Frightening Insanity
So, when we arrived at Thursday night's Pagan Campus Organization meeting, Michelle had called an "Executive Meeting" for the first half hour, where anyone who was not a "recognized voter", meaning, anyone who was not an undergraduate student who was present to put their name on our club update form last month, was forced out of the meeting, and she had three people from the Offices of Student Orgs sitting in on the meeting, watching everyone and causing some awful discomfort.
One poor girl who had come to the meeting with Alora stormed off at the insult of being refused and may never come back. And yes, it was a tremendous insult. No one has ever heard of someone forcing an "Executive Meeting" before. Never. They even had Public Safety there to threaten us with. No one would tell us what was going on, they just said we had to leave. No one would speak to us civilly. They just called their goons to scare us off. And the officers from Public Safety were visibly upset with being there. They were not needed for anything (I can't imagine what anyone was expecting to have actually called them there), and it was just bothering them to have them there. We wouldn't have pushed to stay as long as we did if we had just been regarded civilly. Some simple answers would have done. We just kept standing there because no one would talk to us. Why wouldn't they answer us? Why wouldn't they just act like civil adults?
I asked simply if there was going to be voting, because we had some important issues for the group to address (as we had clearly been blocked from presenting them to the group via First Class) to make any informed decisions, and no one would answer me. They just threw us out, so that Michelle could have a captive audience subjected to only her point of view.
We went across the hall with Tina, an undergrad member who hasn't been around in a while, and she told us that they had told her there wouldn't be any voting, and not to worry about stuff. I didn't understand why they could answer her questions, but were so unnecessarily rude to me as to refuse to speak to me at all. Tina they would talk to, would answer, but me, no. Just, why? Why be so unnecessarily uncivil? It was quite a shock. And an immense disappointment as behavior coming from supposed adults.
(And in actuality, they lied to Tina. They did hold a vote, though not a terribly important one. They voted on holding the bonfire on November 3rd, which was pretty much what was already happening after the heavy rain on October 27th.)
I've never seen such insanity, certainly not since the days when Psycho Boy was around. I've never heard of anyone pulling tricks like this, using whatever University rules they could grab onto to force only their own opinions to be heard by the group. Using the only rule they could get ahold of to block out the people voicing concerns and desperately grab onto their so called "power" as an Officer, though our officers are supposed to have none. I never would have thought anyone other than Psycho Boy capable of pulling such awful tactics of control.
Now, if pulling crazy shit like this doesn't scream "insanity" and "guilt", I don't know what does.
So, when we finally got let into the "regular" meeting, Michelle gave Tina a "summary" of the Executive Meeting right in front of us. What the hell was the point of the "Executive Meeting"?? Seriously, why keep us out if you pretend not to care that we hear about it? Now, I'm not stupid. I know she was using the meeting to hide things from us that she didn't mention to Tina in front of us. And yes, I heard about some of the things she said later on.
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I heard she ranted that Zeus likes to torture and kill cats. Wow.. now that's insanity. First of all, not related to PaCO. Second of all, not true. Just, wow. Actually, Zeus believes that the ill-treatment of animals is completely wrong, and is very much against it. He actually doesn't believe that it's right to have pets, because he thinks that keeping an animal in any environment not natural to it's species is a form of torment. Now, I grew up with the concept of having pets, and I always really liked having my pets, I loved them, so it's a difficult point of view for me to handle, but hey, he thinks torment is wrong, and that's how he sees it. There ya go.
I heard she called Zeus "creepy" for being "almost 40 and interested in PaCO". Okay, first of all, Zeus is only 34, not almost 40. Second, DAVID, who is an undergrad friend of ours, is actually OLDER than Zeus. Although he doesn't look it, he has a youthful appearance, he is older than Zeus, and a bit sensitive about his age. The fact that she would sit there right in front of David and call Zeus "creepy" for being "old" shows that she doesn't care whose feelings she steps on while grasping at straws to try and make people sympathize with her. Wow. And you know, Zeus is interested in PaCO both because he is a founding member who established the group in the first place, and because he's dating me, and I'm there. I'm 25. Am I creepy for being there? Tarsha is older than I am. Was she creepy for being there? But wow, I'm still amazed she would say such a thing in front of David. Wow.
I heard she told people I "stole" money from the University by getting reimbursed for the button maker and button parts I bought for PaCO. Um, we actually talked quite a bit about me getting reimbursed for that. I paid $121 of my own money to get that for PaCO, and as much as I'd love to donate that to a group I love, it's a bit much for me, and I don't really make a lot. I barely get by, generally. I didn't even tell Zeus how much I spent on it at the time, but I really wanted to help PaCO. And, buttons have been the MOST successful advertising we've EVER had. People love the buttons, we've given away hundreds of them by now, and we ALWAYS get a surge of hits to the website after they've been handed out. I mean, look at how many new people have come to see PaCO, after I made sure to get us signed up for the Summer Student Orgs Fairs and sat at them, with no one to help me but Zeus. Sat at those Summer Student Orgs Fairs to help a group I love, though I'm not a student, and spent hours upon hours upon hours making buttons until my fingers were too sore to do it anymore, and printed as many flyers as I could with my own printing supplies.
I've always been the one to print flyers myself. The one to bring cookies and honey cakes and drinks to meetings and Mabon gatherings. The one to bring craft supplies and paints. The one to pick up whatever small things I could and bring them to share with the group. I've always done this, because I love to share what I can with a group I love. I've always supplied whatever I could buy, and never asked for it back before. The things I've brought to share with PaCO over the last five years must add up to hundreds of dollars by now, and I've never cared. Now, the ONE time I couldn't pay for something for PaCO because it was just too much for me, I get called a thief?
After everything I've given and shared, and everything I've done and accomplished, never worrying about it because I loved the group and had always been counted as equal, I get told that I don't matter anymore because I'm not a student, and that because my efforts to better the group are somehow perceived as a threat by the president who never wants to do anything, she has grabbed onto a University technicality that has never (and still doesn't) mattered to the group's acceptance of people to try and get rid of me?
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As soon as Michelle got tired of me and Zeus accomplishing everything for PaCO that she sat there and said, "can't be done", she dragged the University people into everything so she could push her agenda of "non-students can't play". PaCO has NEVER cared who was or wasn't a student before. Tarsha was welcomed as a non-student. So was I, so was Griff, and so was Zeus. And who else? Non-students have been welcomed in voting and everything.
Michelle can sit there and say, "It's not my rule, it's the University's rule" all she wants, and indeed, she has said that many times now, but no amount of saying that can hide the fact that SHE MADE IT HER RULE by causing all of this. PaCO has never had a problem, and wouldn't have had a problem, if she hadn't gone running to Gus to claim that there was one. If she hadn't dragged them into this to make them say it, no one would have ever cared. Before Michelle made a stink, I was perfectly capable of doing everything Michelle refused to or failed to. I got us a meeting room, I got us our funding, I got our event set, and Zeus got our location and permits for the bonfire. We got it all done, because no one ever said before that we didn't count. We were equals to the group, just as always. I have been doing the job of President for years without ever holding the title. No problem, the title isn't supposed to mean shit anyway.
But when Michelle didn't like that we were getting all this done when she thought it couldn't be done, she went running to Student Gov like a kindergartener running to a teacher saying, "I don't want these kids to play with the stuff that I wanna play with!" And if not for that, we would have continued as always, and PaCO would have stayed as successful as we were making it. Sure, "It's not my rule, it's the University's rule" is basically true, but, SHE MADE IT HER RULE by forcing the University to get involved. She is the one who dragged University people into the group and made them enforce the rule, when they never would have cared otherwise, and no amount of speaking that meaningless platitude is going to make ANYONE forget that she has done this.
In fact, the University people said that we could have our "recognized voters" vote on whether or not the non-students can continue to be counted as equals, and participate in votes and everything. And the few members who were present did agree that they wanted an election. So, her desperate acts of control and power-grabbing have not fully worked. The group still has a chance to break free of her reign of inaction and information control, and allow for the continued success of PaCO, through individuals, student or non-student, who are dedicated to the group, and who will stand up and say, "Yes, we can do it, who do we talk to?", not, "Well, a secretary said there's no bonfire spot anymore, so we can't do it." NO, PaCO will have people who are willing to TRY! PaCO can get people who are willing to do things on time, not late, and who will not try to throw out the only members who are getting us what we need.
One poor girl who had come to the meeting with Alora stormed off at the insult of being refused and may never come back. And yes, it was a tremendous insult. No one has ever heard of someone forcing an "Executive Meeting" before. Never. They even had Public Safety there to threaten us with. No one would tell us what was going on, they just said we had to leave. No one would speak to us civilly. They just called their goons to scare us off. And the officers from Public Safety were visibly upset with being there. They were not needed for anything (I can't imagine what anyone was expecting to have actually called them there), and it was just bothering them to have them there. We wouldn't have pushed to stay as long as we did if we had just been regarded civilly. Some simple answers would have done. We just kept standing there because no one would talk to us. Why wouldn't they answer us? Why wouldn't they just act like civil adults?
I asked simply if there was going to be voting, because we had some important issues for the group to address (as we had clearly been blocked from presenting them to the group via First Class) to make any informed decisions, and no one would answer me. They just threw us out, so that Michelle could have a captive audience subjected to only her point of view.
We went across the hall with Tina, an undergrad member who hasn't been around in a while, and she told us that they had told her there wouldn't be any voting, and not to worry about stuff. I didn't understand why they could answer her questions, but were so unnecessarily rude to me as to refuse to speak to me at all. Tina they would talk to, would answer, but me, no. Just, why? Why be so unnecessarily uncivil? It was quite a shock. And an immense disappointment as behavior coming from supposed adults.
(And in actuality, they lied to Tina. They did hold a vote, though not a terribly important one. They voted on holding the bonfire on November 3rd, which was pretty much what was already happening after the heavy rain on October 27th.)
I've never seen such insanity, certainly not since the days when Psycho Boy was around. I've never heard of anyone pulling tricks like this, using whatever University rules they could grab onto to force only their own opinions to be heard by the group. Using the only rule they could get ahold of to block out the people voicing concerns and desperately grab onto their so called "power" as an Officer, though our officers are supposed to have none. I never would have thought anyone other than Psycho Boy capable of pulling such awful tactics of control.
Now, if pulling crazy shit like this doesn't scream "insanity" and "guilt", I don't know what does.
So, when we finally got let into the "regular" meeting, Michelle gave Tina a "summary" of the Executive Meeting right in front of us. What the hell was the point of the "Executive Meeting"?? Seriously, why keep us out if you pretend not to care that we hear about it? Now, I'm not stupid. I know she was using the meeting to hide things from us that she didn't mention to Tina in front of us. And yes, I heard about some of the things she said later on.
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I heard she ranted that Zeus likes to torture and kill cats. Wow.. now that's insanity. First of all, not related to PaCO. Second of all, not true. Just, wow. Actually, Zeus believes that the ill-treatment of animals is completely wrong, and is very much against it. He actually doesn't believe that it's right to have pets, because he thinks that keeping an animal in any environment not natural to it's species is a form of torment. Now, I grew up with the concept of having pets, and I always really liked having my pets, I loved them, so it's a difficult point of view for me to handle, but hey, he thinks torment is wrong, and that's how he sees it. There ya go.
I heard she called Zeus "creepy" for being "almost 40 and interested in PaCO". Okay, first of all, Zeus is only 34, not almost 40. Second, DAVID, who is an undergrad friend of ours, is actually OLDER than Zeus. Although he doesn't look it, he has a youthful appearance, he is older than Zeus, and a bit sensitive about his age. The fact that she would sit there right in front of David and call Zeus "creepy" for being "old" shows that she doesn't care whose feelings she steps on while grasping at straws to try and make people sympathize with her. Wow. And you know, Zeus is interested in PaCO both because he is a founding member who established the group in the first place, and because he's dating me, and I'm there. I'm 25. Am I creepy for being there? Tarsha is older than I am. Was she creepy for being there? But wow, I'm still amazed she would say such a thing in front of David. Wow.
I heard she told people I "stole" money from the University by getting reimbursed for the button maker and button parts I bought for PaCO. Um, we actually talked quite a bit about me getting reimbursed for that. I paid $121 of my own money to get that for PaCO, and as much as I'd love to donate that to a group I love, it's a bit much for me, and I don't really make a lot. I barely get by, generally. I didn't even tell Zeus how much I spent on it at the time, but I really wanted to help PaCO. And, buttons have been the MOST successful advertising we've EVER had. People love the buttons, we've given away hundreds of them by now, and we ALWAYS get a surge of hits to the website after they've been handed out. I mean, look at how many new people have come to see PaCO, after I made sure to get us signed up for the Summer Student Orgs Fairs and sat at them, with no one to help me but Zeus. Sat at those Summer Student Orgs Fairs to help a group I love, though I'm not a student, and spent hours upon hours upon hours making buttons until my fingers were too sore to do it anymore, and printed as many flyers as I could with my own printing supplies.
I've always been the one to print flyers myself. The one to bring cookies and honey cakes and drinks to meetings and Mabon gatherings. The one to bring craft supplies and paints. The one to pick up whatever small things I could and bring them to share with the group. I've always done this, because I love to share what I can with a group I love. I've always supplied whatever I could buy, and never asked for it back before. The things I've brought to share with PaCO over the last five years must add up to hundreds of dollars by now, and I've never cared. Now, the ONE time I couldn't pay for something for PaCO because it was just too much for me, I get called a thief?
After everything I've given and shared, and everything I've done and accomplished, never worrying about it because I loved the group and had always been counted as equal, I get told that I don't matter anymore because I'm not a student, and that because my efforts to better the group are somehow perceived as a threat by the president who never wants to do anything, she has grabbed onto a University technicality that has never (and still doesn't) mattered to the group's acceptance of people to try and get rid of me?
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As soon as Michelle got tired of me and Zeus accomplishing everything for PaCO that she sat there and said, "can't be done", she dragged the University people into everything so she could push her agenda of "non-students can't play". PaCO has NEVER cared who was or wasn't a student before. Tarsha was welcomed as a non-student. So was I, so was Griff, and so was Zeus. And who else? Non-students have been welcomed in voting and everything.
Michelle can sit there and say, "It's not my rule, it's the University's rule" all she wants, and indeed, she has said that many times now, but no amount of saying that can hide the fact that SHE MADE IT HER RULE by causing all of this. PaCO has never had a problem, and wouldn't have had a problem, if she hadn't gone running to Gus to claim that there was one. If she hadn't dragged them into this to make them say it, no one would have ever cared. Before Michelle made a stink, I was perfectly capable of doing everything Michelle refused to or failed to. I got us a meeting room, I got us our funding, I got our event set, and Zeus got our location and permits for the bonfire. We got it all done, because no one ever said before that we didn't count. We were equals to the group, just as always. I have been doing the job of President for years without ever holding the title. No problem, the title isn't supposed to mean shit anyway.
But when Michelle didn't like that we were getting all this done when she thought it couldn't be done, she went running to Student Gov like a kindergartener running to a teacher saying, "I don't want these kids to play with the stuff that I wanna play with!" And if not for that, we would have continued as always, and PaCO would have stayed as successful as we were making it. Sure, "It's not my rule, it's the University's rule" is basically true, but, SHE MADE IT HER RULE by forcing the University to get involved. She is the one who dragged University people into the group and made them enforce the rule, when they never would have cared otherwise, and no amount of speaking that meaningless platitude is going to make ANYONE forget that she has done this.
In fact, the University people said that we could have our "recognized voters" vote on whether or not the non-students can continue to be counted as equals, and participate in votes and everything. And the few members who were present did agree that they wanted an election. So, her desperate acts of control and power-grabbing have not fully worked. The group still has a chance to break free of her reign of inaction and information control, and allow for the continued success of PaCO, through individuals, student or non-student, who are dedicated to the group, and who will stand up and say, "Yes, we can do it, who do we talk to?", not, "Well, a secretary said there's no bonfire spot anymore, so we can't do it." NO, PaCO will have people who are willing to TRY! PaCO can get people who are willing to do things on time, not late, and who will not try to throw out the only members who are getting us what we need.