Monday, September 12, 2011
Even if you are on sabbatical...
...dress appropriately when you go to your university. I was reminded of this an hour ago. I was still there, finishing up the day. I had to make some photocopies of a book that was overdue, so I went to the library. I was wearing a pair of jeans, sandals, and a t-shirt showing more cleavage than I would allow for my teaching clothes. My hair should have been washed this morning (it wasn't), and it could have certainly used something to make it less frizzy. In short, I was a mess. In one of the floors, there was some kind of reception going on. I didn't recognize anybody, until I literally trip into the president of the university. "Hi Spanish Prof," he says (and since when does he remember my name?). "Hi Father X..." Running into him always make me nervous, because I never know whether to call him "Father X" or by his first name. I know he doesn't mind, and most faculty call him by his first name. But I'm not used to call a priest by his first name. I switch back and forth. Add to that my less than professional appearance, and I was more nervous than usual. Without him asking anything, I just blurt: "I'm on sabbatical, I need to make photocopies. That's why I'm here," and then run away. I don't want to even think what he must have thought. Grrr....
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If it makes you feel any better, my first encounter with a priest at my Catholic undergrad institution was when he was manning the keg at my first college party :-)
ReplyDeleteThe first and only "retreat" I was forced to attend, the priest sitting next to me at dinner started bitching about the waiter because he had skipped him while refilling wine glasses. The amount of wine at that retreat was glorious.
ReplyDeleteOne 55 yr old male member of the Spanish faculty at my local university shows up on campus, and elsewhere in town, wearing filthy jeans that hang about 6 inches below his hips with several inches of plumber's crack exposed, a filthy shirt and disheveled hair. One day the department was interviewing prospective new faculty and I thought, "Oh, he will be dressed decently for once." I was wrong. Insulting to his fellow faculty members, his students and the university. But he has tenure. The other faculty members are always appropriately dressed and the Costa Rican is always very professional and extremely stylish. The local Mexican American students say that she is a model for them of successfully rising above local discrimination. The slob thinks the students will identify with his "hip-hop" lifestyle. Riiiiight.
ReplyDeleteI've never dressed "corporate" (I am in academia after all), but even as a grad student I dressed professionally. I don't have a particular "edgy" style anyway. I have an entire set of different outfits for the weekends. Somebody once gave me the minimum rule to follow as to what to wear when teaching; if you are wearing jeans, make them dark jeans and wear a nice shirt or blouse. If you are wearing a t-shirt, wear professional pants or a nice (and long enough) skirt. It's been the best advice I've ever received for that topic. And if I want to look hip to my students, I tell them of all the punk show concerts I've attended.
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