«  Wed.11.15.2000  » 11:26 pm EST        32°F (0°C) in Ann Arbor Today has been, in many ways, a monumental day. A number of very important things have occurred today; I will run down some of the most important here. First, I finally got up off my lazy ass and secured a new job. I will be working at Bursley Hall Dining Services, just a two-minute walk from my building. I will have three "permanent" shifts (that is, until the end of fall term) per week, and the occasional substitute shift. I will primarily be an "extra," meaning I can be assigned to whatever task is most needed at a particular time; however, I will have a specific assignment during one of those three weekly shifts. To the best of my knowledge, as of December 1, I shouldn't have major money worries anymore. My former employer received the first two of its Gillig Advantage T-40 low-floor buses that will eventually replace the entire fleet this morning. From what I'm told, the buses didn't have any problems during their cross-country trip from Hayward, CA. After a mechanical check, a safety inspection, and the installation of a two-way radio and other miscellaneous equipment, the two vehicles should see passenger service within a couple weeks. Speaking of my former employer, I spoke with an old friend earlier this evening. He told me the story of one of his current hallmates; apparently, said hallmate was an employee of the front desk at his residence hall. The hallmate went to some party and got drunk to the point of unconsciousness; he was taken to a hospital, where he recovered. Keep in mind, he was never ticketed or cited for intoxication; all that happened was that he was treated at the hospital. He returned to his reshall front desk to learn that he'd been fired, for something he did while not even representing his University employer. Sound familiar, loyal readers? This university has a serious problem with thinking it has a function in loco parentis. There are numerous examples of this all throughout student life; perhaps the best-known and most detested is the Code of Student Conduct, passed four years ago by the Board of Regents in virtual secrecy. The Code governs almost every imaginable aspect of student behavior, and what's worse yet, its scope of authority is unparalleled among legal codes. As long as you're a U-M student, the University can bring a Code case against you even for actions you take part in off campus. While neither of the two terminations I've mentioned involved Code violations (at least mine didn't -- I'm not sure of what the Code says about alcohol), both the relevant employers acted in such a manner to discipline their employees. That's another reason I'm seriously considering leaving school after this term -- I mean, even if I were in good academic standing, I'd still have to deal with the unconstitutional and arbitrarily enforced Code.