A Caveat on Department Politics
Monday, May. 19, 2003 at 3:37 p.m.


Last night I went to a party at the house of two professors. I like and have had classes with them both, but they're of a different clique than the professors I usually fraternize with. If the ones that I've hung out with before are the outcasts, these were the mainstream. Not conservative, just more accepted in their liberalism by being generally more PROPER than those professors that I'm happy to call my friends. In terms of the guest list there was some overlap between these groups, but it felt strange to be at this house in Bloomfield Township in a leafy backyard and talking to their teenaged son who's painfully smart and goes to Roeper, rather than smoking out and flirting with people in an apartment downtown. Yes, there was alcohol and pot, but not the candid discussions that I've come to enjoy and not as much warped humor.

My problem is, while I was there somebody asked me if I was "one of Barry's people." I like the idea of having a mentor and when I become a grad student, like most of the students at this party were, I'll probably wind up being associated with one person or another. But there's something that feels very limiting and generally shitty about that situation. I pride myself on getting along with a variety of people and not getting sucked into departmental politics. After all, a lot of the people here that I like and admire genuinely hate each other, or simply don't get along for personal or professional reasons.

Am I going to reach a point in my career where I'll have to choose between personalities? Hopefully not. Mature people should be able to share me, but it can get ugly around Wayne sometimes. If not with the professors than as far as those grad students who are proud to be so-and-so's "person" are concerned. I guess the only thing to do is continue being polite to everyone, and not entirely for selfless reasons.

You never know whose help you're going to need in the future, so why burn bridges? Call me a pet; at least I've figured out what I want.


I'm listening to Norah Jones: Come Away with Me
I'm reading House of Leaves
I want to Humanities class and work, so far

Previous:
- - Thursday, Oct. 27, 2005
back yet again - Thursday, Aug. 04, 2005
Batman - Friday, Jun. 17, 2005
Just fucking around today - Sunday, May. 22, 2005
pre-birthday - Saturday, Apr. 30, 2005