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rushthatspeaksSo those of you who are going to or went to BMC are familiar with the phenomenon that is Plenary, the annual meeting at which the college attempts to reaffirm its self-government, make any necessary changes to the school constitution, and deal with anything else that needs to be put before a quorum of the student body. It is, not to put too fine a point on it, Hell. One goes to Plenary and waits and waits and waits and WAITS for quorum, which is only achieved after several hours if at all, and then is maintained through one, or possibly two resolutions, assuming that said resolutions are not too boringly technical and are not debated too thoroughly. Once quorum is lost, everybody has to sit there another couple hours just to ensure that it will not be regained, and then everyone goes home with a headache and a sense of having wasted an afternoon to no discernable effect. The whole thing has improved somewhat in recent years, since they started serving brunch and having raffles, but it was really only a slight improvement. Recognize this, people?
Not this year.
This year Plenary started at 11 AM. Quorum, by the moderator's watch, was achieved at 11:29 AM. There were eight resolutions up for debate. At 4:30 PM, we finished voting on the last of them, having maintained quorum without a break for five solid hours. Not only that, but the counts on each vote indicated that more than five hundred students were present at all times, a significant margin above the three hundred and ninety-something required for quorum. There was debate on the resolutions. There was intelligent and polite debate on the resolutions.
This may have had something to do with the fact that the raffle prizes this year included Room Draw numbers for the underclassmen and first pick at Garden Party spots for the seniors. But I am still truly astonished that that many people stayed in the room for that long. It just does not usually work that way. I'm delighted. I'm hoping it isn't just attributable to the fact that this is Leap Year, and hence we were due a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence. Maybe things will keep on this way (although, of course, I have my doubts). But for my last Plenary... I don't even have a headache.
Oh, and nii-chan, would you read this entry to Sei so that she becomes aware that this astonishing thing has, in fact, happened, and is able to prepare in case it is a sign of the apocalypse? Thank you.
Not this year.
This year Plenary started at 11 AM. Quorum, by the moderator's watch, was achieved at 11:29 AM. There were eight resolutions up for debate. At 4:30 PM, we finished voting on the last of them, having maintained quorum without a break for five solid hours. Not only that, but the counts on each vote indicated that more than five hundred students were present at all times, a significant margin above the three hundred and ninety-something required for quorum. There was debate on the resolutions. There was intelligent and polite debate on the resolutions.
This may have had something to do with the fact that the raffle prizes this year included Room Draw numbers for the underclassmen and first pick at Garden Party spots for the seniors. But I am still truly astonished that that many people stayed in the room for that long. It just does not usually work that way. I'm delighted. I'm hoping it isn't just attributable to the fact that this is Leap Year, and hence we were due a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence. Maybe things will keep on this way (although, of course, I have my doubts). But for my last Plenary... I don't even have a headache.
Oh, and nii-chan, would you read this entry to Sei so that she becomes aware that this astonishing thing has, in fact, happened, and is able to prepare in case it is a sign of the apocalypse? Thank you.
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no subject
Date: 2004-02-29 02:23 pm (UTC)Un-fucking-heard of.
Pretty cool.
-Amanda
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Date: 2004-02-29 02:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-29 02:35 pm (UTC)(I've also been to a plenary at the Ford, which I swear resembled nothing so much as a three ring circus.)
So I'd say it's not a sign of the upcomming apocalypse. Maybe it's a sign that the whole notion of quorum and plenary needed a good generation and half to percolate and the community has come to its collective senses.
Hearing about how great Plenary was just about made my day! Go Bryn Mawr.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-29 02:50 pm (UTC)Sei's delighted to hear this, but she's curious: what were the resolutions? In particular:
And lastly, did anyone we know get anything significant in the raffle?
Mind you, I have no idea what the questions she's asking are about (except the raffle, of course).
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Date: 2004-02-29 03:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-29 04:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-29 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-29 05:06 pm (UTC)Congratulations, anyway.
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Date: 2004-03-01 03:35 pm (UTC)