You, You're the Ring Leader!
Whatup! So I'll tell ya what, I've been pissed this whole last week. I'm really getting better now because I've had a few revelations, but maybe I should start at the beginning. As the Geology Club president and an RA I'm in charge of planning various events throughout the year for the members of either the club or my floor. The Geology Club in particular has had bad habbit of truly pissing me off. There was a meeting at the beginning of the semester at which several grad students complained about how there weren's a lot of field trips being done. Our department head graciously asumed and volunteered the club at which point all my officers and I were like, "wow, thanks Steve....ass!" The first program I planned was for the club last semester. It involved an alumnus (who also gave several of us $800 for lodging for field camp last summer) who gives quite a bit of money to the department each semester. Now our department head is shy and timid (sounds familiar....:-/) but I still get the feeling that he never really liked me very much. Anyway, I got ahold of the guy and I really wanted to meet him as well and thank him for his generous donation....aside from my parents I usually get money from non-relatives for things like that. We had the date set and I let all of the students know via email and chalkboard in the undergrad lounge ~ 3/4 of a week in advance (the trip was just a picnic that might last ~4hours on the Saturday). The morning came, and I waited, and I waited, and finally I called the guy and said no one showed up so I would cancel the event (I'm not going to visit the guy on my own, I don't know him at all!). He sounded down and I don't blame him. The next Monday though, I saw Steve and he was mega-pissed at me. Apparently he found out that the guy would pull his funding from the department and so Steve took his family there and made me look like an ass. Well I come to find out that the reason the alum was mad was because he had been promised we would come and visit (for the past 3-4 years!) and each time the same thing happened (so the people in the department obviously just want money and don't give a shit about the guy giving it....way to go U of I geology!).
The excuses for the first event though I thought were pricelessly stupid. 1)There was a game.....way to be a dumbass. 2)You didn't let anyone know.....it's called reading the email, not deleting it genius. 3)You didn't let us know well enough in advance....this came from the girl who complained we didn't do enough so I figured I'd start with a bang....it may not have been that much in advance, but it was 4 hours on a Saturday....did you have to ask your parents or something? 4)You should have called people......I shouldn't even dignify this with a smartass comment......the people giving me these excuses are older than I am so they either have no responsibility or they think I'm their daddy! Finally though Steve caught on and isn't mad at me for it anymore because (especially after speaking at a club meeting) I think he caught on that no one in the department really cares about the club. The second event was a trip to the Funk Mineral Museum near Funk's Grove, IL (really it sounds stupid but is really awesome, you should go sometime). Well my treasurer and one grad student came and there were no notification excuses this time.
The third event I planned was a "Choosing Your Major" event for all of PAR with Regine, the RA below me. No one showed up to this event at all.....yet the first word's out of a freshman's mouth will be, "I wanna change my major....what should I do?"
The fourth and fifth event are linked. First of all, my Social Chair knew to invite everyone to the hockey games and Legends/Murphy's......strangely geology people would be at these bars when I went out, but no one let me know so I guess I've got my answer about what the department think about me right there.....what in God's name did I ever do to them?! Also, one of the grad students who I really like starts blaming me for not "holding a tighter ship" and making the club work....if it's my officers and I get rid of them I'm screwed....I CAN'T DO A DAMN THING!!! I can't make people care either. So I figure the last home game was against Minnesota so I ought to take over where my social chair failed. The event was planned like 1.5 weeks in advance and was mentioned on the chalkboard in the undergraduate lounge, email, and one of the club meetings. Now you need to understand the geology deparment. Last year we had a cute little British social chair who was awesome and invited everyone out usually every weekend and people came in droves (occassionally close to 2 dozen). This year however, one guy came to the hockey game....not a one went to Legend's. The fifth event was the next morning. One of my Indian residents mentioned a new Indian food restaraunt and I thought I'd invite the floor for lunch there (and the other RAs to bring their floors). Noon came and noon went and not ONE PERSON SHOWED UP!!!! At this point I was absolutely FURIOUS and I went home for Saturday.....ironically my parents were going to someone's house that night....so I got semi-ditched by them. So with that, my impending tests, lack of sleep, and general non-responsiveness of anyone to emails or anything (I haven't gotten a response from geology people about the rock climbing for April 16th, I haven't gotten a response from a grade school friend of mine from Eastern if he knows another guy so I can facebook him, etc.) so I've been really in a rut.
However, some people here sat up and took notice and I appreciated it a lot. Raj was depressed to and so he and I semi-hung out last night before late night. Priscilla noticed WAY in advance that something was up, even when I was lying to myself that I wasn't mad. Libby replied with a what's up. Mike didn't do anything wrong (in fact I feel bad ditching him at dinner last night when I thought someone said that he wasn't coming when he really was). Bekah and Julia both said they felt for me (though both incorrectly assumed this was over a girl.....was I giving that impression???? I usually have a general background depression about being single but that isn't too serious nor was that what this whole thing was about). These people (people not here at U of I get a "you're forgiven") get a free pass. Everyone else though I'm not mad at....I just don't care. I think my problem has been caring about doing things for people that don't care about me. Think about the geology department. I've been in the club for 3 years, and officer for 2, I try to get along with people in the department but everyone save Alex, Dan, Chenders, and Mah (and before this semester Schickle) usually gave me the benefit of the doubt rather than just jumped to the conclusion of whatever gossip they heard.
It's time to celebrate unofficial St. Patrick's Day here at U of I....I think I'll start with studying, nap....maybe go out tonight but we'll see. On another plus side I'm going with CRU to Panama City Beach.....gotta work on getting into my bathing suit. Nah, I think I'll just go as is.....NOT MY BIRTHDAY SUIT.....I wear that in July ;-).
Have a good Friday all.
The excuses for the first event though I thought were pricelessly stupid. 1)There was a game.....way to be a dumbass. 2)You didn't let anyone know.....it's called reading the email, not deleting it genius. 3)You didn't let us know well enough in advance....this came from the girl who complained we didn't do enough so I figured I'd start with a bang....it may not have been that much in advance, but it was 4 hours on a Saturday....did you have to ask your parents or something? 4)You should have called people......I shouldn't even dignify this with a smartass comment......the people giving me these excuses are older than I am so they either have no responsibility or they think I'm their daddy! Finally though Steve caught on and isn't mad at me for it anymore because (especially after speaking at a club meeting) I think he caught on that no one in the department really cares about the club. The second event was a trip to the Funk Mineral Museum near Funk's Grove, IL (really it sounds stupid but is really awesome, you should go sometime). Well my treasurer and one grad student came and there were no notification excuses this time.
The third event I planned was a "Choosing Your Major" event for all of PAR with Regine, the RA below me. No one showed up to this event at all.....yet the first word's out of a freshman's mouth will be, "I wanna change my major....what should I do?"
The fourth and fifth event are linked. First of all, my Social Chair knew to invite everyone to the hockey games and Legends/Murphy's......strangely geology people would be at these bars when I went out, but no one let me know so I guess I've got my answer about what the department think about me right there.....what in God's name did I ever do to them?! Also, one of the grad students who I really like starts blaming me for not "holding a tighter ship" and making the club work....if it's my officers and I get rid of them I'm screwed....I CAN'T DO A DAMN THING!!! I can't make people care either. So I figure the last home game was against Minnesota so I ought to take over where my social chair failed. The event was planned like 1.5 weeks in advance and was mentioned on the chalkboard in the undergraduate lounge, email, and one of the club meetings. Now you need to understand the geology deparment. Last year we had a cute little British social chair who was awesome and invited everyone out usually every weekend and people came in droves (occassionally close to 2 dozen). This year however, one guy came to the hockey game....not a one went to Legend's. The fifth event was the next morning. One of my Indian residents mentioned a new Indian food restaraunt and I thought I'd invite the floor for lunch there (and the other RAs to bring their floors). Noon came and noon went and not ONE PERSON SHOWED UP!!!! At this point I was absolutely FURIOUS and I went home for Saturday.....ironically my parents were going to someone's house that night....so I got semi-ditched by them. So with that, my impending tests, lack of sleep, and general non-responsiveness of anyone to emails or anything (I haven't gotten a response from geology people about the rock climbing for April 16th, I haven't gotten a response from a grade school friend of mine from Eastern if he knows another guy so I can facebook him, etc.) so I've been really in a rut.
However, some people here sat up and took notice and I appreciated it a lot. Raj was depressed to and so he and I semi-hung out last night before late night. Priscilla noticed WAY in advance that something was up, even when I was lying to myself that I wasn't mad. Libby replied with a what's up. Mike didn't do anything wrong (in fact I feel bad ditching him at dinner last night when I thought someone said that he wasn't coming when he really was). Bekah and Julia both said they felt for me (though both incorrectly assumed this was over a girl.....was I giving that impression???? I usually have a general background depression about being single but that isn't too serious nor was that what this whole thing was about). These people (people not here at U of I get a "you're forgiven") get a free pass. Everyone else though I'm not mad at....I just don't care. I think my problem has been caring about doing things for people that don't care about me. Think about the geology department. I've been in the club for 3 years, and officer for 2, I try to get along with people in the department but everyone save Alex, Dan, Chenders, and Mah (and before this semester Schickle) usually gave me the benefit of the doubt rather than just jumped to the conclusion of whatever gossip they heard.
It's time to celebrate unofficial St. Patrick's Day here at U of I....I think I'll start with studying, nap....maybe go out tonight but we'll see. On another plus side I'm going with CRU to Panama City Beach.....gotta work on getting into my bathing suit. Nah, I think I'll just go as is.....NOT MY BIRTHDAY SUIT.....I wear that in July ;-).
Have a good Friday all.
posted by Chris | 1:45 PM
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