November 18, 2003

Who Needs Enemies?

Y'all know that age old adage about who needs enemies when you got friends like these? Well, yeah—seems I have come across that situation much to my lament. And let me guarantee you, this is going to be a real rant. Not whining about how I whine so much. Anger. I am actually more angry about this situation than I care to admit.

What situation? Stop talking gibberish! Right. OK. Here we go! So, basically the background is that for my Transitional focus program (for the Unit 3 ResHall), I was going to give a Hall Staff Info Session about hall staff life, so that residents who are interested in applying might learn more about the position and get a better idea of what they are signing up for. What a great idea? Wonder why no one else ever thought of that. Oh, but wait, they did! RFL (that's Residential & Family Living) always does info sessions for hiring, where they proceed to read you the job description and then the application. Well, not exactly, but I'm also not exaggerating too much. I remember attending one last year and being so bored by their lack of any insight into the position and so thoroughly insulted by their condescending approach to presenting the information that I nearly got talked out of applying. But then again, maybe that's the whole goal of the system. Discourage people from applying. You know, so we have a smaller applicant pool and less qualified candidates. Very appropriate, no?

You laugh, but the more you think about it, the more you realize that the above statement might not be too far from the truth. With slogans like Lead the Way and the new, Pave The Path, subjects of mockery and ridicule by almost all who read it, it makes sense that the goal of the entire campaign is to dissuade potential candidates from even applying. That's the only logical conclusion, assuming of course, that people know what they are doing. What I really want to know is: what's next? Smear the Shit? Tar the Trail? I mean, just because Nike® has a fancy slogan doesn't mean you have to. They don't always work, as is demonstrated rather poignantly by THIS case! Just asking a few residents if they had considered applying to hall staff, I was greeted by smirks and laughter. Hmm. Not if they're going to make me 'pave the path.' That sounds like a lot of bullshit to me. Agreed. Why did I do this again? But, that's right! I keep forgetting. We aren't TRYING to attract people. That way, we can get rid of all those moronic folks who are doing it out of some purpose and not for free housing. What a bunch of silly assholes, anyway. Help people? Yeah! Right! Get with it! We want people who jump around, sign dumb songs, and chant stupid slogans.

Having heard the mockery and ridicule of the entire campaign, because I actually interact with residents (fairly unique in Residential and Family Living), I decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to pass on some info to residents who actually wanted to apply. My co-fac and I decided to approach publicity using the technique of rebellion—we separated ourselves from the campaign that was being ridiculed to attract residents. I decided to keep with the alliterative theme of slogans, and made ours: Cut The Crap! And what do you know? We had people show up, who had even gone to the official info sessions, asking us what duty was. RAs have to do duty? What? Ah yes, I see you attended the official info session. At least, you won't have to read the application now before you fill it out, considering it has been read to you previously. And guess what? We got the highest ratings possible for...that's right...publicity...on our resident evaluations of the programs. But, we had just broken with the system. We had become renegades. We had actually told the truth and given residents genuine information about the position. And down came the reign of fire from dragon's lair known as Central Housing & Dining.

Now, my anger isn't directed at RFL or even RSSB (I love that place!). See, it was to be expected. I have come to terms with bureaucracies and their awesome way of working against everything that they should work against. That's just a given. My anger truly comes from the fact that it ever got up that far. No one from over their would ever be caught dead at any of the units, actually talking to the residents they supposedly serve. That inevitably means, someone SOLD US OUT. While it could have been a resident offended by the word crap, I somehow highly doubt that scenario.

No, no. It was someone on the inside. Someone who is the agent of the evil bureaucracy. Someone who is masquerading around right now as a supposed friend at Unit 3. I mean, even if someone is out there with absolutely no sense of humor whatsoever in any atom of their entire body, and they came and told me that they didn't like my poster, I would be cool with that. But to tattletale on me and my co-fac, break the chain of command, and not even have the common courtesy to inform us that you told? Now, that's low. That's despicable. Oh, no! It's an emergency! We have people trying to undermine the bureaucracy and attract people to hall staff! They must be stopped! I feel like I'm in second grade again. Except, I'm not. Just my pal. I mean, COME ON! It's a POSTER! And it said crap! Chill out! It's been hours since I learned of this outrage, and I'm still angry. Immature and unprofessional behavior pisses me off. Guess I found out all too well that I don't need enemies when I got friends like these!