Red--the blood of angry men!
Dec. 7th, 2006 12:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
candylandStrange happenings on campus as of late.
A couple of the classes (one of the Philosophy classes and one of the theatre class, I think) got together to do some demonstrations around campus to raise awareness about various issues. This is great--I fully support people who want to do something to try and change the world. However...
Well, the first demonstration was at the campus-wide Christmas dinner. This is a really big deal, where everyone dresses up and we sing carols and they serve us REALLY GOOD FOOD and the room is decorated very prettily. Well, they set up shop in the hall outside the door--dressed as poor or homeless people, with black tape over their mouths and cardboard signs that had statistics or said things like, "Can I have your ticket?" A few of the signs were sort of accusatory, but I dunno...it didn't bother me too much in terms of the fact that they were demonstrating there.
But then when the dinner started, most of them got up and changed their clothes and went in to eat. To my mind, that sort of invalidates their point. Furthermore, we later found out that they were broadcasting about poverty, not homelessness. There is a difference. But whatever.
Then on Tuesday, I was eating with Kali, Matt, and Ben in the Cent Room and working on a paper when I notice a few people moving barricades in front of the stairs that separate the upper part of the Cent Room from the lower part (there's a wall between the two areas, with a short staircase at either end connecting them). People were standing there with slips of paper in their hands. Naturally, we were curious, so we asked what they were doing. And they flat-out refused to tell us.
...and then they started blocking people. They wouldn't let certain people come up to the upper level of the Cent Room, while they let others pass. They even blocked a couple of professors--and the professors who eat always eat in the upper Cent Room, probably because the tables are bigger. The professors got pissed off and went to complain--the students doing the demonstration claimed they had permission to do this.
THEY DIDN'T. From what we understand, they'd asked for permission from the University, and been told no. So they did it anyway. That potentially equals big trouble, especially if they're harassing professors. The best part was when Kali went to take her tray down and come back, and they tried to stop her from coming back up to where we were sitting. She basically told them she'd been down her for an hour and wanted her stuff, so get out of her way or else. They moved. When I went to refill my pop, the girl didn't say a word to me. Heh.
It gets better--the others left, and I had a little time 'to relax still, so I was finishing up a paper. Suddenly, someone jumps through one of the big "windows" cut into the wall that separates the upper and lower Cent Rooms, and lands on my table, about two inches from putting his foot through my laptop. I had time to say, "Hey!" before he was off across the room, screaming something about "Viva la Mexico!"
Needless to say, I was kind of pissed off.
Then last night, we had another one during dinner. Music started playing, and they all stood up and took off their sweaters or jackets to reveal that they had a sign taped to their stomach; each said something like, "Atheism," "Brown," and other things. Then they all ran around the room and hugged each other and held up a banner that said something about a revolution. When I realized what it was, I was so fed up with it that I pulled my GBA out of my bag and started up my game, completely ignoring them.
One of the girls at my table was involved--she was so proud of it all. We were trying to explain to her that these were completely ineffectual. At one point, she said, "But you're angry! That what we want!" And I replied, "Sweetie, I'm pissed off, but not for the reason you want me to be." We spent ten minutes trying to explain to her that a demonstration or a protest is only worth anything if it gets a point across. If we have no idea what you're trying to make us aware of, then all you've done is make a nuisance of yourself.
And she just kept saying, "But you're angry!" And finally I said something along the lines of, "I'm angry because someone nearly put their foot through my fucking laptop jumping onto my table when I didn't even have a clue what he was doing in the first place. You haven't made anyone aware of anything--all you've done is annoy people. And there's a big difference between stirring people's anger about an unfair issue, and annoying them because they don't know what you're doing. These demonstrations have not accomplished a thing."
And when people who are even in the protest can't tell you what it's about? You. Have. A. PROBLEM!
But now we're all a little bit concerned as well, and I passed word to PK about this. If they showed up at the Christmas Dinner, I don't see a reason why they wouldn't try to pull something at the Madrigal dinner. Granted, I'm hoping that common sense would prevail in that respect, but...if they show up and try anything, heads will roll. The Madrigal dinner is our final exam for Vistas Chamber Choir--it's a graded class activity. Furthermore, the people coming to this are not just from the school, but from the community, and they're paying for it--sixteen bucks a plate. If those guys try something...it's going to be on their heads. Big time.
...yeah.
In other news, I had a piano lesson today. I'm actually starting to think there's hope for me to pass piano proficiency, and I told my professor as such. Beth's response? "Well, to be frank, I'm holding my breath." WHAT THE FEK DOES THAT MEAN??
A couple of the classes (one of the Philosophy classes and one of the theatre class, I think) got together to do some demonstrations around campus to raise awareness about various issues. This is great--I fully support people who want to do something to try and change the world. However...
Well, the first demonstration was at the campus-wide Christmas dinner. This is a really big deal, where everyone dresses up and we sing carols and they serve us REALLY GOOD FOOD and the room is decorated very prettily. Well, they set up shop in the hall outside the door--dressed as poor or homeless people, with black tape over their mouths and cardboard signs that had statistics or said things like, "Can I have your ticket?" A few of the signs were sort of accusatory, but I dunno...it didn't bother me too much in terms of the fact that they were demonstrating there.
But then when the dinner started, most of them got up and changed their clothes and went in to eat. To my mind, that sort of invalidates their point. Furthermore, we later found out that they were broadcasting about poverty, not homelessness. There is a difference. But whatever.
Then on Tuesday, I was eating with Kali, Matt, and Ben in the Cent Room and working on a paper when I notice a few people moving barricades in front of the stairs that separate the upper part of the Cent Room from the lower part (there's a wall between the two areas, with a short staircase at either end connecting them). People were standing there with slips of paper in their hands. Naturally, we were curious, so we asked what they were doing. And they flat-out refused to tell us.
...and then they started blocking people. They wouldn't let certain people come up to the upper level of the Cent Room, while they let others pass. They even blocked a couple of professors--and the professors who eat always eat in the upper Cent Room, probably because the tables are bigger. The professors got pissed off and went to complain--the students doing the demonstration claimed they had permission to do this.
THEY DIDN'T. From what we understand, they'd asked for permission from the University, and been told no. So they did it anyway. That potentially equals big trouble, especially if they're harassing professors. The best part was when Kali went to take her tray down and come back, and they tried to stop her from coming back up to where we were sitting. She basically told them she'd been down her for an hour and wanted her stuff, so get out of her way or else. They moved. When I went to refill my pop, the girl didn't say a word to me. Heh.
It gets better--the others left, and I had a little time 'to relax still, so I was finishing up a paper. Suddenly, someone jumps through one of the big "windows" cut into the wall that separates the upper and lower Cent Rooms, and lands on my table, about two inches from putting his foot through my laptop. I had time to say, "Hey!" before he was off across the room, screaming something about "Viva la Mexico!"
Needless to say, I was kind of pissed off.
Then last night, we had another one during dinner. Music started playing, and they all stood up and took off their sweaters or jackets to reveal that they had a sign taped to their stomach; each said something like, "Atheism," "Brown," and other things. Then they all ran around the room and hugged each other and held up a banner that said something about a revolution. When I realized what it was, I was so fed up with it that I pulled my GBA out of my bag and started up my game, completely ignoring them.
One of the girls at my table was involved--she was so proud of it all. We were trying to explain to her that these were completely ineffectual. At one point, she said, "But you're angry! That what we want!" And I replied, "Sweetie, I'm pissed off, but not for the reason you want me to be." We spent ten minutes trying to explain to her that a demonstration or a protest is only worth anything if it gets a point across. If we have no idea what you're trying to make us aware of, then all you've done is make a nuisance of yourself.
And she just kept saying, "But you're angry!" And finally I said something along the lines of, "I'm angry because someone nearly put their foot through my fucking laptop jumping onto my table when I didn't even have a clue what he was doing in the first place. You haven't made anyone aware of anything--all you've done is annoy people. And there's a big difference between stirring people's anger about an unfair issue, and annoying them because they don't know what you're doing. These demonstrations have not accomplished a thing."
And when people who are even in the protest can't tell you what it's about? You. Have. A. PROBLEM!
But now we're all a little bit concerned as well, and I passed word to PK about this. If they showed up at the Christmas Dinner, I don't see a reason why they wouldn't try to pull something at the Madrigal dinner. Granted, I'm hoping that common sense would prevail in that respect, but...if they show up and try anything, heads will roll. The Madrigal dinner is our final exam for Vistas Chamber Choir--it's a graded class activity. Furthermore, the people coming to this are not just from the school, but from the community, and they're paying for it--sixteen bucks a plate. If those guys try something...it's going to be on their heads. Big time.
...yeah.
In other news, I had a piano lesson today. I'm actually starting to think there's hope for me to pass piano proficiency, and I told my professor as such. Beth's response? "Well, to be frank, I'm holding my breath." WHAT THE FEK DOES THAT MEAN??
