Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Blue Mountain College

One day, I got a call from Blue Mountain College in Mississippi. They wanted me to come out there and talk with them about teaching Drama. They were an all-girls school about an hour south of Memphis. They offered to pay for my plane ticket. I flew out on a Thursday and was met at the airport by the Academic Dean. I was going to stay at his house. It was a small town with the college taking up the majority of the area. I noticed that the Dean didn't lock the door to his house. He said that the last crime in the town was a guy passing through who stole food. It was like Mayberry. Over the next 2 days, I was introduced to most of the faculty and some of the students. They showed me where I would live and where I would teach. It seemed to be a done deal. I also met with the president. He told me that they wanted one musical a year, in addition to the other plays. I wasn't very keen on musicals, because they required more work than a regular play, but I told the president that we could compromise on that. As the Dean drove me back to the airport on Saturday, he told me that they were very impressed with me, and they would let me know when to report for work. They would also send me a check for the airfare. I thanked him and flew back to SC. One week passed, and no word. Two weeks passed, and no word. I finally called him, and he said they had decided on someone else. Okay, I know the game. But, I had to write to the president and literally beg for them to send me a check to cover the airfare. Then, I decided to do a little checking. After I left, they called the seminary to ask for my transcripts, and someone there told them not to hire me, because I was a troublemaker. I could go anywhere in the world with my Master's degree in Communications. I just couldn't get hired with it. When I got back, I looked into secondary school teaching. I could get a certificate in NC, as they recognized the seminary's education courses, but not in SC. I was screwed, so I had to find other work.

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