The Ultimate Bandwidth Problem
When you really can't teach at all
Week 2, Fall Quarter. Ten minutes before my class (and in the middle of my husband's class), a big truck went bombing down our street, taking the overhead wires with it. Suddenly, we were without internet or telephone, and the street landscape had a certain "Brobdingnagian spaghetti" feel to it. My phone battery was far from full, but I was able to text our Department Manager; I asked her to let my students know that there would be no Zoom class that day. I'm fairly certain they did not mind the gift of time, and it helped humanize me as a professor--I have tech problems just like they do. The take-away here? Always have a "TBA" day on your syllabus calendar--I'm glad I did!
About the Contributor
Andrea Pappas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art History. Her research focuses on questions of the production (artist-centered) and reception (audience-centered) aspects of art, visual, and material culture.