Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Things that make my job difficult
I just received an email with a link to this video of some residents pranking a Penn State RA.
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1747320/context/search:prank+on+the+ra
Oh boy, here comes the difficulty with my position. Showing disrespect to a University official (and this includes our student staff) is not ever an acceptable behavior. RAs are placed on the front lines to enforce policies and build community with their peers. This is not often an accepted or admired role unfortunately. The students doing this prank were not having fun with their RA buddy but were actually doing it out of spite.
The prank itself though is so funny. Pranking a friend like this would be great so watch out...I may be coming to a door near you :)
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1747320/context/search:prank+on+the+ra
Oh boy, here comes the difficulty with my position. Showing disrespect to a University official (and this includes our student staff) is not ever an acceptable behavior. RAs are placed on the front lines to enforce policies and build community with their peers. This is not often an accepted or admired role unfortunately. The students doing this prank were not having fun with their RA buddy but were actually doing it out of spite.
The prank itself though is so funny. Pranking a friend like this would be great so watch out...I may be coming to a door near you :)
Friday, March 16, 2007
Makes my skin crawl
In February, an editorial was published in the Central Conneticut State University newspaper, The Recorder, that should make you shake your head in disbelief at the very least. The editorial was titled, "Rape Only Hurts If you Fight It". In case you have not seen the editorial, here it is:
“Rape Only Hurts If You Fight It” by John Petroski
Most people today would claim that rape is a terrible crime almost akin to murder, but I strongly disagree. Far from a vile act, rape is a magical experience that benifits society as a whole. I realize many of you will disagree with this thesis, but lend me your ears and I’m sure I’ll sway you towards a darkened alley.
If it weren’t for rape, Western Civilization might not exist as we know it today. When the Romans were faced with a disproportionate ratio of women to men in the early kingdom, they had to do something, lest their flidgling society die for lack of sons. To solve their little dilemma, they did what any reasonable man would do: they threw a festival for their Sabine neighbors, and then stole and raped their women. It’s quite logical; in fact I don’t understand why the settlers at Plymoth didn’t do the same to the local Indians–it certainly would have saved on shipping costs.
Obviously, in the case of the Rape of the Sabines, rape was a tremendous help to society. The Sabine women, for their part, didn’t seem to mind so much, as they threw themselves between their brutish old Sabine husbands and their charming new Roman ones to prevent bloodshed when the Sabine men came to reclaim their wives. Yet even when society was totally against a rape, the raunchy act has benifited society too. Where would the Romans be, after all, if it weren’t for the Rape of the Lucretia infuriating the people to the point of overthrowing their last king, Lucius Tarpuinius Superbus? If it weren’t for that event, the world might have never had the Roman Republic for a pristine example of a flawless government.
Rapes glorious advantages are not, however, exclusively found from 2,000 year old examples. In actuality rape advantages can very much be seen today. Take ugly women for example. If it weren’t for rape, how would they ever know the joys of intercourse with a man who isn’t drunk? In a society as plastic-conscious as our own, are we really to believe that some man would ever sleep with a girl resembling a wildebeest if he didn’t have a few schnapps in him? Of course he wouldn’t–at least no self-respecting man would–but there in lies the beauty of rape. No self respecting man would rape in the first place, so ugly women are guaranteed a romp with not only a sober man, but a bad boy too; and we all know how much ladies like the bad boy.
Ugly women are not, however, the only people who benefit from rape–prisoners enjoy as many perks too. What, after all, could be possibly be more boring than spending years of your life confined to some tiny cell 23 hours a day? The answer, of course, is spending years of your life confined to some tiny cell 23 hours a day and never getting some hot action. With rape, prisoners never have to worry about that. Instead, they merely need worry about treating their rapist with enough love and respect to earn a quick reach-around.
But if there is one bread and butter reason for why rape should not only be accepted, but even endorsed, it is because our news editors are in dire need of interesting stories for our front page. Bookstore stories? Fossils? One dollar coins? Please. Now, some saucy circle-jerk rape action? Yeah, that’s the ticket.
______________________________________________________
The author of the editorial claimed after the fact that he was trying to be satirical. Now, I am one for satire (I love Stephen Colbert) but I fail to see the point he was trying to reach in his "satirical" editorial...that the news media sensationalizes rape stories? That no self respecting man would have sex with an ugly woman? Maybe a definition of satire would help him because I definitely do not feel he was effective in ridiculing the act of rape.
sat·ire /ˈsætaɪər/ –noun 1. the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.2. a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule.
I like to believe that the author was naive and ineffective in his delivery of "satire" because the thought that someone in this world can hold such a disgusting opinion scares me.
“Rape Only Hurts If You Fight It” by John Petroski
Most people today would claim that rape is a terrible crime almost akin to murder, but I strongly disagree. Far from a vile act, rape is a magical experience that benifits society as a whole. I realize many of you will disagree with this thesis, but lend me your ears and I’m sure I’ll sway you towards a darkened alley.
If it weren’t for rape, Western Civilization might not exist as we know it today. When the Romans were faced with a disproportionate ratio of women to men in the early kingdom, they had to do something, lest their flidgling society die for lack of sons. To solve their little dilemma, they did what any reasonable man would do: they threw a festival for their Sabine neighbors, and then stole and raped their women. It’s quite logical; in fact I don’t understand why the settlers at Plymoth didn’t do the same to the local Indians–it certainly would have saved on shipping costs.
Obviously, in the case of the Rape of the Sabines, rape was a tremendous help to society. The Sabine women, for their part, didn’t seem to mind so much, as they threw themselves between their brutish old Sabine husbands and their charming new Roman ones to prevent bloodshed when the Sabine men came to reclaim their wives. Yet even when society was totally against a rape, the raunchy act has benifited society too. Where would the Romans be, after all, if it weren’t for the Rape of the Lucretia infuriating the people to the point of overthrowing their last king, Lucius Tarpuinius Superbus? If it weren’t for that event, the world might have never had the Roman Republic for a pristine example of a flawless government.
Rapes glorious advantages are not, however, exclusively found from 2,000 year old examples. In actuality rape advantages can very much be seen today. Take ugly women for example. If it weren’t for rape, how would they ever know the joys of intercourse with a man who isn’t drunk? In a society as plastic-conscious as our own, are we really to believe that some man would ever sleep with a girl resembling a wildebeest if he didn’t have a few schnapps in him? Of course he wouldn’t–at least no self-respecting man would–but there in lies the beauty of rape. No self respecting man would rape in the first place, so ugly women are guaranteed a romp with not only a sober man, but a bad boy too; and we all know how much ladies like the bad boy.
Ugly women are not, however, the only people who benefit from rape–prisoners enjoy as many perks too. What, after all, could be possibly be more boring than spending years of your life confined to some tiny cell 23 hours a day? The answer, of course, is spending years of your life confined to some tiny cell 23 hours a day and never getting some hot action. With rape, prisoners never have to worry about that. Instead, they merely need worry about treating their rapist with enough love and respect to earn a quick reach-around.
But if there is one bread and butter reason for why rape should not only be accepted, but even endorsed, it is because our news editors are in dire need of interesting stories for our front page. Bookstore stories? Fossils? One dollar coins? Please. Now, some saucy circle-jerk rape action? Yeah, that’s the ticket.
______________________________________________________
The author of the editorial claimed after the fact that he was trying to be satirical. Now, I am one for satire (I love Stephen Colbert) but I fail to see the point he was trying to reach in his "satirical" editorial...that the news media sensationalizes rape stories? That no self respecting man would have sex with an ugly woman? Maybe a definition of satire would help him because I definitely do not feel he was effective in ridiculing the act of rape.
sat·ire /ˈsætaɪər/ –noun 1. the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.2. a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule.
I like to believe that the author was naive and ineffective in his delivery of "satire" because the thought that someone in this world can hold such a disgusting opinion scares me.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Happy State Patrick's Day
Last year, the bars in State College opened at 8am on Saint Patrick's Day so that PSU students could celebrate the holiday in grand ol' drunk before noon fashion. Apparently it was really big hit and students were even intoxicated in class. Woo Hoo - what a nightmare.
This year, St Patrick's Day falls in Spring Break and after all the controversy about how "the university planned this so students could not party" died down, one student in his infinite wisdom decided that it would be a very good idea to move the set in stone St. Patrick's Day so he could party in downtown State College.
Initially, his idea was met with great enthusiasm by the local bars who saw the flow of money coming into their establishments. Several bars planned to allow students to purchase wristbands and hop from bar to bar but they soon pulled their support from the moving of St Patty's when the community admonished them. The community uproar was loud and the university prepared a slew of non-alcohol activities for students to participate in instead of venturing downtown.
Unfortunately, the call to drink could not be ignored by the students. T-shirts were created; beer coozies were sold; everything that could advertise the new State Patrick's Day was sold to the masses. Evidence of drunken residents could be smelled as early as mid afternoon and reports of endless public throw-up has been reported (and it is only 1140pm as I write this).
The fun loving part of me thinks this is so cool and fought gallantly with the more responsible, university official that knows going downtown would have not been a good idea. It's almost midnight and I am home for the night. Damn this being a responsible adult crap!
This year, St Patrick's Day falls in Spring Break and after all the controversy about how "the university planned this so students could not party" died down, one student in his infinite wisdom decided that it would be a very good idea to move the set in stone St. Patrick's Day so he could party in downtown State College.
Initially, his idea was met with great enthusiasm by the local bars who saw the flow of money coming into their establishments. Several bars planned to allow students to purchase wristbands and hop from bar to bar but they soon pulled their support from the moving of St Patty's when the community admonished them. The community uproar was loud and the university prepared a slew of non-alcohol activities for students to participate in instead of venturing downtown.
Unfortunately, the call to drink could not be ignored by the students. T-shirts were created; beer coozies were sold; everything that could advertise the new State Patrick's Day was sold to the masses. Evidence of drunken residents could be smelled as early as mid afternoon and reports of endless public throw-up has been reported (and it is only 1140pm as I write this).
The fun loving part of me thinks this is so cool and fought gallantly with the more responsible, university official that knows going downtown would have not been a good idea. It's almost midnight and I am home for the night. Damn this being a responsible adult crap!
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Just my luck
My interview for the Senior Coordinator position is tomorrow; I am the last of the three to interview. Today, I did all the mandatory prepping and primping so I look presentable (nails, hair, etc). I took my suit jacket to the cleaners last week and went to go pick it today only to find the dry cleaners closed. I don't know if this is a sign but I won't be wearing my black suit tomorrow. YIKES!
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