Winter Quarter 2005 -- Times to Be Announced
(Due to a busy schedule this quarter, Prof. Gill will hold his Klatsches as time permits.)
 

What is the Kaffee Klatsch?  As the Koffee Klatsch in San Luis Obispo says, a "'Kaffee Klatsch' is an intimate afternoon gathering of friends for fine coffee, delicious cakes, and 'Klatsch' (gossip)."   I use it as another means of meeting with students in an environment that is less intimidating than my office (which is quite messy and filled with way too many books).  The idea for this, at least for me, originated when I was working on the campaign of a mayor back in my college days.  He invited local residents to sit around and discuss local issues at somebody's house over coffee.  I typically do this for my students in large classes (over 80 students) and it gives them a chance to meet with me and ask questions, raise issues and just chat.  It also allows me to get to know my students a bit better (since I am terrible at remembering names and faces). 

Why did you always spell "klatsch" wrong?  Well, for short, I'm stupid. And for stupid, I'm short.  Kaffee klatsch is actually a German phrase, and I'm not German.  So I relied on other people to tell me how to spell the word.  I've been given at least three different spellings.  I finally went to Christian Breunig -- a graduate student at the UW who is actually German -- and asked him.  He said that "klatsch" is the correct spelling and I will defer to his expertise.

Are there any Klatsch rules?  Yes.  Basically, this is Prof. Gill's place to vent and say what is on his mind.  Hence, it is a "free speech zone" (for those of you coming from Berkeley).  You have to give Prof. Gill his quarter here.  If his views make you sad, then too bad.  The same goes for everybody else.  Use common sense when discussing volatile issues like politics and know "when to say when," but also be a grown-up and realize that people may think differently than you.  Also, realize that Prof. Gill is not required to be at these things and may be a bit late depending on traffic conditions and childcare responsibilities.  Since these are not my official office hours, you cannot hold me responsible for missing them!

What things have you talked about recently?  Everything from the Sept. 11 attacks to why people tip at restaurants to tuition increases to Spiderman.  This really is an open forum and I urge students to come with topics to talk about, else I will use the time to start whining about stupid people on the freeway.

*There may be other dates when the Klatsch is cancelled on short notice.