The Downtown Phoenix/City Hall (1st Ave/Jefferson southbound) has a mosaic of Arizona's own Sandra Day O'Connor because it is near the seat of Phoenix government. You say that the artwork will be defaced. There have been reputable studies by many institutions that artwork at a public gathering point decreases crime because it increases microregional (the area nearby) pride.

Third, the future. I know that the economy isn't all that great now, but nobody projected this back in 2000 when METRO started. For every $1 put into capital improvements like light rail, the return is $3-$4. As a result of METRO, investment in the 20-mile corridor has been significant. When the economy rebounds soon, you watch what will happen along the route. When the price of gasoline goes back to record levels, won't you want to be where you can live, shop, work, and play along the line? Or now: is sitting in traffic congestion to commute from the far exurbs of Phoenix to downtown Phoenix fun? I look at traffic congestion maps of the Valley during rush hours and I see more red than yellow or green. If your commute is 60-90 minutes each day one way, that's 2-3 hours per day stuck in traffic doing nothing and breathing toxic fumes. If you lived and worked along the METRO line, that is an extra 2-3 hours per day with the people you love.

A quick note on crime: you say that light rail and public transportation will bring crime into your neighborhoods. Evaluate that statement. If I was a criminal, I probably wouldn't take public transportation as my getaway vehicle! First, they're not all that fast; second, you would be in close quarters with other people watching what you're doing. This argument makes little sense.

I leave you with this: You say that public transportation is subsidized by taxpayer dollars. This is true; no system is completely self-sufficient. But aren't your roads also subsidized by taxpayer dollars? What return do we get from those? Aren't your schools subsidized by taxpayer dollars? What financial return do we get from those? What about your police and fire departments? Do we get a financial return from those?

I probably cannot speak for you, but I can speak for myself and all of my fellow residents who choose to live the urban lifestyle: we cannot wait for METRO to open up in 13 days.

METRO is reality and it is coming on 27 December 2008.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Thankful for getting it

If one wants an idea of how backwards some parts of the Valley of the Sun are, one has to look no further than the naming of a new high school in Gilbert. As preface, there has been some controversy over the name. The name approved by the Gilbert school board is Campo Verde HS. Campo Verde is Spanish for "green field". So, here's from Tuesday's Arizona Republic:

Almost 4,700 people filled out the survey conducted after the board received more than 100 angry e-mails about the name, which is Spanish for “green field.” Several complained that the name was Spanish and others said it was too generic. All argued that the district and board should have gotten public input beforehand, prompting a weeklong effort to gather suggestions via e-mail, a student focus group and an online survey. [emphasis mine]

Simply because the name is Spanish is an automatic criterion for disqualification? Really? Two words: GROW UP. On this eve of Thanksgiving, where we celebrate (among other things) the arrival of the Pilgrims from Europe, we are reminded that we are a nation of immigrants.

To make my point, I turn to Randall Munroe of the webcomic xkcd and Ryan North of dinosaur comics. Pardon their language but these comics prove my point eloquently:


from xkcd, #84 "National Language" by Randall Munroe


from dinosaur comics, 25 November 2008, by Ryan North

The point is this: there is not one true American culture. Like it or not, the US is one great melting pot of different races, cultures, languages, and creeds. To say that some is unacceptable because it doesn't reflect one culture's homogeneous beliefs is beyond absurd.

For what am I thankful this Thanksgiving? I'm thankful for people who understand and are tolerant of other cultures. I'm thankful for people that realize that the US is not just one culture but many cultures. I'm thankful for people that seek to end cultural stereotypes and cultural inequities. Or, in other words, I'm thankful for people who get it.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

The Downtown Phoenix Campus Chorale and Glee Club goes caroling!

Come join the Downtown Phoenix Campus Chorale and Glee Club spread winter cheer in downtown Phoenix.

To create a festive atmosphere around the Downtown Phoenix campus, the Downtown Phoenix Campus Chorale and Glee Club are going to go caroling around the campus on Wednesday December 10 in the afternoon and evening. So, come join us for a rehearsal on Thursday December 4 from 4.30-6pm in UCENT 286. We'll work on traditional holiday favorites and new music.

Come check us out on Facebook. Please forward this to anyone who might be interested in joining us! The more we have, the merrier the campus will be!

Best-
Edward Jensen

ASU Downtown Phoenix Campus Chorale and Glee Club

Ladies and gentlemen, it's official!

Like to sing? Want to be part of a new club at ASU Downtown? Then join the Downtown Phoenix Campus Chorale and Glee Club! With the holidays fast approaching, we’ll work on some festive carols and songs to mark the season. We’ll have an informational meeting on Friday November 21 from 2-3pm in UCENT164 (home of the Barrett Honors College on this campus). For more information, e-mail me by clicking here.

See you there-
Edward Jensen

Reactions on the Elections

As a student of urban policy and of infrastructure, these elections were very interesting to watch.

1. President: Obama won. I was impressed early on with his urban policy and his dedication to improve the infrastructure of America.
   
2. Arizona's Proposition 105 (majority rule): Fortunately, it's been defeated. Democracy still has a chance here in Arizona.
   
3. Arizona's Proposition 200 (payday loan system/usury 'reform'): Despite the record amount of money spent in Arizona by the payday loan industry, the voters saw that this wasn't the promised reform and it's been defeated.
   
4. California's Proposition 1a (high-speed rail in California): California will get a decent high-speed rail system. It will be interesting to see how that goes. Perhaps Arizona will get with it as part of a regional rail system between California and Arizona...
   

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Discover Phoenix

Downtown Phoenix has a lot of interesting places.

My favorite place is Symphony Hall when the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra are performing. I've been to a couple of PSO performances - Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra on 11 September and Haydn's Creation on 4 October - and there are a lot of great performances to follow in this season.

The PSO have an incredible student tickets program. For advance sales, students can get 25% off any ticket price from the Phoenix Symphony box office (1 N. 2nd St.). For those seeking some adventure, students can get $10 rush tickets starting an hour before the performance. And new this season is the College Club Card, where $30 gets you access to all of the Classics 16 concerts.

For the uninitiated to the symphonic repertory, there are a lot of great works left this season. I recommend Brahms Symphony 1 on 13 and 15 November, Beethoven Piano Concerto 4 on 5 and 7 February 2009, and Stravinsky's Firebird on 19 and 21 November. (All of these concerts are available on the College Club Card, too!)

The full PSO schedule is online here and the Classics 16 series schedule is online here. If you want a recommendation, e-mail me.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Midterms, midterms, midterms

[Author's note: This entry is a part of the "Blog of the Week" series that my colleagues and I are writing. This week, we focus on how we are preparing for midterm examinations.]

Ah, yes, the dreaded midterm examinations. Since this is the seventh week of courses here at Arizona State University, they're due up. The interesting thing with taking 300- and 400-level courses (read: junior & senior) is that there aren't that many examinations. I'm taking four actual classes (the fifth is an independent study course), two of which are at the 200-level (sophomore) and the other two in the 400-level. For instance, I'm in STP226, or Elements of Statistics. This morning, I had my second midterm examination for that course. Since I like mathematics (I know, it's my vice), and also since I've had exposure to this in high school, there wasn't a lot of preparation. Generally, I consult briefly (read: 20-30 minutes total) the notes of the material that is eligible to be on the exam, try some practice problems, and then move on.

But one course that I'm not looking forward to the midterm is my other 200-level course, ECN211 (Macroeconomic Principles). Since I have not had previous exposure to the material, it's considerably more time-consuming and more challenging. What I have done in situations like this (to some degree of success) is merge the notes that I have taken in class with what the textbook says. By doing this, you reinforce what you have learned in class with what the book says. This is because instructors rarely just teach from the book. Let me reiterate this: INSTRUCTORS RARELY JUST TEACH FROM THE BOOK. They supplement the book with their take. (This is also why reading the book before class is helpful.)

The exam for the latter is Monday the 13th (is this bad luck?) but I should be ready for it.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Blog entries of the week

My fellow StARs and I are starting a new weekly series of blog entries called "Blogs of the Week". Each week, my six fellow colleagues will focus on a specific topic about university life, downtown Phoenix, current events, and even some light-hearted items.

Some highlights of the schedule are (the dates represent the beginning of that week):

• September 28: What is the most important thing I have learned in school so far?
• October 5: Midterm examinations
• October 19: When I graduate from ASU, what do I aspire to be?
• October 26: Discover Phoenix (favorite places in downtown Phoenix)
• November 30: Reflections on the semester
• December 7: Hints and our stories for final examinations
  

Like I've mentioned above, these are highlights from the schedule. But it is by no means complete and definitely not set in concrete yet. If there's a big event or breaking news going on, we'll talk about that. We want your thoughts, too. What's something on which you want our thoughts? What's important to you?

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Dealing with Disruptive Students

One of the most disheartening things about being in a large class is that there is bound to be a student (or two) that feels that they have to disrupt learning and challenge most everything that the instructor says. I call these antagonistic students.

True, it is the instructor's responsibility to teach and the student's responsibility to learn. It is not - or should not - the student's responsibility to interrupt that which the instructor has created. What can we, as students (remember that I am a student, too) do to deal with this?

The first thing I do, if I have a gut-feeling that nothing bad can happen, I would engage the student in conversation to ask them to refrain from talking while the instructor is speaking. Often times, they'll understand, but other times, they won't. Sadly, they might try to make life a little more difficult for you.

The next thing would be to talk to the instructor during their office hours or send them a quick e-mail asking them to monitor the situation. I would prefer the office hours route, because it subconsciously makes this a personal issue. And that way, the instructor will be on your side in the issue.

But, alas, if the situation doesn't resolve through this level, talk to your academic advisor about what's going on. They can talk to someone on an academic level - and quite possibly refer you to them - to resolve this issue.

As always, if you have questions about what to do with antagonistic students, don't hesitate to give me or my fellow Student Ambassadors. Send us an e-mail by clicking here or call us on (602) 496-7827.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen

Fifth week reflections

Today marks the start of the fifth week of class here at ASU. I think that this is a good time to talk a bit about classes.

I went to a small high school about a mile north of the Downtown Phoenix campus. To provide some numbers, my graduating class had thirty-five students. Of the 35, half of us traveled from class to class together and the other half did likewise. Essentially, I have been in small class settings before so I am relatively used to them.

Of the classes that meet in a location at a specific time (i.e. not online or independent study courses), two have 35-40 students (each) in them. In these two classes, I think that I am the only student from the College of Public Programs. The rest are from the other colleges on the Downtown Phoenix campus. The other two meet on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Those are significantly smaller, with five and eight people in those classes, respectively.

Something about these small classes and the format thereof is that everyone has to be on the ball. These are discussion-driven courses (here, they're called seminars) so you have to do the assigned readings. But you know what? I'd prefer these small seminars over a large lecture any day. The largest class in which I've been had 196 students. True, it's medium-sized by ASU's standards but it was extremely large by my standards.

Cheers-
Edward Jensen