Hallelujah!
Congratulations, ladies and gentlemen. You have successfully survived [or at least I hope you have] another semester of chapel. Good work, everyone. Really, nice job.
And in a surprising turn of events, the last chapel, or at the least the first half of it, wasn't completely worthless.
Props to Whiteside and Co. for the music. I've always wondered what it might sound like if John Mayer covered "O Holy Night."
More props to Rizkalla for trying to pass off the plot of Home Alone as her own Christmas story. $5 says the enrollment in her classes doubles next semester. [Apparently not all business professors are boring as hell. . . .]
Instead of wasting my energy commenting on His Holiness' waste of our time [Pay attention. Got it. Thanks, Brad.], I thought I'd take a few moments to reflect on the semester.
September 2nd, 2008: the day that someone actually started trying to do something about the problems with chapel instead of just muttering about them under their breath.
December 10, 2008: the day that the same person realized that, no matter how hard they try, attempting to effect change in policy and practice at SNU may be futile.
And why? Why might trying to do something about the problems here at SNU be futile? Well, for one because the watershed majority of students at SNU don't give a shit about trying to do anything. About anything. [So why should we expect the administration to act when we refuse to?] Sure, you'll laugh at my jokes about His Holiness and the Maldonator, but after reading my posts, rather than doing anything about chapel, you turn around and start playing Gears 2.
Evidence: I just went to my Facebook group, Flying in Circles, to gather some information about the discussion board threads I have started throughout the semester. Unfortunately, information about the first three threads was unavailable, because of inactivity. However, if we take the six threads about which information is available as representative of all nine, here's what we find:
The average number of posts per thread is 6.33.
The lowest number of posts on a thread is 0.
The highest number of posts on a thread is 18. [And, go figure, it was on the thread entitled, "Sex Talk." Typical.]
The average number of people commenting on each thread is 2.83.
The lowest number of people commenting on a thread is 0.
The highest number of people commenting on a thread is 7.
The average number of comments per blog post is 6.67.
The lowest number of comments on a blog post is 1.
The highest number of comments on a blog post is 17.
[Keep in mind that these last three statistics include my comments and multiple comments by one person.]
Unfortunately, I cannot give accurate statistics regarding the number of Facebook messages I have received, as my original profile was deleted halfway through the semester, so you'll just have to believe me when I report that most of the messages I received said something like, "Hey, who are you?" or, "Stop being such a pussy and reveal your identity." Very substantive, indeed.
I received one e-mail from a student this semester.
SNU is a school of how many students? Roughly 2,000? How many students have to attend chapel? Roughly half of that? And the best you can do is 6.something posts/comments per thread or blog post?! Pathetic. Fucking pathetic. [Mario and Luigi Platter, you two are excused from being classified as "pathetic fuckheads" because, whether you agreed with me or not, at least you participated. Mayo, Shane, Josh, Nikki, Michelson: same goes for you.]
Come on people. We all complain about chapel. We all have problems with the way certain things are done here at SNU, but it's really rather embarrassing to discover that when someone actually tries to do some good by providing an open forum for discussion and plenty of material to discuss, you balk at the opportunity afforded you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know life is sooooooo much easier when you don't have to think for yourself and someone else just tells you what to do, but is that the kind of life you want to lead? I really don't feel like investigating the finer points of this issue, because I know the majority of you don't fucking care. The result would probably cause me to need a perscription for Prozac anyway.
In summation: I hope you have enjoyed this semester. I hope you found my posts entertaining. I hope you enjoyed the movie clips and funny pictures. I hope you're all happy knowing that you attend a school full of apathetic anti-intellectuals who refuse to engage themselves and others regarding issues that could be of benefit to the entire campus when given the chance.
No tears, SNU, just because I'm disappointed doesn't mean I won't be back. Come January 13th I shall return, controversial, crude, and challenging as ever. Maybe by that time some of you will be in the mood for intelligent discussion.
On a lighter note: Happy Holidays, and everybody take some rubbers.
"Keep near me and you will be safe."
Daedalus
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11 comments:
Ha. I think the lack of comments comes from people being terrified that you could possibly rip them to shreds if they disagreed with you.
It may be true that we dont all enjoy chapel, but the only way to fix chapel is to change the people. My problem with chapel is that the people who attend dont participate and that over half of the speakers seemed fake and a lot of the worship leaders seemed bored.( big surprise in the bible belt)
there were a few rare chapels that I completely enjoyed and a few you said good things about as well... I believe then that we should let the people that have sincere relationships and are excited about God run chapel (gasp!!) what and idea!
Then the next task would be to somehow get rid of the students who talk during worship and ignore the speakers...
that I do not have a solution for.
Enjoy the holidays:)
September 2nd, 2008: the day that someone actually started trying to do something about the problems with chapel instead of just muttering about them under their breath.
Pat yourself on the back, why don't you? Clearly, any student who does not email you or discuss chapel via your Facebook group just doesn't care.
And everyone who did not vote for Barack Obama is a racist.
[Or is it everyone who did vote for him? I always forget.]
Someone who claims to be as astute and perspicacious as you do should know better than to believe such a false dilemma. I would also expect her to realize that she is not the first student who has tried to "do something about the problems with chapel."
The point is, most people would rather work through such thoughts in a face-to-face conversation with a real person, rather than get metaphorically ripped apart by an anonymous blogger over the Internet.
Nevertheless, thank you for your persistence in offering a thoughtful commentary on every chapel service this semester. I really didn't expect you to stick with it.
I personally think it’s funny that you are quantifying your success at starting debates and keeping intellectual conversations going by just counting the activity that occurs just on your blog and your group. Frankly enough if that is the only way you think that people have begun debating and conversing than I'm disappointed. Just because you can’t monitor it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. I think you may have overlooked the fact that much more conversations have taken place outside of your "cyber-world." I can personally testify that you have sparked discussions in the school about different topics.
To tell you the truth I think that quite a few people think there might just be bigger fishes to fry than reinventing chapel. Some may be just too busy studying and digging out from under their load of HW. Others may be juggling a job, school, and other school priorities and not really have the time to really give a crap about what chapel does for them. Yet others still may just find that you are trying to fix something that isn't broken they might enjoy it or gain some little bit from it even though it might hardly ever be intellectually stimulating according to yourself (and yes I realize you don't agree with that in the slightest). That doesn't leave you with very many who would find commenting on your blog or group inviting, primarily because of your hostility towards those of opposing views. Believe it or not some people don't find there is a definable point to posting on a self righteous blogger's page at a small university in podunk Oklahoma.
With all that aside I think your blog is a fantastic source of clear thinking, for the most part, this campus might want to pick up on. Even though I can't agree with everything you write and do agree with your challenge to the student body to begin thinking critically from any standpoint. Students may not begin actively seeking to radically change chapel, but more than you know think deeper than you give them credit. I know I do gain little insight here and there in what you say, and am challenged every once and awhile by your viewpoints.
All is not lost.
I have a feeling that even if chapel met all of your standards, you'd still never claim Christianity as your religion... Or chapel would be so emergent or post-modern or whatever that it would go against Nazarene doctrine and maybe even stop looking like Christianity.
Lots of good people would love to have intelligent conversations with you about these subjects face-to-face, but naturally, they don't know who you are. So, we talk to our friends about it. You'd see it if you didn't hang out with the same few people all the time. Honestly, I really do miss hanging out with you.
Just a few thoughts...
1. Rome was not built in a day, nor did it fall in a day. To try and quantify your impact is rather silly, especially this early into your "social experiment". If you are truly passionate about what you are doing (and I believe you are) you must continue boldly and believe that one day things will change.
2. A note on change...I wonder if there has been a class that graduated from SNU that did like chapel! As one who has left dear old SNU behind and can look on it with nostalgia, it seems like a right of passage to just endure chapel. Does this mean that it shouldn't change? No...but just realize that no matter how it changes (or doesn't)it is essentially still a class and we all complain about having to go to class...even the ones we like.
3. Props to Shane! I would like to remind you that just because you like to blog does not mean that everyone else does. In fact, this post is a rare occurrence for me!
All-in-all I just want to encourage you to keep it up Amber! I really enjoy reading your posts and I hope that you do incite change at SNU!
Merry Christmas and have a great break!!!
Jack: "Or chapel would be so emergent or post-modern or whatever that it would go against Nazarene doctrine and maybe even stop looking like Christianity."
What "Nazarene doctrines" would suffer in an "emergent or post-modern" chapel?
Well, the Emergent movement considers Christianity like a trampoline, and all of its doctrines are like springs: even if a few are missing, it still functions. For instance, they don't feel it's necessary to believe in the Virgin Birth to be a Christian, which is incorrect by all other Christian standards. It's not wrong for these elements to be introduced in chapel, but we still need to approach them cautiously and wisely.
I miss arguing with you on a regular basis.
Where'd you go?
you lied and never came back.
Justice. That's what we all want--Justice.
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