commentary on apology (part 1)

In his apology, Duangchay refered to SC 289 as both a lab and as a classroom. The setting contains the constitutive elements of a classroom. There is a white board with dry erase markers (avatars of blackboards and chalk). The instructor’s desk is now an instructor’s station, but it is arguably marked as a locus of authority: It faces the rest of the desks, it offers equipment not available at the other stations, and it houses a miniature wooden podium.

The room is also marked, however, by multiple discursive artifacts that position it as a lab. The changeable placard next to the door reads “Class in session,” while the frame in which the placard is housed identifies it as an “ITaP Lab” (Instructional Technologies at Purdue). In the interior of the room, the light switches all bear the same sticker: “Leave lights on when closing lab.” A red sign on the wall reads: “No food, drink, or tobacco products in lab.” The ITaP employee's station is marked by an ever-present sign that identifies her as the “lab assistant.”

Read more commentary on Duangchay's apology.