[297] in UA Exec
Re: You are being lied to.
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Daniel Hawkins)
Sun Apr 4 17:37:12 2010
Reply-To: hwkns@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: <m2w33f5b87f1004041029qa5907abbi2e189e54de2b7d57@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2010 17:37:08 -0400
From: Daniel Hawkins <hwkns@MIT.EDU>
To: Nathaniel Fox <natefox@mit.edu>
Cc: Jessica H Lowell <jessiehl@mit.edu>, Alexandra Jordan <amjordan@mit.edu>,
Anthony Rindone <arindone@mit.edu>, UA Senate <ua-senate@mit.edu>,
UA Executive Board <ua-exec@mit.edu>
--0016369205a8b0aac604837003bb
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
ALL,
It looks like Bennie's article in the Tech on Friday (
http://tech.mit.edu/V130/N16/bennie.html) got someone's attention; Colombo
has scheduled a meeting for tomorrow with the UAP, UAVP, and UA Dining
Chair, to discuss dining. I doubt that our problems will be solved after
this meeting, but I am curious to see what happens.
Anthony,
This is not something that has "come up". It's been happening for several
months. And I'm frustrated by your assumption that no one has tried the
things you mentioned. Colombo is very good at ignoring things he doesn't
want to deal with, even if it's a person standing right in front of him. We
are attempting to come up with a good "course of action". That requires
some communication, which is what "weak" e-mails are for. Snark less, help
more.
Jessie,
We tried coming up with our own proposal last year (DPC). Admins keep
calling it "an important piece of student input" and completely ignoring its
contents. What's driving this is the desire to eliminate the deficit and
"build community" around dining, which involves less choice and more money
(but not MIT's money - they need to eliminate the deficit). Those are
principles that everyone in the administration (that I'm aware of) agrees
on. I haven't talked to Matt - I'll send him an e-mail.
Nate,
Add yourself to cfs@mit.edu - it hasn't been active in a while, but I have a
feeling it might come back to life soon. And keep reading this thread. If
you're thinking more long-term, you could apply for a UA leadership position
for next year, or join a committee - there's a lot to be done. If you want,
we can talk sometime about what would be the best fit for you.
-hwkns
On Sun, Apr 4, 2010 at 1:29 PM, Nathaniel Fox <natefox@mit.edu> wrote:
> I hate being lied to, and this email makes me angry and I love it!
>
> And normally, as class president, I don't do anything that's actually
> important, but god dang it, this email makes me want to do something that
> has an impact beyond unnecessary things like personalized track jackets and
> silly free food/board game events!!
>
> However, unlike UA people who know how to do things that matter, I am
> uneducated in how to do this. So I am not sure what I can do, but whatever
> it is, someone tell me!!
>
> I want do something!! Meaningful!!!
>
> I also like food.
>
> -Nate
>
>
>
> On Sun, Apr 4, 2010 at 1:22 PM, Jessica H Lowell <jessiehl@mit.edu> wrote:
>
>> Who is student-sympathetic (or at least student-sympathetic on relevant
>> issues)
>> in the administration these days who might have any pull with (or
>> authority
>> over) Columbo? Who in the UA is friendly with that person/those people?
>> One
>> tactic that can sometimes be useful is to come up with your own proposal
>> and
>> take it to a relevant admin who might endorse it and can help you push it
>> through over the objections of the obstructive one. I had a success or
>> two
>> using that tactic.
>>
>> Tipping the Tech off about problematic administrative actions can also be
>> helpful.
>>
>> Are there any underlings in Dining that anyone in the UA is friendly with,
>> that
>> could provide information about what exactly he's intending to do or
>> what's
>> making him tick?
>>
>> Has anyone talked with Matt McGann (admissions guy, 1999-2000 UAP) about
>> this? I found him pretty useful to bounce ideas off of when I was doing
>> this. He's
>> completely trustworthy, and, being an admin himself, he might know
>> something
>> relevant (or he might not - Admissions and Dining don't interact much).
>>
>> - Jessie (UAVP 2005-2006, Senator from EC 2004-2005 and 2006-2007)
>>
>>
>> Quoting Alexandra Jordan <amjordan@MIT.EDU>:
>>
>> And what "course of action" do you recommend if admins continue to
>>> side-step your complaints and conduct business as usual (i.e. with little
>>> to no student input)? I think this is actually the place we find ourselves
>>> at.
>>>
>>> With respect to dining, we've done everything under the sun to engage
>>> administrators in a conversation they are simply unwilling to have. BRDC
>>> had student input (though it was mostly ineffectual), and in response to
>>> the BRDC leak, the UA decided to draft its own document with a heavier
>>> student perspective. Dean Colombo had both of these documents in hand last
>>> May and has sat on them ever since.
>>>
>>> Throughout the summer, members of the DPC continued to collect feedback
>>> from various parties on the DPC report (including housemasters). They also
>>> tried to discuss the report with Dean Colombo, who had nothing concrete to
>>> say on it, either positive or negative. Then the academic year started, we
>>> got a new Dining Committee chair, and Dean Colombo also ignored him.
>>>
>>> We've seen ZERO changes made to dining in the last 11 months that DSL
>>> has had the BRDC and DPC reports. In that time, however, the UA has been
>>> in constant contact with the Dining Office, trying to secure programs like
>>> a take-out or hot breakfast option. All of which have been turned down by
>>> the admin for the present (although hot breakfast is likely to happen in
>>> the fall, despite the fact that there isn't currently a plan in place to
>>> fix the inefficiencies that make dining so expensive).
>>>
>>> So after 2 official dining reports, 11 months of prodding and
>>> conversation starting, and one bill from the Senate urging Dean Colombo to
>>> respond, where do we--the students and MAJOR stakeholders in the dining
>>> system--find ourselves? Nowhere.
>>>
>>> Dean Colombo has set up yet another diversion--HDAG--and devised it such
>>> that students are outnumbered by housemasters and admins.
>>>
>>> So again, I ask you, what "course of action" would you take?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Alex Jordan
>>> Chair, UA Committee on Sustainability
>>> Former DPC member
>>>
>>>
>>> On Apr 4, 2010, at 11:51 AM, Anthony Rindone wrote:
>>>
>>> I think it's irresponsible to create controversy largely on
>>>> speculation, but I'll bite.
>>>>
>>>> I do remember some discussion on that resolution a few months ago, and
>>>> I do recall at least one person pointing out the lack of "bite" that said
>>>> resolutions have. If the people responsible for certain obligations (i.e.
>>>> Colombo) do not meet those guidelines, then what really are the
>>>> consequences? O yeah...people bitch about it on these mailing lists.
>>>>
>>>> Members of the UA should approach him in person and grill him on these
>>>> issues during his office hours (if he still has them...and if he doesn't he
>>>> should be grilled on that too...) Essentially, if something like this comes
>>>> up, the gut reaction necessarily should not be to shoot off a weak email,
>>>> but to get into the faces of Admins. If they still bullshit you, then come
>>>> up with a course of action.
>>>>
>>>> Talk less, act more
>>>>
>>>> Anthony Rindone
>>>> arindone@mit.edu
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Apr 3, 2010 at 7:45 AM, Daniel Hawkins <hwkns@mit.edu> wrote:
>>>> Task Force report, Summer Housing, Athena - all handled very well so
>>>> far, in my opinion. But something isn't right. Has anyone noticed that
>>>> we've had no real dialogue whatsoever with the administration about dining
>>>> this semester? And not for lack of trying... Student engagement my ass.
>>>> The final decision will be thrust upon us in a few weeks, right about the
>>>> time we need to be studying for finals, and in the mean time we are being
>>>> intentionally blocked out of the decision making process.
>>>>
>>>> Colombo refuses to talk to the UAP about dining. Yes, he refuses.
>>>> Just think about that for a moment. Did you ever imagine you would have a
>>>> Dean for Student Life who would refuse to talk with a student
>>>> representative about a student life issue?
>>>>
>>>> Remember that resolution that most of you put your names on back in
>>>> December? The one that demanded dialogue and evidence of incorporated
>>>> student input? Not only did Colombo fail to get back to us for an entire
>>>> three months, but he did nothing that we asked for. Absolutely none of it.
>>>> Our requests were neither difficult nor unreasonable, but he chose to
>>>> completely ignore them.
>>>>
>>>> Instead, three months later, he came up with HDAG, and set a time- line
>>>> that was already severely inadequate for taking student input into account
>>>> in any meaningful way. Then he failed to meet even that time-line
>>>> (according to his plan, the Idea Bank was supposed to open up on March 15,
>>>> almost three weeks ago).
>>>>
>>>> At the exec meeting on Wednesday, I learned that the Division of
>>>> Student Life has been building a web site that they hope will minimize
>>>> blowback from the announcement of the new dining plan. Members of HDAG, of
>>>> course, being the principal advisers in this process, had no clue that the
>>>> web site existed.
>>>>
>>>> I don't know what the hell is going on, but it's not student
>>>> engagement.
>>>>
>>>> Discuss.
>>>>
>>>> -hwkns
>>>>
>>>>
>>> __________________________________
>>> Alexandra Jordan
>>>
>>> MIT 2011
>>> Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science
>>> Political Science
>>>
>>> amjordan@mit.edu
>>> 916.813.7740
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
--0016369205a8b0aac604837003bb
Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
ALL,<br><br>It looks like Bennie's article in the Tech on Friday (<a hr=
ef=3D"http://tech.mit.edu/V130/N16/bennie.html" target=3D"_blank">http://te=
ch.mit.edu/V130/N16/bennie.html</a>)
got someone's attention; Colombo has scheduled a meeting for tomorrow=
=20
with the UAP, UAVP, and UA Dining Chair, to discuss dining.=A0 I doubt=20
that our problems will be solved after this meeting, but I am curious to
see what happens.<br><br>Anthony,<br><br>This is not something that has &q=
uot;come up".=A0 It's been happening for several months.=A0 And I&=
#39;m frustrated by your assumption that no one has tried the things you me=
ntioned.=A0 Colombo is very good at ignoring things he doesn't want to =
deal with, even if it's a person standing right in front of him.=A0 We =
are attempting to come up with a good "course of action".=A0 That=
requires some communication, which is what "weak" e-mails are fo=
r.=A0 Snark less, help more.<br>
<br>Jessie,<br><br>We tried coming up with our own proposal last year (DPC)=
.=A0 Admins keep calling it "an important piece of student input"=
and completely ignoring its contents.=A0 What's driving this is the de=
sire to eliminate the deficit and "build community" around dining=
, which involves less choice and more money (but not MIT's money - they=
need to eliminate the deficit).=A0 Those are principles that everyone in t=
he administration (that I'm aware of) agrees on.=A0 I haven't talke=
d to Matt - I'll send him an e-mail.<br>
<br>Nate,<br><br>Add yourself to <a href=3D"mailto:cfs@mit.edu" target=3D"_=
blank">cfs@mit.edu</a> - it hasn't been active in a while, but I have a=
feeling it might come back to life soon.=A0 And keep reading this thread.=
=A0 If you're thinking more long-term, you could apply for a UA leaders=
hip position for next year, or join a committee - there's a lot to be d=
one.=A0 If you want, we can talk sometime about what would be the best fit =
for you.<br>
<br>-hwkns<br>
<br><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Sun, Apr 4, 2010 at 1:29 PM, Nath=
aniel Fox <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:natefox@mit.edu" target=
=3D"_blank">natefox@mit.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"g=
mail_quote" style=3D"margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(=
204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
I hate being lied to, and this email makes me angry and I love it!<br><br>A=
nd normally, as class president, I don't do anything that's actuall=
y important, but god dang it, this email makes me want to do something that=
has an impact beyond unnecessary things like personalized track jackets an=
d silly free food/board game events!!<br>
<br>However, unlike UA people who know how to do things that matter, I am u=
neducated in how to do this. So I am not sure what I can do, but whatever i=
t is, someone tell me!!<br><br>I want do something!! Meaningful!!!<br>
<br>
I also like food.<br><br>-Nate<div><div></div><div><br><br><br><div class=
=3D"gmail_quote">On Sun, Apr 4, 2010 at 1:22 PM, Jessica H Lowell <span dir=
=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:jessiehl@mit.edu" target=3D"_blank">jessiehl=
@mit.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; borde=
r-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
Who is student-sympathetic (or at least student-sympathetic on relevant iss=
ues)<br>
in the administration these days who might have any pull with (or authority=
<br>
over) Columbo? =A0Who in the UA is friendly with that person/those people? =
=A0One<br>
tactic that can sometimes be useful is to come up with your own proposal an=
d<br>
take it to a relevant admin who might endorse it and can help you push it<b=
r>
through over the objections of the obstructive one. =A0I had a success or t=
wo<br>
using that tactic.<br>
<br>
Tipping the Tech off about problematic administrative actions can also be<b=
r>
helpful.<br>
<br>
Are there any underlings in Dining that anyone in the UA is friendly with, =
that<br>
could provide information about what exactly he's intending to do or wh=
at's<br>
making him tick?<br>
<br>
Has anyone talked with Matt McGann (admissions guy, 1999-2000 UAP) about th=
is? I found him pretty useful to bounce ideas off of when I was doing this.=
=A0He's<br>
completely trustworthy, and, being an admin himself, he might know somethin=
g<br>
relevant (or he might not - Admissions and Dining don't interact much).=
<br>
<br>
- Jessie (UAVP 2005-2006, Senator from EC 2004-2005 and 2006-2007)<div><div=
></div><div><br>
<br>
Quoting Alexandra Jordan <<a href=3D"mailto:amjordan@MIT.EDU" target=3D"=
_blank">amjordan@MIT.EDU</a>>:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; borde=
r-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
And what "course of action" do you recommend if admins continue t=
o =A0side-step your complaints and conduct business as usual (i.e. with =A0=
little to no student input)? I think this is actually the place we =A0find =
ourselves at.<br>
<br>
With respect to dining, we've done everything under the sun to engage =
=A0administrators in a conversation they are simply unwilling to have. =A0B=
RDC had student input (though it was mostly ineffectual), and in =A0respons=
e to the BRDC leak, the UA decided to draft its own document =A0with a heav=
ier student perspective. Dean Colombo had both of these =A0documents in han=
d last May and has sat on them ever since.<br>
<br>
Throughout the summer, members of the DPC continued to collect =A0feedback =
from various parties on the DPC report (including =A0housemasters). They al=
so tried to discuss the report with Dean =A0Colombo, who had nothing concre=
te to say on it, either positive or =A0negative. Then the academic year sta=
rted, we got a new Dining =A0Committee chair, and Dean Colombo also ignored=
him.<br>
<br>
We've seen ZERO changes made to dining in the last 11 months that DSL =
=A0has had the BRDC and DPC reports. In that time, however, the UA has =A0b=
een in constant contact with the Dining Office, trying to secure =A0program=
s like a take-out or hot breakfast option. All of which have =A0been turned=
down by the admin for the present (although hot breakfast =A0is likely to =
happen in the fall, despite the fact that there isn't =A0currently a pl=
an in place to fix the inefficiencies that make dining =A0so expensive).<br=
>
<br>
So after 2 official dining reports, 11 months of prodding and =A0conversati=
on starting, and one bill from the Senate urging Dean =A0Colombo to respond=
, where do we--the students and MAJOR stakeholders =A0in the dining system-=
-find ourselves? Nowhere.<br>
<br>
Dean Colombo has set up yet another diversion--HDAG--and devised it =A0such=
that students are outnumbered by housemasters and admins.<br>
<br>
So again, I ask you, what "course of action" would you take?<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Alex Jordan<br>
Chair, UA Committee on Sustainability<br>
Former DPC member<br>
<br>
<br>
On Apr 4, 2010, at 11:51 AM, Anthony Rindone wrote:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; borde=
r-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
I think it's irresponsible to create controversy largely on =A0speculat=
ion, but I'll bite.<br>
<br>
I do remember some discussion on that resolution a few months ago, =A0and I=
do recall at least one person pointing out the lack of "bite" =
=A0that said resolutions have. If the people responsible for certain =A0obl=
igations (i.e. Colombo) do not meet those guidelines, then what =A0really a=
re the consequences? O yeah...people bitch about it on these =A0mailing lis=
ts.<br>
<br>
Members of the UA should approach him in person and grill him on =A0these i=
ssues during his office hours (if he still has them...and if =A0he doesn=
9;t he should be grilled on that too...) Essentially, if =A0something like =
this comes up, the gut reaction necessarily should =A0not be to shoot off a=
weak email, but to get into the faces of =A0Admins. If they still bullshit=
you, then come up with a course of =A0action.<br>
<br>
Talk less, act more<br>
<br>
Anthony Rindone<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:arindone@mit.edu" target=3D"_blank">arindone@mit.edu</a><=
br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On Sat, Apr 3, 2010 at 7:45 AM, Daniel Hawkins <<a href=3D"mailto:hwkns@=
mit.edu" target=3D"_blank">hwkns@mit.edu</a>> wrote:<br>
Task Force report, Summer Housing, Athena - all handled very well so =A0far=
, in my opinion. =A0But something isn't right. =A0Has anyone noticed =
=A0that we've had no real dialogue whatsoever with the administration =
=A0about dining this semester? =A0And not for lack of trying... =A0Student =
=A0engagement my ass. =A0The final decision will be thrust upon us in a =A0=
few weeks, right about the time we need to be studying for finals, =A0and i=
n the mean time we are being intentionally blocked out of the =A0decision m=
aking process.<br>
<br>
Colombo refuses to talk to the UAP about dining. =A0Yes, he refuses. =A0 Ju=
st think about that for a moment. =A0Did you ever imagine you would =A0have=
a Dean for Student Life who would refuse to talk with a student =A0represe=
ntative about a student life issue?<br>
<br>
Remember that resolution that most of you put your names on back in =A0Dece=
mber? =A0The one that demanded dialogue and evidence of =A0incorporated stu=
dent input? =A0Not only did Colombo fail to get back =A0to us for an entire=
three months, but he did nothing that we asked =A0for. =A0Absolutely none =
of it. =A0Our requests were neither difficult =A0nor unreasonable, but he c=
hose to completely ignore them.<br>
<br>
Instead, three months later, he came up with HDAG, and set a time- line tha=
t was already severely inadequate for taking student input =A0into account =
in any meaningful way. =A0Then he failed to meet even =A0that time-line (ac=
cording to his plan, the Idea Bank was supposed to =A0open up on March 15, =
almost three weeks ago).<br>
<br>
At the exec meeting on Wednesday, I learned that the Division of =A0Student=
Life has been building a web site that they hope will =A0minimize blowback=
from the announcement of the new dining plan. =A0 Members of HDAG, of cour=
se, being the principal advisers in this =A0process, had no clue that the w=
eb site existed.<br>
<br>
I don't know what the hell is going on, but it's not student =A0eng=
agement.<br>
<br>
Discuss.<br>
<br>
-hwkns<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
__________________________________<br>
Alexandra Jordan<br>
<br>
MIT 2011<br>
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science<br>
Political Science<br>
<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:amjordan@mit.edu" target=3D"_blank">amjordan@mit.edu</a><=
br>
916.813.7740<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br><div style=3D"display: inline;"></div>
<div style=3D"visibility: hidden; display: inline;" id=3D"avg_ls_inline_pop=
up"></div><style type=3D"text/css">#avg_ls_inline_popup { position:absolut=
e; z-index:9999; padding: 0px 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; =
width: 240px; overflow: hidden; word-wrap: break-word; color: black; fo=
nt-size: 10px; text-align: left; line-height: 13px;}</style>
--0016369205a8b0aac604837003bb--
