Proposal meeting

Well...it's finally happened. I have a proposal meeting scheduled. This is, you see, a MAJOR accomplishment. Managing to get three faculty members into a room at the same time is a big deal.

In the first stage, I simply e-mailed the two readers telling them that the proposal was in their boxes and that I would like to set up a time for the proposal meeting in the end of April.

The e-mails both bounced.

*Sigh.*

I waited to hear word that they had cleared out their inboxes, and sent the e-mail again.

Several days passed. I ran into one in the elevator and he shouted an apology for the delay. At this point, I was far from stressed. Everything seemed great! (Recall that this was back under the Old Rule where I had already earned my $6,000.)

Okay, cool, no problem. I eventually heard from the two of them, and a tentative date was established. Then, unbeknownst to me, was the Rule Change.

The cool reader approached me and told me to try to find a way to meet earlier so that I can get my money. He asked me to coordinate with a classmate who is in the same boat with a similar committee. I talked to her, we figured out a possible time.

I e-mailed the readers again. This time, the e-mails went through. One e-mailed back right away. The other disappeared. I called him. No answer. I set up a tentative time with the director and one reader. Still no word from the second reader. My director offered to call and harrass him. I finally heard back.

With some finagling, he has agreed to come to campus after a "medical procedure" on Monday.

So...wow...umm...proposal meeting coming soon!

An open letter to my department

Dear Department:

Let's review what my class has gone through in our 4 years in your program.

Let's start with the classmate who had a major break. Oh, yeah, you know...the one who showed up here covered in her own vomit saying that she's Jesus while rubbing her hyterically pregnant belly? Yeah, her. We could have used some help with her. You know, like...when we asked you to help us with her! I know that you, for example, gave me a key to a 'secret office' after I complained about an involuntary exorcism. We all had nightmares for a full year. I still don't answer my phone until someone actually begins to leave a message.

For about a year in there, we just struggled with your normal bullshit: having professors ignore us for months at a time, having a professor essentially whacking off in front of us, etc. But we got through. We even got through comps with minimal complaints. We each had our small moments (mine involved you forgetting to turn in my degree application and having a professor think I'm in the wrong year long enough to mistakenly send me a letter telling me that I had passed comps before anyone had even READ my comps...), but we all got through.

So now...it's time for the diss. We're all ready. We've all been working on things. So, when you give us a deadline and a set of conditions for earning the equivalent of 6 grand in credits...well...it's a big deal to us. Like...a REALLY BIG deal. (Remember...6 grand is half of what we earn in a year BEFORE taxes!) And, when you change your mind and then tell us to "get busy" working on things to meet your new and far worse deadline....PLEASE do not emphasize what a nice guy you are in the e-mail.

All I can say is...you better remember to buy us our damn going away mugs....



Don't get me wrong. I think that we've gotten absolutely excellent training. But it's so damn dysfunctional around this place!