What a Joke!
Posted on December 4, 2007 by Ching under Flickr, School.
I attended the OMA Academic Achievement Recognition Celebration yesterday and it was a bust. I can’t believe I invited anyone to go with me. In a way, I’m glad mom and dad didn’t make it because it they would have just been mad.
I had confirmed through the email address provided in the invitation but when I arrived they didn’t have a name tag printed for me. I figured something must have gone wrong with the RSVP but I didn’t think anything more of it because women at the check-in desk found me on the list and wrote my name on a blank name tag. She told me to pick up a program and sit in the appropriate section (according to academic distinction).
After I picked up the program, I went right back to her to ask if there was a separate section for graduate students. She told me that there are rows reserved for graduate students separate from the undergrads and then she goes, “Have you already checked in?” I should’ve known right then that there was a problem.
Anyway, it was one huge fiasco after another. Several key people were late. Dr. Beggs didn’t even show up, I don’t think. Speakers weren’t prepared. At least, it didn’t seem like it. If that was a prepared speech, I would hate to sit through an unprepared one. The very least you could do is pronounce “success” right, if you are going to say it several times. It’s “suCCess” (suk-‘ses) not “suSSess” — the last time I checked there were Cs in there. LOL. Several people didn’t get recognized, myself included. It was a waste of time really. I never should’ve gone.
I think the tardiness and the lack of attendance of key university officials was discouraging (if not altogether disrespectful). It seemed to send a message like you guys aren’t important enough. This isn’t important. But I can understand why people didn’t want to attend. It seemed like something that was thrown together at the last minute. To call it disorganized would be an understatement.
I really hope they are not using the academic achievement of the individuals honored last night to justify the so-called mentoring program. From what I saw, only two people out of everyone that attended last night used their services. If the mentoring program is anything like the event, then it is probably a huge waste of funding.
Actually, they probably could have saved the money spent on the event. I don’t quite understand why they even have it. I’m guessing it is to encourage minorities to continue to do well because if their goal was to give recognition, they failed miserably. The encouragement area is completely unnecessary. I think people who do well and excel academically are going to anyway.
One last thing… How come there isn’t a celebration like this for white people? If there is one, then why have separate ones? Why not just have one big one that includes everyone? It seems very separatist to me.
I guess it’s just one of those things… I’m glad I’m graduating in May so I won’t have to endure these things any longer. I really hope it improves, though, for the sake of all the students who have sit through it year after year. Then again, if it doesn’t improve then people will just quit going and then it will go away on its own. Maybe it is for the best as it is completely unnecessary anyway.
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Replies to "What a Joke!"
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Jo on December 5, 2007
Ching, I am sorry to hear it was not how it should have been. We do not need this “circus” to validate our accomplishments. We just “know” it.