Cynematik • Cyndi Greening

Judgment day approaches … and quickly. Next Tuesday, October 23, the Governing Board convenes to decide my fate. Please come to the hearing and speak your piece. I’d appreciate your support and I am told that students and former students are welcome and heard at the board meetings. It is at 6:30 p.m. at 2411 W. 14th Street in Tempe (the big copper-colored building on the Broadway curve).

Dr. Glasper has made his recommendation and it was a tad disappointing. He did NOT recommend termination but did recommend suspension for the rest of the academic year. All in all, a very clever move. Who the heck can live for a year without a job? And, given that I just spent a year working on a film and sunk all of my money into that project, it’s not like I’ve got a wealth of reserves to draw on.

So, the good news, no cause for termination. The bad news, discipline that encourages me to leave MCCD forever.

I’ve spent the last few days reflecting on my sixteen years with MCCD and, I have to say, I feel good about all of the wonderful students that I had. I am so proud of so many of them. Heck, I’ve got former students working at nearly every print shop, many industries, tons of web companies, media companies and businesses all over the state … and even in the U.S. They write the most amazing letters of their successes and it is awesome. I’ve been pretty lucky to teach some pretty talented people and then be able to hear about it.

And, I have to say, the FilmZambia experience was just incredible. The students and faculty who went on that trip were touched, moved and inspired. They have all gone on to bigger and better work. Last week, we heard from Zambia. Since we were there, THREE films have been made. One of our stated goals was to help build the industry in that country. Can you believe it? Our naivete and blind faith paid off. They are doing it.

So, our films may never see the light of day … or the light of the projector bulb … but we know that we helped get things going for Zambia AND we know that the crew benefitted greatly from this educational and cultural experience. I feel dang good about that.

Alec’s Birthday

My boy turns 20 on Saturday. How amazing is that?! I found a cheap plane ticket last week (only $261 round trip), so I get to go to NYC to see him this weekend. I’ll be with him on his golden birthday and get to be with my tiny, nuclear family and forget about all of this MCCD mess for a few hours. That will be excellent. I’ll get to spend his golden birthday with him. For some reason, no one seems to know what that is … you know, it’s when your age is the same as the date … 10 on the 10th, 12 on the 12th, 20 on the 20th. He’s talking about walking all over and how the high temp is 50° in NYC each day. I don’t know if that sounds fun … but being with him sure will be. He called tonight on his way home from the editing house. Most of the time, I can hardly believe he’s there. Oh well, look out Big Apple … the boy and I will be painting the town red.