Mr. Kuechenmeister and the Green Pen (Discourse Chronicle)
Comments(2) [Today I spent all afternoon grading half of my freshman composition students’ papers on Argument and I wished for comment stampers again. All of my students are aware that I grade using a nice green fine-point pen, which some of them believe is symbolic of kryptonite because we previously talked about Superman, but perhaps some make the connection with Green Lantern. As I graded my students’ papers at Sweet Eugene’s, my nice green fine-point pen became a lifeless thin plastic tube refusing to express my comments, almost preventing me from finishing papers 9-12.
For a few moments, I contemplated going back to my apartment and changing over to a black ball-point pen, or better yet – blue. However, then my comments may blend with the typeface on my students’ papers, so I needed to find a new green pen. I never imagined replacing a green pen as difficult until I arrived at Target and browsed its miniature office supply section. Target stocked a variety of pens, but none are green, mostly red, black, and red. Occasionally I saw a green pen amongst an assortment, but I decided not paying however much those sets costed for a single green pen. I left Target as empty-handed as I entered and drove to Office Max.
I hoped to find a box of green pens for sale at the office oasis known as Office Max and so I did. I found said box, but these pens are ball-point and nowhere near as nice as my original green pen. No, these green pens are probably a step up from those disposable Bic pens I use when I write checks. However, once I returned to Sweet Eugene’s and began using it, I noticed this new green ball-point pen’s ink was a duller shade of green – but green nonetheless. I finished my half stack of papers and plan on returning tomorrow to finish the other half with my new green ball-point pen. BK]
I also use green pens to grade. It doesn’t seem as nasty that way. I’m currently using the Pilot V Ball extra fine.
Disowning red pens is a good pedagogical move, but doing so is also a rhetorical move, since red is associated with blood and students consider their writing as a reflection of self.