Tuesday, April 23, 2013

A Day in the Life of an MCR President

You wake up.

Ugh. Not the alarm again. I hate that ring tone. *Snooze*

You wake up.

Ugh. Not the alarm again. I still hate that ring tone. Maybe one more time. *Snooze*

You wake up.

Ugh. Not the alarm again. Fine, I'll get up. *Dismiss*

Not feeling ready to get up, you stare across the room through the crack in the curtains. It's sunny. Going to be a good day. Grab the ipad, prop yourself up, and check Facebook. Hm. Someone posted a picture of their (dog/cat/horse/office/house/child).

You finally roll out of bed, 7:50 am. Stumble to the shower, noticing that it is in fact a beautiful late-April day. Spring finally came to Oxford.

Lethargic shower. You've been there.

After almost failing to choose a shirt for the day, you stumble back upstairs for breakfast.

Bagel. Plate. Knife. Spoon. Banana. Glass.

"Morning Ellie"

You enter the lounge. OJ. Yogurt. Cream Cheese.

"How's your day looking?"

Good. You look outside and realize it is incredibly sunny. First time you've been blinded this year.

Breakfast and banter over, clean the dishes, assess the empty fridge, and pick up 2.35 from the change pile for lunch. Then return for an extra 1.10 for dessert.

Backpack packed, you're off. Gonna be a good day. Gonna be a good day. Ok, it's actually a bit chilly in the shade. Arriving at the lab (I still can't believe they chose olive green as the new vinyl floor color. Blech.), you greet the two people who have arrived. 9:10 am.

Email. Ugh. Four emails about an exchange with a Cambridge MCR. Two emails about dance. Four emails about starting "rent negotiations" with the college. One MCR officer is stuck in Israel (airline strike) and another in South Africa (mechanical issues?). Vice President on holiday in Netherlands, but have an amazing treasurer and secretary. Pizza night tonight. And dance practice.

Responding to the first wave of messages, you get 'caught up.' You grab your notebook and computer and head to another building to teach a lab. Concrete bridge design. Lecture by your supervisor followed by hours of undergraduate challenges. Spending all day with the supervisor. Fun.

Hours pass. Students barely making progress. Lunch time. Queue for canteen ridiculous because you entered at the Undergrad rush instead of the Grad student lull (30 mins before hand). Return to your desk, finding no one around. They went out to eat in the parks - a beautiful sunny day. Open inbox. YIKES! More emails about the exchange, the officer stuck in Israel, the social events that can't get planned, rent negotiations, three rooms up for rent for next year, and some other miscellaneous spam. Ok, I have time. Plan meeting for 8pm, decline participation in pizza night because of dance practice.

All that sorted, just in time to head back to the undergrad lab. Two more hours, dozens more questions. Only one group gets a successful design. Great conversation with my supervisor in the meantime... and 13 pounds per hour isn't bad either. Back to desk. Still more emails. Up to 39 received on the day. Oh wait, here's one about setting a meeting time for next week. 40.

Leave lab. 5:20 pm. 30 minute walk to Iffley gym. Remember that you forgot a call that came while in the lab. Dancesport captain? That's weird. Call back... voicemail. Arrive at practice. Text message about when college fees are due. Who knows. Friday maybe?

PRACTICE..... *relaxes*

Coach wants to talk about things. So much for jive. Practice over, you walk back towards college. Return call from captain again. He's busy too? No kidding. Anyway, he wants to talk about... other things. Why me? Go figure.

You hang up the phone and duck into the MCR. Pizza carnage. Well, I guess that was successful... wouldn't have wanted anyone to starve because I had a slice (no matter, I ate a sandwich on the way to practice). Meeting begins: logistics of a dinner exchange with Cambridge. Walking home, a beautiful evening, 8:45 pm. Checks email on phone. Five more. Hm, never did send three other emails I needed to... and it looks like I need to be in lab by 9 tomorrow to sign off on the undergrads' designs. No matter.

House quiet. Internet barely works. Bake an easy-bake oven roll since Dave left the oven on. Housemates slowly converge on the lounge in our internet-less existence. You work on MCR stuff, while housemates talk about random happenings. As you resort to a dramatic reading of the opening sequence from the Lord of the Rings movies (epic, I assure you) to music, you receive another email: don't forget about the theatre trip we have this weekend! Oh yeah... need to organize transportation to the Globe Theatre to see The Tempest. Add that to the list for tomorrow.

Ok, sufficiently caught up for the moment! 45 emails in, 16 emails out. A full day in lab, a good dance practice, situations diffused, MCR running smoothly, socialised with housemates, and it was a sunny day to boot.

Last step, jot down a blog. Fathom feasibility of making macaroons (nope!) and tomorrow's schedule (UG lab, personal lab work, find technician, lunch with Warden, follow up with gait lab, social secretary meeting, dance practice, write unresolved emails (including the inevitable responses from tonight's messages), maybe read more 5 pages of Les Miserables if there's time).

12:20 am, email says another room is available for rent for next year...Whatever.

Brush teeth, wait for Liam's trademark expression ('Night guys!'), return to the bat cave for a nap. Sleep is instantaneous.

A brilliant day.

CULTURE CORNER
Word of the Day:
Ta! - Int. Colloquial for 'thank you!' Exclaimed alone or within a normal sentence. Ex. Ta for meeting up with me today!

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