I forgot to write about this last week, but after recapping the Week One Hustings on Monday, I believe that one more look at student organizations/elections would be beneficial both for my personal reflection and your vicarious enjoyment.
The Canoe Club had their AGM last Wednesday at a pub just outside of campus. On the surface, it was a pretty traditional affair:
- curry
- mock awards
- sentimental speech
- nominations and elections
- general merriment
While the election process may not have been as wild as Monday’s, it did carry its fair share of foolish behavior, inside jokes, and nonsensical yelling. But almost ironically, I have continued to be impressed by the level of responsibility and organization the student organizations here possess. During my years at Michigan, I considered myself a bit of a ’student organizations’ junkie, and felt I had seen the gamut of how to develop and maintain a successful student group.
Of course, my previous experiences dealt primarily with engineering professional development, service, and leadership groups, so comparing these to activity-based groups (caving, canoeing, acting) is a little like comparing apple pie to plum pudding.
Oh, and despite the fact that I will only be in England for another couple months and have only the most novice paddling skills, I ran for the Canoe Club’s Head Coach position (mostly so that it wouldn’t go uncontested). While I naturally lost on a platform that repeatedly made reference to the two aforementioned facts, I secretly hope I got at least one vote…
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One more thing: This was too funny. In one effort to retain some “American-ness” during my time here, I have adopted my friend John Nanry’s phrase “weak sauce!” (an interjection signifying mild dissatisfaction – akin to the word “bummer!”). So at some point during dinner conversation, I find occasion to use the phrase and one of the other Canoe Club members, who assumes I’m talking about the curry, replies “yeah, it is a pretty weak sauce.”
