Personal Reasons?
I should be working on the paper that's due tomorrow, but since Rumble is insisting we have cuddle time and I can never turn down a good cuddle, I'll take the opportunity to write about something I've been meaning to write about for some time now.
I'm on the executive for the anthropology students association this year. Initially I wasn't intending on being on the board, because they were entirely unproductive, invisible, and otherwise angering last year. What is a students association, I ask, if not an opportunity to get together with peers who have a similar interest in/passion for what you study? It felt as though those on the board last year were interested only in filling space on their resumes and grad school applications. However, when I received the invite from the president to fill a new executive position I was a)flattered that he thought of me, and b)encouraged by the idea that I knew many of the other people on the exec this year as active, engaged students. I thought that perhaps there might be enough new blood to incite change. Indeed, when we originally met in September we had a fantastic meeting and got two major projects underway (one of which has now flopped, due to circumstances beyond our control. Read: another f*ing campus club).
Since then the ball has been majorly dropped. I've been working with two other girls on the exec on the major events, but everything else (movie nights, bake sales, etc) have not come to fruition. Nor have we had exec meetings, and so the team was becoming fragmented and frustrated. When our VP finally called a meeting, the president replied by saying that he didn't have time, was having personal problems, and resigned from his position. At the exec meeting today we replaced him and split the VP position between one girl (VP: Affairs) and myself (VP: Advocacy - yay new and wonderful title! oh the power...). We also arranged weekly meetings and had some serious talk time about what we were doing, where we were headed, and how everyone was feeling. While I'm now feeling much more confident about the team, this has raised two issues in my mind.
1) I really hate it when people sign up and commit to things just for resume filler. Hate it. I'm sure I've written about this previously, but if you're going to commit to something, make sure you have time and follow through. Stop being such a bunch of slackers.
2) It somehow bothers me when people pull the "personal reasons" line. Yes, granted, there are many "personal reasons" that could prevent someone from fulfilling their responsibilities and dropping the ball. Goodness knows that I've had that problem (ie: this summer - what a write-off) but I remain incredibly skeptical about the use of the phrase. I think that, unfortunately, it is often used by people when they've screwed up, taken on too much, stressed themselves to the max, and need an easy out. No one is going to push you too far for information when you drop the "personal reasons" line. It would be wholly inappropriate.
It's possible that I'm taking this too seriously because I just finished writing a paper on how noncommittal our society has become as a result of our inherent lack of honour (positive, eh?). Or perhaps I'm touchy today because I'm vastly overworked (and yet somehow am posting on blogger rather than doing schoolwork...priorities, Haley, priorities). I'd love to give this greater consideration and come up with a more coherent argument, but I just don't have time. I wonder, am I justified in this skepticism, or am I being too harsh?
I'm on the executive for the anthropology students association this year. Initially I wasn't intending on being on the board, because they were entirely unproductive, invisible, and otherwise angering last year. What is a students association, I ask, if not an opportunity to get together with peers who have a similar interest in/passion for what you study? It felt as though those on the board last year were interested only in filling space on their resumes and grad school applications. However, when I received the invite from the president to fill a new executive position I was a)flattered that he thought of me, and b)encouraged by the idea that I knew many of the other people on the exec this year as active, engaged students. I thought that perhaps there might be enough new blood to incite change. Indeed, when we originally met in September we had a fantastic meeting and got two major projects underway (one of which has now flopped, due to circumstances beyond our control. Read: another f*ing campus club).
Since then the ball has been majorly dropped. I've been working with two other girls on the exec on the major events, but everything else (movie nights, bake sales, etc) have not come to fruition. Nor have we had exec meetings, and so the team was becoming fragmented and frustrated. When our VP finally called a meeting, the president replied by saying that he didn't have time, was having personal problems, and resigned from his position. At the exec meeting today we replaced him and split the VP position between one girl (VP: Affairs) and myself (VP: Advocacy - yay new and wonderful title! oh the power...). We also arranged weekly meetings and had some serious talk time about what we were doing, where we were headed, and how everyone was feeling. While I'm now feeling much more confident about the team, this has raised two issues in my mind.
1) I really hate it when people sign up and commit to things just for resume filler. Hate it. I'm sure I've written about this previously, but if you're going to commit to something, make sure you have time and follow through. Stop being such a bunch of slackers.
2) It somehow bothers me when people pull the "personal reasons" line. Yes, granted, there are many "personal reasons" that could prevent someone from fulfilling their responsibilities and dropping the ball. Goodness knows that I've had that problem (ie: this summer - what a write-off) but I remain incredibly skeptical about the use of the phrase. I think that, unfortunately, it is often used by people when they've screwed up, taken on too much, stressed themselves to the max, and need an easy out. No one is going to push you too far for information when you drop the "personal reasons" line. It would be wholly inappropriate.
It's possible that I'm taking this too seriously because I just finished writing a paper on how noncommittal our society has become as a result of our inherent lack of honour (positive, eh?). Or perhaps I'm touchy today because I'm vastly overworked (and yet somehow am posting on blogger rather than doing schoolwork...priorities, Haley, priorities). I'd love to give this greater consideration and come up with a more coherent argument, but I just don't have time. I wonder, am I justified in this skepticism, or am I being too harsh?
posted by Haley @ 6:33 p.m.
