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Back to the Jolly Roger

Only Fifty Cents

by

Michael R. Allen

 

They have suffered enough!

The graduate students have spoken.

Stop laboring in the academic sweatshop,

get higher wages, get the standards that

are considered basic (basic!)

in other areas of study.

 

Only fifty cents a day to help!

 

Trying to save the profession from

miserable old half-corpses who think that

the Western Canon is not inherently racist.

Old. They'll not listen to reason,

they are products of an era which

will fall as soon as union cards are passed out.

 

Trying to save it from the suits in the front office,

those men who make more money for less work,

who are blind to the needs of

the modern working man/graduate student TA.

 

Only fifty cents a day!

 

Only fifty cents a day to help the

unfortunate grad students of North America

earn the living they are owed.

Send it in today, please, just look:

a fine young man, suffering.

 

Never mind the bohemian-style beard,

with your money he'll soon shave it off,

get tenure, buy a foreign sedan and get married.

Your money, please, or the status quo will prevail.

Raise the standard of living, improve

the working conditions of the universities.

A shop steward at the work study desk.