1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: I have cancer, but my professor demands I turn on 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: my zoom camera. Fine, all show or something. She'll never forget. 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 2: You know, we get these stories every once in a 4 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 2: while and it's like you ask why so hard that 5 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:18,799 Speaker 2: your brain just explodes. I know it, make it make sense. 6 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:23,440 Speaker 2: Although like sometimes professors are just assholes. Bro, just asshole. 7 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 2: I don't like, thank you so cool because you have 8 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:31,480 Speaker 2: your fancy degree. Wow, I could write on chalkboard too. Yeah, 9 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 2: you idiot, idiot. 10 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: All right, So there are two important background things to 11 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: know before the story. Yes, one, I was diagnosed with 12 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,160 Speaker 1: a rare ovarian cancer at the beginning of this year. 13 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 1: I had surgery and some chemo and mostly and recovered. 14 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: Now I still have to go in for frequent testing 15 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: and occasional monitoring. I'm a private person to the extent 16 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: that I have data people for years without telling my parents, 17 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: So you best believe my coworkers and bosses are unaware 18 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: of my medical history. Oh number two, I attend a 19 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: university that has an ambassador program. Basically, if you have 20 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: a high enough GPA, you are able to interview for 21 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: the program, and if you get in, they pay you 22 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: your tuition during the time you're an ambassador in exchange. 23 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: You work five hours a week and work graduation slash 24 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: other events. I am one of the ambassadors and this 25 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: is my story. 26 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 3: Now. 27 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 2: Wait, is it basically free tuition or they get their 28 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 2: tuition covered and get paid? 29 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: Like? 30 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 3: Are they getting twenty thousand dollars. 31 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: For your tuition while you're in the program? 32 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 3: Right? So basically no tuition? 33 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 1: Yeah? 34 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 3: Got it? 35 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: Got it? God. So my supervisor for the ambassador program, 36 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: miss m what you're doing, has spent the majority of 37 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: our time together belittling me. As I sit here about 38 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: to type about her, I find myself already exasperated thinking 39 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: about reliving some of these details. So I will be 40 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: short sweet, for both your sake and mine. She follows 41 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: every rule to the letter and leaves no room for 42 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: collaboration or discussion. She's essentially a freaking robot that just 43 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: follows the rules. Goody two shoes. 44 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 2: Here is your paper. You have written words, Hey, goody 45 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 2: two shoes. Take those shoes off. Yes that's right, donate 46 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 2: them to good Will? Yeah, let the homeless wear them, 47 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 2: hit them? Follow the rules? 48 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 3: What are you doing? 49 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: As an example, we use Microsoft Teams for communication, and 50 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: she has this clock in and out in a group 51 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,239 Speaker 1: of twenty people by saying I'm here and I'm leaving. 52 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: So every day you have to scroll through dozens of 53 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: messages to find anything of import and listen to notifications 54 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,519 Speaker 1: sounds every time someone so much as takes a lunch break. 55 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh. 56 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: I suggest using the time clock function on teams, and 57 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: there's a time clock function on teams. 58 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 3: Wow. Wow. 59 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: Even offered to set it up for us, but was 60 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: told I was deliberately undermining her position. 61 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, you idiots. How dare you have a good idea? 62 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: Did she sounds like Professor Umbridge from Harry Potter? 63 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:54,399 Speaker 3: Yeah. 64 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: Five. Another example is her vemiance when I told her 65 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:00,920 Speaker 1: I didn't have any social media to adverage to college. 66 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,239 Speaker 1: She was certain I was lying and went so far 67 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: as to ask the other ambassadors to try and find me. 68 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,399 Speaker 1: That's to be like breaking some kind of code. That's 69 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: freaking weird. Good god they didn't. There's nothing to find. 70 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: Crazy concept. I've challenged her a couple of junctures, but 71 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: ultimately realized I was fighting a losing battle and I'd 72 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: be better just keeping my head down. Yeah. Fast forward 73 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: to four days ago, Friday. There's a mandatory virtual event 74 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: in three days Monday, where the Dean of the college 75 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 1: would talk to the ambassadors as well as live stream 76 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: the event to the college's website and YouTube page. I 77 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: see Miss EM sent out a message that I will 78 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: copy and paste here because the information is so dramatic 79 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: that it makes me truckle and I quote, students must 80 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: have their cameras on, end, phones off, repeat, phones off, 81 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: cameras on. Like, come on, lady, bold caps or italics. 82 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: Your email gave me a stroke. There's bold caps and 83 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: italics that you mail anyway. I follow up the same day, 84 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: Miss M. Unfortunately, I will be at a doctor's appointment 85 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: at the time and will be unable to turn my 86 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: camera on during the event. So not that I have 87 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: a doctor appointment and I can't they can't make it. 88 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: I have a doctor's appointment and I can't turn on 89 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: myke Like. 90 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 3: Op, he's already going way above and beyond. 91 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, and no response from Miss M. I send another 92 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: email to follow up. No response either. The day of 93 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 1: the event rolls around and I direct message her through 94 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: Microsoft Teams. This seems like an ad for Microsoft Teams. 95 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 3: Yeah. 96 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: Ten minutes before I see that she's seen the message 97 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 1: with read receipts and still nothing. 98 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:41,359 Speaker 3: What are you doing? 99 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: Okay? Well, the video chat starts and several students join 100 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 1: the session with their cameras on. Then the dean joins. 101 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: He gets halfway through introducing himself and Miss M interrupts 102 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: him as he takes a brief pause and says, excuse me, 103 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: can we please have all of the students turn their 104 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: cameras on? All of them? Why? I say nothing but 105 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: put a quick message. I have already typed in anticipation 106 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: in the group chat, saying, and I quote Miss M, 107 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: I have a private situation that bars me from turning 108 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: on my camera. I've contacted you individually, very reasonable, not 109 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:18,919 Speaker 1: but a few seconds after I send it, I get 110 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: called out by name no and I respond audibly missus M, 111 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 1: I cannot turn on my camera at this time, and 112 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: she responds, the expectations were clear, and you were told 113 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: multiple times about this. Every other student has managed to 114 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: do it, and I expect the same from you. 115 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:37,679 Speaker 2: God. 116 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 1: One of the cool things about having cancer is that 117 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 1: you got very familiar with the hospital staff, and if 118 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: you're lucky, they're very fun to talk to. During COVID, 119 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 1: my nurses were my tethers to sanity because no one 120 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: would visit me while I had an impatient infusions. So 121 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: I told one of the nurses Amy about the situation beforehand. 122 00:05:57,360 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 1: She joked that if I was told to turn my 123 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 1: camera on, I should really play up my illness. In 124 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: any other situation, I would have been entirely opposed, but 125 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 1: sweet revenge was insight and I couldn't resist or just 126 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 1: taste it. When I replay it in my head, I 127 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 1: imagine the anime fist clenching thing when the protagonist resolves 128 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 1: to get his revenge. I set my laptop back a 129 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:24,040 Speaker 1: bit further from myself on my legs so you can 130 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: see the entirety of me in my hospital Reggaea teams 131 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 1: will display the person currently talking as the largest image 132 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: in the chat. Everyone had their audio off except me, 133 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 1: the dean, and missus M, so when I turned my 134 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: camera on, I was displayed as the EKG loudly thrummed 135 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: away on max volume thanks to Amy silence me. I 136 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: asked Missus M through email and teams if I could 137 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:55,159 Speaker 1: opt out of having camera on, but she insisted. I 138 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: waited a beat to see if anyone would say anything, 139 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: and then continued with my special vocal blend of melodramatic 140 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:07,160 Speaker 1: gratitude and illness, late and shaking. Its virtual engagement is 141 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: so important for this new era of learning. I can 142 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: see why having on the camera is important. Though I 143 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: was hoping I might be granted an exception for my situation. 144 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 3: This is amazing. 145 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: Then the dean responds, Miss R you are more than 146 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: welcome to turn your camera off. I am so sorry 147 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: for the misunderstanding me. Thank you so much for making 148 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 1: this special exception for me. It's been a difficult week, 149 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: but I feel grateful to be here. Then two people 150 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: leave the call, one with missus M and the other 151 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 1: was Anthony, who is missus AM's boss. 152 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 3: Oh. 153 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: I haven't heard from either of them yet, but I'm 154 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: waiting with anticipation to find out what happens next. 155 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 2: Damn, but wow, that is man shout out to op. 156 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 2: That is That is delicious, delicious revenge. 157 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 1: I hope miss Adams got some reprimanding my very least. 158 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 2: Please, I would have been. I would have wanted to 159 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 2: be like, oh no, it's it's okay, mister Dean. 160 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 3: I am here. 161 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 2: As per Missus M's instructions, she is right. Yeah, I 162 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 2: should be on this. 163 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: Against against my doctors and nurses recommendation, I have delegate. 164 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 1: I have dedicated myself to this very stressful and taxing 165 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: this zoom call is more important than my health and 166 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: my safety, my life thinking. 167 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 3: Oh gosh, you had you had a story. 168 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:35,560 Speaker 1: You wanted to Oh yeah, yeah, so well this is 169 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 1: related to when we were doing our poetry session at 170 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:38,079 Speaker 1: the beginning. 171 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 3: Oh was that even this? 172 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 1: Maybe that was the one before. 173 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 2: So now we're completely We Sam had a poetry thing, 174 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:47,319 Speaker 2: but now we're completely So I went. 175 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: To Mexico this past weekend and I went to this 176 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: old fishing village called Boca and it was super super cute, 177 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 1: and we had Arianna and I had woken up early 178 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: in the morning and went on a run and like 179 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: journaled on the beach and I just felt inspired to 180 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: write like poetry, and so I wrote, I wrote poetry 181 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:12,720 Speaker 1: about Arianna. I love that, and then read it to 182 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 1: her and she was swooning, right, she loved it. And 183 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 1: then a couple days later, I'm getting dinner with my 184 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:24,439 Speaker 1: family and marian is there and my mom was like, 185 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: my dad had written something for my grandparents, like sixty 186 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:37,319 Speaker 1: eighth sixty eighth wedding anniversary and my mom was like, Frank, 187 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:43,559 Speaker 1: that was a four out of ten wedding anniversary speech, 188 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 1: and he's like, I tried my best. And then I 189 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 1: was like, arian was like, oh, like Sam, Sam wrote 190 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: me a poem the other day, and like, my mom's like, 191 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 1: what would you rate it? And she was like a 192 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:00,360 Speaker 1: seven out of ten? And I'm like, bro, I poured 193 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: out my fricking heart to you on a beach and 194 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:07,559 Speaker 1: you're rating my love at seven out of ten? Are 195 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 1: you fucking kidding me? And then she's like she was 196 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: trying to backtrack, and she's like, well, your dad gave 197 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:20,559 Speaker 1: a four out of ten for I want to make 198 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 1: sure that I'm not like that. I'm leaving room for improvement. 199 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, that's that's that's incredible. I thought I 200 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 2: thought you were going to say like Ariana had secretly 201 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 2: like told your mom, and your mom was like, actually, 202 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 2: this is what a real poem looks like. 203 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:40,320 Speaker 3: It just stood up and just like just spoke this 204 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 3: poem with her. 205 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 1: She's just like great. She's like with a red pen, 206 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,199 Speaker 1: just like cross his lines out, bad punctuation. 207 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 2: That is a little bit more in line with your mom. 208 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 3: Well, you know what. I I rate your poems left 209 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 3: out of ten. 210 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 1: Thanks, baby, that's a baby.