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"All RLC's and DSS's should have been required to have attended a residental academic high school, as a student before working at the GSSM. If this occurs, then the RES Life will understand our student mindset, and realize the stupidity of many of our rules. However, I warn this process must be used with caution-one member of the guidance staff has an impressive education and could have been a student here. However, do we want her to be in a position over us? It is time for the student body to act as a unified force against the stupidity of the handbook over its petty rules, in order to provide a future environment where students care more about studying than fearing the stupid rules levied upon them."
- Patrick Cleary
Okay, Guys And Gals. I admit that as an alum of the blackhole known as SCGSSM I have always considered the above statement to be the best idea behind hiring for the res life staff. Now I really enjoyed my time at G School, my junior year especially (this was the last year of no lights out), but the people that were supposed to be "caring for" me in place of my parents were completely without intelligence. There was just as much stuff going on then that they didn’t know about as there is now. There were only 1, 2, 3, 4 res life members that I can recall that fought to make things better for the students, the first – an RA that had graduated from g land (don’t remember her name), second – Crystal, (I think the only govie to ever go to Coker), third – a male Coker RA that could have come to G School except he was from NY, and last but not least my personal fav Mr. Greg Criste who was a RLC of the first caliber. Needless to say all four of them never finished a year. They either quit or they were fired for being insubordinate.
Now I am applying for a position. My name is (haha I’m not that stupid), class of 1997. The question that I have been asked most often is, "Are you sure you want to go back there?" Now this isn’t just from the current students – my parents, my friends, and my classmates all want to make sure that I haven’t lost my sanity. I remind them that I was never quite all there before I went to G School.
But here is my question – if I was hired, would I really be able to make a difference?
Now I have thought about this quite a bit because I don’t know the answer. I have been asked to apply for the job by several members of the faculty and the staff seems to agree that I would be good for the job. But I have no counseling experience, no desire to become an educator/counselor for "adolescents". Is my experience at Governor’s School really equal to that of someone who has been trained for the job? How much of a chance do I stand in getting this job? ‘Cause I’ll be honest – I really want to do this.
But, could I really make a difference? Could I really change someone’s mind or affect someone’s life?
I like to think that I could. I like to think that I affect the people around me in a positive matter. But I am not sure that I could affect the system the way that Mr. Cleary is proposing. The problem is that there are some of those petty rules that I agree with. I agree with signing in and out, room check, and room inspections. But there are things that I have problems with, dress codes that are enforced outside of the classroom, lights out, and the "happy half". I mean, ok, if the grades show an improvement from the time that there was no lights out until this point then I could see keeping it. I simply don’t think that is the case. I don’t think that lights out has affected the student body in any way except to cause more discipline problems. It certainly hasn’t lessened the number of early morning fire drills (the reason that I was given for having lights out). But could I change someone’s mind about these kind of things? In writing this article am I ruining my chance’s of being hired? Or is it possible that my insight into the Govie mind is one of the things that is more important than any other skill that I might possess?
I simply don’t know.
Should I continue my attempt at finding work at the Governor’s School?
Should I try to change the way things work?
Or should I run away as far and as fast as possible?
Let me know what you think.
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