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:: Sunday, August 27, 2006 ::

Maybe it's because sex is "fun"

***Warning: The following is a biased account of my opinion about a certain Straits Times article and a certain university. I make no excuses about my undisgused dislike (and my bigotry) about certain things they do, but this will be limited to the following post. I can assure you that I am trying my best to disguise it in other areas of my life.

Therefore, if you are a firm advocate of university life and the people who supposedly run student bodies in respective universities, do not read any further. I'm just concerned it might be a waste of your time. ***

Today I read an article in the Straits Times about the inappropriate games that are played during university orientation camps. I'm not surprised about what goes on to say the least, because having been both a participant and facilitator, I've seen many games that are consciously created to cause embarrassment.

And as far as it may be that some "seniors get carried away", I'm afraid that most of these game decisions also come from the higher-ups. I'm not sure if I'm angry or amused, but as I've said, it is a conscious decision. If memory serves me, phrases like "we have to get them as close as possible" or comments about how they want games to be wet or dirty are thrown about in the meeting room. The same with penalties - do a pole dance, write some word with your butt.

Let's not deny the intent here. It's unfortunate that students are uncomfortable with the activities chosen, but I'm quite sure those activities were expressly calculated to create exactly what they do not want to admit - inappropriate behaviour, with sometimes sexual overtones.

Caveat though, all these things I heard were when I was in university myself. I do not know what the state of management is like right now.

I understand that embarrassing games can also create camaraderie, because once you've been vulnerable in front of someone, it's easier to be closer. The question is, of course - what's the real intent of these games? If it's to bond your freshmen, why not stand by your decisions?

But then again, we are who we are, and we back down in the face of authority.

It also doesn't speak well for NUS seniors, does it, if they can get "out of control" - seeing that they're supposed to be older, mature, wiser? What does it say about the facilitator selection process? What does it say about instructions to the facilitators if they can't be controlled because there are so many of them? Surely it can't be that difficult to give a rough guideline of what facilitators should and should not do? Or do the facilitators just NOT listen to what the organizers have to say?

Are organizers are doing enough?

Yes, it's not easy to plan such a large scale event, but I would think after so many years of orientations and seniors helping out (some of them coming back YEAR AFTER YEAR), camps would get better, not worse.

I end off with a last derisive remark, because that's MY real intent here, but for your aesthetic tastes, I will hide it.

What's that? The juniors in the organizing team don't want to listen to the senior's advice? Shows how much respect they have for you, doesn't it.

Labels: Rant

:: And that's all she wrote 11:57 AM [+] ::
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