in•ter•reg•num (ĭn'tər-rĕg'nəm)How’s that for a big word, unless you are a walking dictionary/thesaurus, in which case I hate you!
–noun, plural. –nums or –na (–nə).
[Latin: inter-, inter- + rēgnum, reign]
- an interval of time between the close of a sovereign's reign and the accession of his or her normal or legitimate successor..
- any period during which a state has no ruler or only a temporary executive.
- any period of freedom from the usual authority.
- any pause or interruption in continuity.
I first came across the word through Isaac Asimov in Foundation, referring to a period of anarchy between the fall of the first Galactic Empire and the establishment of the second. I’m eternally thankful to Abang Aziz for introducing me to SFF.
[BTW, I’ve just received Axis and The Clone Alliance from Amazon on Tuesday. The package arrived two weeks early – all hail Amazon! Now I’m seriously considering putting the books I’m currently reading to read these two first]
We are in sort of an interregnum on campus too in between semesters. Today is the deadline for submission of last semester’s results. The new semester begins December 3. It doesn’t mean that we have nothing to do till then, though, as there are administrative meetings, seminars, etc to attend. The week before the semester begins – wait a minute, that’s next week! – will be spent preparing for the new semester.
In the meantime, the university is reminding us (staff without PhD) yet again to go for PhD. OKAY, we get it already!
Honestly, though, I am still not done thinking about the whole PhD thing. It is teaching and learning that I love, not particularly the research part. So much for wishing that I’ll be a student forever – yeah, careful what wish for, kids! I suppose I’d be perfectly happy teaching in a high school. Why can’t we be happy as a teaching university? Why must we all want to be research universities?
SIGH. There are some really big decisions to make. I hate big decisions.
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