Bitter Till the End?

Just when I thought that my long history of trouble with the University administration reached an end I was infuriated to run into more of the same this week. See, Martin Luther King Jr.'s son is the graduation speaker this year, and ever since I found out I've been eagerly awaiting to see and hear him speak. You would think that every graduating senior, at the very least, would be entitled without a doubt to attend the keynote convocation speech at their own graduation. I guess not.

This year the University introduced a system whereby all graduating seniors had to obtain (free) tickets for our own convocation. Tickets were only available through a password protected website on a first-come first-serve basis. Well, not only did I not receive the mass e-mail announcing the that tickets were available and directing me to the website, but when I did finally learn of the situation from a friend I rushed to the website to snag my own tickets but could not log on. Not authorized to access it, or some stupid crap like that.

I didn't waste a second in e-mailing the administrators to that website, exhorting them to grant me access because for the N-th time, I AM a graduating senior and went through all the loops and hoops and hurdles to get my status bumped up to senior and my graduation plans approved by everyone. The next day I received a no-name reply from the generic webmaster e-mail address in which they absolved themselves of any responsibility in the matter. "Sorry, not much we can do for you. The registrar gives us the names of students who get access."

Fuming, I e-mailed the registrar and my college Dean knowing full well that every day wasted meant my first-come first-serve chances to attend my own graduation events were diminishing. I wanted to manhandle someone over the absurdity of this mess. I knew for a fact that registrar had changed my status to a senior MONTHS ago. The registrar e-mailed those in charge of the website confirming that I am a senior, and they wrote back saying that they can't change it now but if I really am a senior I will probably be able to access the website when they process a late-batch of names to be granted authorization.

Finally after that stupid waste of time and energy and anger I was able to access the website. The first thing I did was go to reserve Convocation tickets for myself and my family that are flying in to hear MLK the 3rd. But of course. I get a message saying that tickets are sold out and that I've been put on a waiting list. Waiting list?! Do they really think seniors will actually bother to give up their tickets to graduation?!?

The ridiculousness of this situation has got me steaming so bad, but I'm so over fighting this stupid school that I don't even know what to do. I guess I'll just wait. I guess I'll have to tell my proud family, including my grandparents who will fly in from overseas, that we can't go hear the keynote speech at my graduation. How humiliating.

Sometimes people look at me funny or wonder why I'm so bitter about college. I'm not really a particularly bitter person. I just get into these situations too often. Some people don't understand; to them I'm not only am I a weirdo and angry person, but "normal people" don't run into this much trouble with the University. *Tosses hands in dismissal* Whatever.


In other news, I finally confronted my neighbor's "fiance" (Yolanda, that one's for you). I could no longer bear his presence next door every night. I've put up with this mess since August; It's been a long time coming.

Yesterday night I was in the bathroom washing my hands, and he walked in with his stupid tooth brush and toothpaste apparently to indulge in his and her toothbrushing fetish. I wanted to look away impatiently but then remembered that I needed, needed, needed to finally tell him what's been on my mind.

"Um, hey, yeah I've been meaning to talk to you for a while."

"Oh," he turned to me. I could hardly bear looking him in the eyes. Months of building fury made him too untouchable, too unapproachable for me. His teeth were so crooked and yellow--shocking for someone who brushes so much every day.

I hesitantly let it all out. I pointed out that he comes here every night and that I suppose it's their right, but that I always hear them through my wall. I told him that now especially I am working on my senior thesis, and his voice, which penetrates the wall really well, really distracts me. "So," I proposed, "do you think you guys could go to your room some days, or downstairs to the common room in the building, or to the lounge on our floor?"

He faced me but his eyes evaded mine. We stood in silence for a few moments and then he started to chuckle, a nervous, tense, awkward chuckle. Caught off guard, and insulted I persisted, "So... what do you think you'll do?"

He continued to chuckle.

A bit impatient, "We have to figure something out, I really can't... What do you think you'll do?"

I was really hoping to hear that they'd be decently considerate and LEAVE her room and GO AWAY at least every so seldom. Nope. "Well, knowing this, I'll make a point to talk more quiet when I'm in her room," he said.

I wanted to smack his balls, but I'd been so surprisingly civil this whole time that I couldn't bring myself to be such a bully. "OK, thanks," and I left him to brush his nasty teeth.

Well, of course, now as I type this he is in her room and I hear him just as well as before--as if we had never spoken. Whatever, a couple more days and I'll rat on their horny asses to the Residence Hall Advisors.