My last love letter: Inequalities Resign!

Dear my beloved students…

Yes, finally we reached the end of the semester. I declared to resign from teaching you all The class of JUS494 will also resign very soon, well, after you submit your final paper, of course!

Unfortunately, inequalities haven’t resigned yet….

But, after all, we can always hope for (and work towards) less and less social inequalities in our world… as reflected in the song we created together, in less than 5 minutes, in the class (yay, the one we composed while munching non-utilitarian pizzas!). It’s a utopian song…. occasionally being boldly optimistic could be helpful

:::
InEqualities Resign!

somewhere over the rainbow way up high
there’s a society where inequalities resign
somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue
there a place where nobody says i’m better than you

someday we wish upon the star and wake up where we all drive hybrid cars
where traffic jams and pollutions have given way to new solution of oil addiction…

somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue
there a place where nobody says i’m better than you

p.s. those who weren’t in the class, can hear the song here:
http://www.public.asu.edu/~mlim4/song/Lim_Inequality.mp3
:::

With this last JUS494 letter of mine, I also want to say thank you all for being great students. The class was awesome. I was impressed to see how most of you were willing to participate and engaged in class discussions. Of course, the most memorable one was the one on Robert Moses’ bridge early of the semester. I fell in love with the class that day!

This class is also unique in term of attendance. I was impressed to see the records — all sessions were very well attended — always around 80-90% (except the last day — oh, perhaps some of you had already spread your turkey wings and escaped for thanksgiving). Thanks for always being there, in the COOR 191! You don’t know how great I felt every time I saw all seats were filled.

I particularly enjoyed your blogs and your presentations. I can see how most of you grew and progressed tremendously in your understanding on complex and dynamic relationships of science/technology and society. I learned much from your reflections and your research papers.

In conclusion, I think I’m going to miss this class… This class was unique in the level of engagement and dialogue we have achieved.

I see this class as the beginning our journey in striving to be critical in assessing the ‘roles’ of science and technology, to keep moving forward as individuals and collective in liberating ourselves from various (technological) over-dependencies that sometimes are disguised under the terms of ‘progress and development’, to make conscious decisions that incline to alleviate to inequalities — to promote equalities instead, …. and ultimately to be agents of change.

Changes…. big and small, do matter.

Thank you! …..In one, five, ten, twenty years from now, I hope to hear great news about positive changes you have contributed to our society. Looking forward to hearing you tell me, “Alleviating inequalities is apparently possible!”

Oh, btw, from now on…. I warn you that every time you see benches, bridges, gas station, bicycle, and even pizzas….. you’d never see them in the same way again! *wink*

Have great Thanksgiving holidays….. and I wish you the best in your future endeavor!

your prof,
merlyna