ET'd

February 12, 2014

ET in Peace Corps jargon does not mean Extra-Terrestrial, it means “Early Termination” and today I am ET’d. The Acting Dean of the College of Natural Science just couldn’t handle me anymore. He decided to terminate my “employment” as an instructor here at the university, effective immediately. His reasons are what he considers violations of university policies and have nothing to do with academics. When this happens to a Peace Corps Response person, immediate dismissal from the country is in order.

This notification from the Peace Corps comes without any hint. To say it comes as a shock to me and others is an understatement. The arrival of the Peace Corps Country Director along with 12,000 additional condoms left me unprepared. This is the way things work around this university; stated policies are ignored or overlooked. Any of my transgressions happen routinely for others. One can summarize as a conflict of personalities. I guess I took Peace Corps mantra that we are “Agents for Change” a little too literally.

In a few days, I shall be a private US Citizen in Liberia and leaving Peace Corps sadly liberates me to continue with my projects. Support for my projects is wide-spread and affect hundreds of students and villagers alike. This fact makes me confident I can make an impact. Within hours students have located off-campus housing for me, others are reassured of my continuing support, albeit less visible on campus. I can directly help those people who really are appreciative of almost any kind of assistance.

The Peace Corps concern is that I go quietly into the night on the next flight to America. Both they and the university fear I may start a student uprising for which they are rightfully concerned. Although causing a ruckus might be fun, it destroys my primary reason for being here, to help Liberians. Leaving at this time puts all my projects and efforts into the trash can.  

What lies ahead is going to be an adjustment to a life style, like the other Peace Corps Volunteers. Gone may be the conveniences and certainly the porch view I now enjoy at my apartment on campus, my shower and ability to bake bread among them, but I will be living with Liberians and that makes it all worthwhile.

The reason I can stay on is the support from my wife, Mary, and family. “Stay as long as you feel you are doing something”, and “This is your MO”, Mary says. “I am proud of you”, says my youngest daughter, Kim. I burst with pride knowing they understand me. How can a man so blessed?

I often say, “If it doesn't make you anxious, it is not worth doing”. Well, I am anxious, that is a good sign. Sleepless nights seem to accompany “brilliant ideas”. I am now filled with encouragement for the future.

The books I have returned to the library along with a visit to the dean to return his books, the Histology tissue slides I purchased during my Christmas trip, a computer copy of all my class lectures for the coming semester, and to wish him good luck. The students are forgiven who I failed for cheating in accordance with university policy along with the charade of the university’s final exam program. The lack of consequences continues as long as tuition is paid in full. Their education and Liberia’s efforts to pull itself out of its own self-inflicted spiral continues.

As a footnote, the dean walks by my apartment for the first time during evening stroll time. I cordially greet him and offer my support to whoever is the new instructor, as well as, inviting him to my apartment to share a beer. He responds to my invitation asking why I now in invite him for a beer.  I say, you were my dean, I have never had any faculty to my house, and this is the first time I have ever noticed by my apartment. Now I ask you as a friend to join me. He says, “You didn't ask me first, whether I even drink beer”. I reply, “It is customary in America to invite first, and then have the respondent say he does not drink beer”. “Well, I don’t drink beer”, he says. So it goes as it did all semester, a failure to communicate.