College Work in Ariel

Last night I got a panicky call from someone on the staff of The College of Judea and Samaria, in Ariel. Actually, it's a real university, with a couple of Masters programs.

Back to the story...
They needed more people to test students orally in English. I answered that I had to first find out if I'd be teaching today. Towards the end of the school year, the regular schedule isn't followed. I said that I'd be glad to help, even though it was explained that the pay would be very low. It's something to do, and I was curious about how it's done in the college vs the high school where I teach.

I didn't get the call that I'd be free until after 10, and the Preparation for Testers was at 11. I said that I would try, but if no ride came, I would just head back home. By the time I got down to the bus stop it was after 10:30. Miraculously, there was a ride to Ariel, so I was there in minutes.


Then I had to find the right building and office and then the place to meet. I'm not shy about asking people for directions. Once we got instructions, I asked about where to get some food. How was I going to sit all those hours--the test would take almost four hours, no break--without eating lunch first? One of the other testers was glad that I asked, and we were taken to a nearby cafeteria. The only problem was that there were too many stairs for my knee's comfort.


Then back to the meeting place and then more stairs until we got to our assigned rooms. My student and I were placed in an office in a laboratory. It was noisy, since the walls didn't go to the ceiling. I probably spent my entire day's "salary" calling to complain.

After a couple of hours, the student asked for a break, and more stairs until we could go outside, so he could smoke. After we returned it was even noisier, so more calls to complain. Then we were told to pack up and move to another room. Yes, more stairs.


The actual testing was fine; the student worked hard. He's in the "mechina." That's the program they have in Israeli universities for students who have to improve test scores or make up high school subjects they didn't study or pass. It's a "second chance" for academic success.


Once it was quiet, he quickly finished. I collected all the papers and brought them to the office. Then I got rides home pretty easily.

Shiloh and Eli have become very popular for young couples who want to study in Ariel, and Ariel has become very popular for kids who live in Shiloh. We have direct bus service, and there really are lots of rides. As I've said many times before, Shiloh is the center of the country. It's the most convenient place to live, close to Jerusalem, Ariel, the Tel Aviv suburbs and the Jordan Valley. We just need more housing.