OGX Meeting Jan. 31.

TAke notes
Amber: first things first melanie and phil give quick salaam update and
melanie: uh, phil go.
phil: i can't type and think. uh, nevermind. -------we've been going to classroom presentations {elaborates, dr. abboud, presentations.......}:
melanie: more salaam stuff.
amber: info sessions...going out into the hall if interested in salaam program. would you be able to run that session?
melanie: yeah ok.
amber: could you email me that powerpoint by tomorrow? technology, who knows how's ti gonna work. eric do you have any updates about turkey, i heard there was a [conference call] snafu about time zones.
eric: blah blah blah it got worked out....missy....
amber: more information to come......i don't even get it. i don't even get what the jobs are. so i'll contact missy.
so eric's in charge of turke. ok recruiting. martha's been really busy with that.
Martha: yeah we had to cancel that today. but other than that.
melanie: are we doing the study abroad fair? that was on wednesday or something like that.
amber: ::something that relates fair to lindsey:: does anyone have lindsey's number?
Who's coming to the Wednesday info session? I'll be at both of them.
Show of hands: Amber, Claire, MArtha, Eric, Cristen(?), Melanie, Phil.
Amber: you have your tie over your shoulder like a business at work.
Who's going on Thursday?
:Show of hands::Melanie, Claire, Amber, Joy, Martha, Eric, Cristen(?), Phil.
Amber: yeah i mean here's the thing kabout info sessions. my opinion on this whole info session thing is that if this is the worst week in your life, i mean we ask you to come to one of them but you can like, tell me if....(voice drifts off into space)....
There's this whole review session this week wed & thurs.
Then the applications, we'll have it due Friday, or, sometime really soon.
So, first I need all the SN applications. Is anyone insterested in looking at SN applications and seeing who's in and who gets the boot? if someone wanted to do that I could be at the office [at the same time]. I was thinking this weekend but I don't know if that's too soon for people.
Ok, so Claire and Cristen are gonna be in charge of that.
Another thing, so I was talking with Joy about this; usually what we do is this week application review next week review board, then ?.
This time it's application this week, then whatever, then an orientation.
so, do y'all think this can happen in lieu of a review board?
{Chatter, for a while. Laughing, shortly.}
Amber: What I was thinking is nixing these review boards and having expectations meeting, revamped to be expectations/review board. It's usually not an in or out thing anyway, we can be flexible, they're not always in and out, so [why not just combine the too]. It would cut out a week's worth of review board that we have to do. I haven't really thought about this too much s I'm not sure how it's gonna work
Eric: Usually a review board is a good indicator of how someone's gonna do and if we can match them. If we cut that out, we'd be taking in a bunch of people who can't be matched and waste 45 bucks.
Amber: hey you're paying 45 bucks for the database. After, we'll help you find your jobj. HEre's the thing I'm worried about. A million applications. That's good. But I already have like 13 applications. So I wanna find a way to ....I feel like review boards are pointless if the person doint the review board is not the person who's gonna be the pc. we switch them off. could we still have the review boards but do 'em at the end where they'll know [who the pc's gonna be].
Amber: So how does next week look for you guys?
Joy: We'd probably just nix the ogx meeting.
Amber: Extenuating circumstances.....blah blah...what do y'all think or do you think we should just keep the same old system?
Cristen: from the sn side we're being reallyk repetitive. they ask the same questions, you mark 'em off, the ask the same questions to another thing. [agrees with Amber]
Amber:So Cristen likes that. Does everybody in support? Anybody say nay: No nays.
Joy: .............
Amber: Eric, so you think we still need this filter?
Eric: [mostly yeah]
Amber: so you've run review boards in the past so you know.
Eric: usually if they get rejected it's cause they're like, eh, i wanna do a cool engineering job in japan, or [too specific request]
{they're talking too fast}
Joy: kinda how flexible, just seeing if lthey're open, maybe it's like they're hey, i think i only want this. then maybe aiesec's not right for them.
Amber: I'm gonna make a conscious effor to make sure our sns are being proactive. "we're gonna email you at least once every two weeks. if you don't respond to them we're dropping you from the email." not to be mean to them, and i mean it's fine if they decide they don't wanna do it but we need to drop 'em.
Last thing for now, is anyone interested in being a review board coordinator?
Now everybody's like , i wish i was....
Cristen: you think Friday's too early.
Ambe:Info sessions are on wed & thur....{Deliberation: conclusion: Applications are due Sunday}
{more discussion}
questions.
Amber: lets say claire's doing review boards. ok we're sitting there wednesday and look at them and we'll say "I'm willing to take Amber, or "I'm willing to take Suzie" and if there was someone you wouldn't wanna take we'd put them inf the reject pile but if it was for time reasons we'd put them in another pile."
Good so review boards instead of meeting.
I'm scared of these notes already.
Eric: We're not even talking and you're still typing.
Amber: Cristen is booted form the review committee for applications.
{Really tedious explanation of something, not too long though}
So we'll have applications due at five, and then, who's not here?
Shaleen, that bastard, I searched everywhere.
{Some explanation of where he is}
Amber: So we still need review board coordinator {talks like kindergarten teacher} ok, joy and claire are now acception applcations sunday evening. ok, review board coordinator...
Martha: i dunno, i can do that.
Amber: Good, i was just gonna keep talking until someone took it.

{Joy discusses logistics}
Amber: After y'all are done Sunday night you gotta call Martha and see about handing out the process to her.
Claire: can we not tell them for a question try to say either tuesday or wednesday?
Amber: yeah, that's a good idea..
So cool. yeah i can come either day, is there someone who can come on only one day?
So scared about these minutes...How am I gonna read them?
ok, good.
now. It better not be 9 o'clock. {it's 7:50 actually}. oh, good, now.
Ok, before computer's Joy's gonna announce the whole spreadsheet. It's like a progression of what you're doing. So it's to help us and to help you.
Any questions.
{Joy talks quietly}
AMber: yeah i think we should mail it or post it somewhere.
Joy: i can post it somewhere and then look at it and adjust.
Amber: yeah this is why. I know this requires more trust but I want less Sn updates and everyones who's not coordinator is like duuuhhhh(snaps fingers) so...
Joy: something something.
Amber: OK, so break, unless someone else has any more announcements.

Bar exam

The other night I went to a bar in spite of my age obstacle.
I needed to meet several co-workers in the internship at the capital, as they're smart bright people who are nonetheless different enough that I'd need an icebreaker to have fun with them this spring. I walked into the big bar undetected with ease because an earlier phone call taught me that minors could enter before 10. I left the streets to enter the darker constipated rooms; they didn't flow. Wood panelling inevitably makes homey memories for a couple minutes, then it suffocates you.
They mashed us in tight enough to turn our chatter into drone; some alternative music (3 doors down, 3rd Eye Blind, and more) served as filler in case the drone wasn't suffciently homogenous.
Most were over 25; my table wasn't different. The one I knew most leaned forward and with passion that increased with beer gave a sermon on career goals, and especially the interface between personal skills and contacts, even demonstrating with the 'ole finger entwignment of fingers that come together slowly and firmly. He bought me the beer, though i could've. I lost a girl of checkers to an attractive young lady, one of the few undergraduates, and we left shortly after.
I don't care if I stay 20.

Predictions?

I've learned to give up and pick the Patriots in every game for all time.
I picked the Colts, but now realize the Patriots have that certain magic that can traumatize and leave deep wounds in small children, a magic unseen since the Bulls. Those teams always insist on mixing it up, between giving teams hope within a game before clinically demolishing at a late moment, and giving teams hope before a game then dominating in such a way that could suck all hope of a better future from fans of the opposing team. Either way they can leave you embittered, frustrated, and callous in the face of the inevitability of their dominance. I'd rearrange blanket and pillows, sometimes laying on the floor, lying in anguish until 3am (anyone awake on election night can probably relate), so I'm glad I'm not a small child who roots for underdogs anymore 'cause the Patriots are that team.

I don't think the Eagles will blow a 4th straight NFC championship, but I hope so.
Any other predictions?

free food experience.

At E-Z's, I read one of those triangles that display the spotlighted foods;they had the "bad boy" on there:"1/2 lb. of beef, slathered with loads of American cheese and a giant mound of fries." Usually I like eating that stuff but the mode of advertising, "gluttonous and proud of it", is annoying . Like that seductive woman voice on the Simpsons who'd moan over the "3 slices of Bacon, a fried egg, syrup, ground beef and rich, creamy butter; We call it The Good Morning Burger." Some recently have even been agressive; by the end of the year I predict a "Fuck You Hippies Freedom Burger." But this ad was ok 'cause it said "This One's Terrible for You."
Which was funny.
Sometimes declaring an over-the-top thing ahead of time makes it acceptable.
So I slid the triangle back to its original spot but the table was slippery so it flew across it and onto the booth across me. Before I could contort myself properly to pick it up, an old man with a mustache and NASCAR cap walked over and picked it up for me.
"Happened to me the other day", he said. "Those tables are slippery."
Those kind of people are my favorite. Not necessarily the the Good Samaritan aspect (which is nice) but people who will find any excuse to be share minor but uncommon happenings with strangers, in this case his partner in overzealous sliding.
But it was a free food experience as my father rolled into town and I hit him up for free dinner. He considered buying me a beer(he's of age) but showing my student ID for discount, but we figured they'd say "sir, choose one or the other."