Tufts House vs. IHC
Jun. 12th, 2008 06:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sniffnoyTime to start writing this one. I'm what, 5? 6? Weeks late. But first, some unrelated things!
So neither the reading-novels-out-loud-club, nor the Inter-House Shadow Council, managed to get RSO status. Aw. Though Aaron is, I think, going to be trying again because the reason for the denial was that the bylaws were somehow incomplete. Also, after Battle Royale, we ended up reading The Metamorphosis. Of course since it's so short we read it all in one session, and I was really tired and fell asleep for the third part, and now I'm going to have to find a copy when I get home so I can find out how the rest goes...
Also: Hannah was sitting in the lounge watching the news, and something about Barack Obama came on, and she went "Barack Obama! I love him!" ...huh. I didn't expect to hear that from a 3-year-old. (Also, when we return from the summer, Sasha's probably going to be able to talk. She'll be, like, an actual person. That's a really weird thought.)
Anyway! Time to go dig up some records. Yes, it's email transcript time again.
Let's go back, back to the very beginning of the year...
From: <[Aviva's address omitted]>
To: tufts-house <tufts-house@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: [Tufts-house] Nomination
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:12:44 -0500 (CDT)
I nominate myself for IHC Rep and Community Service Chair.
Aviva "more of a leader than Leslie" Rosman
And in fact she alone ran for the first of these. But soon...
From: Aviva Rosman <[omitted]>
To: tufts-house@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: [Tufts-house] IHC Rep
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:09:09 -0500
Hey guys,
So I realized that I can't attend IHC meetings due to a conflict, and was wondering if anyone would be interested in being Inter-House Council Rep. If you like power this is a good position--last year they voted on gender-neutral housing, divestment from Sudan, and keeping Coke on campus. Meetings are at 7 on Tuesdays. Maybe we can vote on this next house meeting?
Thanks,
Aviva "likes Power"
Nobody else was, however, with the following result:
From: Jacob and Sarah Lesniewski <[omitted]>
To: tufts-house@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: [Tufts-house] Fwd: IHC Voting Rights
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:57:23 -0500 (CDT)
So someone needs to respond to Aviva's email and pick up IHC
rep, because as you can see, it's serious busines..
Thanks
Jack
> > Dear RH,
> > We write to inform you that your house has lost
> > voting rights within the Inter-House Council.
> > As of this week, your house has missed two
> > consecutive meetings and as such will not be able to
> > vote in IHC until it has regained those rights.
> > We implore you to convince your representative of
> > the importance of attending IHC meetings. If, for
> > some reason, the elected representative is unable to
> > serve, please send a proxy. In fact, a different
> > person can represent your house every week as long
> > as they are from your house.
> > Another matter that is even more important and
> > pressing is a current constitutional amendment that
> > IHC is voting on this Tuesday evening. Because
> > your house has lost voting rights, it will not be
> > able to participate. The constitutional amendment
> > has a direct bearing on your house's present
> > situation, as it would cut funding for those houses
> > who routinely miss meetings. The amendment reads
> > as follows:
(omitted)
> > As you can see, this amendment directly applies to
> > your house. While we would rather not have to
> > resort to such measures, the recent attendance - or
> > rather, the lack thereof - has placed IHC in a
> > precarious position of losing its legitimacy. As
> > such, the Executive Committee suggested this
> > amendment be adopted. While we realize that it
> > may seem harsh, the Executive Committee believes
> > that this amendment will help the growing attendance
> > problem encountered over the last few years.
> > If you have any questions or comments, please feel
> > free to send them to me at
> > [omitted]. Thank you for your
> > cooperation.
> > Sincerely,
> > Charles Stephen Thompson
> > President, The Executive Committee
> > The Inter-House Council of
> > The University of Chicago
> > Class of 2009
Does it even matter whether we're allowed to vote, if we don't want to go anyway? Apparently it does. Though, since when did we ever get funding from HARC anyway? That would require us to actually do things with other houses...
From: "Amelia Hay" <[omitted]>
To: [Jack and Sara's email]
Subject: Re: [Tufts-house] Fwd: IHC Voting Rights
Cc: tufts-house@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:39:47 -0600
how often/what times are the meetings? I'll go if we need it that badly and
the times aren't too demanding...
-Amelia
From: "Amelia Hay" <[omitted]>
To: "Aviva Rosman" <[omitted]>,
tufts-house <tufts-house@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: [Tufts-house] Fwd: IHC Voting Rights
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:24:37 -0500
ok, so I can try to make it every week, but if someone would be willing to
split it with me (if that's even allowed), that would be awesome.
-Amelia
But no, she did not go. Andrew went a few times, I know, and so did Nick and also Nora (Casey).
And then... Jack received the following.
From: Charles Stephen Thompson <[omitted]>
Subject: From the President of the Inter-House Council
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:31:06 -0600
Dear Staff Member,
I am writing to tell you that, as of Tuesday, February 5, 2008, your house has lost voting rights in the Inter-House Council. This is a grave state in which you do not long want to remain.
Because your house has lost voting rights, its collective voice will go unheard in our chamber. Moreover, earlier this year, the Housing Activities Resource Council, HARC, agreed that when funding trips, they would take into account attendance to IHC; this puts your house in danger of losing funding if it does not send either a representative or an alternate.
As a reminder, any member of your house may serve as the representative to IHC. Furthermore, the representative may change as often as your house deems expedient; if a representative can only attend every other meeting, there can even be two representatives alternating from week to week. Indeed, even if a representative can only attend every other meeting, that is at least better than missing several or all of the meetings.
The Inter-House Council deals with many issues that are important not only for all of housing, but for the University as a whole. This past week, the Vice President & Dean of Students, Ms. Kim Goff-Crews, attended to discuss the future of housing at Chicago. Next week, she will be attending again to answer student questions about amenities in Hyde Park, housing, dining, what her goals are, etc. This meeting is an open forum to allow student representatives to bring the concerns of houses to people who can make a difference.
I exhort you to convince your IHC representative of the importance of attending as many meetings as possible and, in times when attendance is not possible, to find a substitute. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Charles Stephen Thompson
President
The Executive Committee
The Inter-House Council of
The University of Chicago
Class of 2009
From: "Blake Langdon" <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [Tufts] Fwd: From the President of the Inter-House Council
Cc: tufts@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:36:57 -0600
So could someone step up and do this? It is a pretty cool opportunity to
influence housing policy (like gender neutral housing which starts next
year!) Also anyone needing a resume boost... really easy way to do it!
We'll talk about it tonight at house meeting.
-Blake
Oh my, oh my. What to do, what to do? Well, here are two possibilities:
From: <[Nora's email]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 00:07:40 -0600 (CST)
Subject: [yobohost] IHC responses
Hey guys,
Jack asked me to write to the IHC telling them we dont give a damn. Im actually
planning on sending mine, Mike's is just in there for kicks. So here's our official
position, if anyone asks.
Inter House Council
To Whom It May Concern
We at Tufts have reached a House consensus regarding our involvement in
the IHC. Due to lack of interest, we have consistently chosen to abstain from
participation. This is with full understanding of the fiscal and political
repercussions of those actions.
To this end, stop sending aggressive, abrasive and belligerent emails to
our Resident Heads. They are not responsible for our decisions, and your emails
have no positive influence on our opinion of the IHC.
Should someone express interest in participating in the IHC, we will notify
you.
Until that time, enjoy the rest of your year.
Sincerely,
N.S. Casey
Former IHC Rep
--------
Dear Misses Asshole,
Yes I’m aware that you’re a dude.
Dear Misses Asshole,
Leave Jack L. the fuck alone. He’s a good guy. He’s scared of you- because he is.
Please follow my directions.
“Take stick, pull it out of your ass.”
You have no real power here. By sending these abrasive emails you have only
shown how small and insignificant a human being you are- a size rivaled only
by your penis. Please refrain from sending emails that no one reads and that are
frequently the butt of jokes at our House dinner table.
Please spend time working on other ways to pleasure your partner, other than
with your really small penis. I believe time would be better spent on that.
Hugs and Kisses,
Michael Joseph Steinert
From: <[Ed's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] IHC responses
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 00:45:14 -0600 (CST)
best emails ever?
fact.
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 02:46:53 -0600
From: "Winston Gao" <[omitted]>
To: [Nora's email]
Subject: Re: [yobohost] IHC responses
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
I love it, Nora.
Mike, you're an idiot.
Regards,
Winston Gao
From: <[Mike's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] IHC responses
To: Winston Gao <[omitted]>
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 10:40:32 -0600 (CST)
Duly noted.
And with this the opening shots were definitively fired, as Andrew's reply attests:
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2008 01:21:19 -0600
From: Andrew Wong <[omitted]>
To: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] IHC responses
Well, this was news to me this evening as I was intending on going... oh well, but how can I go now?
-Andrew Wong
Quasi-former IHC rep with Nunez
It was Sean - yes, Sean Robinson, our old House President, and now, apparently, our spy in high places - who alerted us to the next stage:
Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:02:30 -0600
From: Sean Robinson <[omitted]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: [yobohost] [Fwd: Tufts House]
Well done, Tufts, well done. I have it on good authority that if his meetings
with the houses don't go well, Tufts in particular, his days are numbered. Take
this condescending jackass down a peg or two, would you?
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: *Charles Stephen Thompson* <[omitted] <mailto:[same]>>
Subject: [IHC-ExCom] Tufts House
ExCom,
Nicole and I have talked for a while about Tufts House and the larger issue that
it symbolizes - i.e., the lack of interest in IHC. In the past, we have allowed
houses, if they so chose, to not participate in IHC. This has fostered an image
of IHC as unrepresentative and unimportant to the wider student body. In our
previous attempts at ameliorating this problem, we have only angered and further
frustrated resident heads and residents. It has therefore been made clear that
we must approach the problem from a different direction.
As the leaders of IHC, we must figure out a way to not only make members and
houses see the value of maintaining a strong relationship with IHC, but also to
make IHC relevant to the wider student body. I think that, in doing one, we
shall accomplish the other. The most important issue, then, is to establish
strong channels of communication to the various houses on campus. As much as we
would like to ignore those houses who have chosen to ignore us, we cannot. We
are a representative body of housing and when any house chooses to not send a
rep, we are worse off for it.
Simply put, we cannot stand idly by while houses disassociate from IHC. As
democratic as their decisions may have been, it renders our organization
useless, unrepresentative, illegitimate, and ineffectual - everything the
/Maroon /accused us of being in their infamous editorial. The previous attempts
we have tried to ameliorate this problem have not been popular, as we well know.
The suggestion I offer, then, is not my own creation but that of Nicole: ExCom,
acting either as a group or through individual members, should visit the various
house meetings, specifically speaking with the resident staff and residents
about the importance of maintaining ties. In such meetings, we should emphasize
the things that IHC does, what it can do, and what it is currently doing for the
House System. Moreover, we should specifically target those houses who either
never send representatives or have abysmal attendance records. We should help
the houses to understand that, while they may find it useless, they would likely
be furious if we did not consult them upon changing the dining plan, the lottery
system, etc.
Please consider this for our next ExCom meeting. It would behoove you to think
of other possible ways in which we can reach out to these houses.
Thank you,
Charles
Over a month later, Colin received the following, noting "I'm so, so glad they sent this to me":
Subject: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
From: "Dana Lutenegger" <lutenedm@uchicago.edu>
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:39:07 -0500
To: [Colin's email]
Dear Mr. Gaw and the Tufts House Council,
My name is Dana Lutenegger, and I am the vice-president of the Inter-House
Council (IHC) here on campus. I understand that events this year have
caused you to question the usefulness of IHC and Tuft's role in it. I am
writing to offer my view of IHC and to request an audience with you in order
to discuss Tufts' participation in it.
While IHC sometimes tackles large issues like keeping Coke on campus or
enacting open housing (gender neutral) policies, I have always believed that
the smaller things that we do provide no less of a service to our members
and to everyone in the house system. Our representatives participate in a
variety of committees and hear several speakers every quarter. These
experiences may not impact official university policy, but they increase the
knowledge of the representative, and through them the student body,
concerning housing and student life policies. These aspects of IHC do not
get as much coverage as the "big issues", so many believe that we are
defined solely by a few events and issues. Some of our more concrete impact
on policy also goes largely unpublicized. Just recently, the housing office
came to us seeking input on a proposed change to the policies regarding
house seniority for study-abroad students. These experiences make IHC
invaluable for our representatives, and to other students, when the
representatives return to the house to pass on their knowledge.
We have been working to highlight these lesser-known advantages in order to
raise awareness about our council on campus. As you have responded
forcefully to IHC's calls for participation in the past, we thought that a
dialogue with your house or house council might be a good place to start. I
could come and speak with you on a date of your choosing. Please let me
know if you are interested in hearing from me.
Sincerely,
Dana Lutenegger
(Have I mentioned I don't like the term "House Council"? Apparently it's always been the official term for our elected officers, but it was Bill and Dave last year who revived it. My reply: We already have a house council. It's called the house.)
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:40:28 -0500
From: Sean Robinson <[omitted]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Don't respond too forcefully, Mr. Gaw.
Laura attempted to pre-empt our battle plans with the following note:
From: <[Laura's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: [Colin's email], yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:46:24 -0500 (CDT)
For the record, I know Dana personally, and you could not find
a more genuine, sweet, sincere, earnest individual. He
probably meant every word of that email from the bottom of his
heart. If anyone was planning on it, please don't flame
him...he rivals Steve, I shit you not.
You can flame me if you need an outlet, I suppose...
-Laura "STEEEEVE" Felley
But Jake already had other ideas.
From: <[Jake's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: [Colin], yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu,
thecouncil@listhost.uchicago.edu [Presumably the Shadow Council]
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:22:27 -0500 (CDT)
Colin,
Let them come. I suggest forwarding the following as a
presage of things to come:
--------------------------------------------------------------
IHC messenger: All the God-Rep Charles Stephen Thompson
requires is this: a simple offering of earth and water. A
token of Tufts's submission to the will of Charles Stephen
Thompson.
Colin: Submission...well that's a bit of a problem. See, rumor
has it that the Hendus have already turned you down. And if
those hipsters and... boy-lovers have found that kind of nerve...
Jack: [interrupting] We must be diplomatic.
Colin: ... And of course Tuftsians have their reputation to
consider.
IHC messenger: Choose your next words carefully, Colin. They
may be your last as president.
[Colin turns and ponders the offer - looks at three different
views - the last being Aviva]
Colin: [thinking] Earth and water?
[He draws his hypodermic needle and points it towards the IHC
messenger, whose back is to a large, deep well]
IHC messenger: Madman! You're a madman...!
Colin: Earth and water... You'll find plenty of both down there.
IHC messenger: No man – in Max or Pierce -- no man threatens a
messenger!
Colin: You bring the crowns and heads of conquered reps to my
house's steps. You insult my pony-tail. You threaten my people
with slavery and death! Oh, I've chosen my words carefully,
asshole. Perhaps you should have done the same!
IHC messenger: This is blasphemy! This is madness!
Colin: [He looks at Aviva, who nods to him] Madness? THIS IS
TUFTS HOUSE! [kicks the screaming messenger down the well]
--------------------------------------------------------------
-Jake "Before you speak, know that in Tufts House, everyone,
even a university-sanctioned student committee’s messenger,
are held accountable for the words of his voice" Earl
And so in reply to Laura:
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:51:25 -0500
From: "Grant Larsen" <[omitted];
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Blasphemer.
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:44:20 -0500
From: "Jim Murphy" <[omitted]>
Reply-To: [same]
To: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Laura, what the fuck?!!!! Nobody rivals Steve. Tell that IHC kid to beware.
Steve doesn't hold grudges. That's what I'm paid for.
Jim
P.S. Obviously Steve wouldn't pay me to hold his grudges. United for a More
Steve-like America, an unaffiliated organization (Treasurer: Aaron Horton)
supplies my salary.
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:54:12 -0500
From: Harry Altman <[omitted]>
To: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Has everyone forgotten about Ginny? :(
-Harry
In a side note, that got two very different responses...
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:34:02 -0500
From: Marissa Wills <[omitted]>
CC: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
We could never forget Ginny! ^_^ She is missed...
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:39:46 -0500
From: Andrew Wong <[omitted]>
To: Harry Altman <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Who is Ginny?
-Andrew
Colin picks up on the idea a bit late, but quickly decides to go ahead:
From: <[Colin]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: Grant Larsen <[omitted]>
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:19:28 -0500 (CDT)
Sooo........invite them to come to talk to us at house
meeting and ambush?
From: <[Colin]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:59:46 -0500 (CDT)
Thats it, I've made up my mind; I'm inviting them to come
speak to us at house meeting as soon as they can. We should
have a high turnout for when they come...and plan
accordingly (By that I mean come prepared (and by that I
mean armed), and make sure Jake is there).
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:31:31 -0500
From: "Aaron Horton" <[omitted]>
To: [Colin]
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
TONIGHT WE DINE IN HELL!
From: Mark Berberian <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: [Jake's email], yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:06:51 -0500 (CDT)
You beat me to the 300 reference this was the first thing
that came into my mind when i read this, however i am
surrund by 300 references non stop Athens is Great
miss yall
Mark "THIS IS TUFTS HOUUSEEEE!!!!!" Berberian
Ps I am currently wearing the who you with shirt
From: <[Colin]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: Mark Berberian <[omitted]>
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:29:36 -0500 (CDT)
I just threw down the gauntlet; they're coming to house
meeting next week.
We should be ready.
From: <[Nora's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: [Colin]
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:53:32 -0500 (CDT)
I know this is beside the point at this time, but since I wrote that email after
consulting Mike, you may want to refer them to me after you've knocked them
down a well and planned for our dignified slaughter at the hands of University
wrath. You know, since you actually never said anything about them, Colin. (But do
the well first.)
I guess if that doesn't work we could always send them the alternative
response that Mike gave, challenging their sexual prowess.
Nora "crazy, but not a competitor" Casey
And soon we got a message from Colin simply saying "The trap is set" with his message to Dana attached:
Subject:
Re: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
From: <[Colin]>
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:28:45 -0500 (CDT)
To: Dana Lutenegger <[omitted]>
Dear Mr. Lutenegger,
Thank you for contacting me, I think the house as a whole
would be interested in having IHC representative speak to us
during our house meeting. I have to admit that my perception
of IHC was defined by the "big issues" you mentioned, to the
degree that I assumed that it did not deal with on ground
issues immediately relevant to dorm residents. The decision
not to participate in IHC this year was a controversial one
that many people, including myself, had mixed feelings about,
and it might be good for Tufts if we re-evaluated the
situation. Would it be possible for you or another IHC
representative to come speak to us at our house meeting next
week, Wednesday at 10:00 PM? Thanks,
Colin Gaw
Meanwhile, Mike's fear of Tancer, has apparently extended to things she's not at all involved in:
From: <[Mike's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: [Colin]
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:47:42 -0500 (CDT)
Last time someone talked to us in the house they accused me
of being a rapist……
4 days later, Colin forwarded us the following, asking, "thoughts?"
Subject: Re: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
From: "Dana Lutenegger" <[omitted]>
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:34:40 -0500
To: [Colin]
Dear Mr. Gaw,
Thank you for your invitation. I would be happy to come to your house
meeting on Wednesday to talk about IHC with your house. Is it ok if I come
with Sophie Sun, one of our social philanthropy chairs? She has been working
with me on some of our outreach efforts and could provide insight on some of
IHC's event planning work. Of course, if you think that two people would be
overbearing, I could certainly come alone.
Thank you,
Dana Lutenegger
From: <[Tyler's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Re: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:40:07 -0500 (CDT)
If two people come, there's twice the chance that someone in
the house will be accused of being a rapist.
Tyler
From: <[Mike's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Re: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:46:34 -0500 (CDT)
tylers right...... there is always strength in numbers.
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:04:03 -0500
From: "George Gulotta" <[omitted]>
To: [Mike]
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Re: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
I like the way you think.
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:29:08 -0500
From: "Winston Gao" <[omitted]>
To: "George Gulotta" <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Re: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Cc: [Mike], yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
I'm calling the cops on you.
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:01:17 -0500
From: Sarah Magidson <[omitted]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Re: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
> tylers right...... there is always strength in numbers.
...But is there more strength in variables?
From: <[Colin]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Re: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: Winston Gao <[omitted]>
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:56:36 -0500 (CDT)
I'd like to disassociate myself with everything everyone but
Winston has said. Mike, I'd expect this from the other two but
I'm disappointed in you.
Sorry... where were we?
It is in the next email from Colin that we see the beginning of actual, specific plans. Apparently they have shifted from being directly antagonistic to IHC, to, well, other things:
From: <[Colin]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:57:56 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: [yobohost] IHC Reps
Okay, so as of right now it seems like IHC is going to come
talk to us at 10:30 weds. Anyone who wants to contribute to
making this difficult for them is cordially invited to attend,
so long as they arrive formally attired and prepared to sing
the chorus of "Peace Train" when the moment comes.
Jake, you absolutely have to come.
From: <[Dan's email]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:06:31 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
I don't think making this "difficult" for the IHC rep is a good goal; instead, we
should try to make them as confused as possible. It involves equal humor and less
ill-will. And "Peace train" is a must.
-Dan
From: <[Jake]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:42:24 -0500 (CDT)
Dan,
I'm confused about why we should show "less ill-will". Why
would we want to be disingenuous with these people? To this
end: Colin, one of us should be menacingly holding a
baseball bat.
-Jake "I'll be there" Earl
Andrew tries to stop how things appear to be going, to little avail:
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:58:03 -0500
From: Andrew Wong <[omitted]>
CC: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
We're not being disingenuous. These people aren't "Charles Stephen Thompson." We have no ill-will for these people in particular. However, confusion is ok, assuming we hear them out first.
-Andrew Wong
From: <[Nora's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: Andrew Wong <[omitted]>
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:17:57 -0500 (CDT)
ill-will, confusion, "Peace Train"... this is my definition of "hearing them out."
More importantly, I'm ready to ask the difficult questions about the big issues, ie.
Pepsi. Or was it Coke?
-Nora
From: <[Ed's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:19:40 -0500 (CDT)
> We're not being disingenuous. These people aren't "Charles
>Stephen Thompson." We have no ill-will for these people in particular.
>However, confusion is ok, assuming we hear them out first.
>
> -Andrew Wong
FALSE.
these people enjoy "playing politician." it makes them feel
important. it is our job to remind them that the IHC isn't
curing cancer or helping me on chem labs, but wasting time
arguing about inane and pointless topics. if we don't do our
duty as informed citizens and stand up against this tyranny
and injustice, who will? i personally look forward to seeing
the look on their faces the split second that their egos burst.
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:25:58 -0500
From: Andrew Wong <[omitted]>
To: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
I feel the need to defend myself. I do not support the IHC. Since I've been receiving their e-mails on their listhost, I believe the IHC shouldn't exist. Furthermore, I believe every house should stop attending the IHC. That said, ill-will is not what we need.
-Andrew Wong
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:35:14 -0500
From: "Jim Murphy" <[omitted]>
Reply-To: [same]
To: "Andrew Wong" <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Cc: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Ill-will and absurdity are not mutually exclusive, but one should err on the
side of absurdity. It's funnier.
Jim "Sisyphus's boulder" Murphy
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:09:16 -0500
From: Harry Altman <[omitted]>
To: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Wogderborgle!
-Harry
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:13:33 -0500
From: "Jim Murphy" <[omitted]>
Reply-To: [same]
To: "Harry Altman" <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Cc: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Precisely.
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:51:05 -0500
From: "Winston Gao" <[omitted]>
To: [Jim]
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Cc: "Harry Altman" <[omitted]>,
"yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
> Wogderborgle!
>
> -Harry
I'll Wogderborgle you... you piece of wogabofter.
Uh... back on topic now...
From: <[Jake]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:56:15 -0500 (CDT)
> I feel the need to defend myself. I do not support the IHC.
> Since I've
> been receiving their e-mails on their listhost, I believe the IHC
> shouldn't exist. Furthermore, I believe every house should stop
> attending the IHC. That said, ill-will is not what we need.
>
> -Andrew Wong
Let's see what follows, shall we, Wong?
You believe both (a) that IHC should not exist and (b) that
every house should stop attending IHC meetings. Tufts can aim
to achieve these ends either through ill-will or its lack. In
favor of ill-will:
1. Ill-will may upset/intimidate the IHC admins to the point
that they quit, thus dissolving IHC.
2. With no IHC, Tufts will not have to attend any meetings.
Against ill-will:
1. Lack of ill-will will achieve neither one nor two.
2. You can sleep peacefully at night knowing that you in no
way offended our merciful Lord Jesus Christ by attempting to
do anything awesome, for so long as your own life is
inoffensive and generally beige, you're guaranteed the
greatest possible number of crowns in Heaven.
That all said, I want to correct an earlier statement of mine.
I further think that the baseball hat should have a rusted
railroad spike sticking out of it.
-Jake "by any means necessary" Earl
From: <[Colin's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: [Jake]
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:20:20 -0500 (CDT)
Its confirmed, IHC will be here to talk to us with two
people at 10:30. Remember that formal dress-code. And Jake,
you mean baseball "bat" with a nail in it, not "hat", right?
From: <[Dan's email]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:23:23 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Mr. Earl-
It is delusional of you to think that ill-will can accomplish 1 or 2. The IHC will
not dissolve on our account. If we are blatantly mean and vicious toward their
representative, it will do nothing to shatter their self-important, condescending
attitude. It will simply confirm their belief that IHC embodies all that is good and
that any house that refuses to be a part of it is an abomination, which is only
true of the Catholic faith, and frankly, JAKE, I want my seven crowns when the
good lord Jesus Christ lets my meek little ass into heaven, and your spiked
baseball bat wielding devil tactics have no business interfering.
But to the point, a riled up IHC rep will be a lot harder to manipulate than one
who is so discombobulated that he doesn't know how to respond to our antics.
Outright hostility will accomplish nothing that bewilderment and confusion can't
take care of, and I think the latter will be much funnier.
Peace train, holy roller
High on the peace train
Eeya, eeya, eeya
Come on the peace train
-Dan
From: <[Colin]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: [Dan's email]
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:35:08 -0500 (CDT)
Oh, for those interested in attending we should continue this
ill-will debate in person at 10:00 before IHC gets to Tufts.
Colin "High on the Peace Train" Gaw
From: <[Jake]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:09:09 -0500 (CDT)
Mr. Willdangler,
While I disagree wholeheartedly that a bewildered IHC rep
would be less manipulable than one who is bowled over by
intimidation, I think that this is beside the point. We want
to manipulate him? For what end, DAN? I imagine you mean for
him to do our bidding... for him to do our bidding via his
authority as a member of IHC. I knew of your Papism, but I
wasn't aware that your naivite extended this deep. You can't
take down a system from inside the system... the machine is
perfectly evil, its cogs are perfectly designed for its
devious purposes, even in their defect. We need to smash the
Easy-Bake Oven that is IHC, and this can't be done by
confusing it as to whether it should pump out Lemon Squares or
Princess Barbie Edition Cuppiecakes. We can act as men
against the insidious forces of this world, or we can wait and
pray for salvation. Bow to your Viceroy Ratzinger if you
want, I for one am taking up the nail-bat...for freedom...for
justice...for Tufts House.
-Jake "BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY" Earl
From: John Wood <[omitted]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:43:36 -0500
Coincidentally, I have a rusted railroad spike you can borrow. I carried it around in my coat pocket during the winter. It's pretty thick, so it would probably splinter a wooden bat. However, you could probably get it through a 2x6.
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:33:57 -0500
From: "bryan hahn" <[omitted]>
To: "John Wood" <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
but jake, who will be next supervisor?
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:43:11 -0500
From: Sarah Magidson <[omitted]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Hmmm... restrictions on attire? A president who does the Nazi salute? Harassment and dehumanization of people and the unleashing of mass sadistic impulses upon them?
You see, when you let democracy fail, you get fascism!
——Sarah M.
From: <[Colin]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: Sarah Magidson <[omitted]>
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:47:39 -0500 (CDT)
Too late Sarah, too goddamn late. You're either with us, or
you're with IHC.
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:19:29 -0500
From: Sean Robinson <[omitted]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Guys, one word: ransom.
Nora then forwarded again to the list the message Charles Stephen Thompson sent us when we lost voting rights, in case we should want to use it. Jim took note of one part:
Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 02:49:52 -0500
From: "Jim Murphy" <[omitted]>
Reply-To: [same]
To: [Nora's email]
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: From the President of the Inter-House Council
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
> Because your house has lost voting rights, its collective voice will go
> unheard in our chamber.
Uh-huh. I was always under the impression that they met in the South Lounge.
I didn't know IHC had its own underground lair. I'm guessing one enters by
pressing somewhere on the glory of manly sports mural in bartlett before
descending down a spiral stone staircases to the inner recesses of the
underground campus, lit only by their hand held wooden torches. Surely, only
in this inner sanctum can IHC members, donning shrouds of red, chanting in a
long forgotten tongue in between sips of phoenix blood, sacrifice virgins to
their pantheon of gods in hopes that one day, they too will join the ranks
of the immortals.
You could just see it in their eyes tonight.
Jim "so happy Chuck knows a denotation for chamber that almost nobody uses"
Murphy
Oh, but that was after the meeting. I'm getting ahead of myself.
So what you've seen here has basically been the discussion of how antagonistic to be... but what to actually do?
The idea of Jake wearing a cape (someone said he had one) and going all 300 on them was thrown out pretty early. So we were all going to dress up and play Peace Train at them? And generally be hostile and intimidating and put them on the spot and embarrass them? When the "absurdity" thing came up, I suggested to Colin getting those Groucho Marx glasses things but that did not work out. But people dressed up, they got their musical instruments ready (basically anyone who had one), and Jake made little name placards to mark the two's seats.
But there was one thing they didn't account for: Dana Lutenegger has a stutter. Here's my brief record of it from the house meeting that followed immediately afterward:
IHC comes, the guy has a speech impediment, Colin would have put just the Asian
girl on the spot but he couldn't. So we failed to intimidate them, even with
the song. It came off as friendly, if you ask me. Sasha danced. We claimed
dressing up for house meeting was a Tufts House tradition. We amend the
constitution so that if we ever go to IHC, we have to go in formal wear. Jake
gets a vote, but was not wearing a cape, neither did he have a baseball bat (or
hat).
Andrew: What they were saying is what IHC believes they're doing.
Andrew then claims that IHC is giving Housing bad advice.
The votes are against joining IHC.
[lots of stuff omitted]
Colin proposes that he attends IHC sporadically and belligerently for the rest
of the year, and drag out the meetings, even if he can't vote; the house
strongly disapproves.
And so not being willing to embarrass a stutterer, instead of being hostile we just asked them actual questions about the usefulness of IHC, and then played Peace Train at them, which was not intimidating either. One thing I failed to note - we told them we would be coming to IHC in the future. The vote not to was taken after they left.
Colin doesn't want to give all this up, though:
From: <[Colin]>
To: tufts@listhost.uchicago.edu
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 15:44:11 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: [yobohost] IHC Plan
After careful consideration of last nights events, I've
thought of a good way to handle future non-participation in
IHC for Tufts House. Given my pledge to attend their
meetings, they'll no doubt contact me soon asking why I'm
not coming. I'll then deny ever having spoken to them, and
that IHC representative ever attended a house meeting. When
they talk about all the weird stuff we did, I'll accuse them
of being delusional. Then I'll invite them to come explain
IHC to us for *real* this time. If they're dumb/brave enough
to accept, we'll just do the exact same thing, as many times
as it takes.
Brought to you by The Right Honorable Charles Stephen Thompson
Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 15:46:31 -0500
From: "Amelia Hay" <[omitted]>
To: [Colin's email]
Subject: Re: [yobohost] IHC Plan
Cc: tufts@listhost.uchicago.edu, yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Colin, I'm starting to worry that you're becoming obsessed with this issue
From: <[Laura's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] IHC Plan
To: Amelia Hay <[omitted]>, [Colin]
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 15:56:44 -0500 (CDT)
I <3 Colin Gaw, even though he does make a mockery of PTC.
-Laura "PTC" Felley
Brought to you by The Right Honorable Charles Stephen Thompson
From: Mark Berberian <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] IHC Plan
To: [Laura], Amelia Hay <[omitted]>,
[Colin]
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
This plan seems ok but have u considered going and being
extreemly vocal about every issue and questioning its point
exclaiming the meeting to be pointless and march out singing
the star spangle banner
Mark " animale house" berberina
...but that was the end of that.
Wow, that took a long time.
Next: The quarter in summary! By which I actually just mean all the house minutes.
-Harry
So neither the reading-novels-out-loud-club, nor the Inter-House Shadow Council, managed to get RSO status. Aw. Though Aaron is, I think, going to be trying again because the reason for the denial was that the bylaws were somehow incomplete. Also, after Battle Royale, we ended up reading The Metamorphosis. Of course since it's so short we read it all in one session, and I was really tired and fell asleep for the third part, and now I'm going to have to find a copy when I get home so I can find out how the rest goes...
Also: Hannah was sitting in the lounge watching the news, and something about Barack Obama came on, and she went "Barack Obama! I love him!" ...huh. I didn't expect to hear that from a 3-year-old. (Also, when we return from the summer, Sasha's probably going to be able to talk. She'll be, like, an actual person. That's a really weird thought.)
Anyway! Time to go dig up some records. Yes, it's email transcript time again.
Let's go back, back to the very beginning of the year...
From: <[Aviva's address omitted]>
To: tufts-house <tufts-house@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: [Tufts-house] Nomination
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:12:44 -0500 (CDT)
I nominate myself for IHC Rep and Community Service Chair.
Aviva "more of a leader than Leslie" Rosman
And in fact she alone ran for the first of these. But soon...
From: Aviva Rosman <[omitted]>
To: tufts-house@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: [Tufts-house] IHC Rep
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:09:09 -0500
Hey guys,
So I realized that I can't attend IHC meetings due to a conflict, and was wondering if anyone would be interested in being Inter-House Council Rep. If you like power this is a good position--last year they voted on gender-neutral housing, divestment from Sudan, and keeping Coke on campus. Meetings are at 7 on Tuesdays. Maybe we can vote on this next house meeting?
Thanks,
Aviva "likes Power"
Nobody else was, however, with the following result:
From: Jacob and Sarah Lesniewski <[omitted]>
To: tufts-house@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: [Tufts-house] Fwd: IHC Voting Rights
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:57:23 -0500 (CDT)
So someone needs to respond to Aviva's email and pick up IHC
rep, because as you can see, it's serious busines..
Thanks
Jack
> > Dear RH,
> > We write to inform you that your house has lost
> > voting rights within the Inter-House Council.
> > As of this week, your house has missed two
> > consecutive meetings and as such will not be able to
> > vote in IHC until it has regained those rights.
> > We implore you to convince your representative of
> > the importance of attending IHC meetings. If, for
> > some reason, the elected representative is unable to
> > serve, please send a proxy. In fact, a different
> > person can represent your house every week as long
> > as they are from your house.
> > Another matter that is even more important and
> > pressing is a current constitutional amendment that
> > IHC is voting on this Tuesday evening. Because
> > your house has lost voting rights, it will not be
> > able to participate. The constitutional amendment
> > has a direct bearing on your house's present
> > situation, as it would cut funding for those houses
> > who routinely miss meetings. The amendment reads
> > as follows:
(omitted)
> > As you can see, this amendment directly applies to
> > your house. While we would rather not have to
> > resort to such measures, the recent attendance - or
> > rather, the lack thereof - has placed IHC in a
> > precarious position of losing its legitimacy. As
> > such, the Executive Committee suggested this
> > amendment be adopted. While we realize that it
> > may seem harsh, the Executive Committee believes
> > that this amendment will help the growing attendance
> > problem encountered over the last few years.
> > If you have any questions or comments, please feel
> > free to send them to me at
> > [omitted]. Thank you for your
> > cooperation.
> > Sincerely,
> > Charles Stephen Thompson
> > President, The Executive Committee
> > The Inter-House Council of
> > The University of Chicago
> > Class of 2009
Does it even matter whether we're allowed to vote, if we don't want to go anyway? Apparently it does. Though, since when did we ever get funding from HARC anyway? That would require us to actually do things with other houses...
From: "Amelia Hay" <[omitted]>
To: [Jack and Sara's email]
Subject: Re: [Tufts-house] Fwd: IHC Voting Rights
Cc: tufts-house@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:39:47 -0600
how often/what times are the meetings? I'll go if we need it that badly and
the times aren't too demanding...
-Amelia
From: "Amelia Hay" <[omitted]>
To: "Aviva Rosman" <[omitted]>,
tufts-house <tufts-house@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: [Tufts-house] Fwd: IHC Voting Rights
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:24:37 -0500
ok, so I can try to make it every week, but if someone would be willing to
split it with me (if that's even allowed), that would be awesome.
-Amelia
But no, she did not go. Andrew went a few times, I know, and so did Nick and also Nora (Casey).
And then... Jack received the following.
From: Charles Stephen Thompson <[omitted]>
Subject: From the President of the Inter-House Council
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:31:06 -0600
Dear Staff Member,
I am writing to tell you that, as of Tuesday, February 5, 2008, your house has lost voting rights in the Inter-House Council. This is a grave state in which you do not long want to remain.
Because your house has lost voting rights, its collective voice will go unheard in our chamber. Moreover, earlier this year, the Housing Activities Resource Council, HARC, agreed that when funding trips, they would take into account attendance to IHC; this puts your house in danger of losing funding if it does not send either a representative or an alternate.
As a reminder, any member of your house may serve as the representative to IHC. Furthermore, the representative may change as often as your house deems expedient; if a representative can only attend every other meeting, there can even be two representatives alternating from week to week. Indeed, even if a representative can only attend every other meeting, that is at least better than missing several or all of the meetings.
The Inter-House Council deals with many issues that are important not only for all of housing, but for the University as a whole. This past week, the Vice President & Dean of Students, Ms. Kim Goff-Crews, attended to discuss the future of housing at Chicago. Next week, she will be attending again to answer student questions about amenities in Hyde Park, housing, dining, what her goals are, etc. This meeting is an open forum to allow student representatives to bring the concerns of houses to people who can make a difference.
I exhort you to convince your IHC representative of the importance of attending as many meetings as possible and, in times when attendance is not possible, to find a substitute. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Charles Stephen Thompson
President
The Executive Committee
The Inter-House Council of
The University of Chicago
Class of 2009
From: "Blake Langdon" <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [Tufts] Fwd: From the President of the Inter-House Council
Cc: tufts@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:36:57 -0600
So could someone step up and do this? It is a pretty cool opportunity to
influence housing policy (like gender neutral housing which starts next
year!) Also anyone needing a resume boost... really easy way to do it!
We'll talk about it tonight at house meeting.
-Blake
Oh my, oh my. What to do, what to do? Well, here are two possibilities:
From: <[Nora's email]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 00:07:40 -0600 (CST)
Subject: [yobohost] IHC responses
Hey guys,
Jack asked me to write to the IHC telling them we dont give a damn. Im actually
planning on sending mine, Mike's is just in there for kicks. So here's our official
position, if anyone asks.
Inter House Council
To Whom It May Concern
We at Tufts have reached a House consensus regarding our involvement in
the IHC. Due to lack of interest, we have consistently chosen to abstain from
participation. This is with full understanding of the fiscal and political
repercussions of those actions.
To this end, stop sending aggressive, abrasive and belligerent emails to
our Resident Heads. They are not responsible for our decisions, and your emails
have no positive influence on our opinion of the IHC.
Should someone express interest in participating in the IHC, we will notify
you.
Until that time, enjoy the rest of your year.
Sincerely,
N.S. Casey
Former IHC Rep
--------
Dear Misses Asshole,
Yes I’m aware that you’re a dude.
Dear Misses Asshole,
Leave Jack L. the fuck alone. He’s a good guy. He’s scared of you- because he is.
Please follow my directions.
“Take stick, pull it out of your ass.”
You have no real power here. By sending these abrasive emails you have only
shown how small and insignificant a human being you are- a size rivaled only
by your penis. Please refrain from sending emails that no one reads and that are
frequently the butt of jokes at our House dinner table.
Please spend time working on other ways to pleasure your partner, other than
with your really small penis. I believe time would be better spent on that.
Hugs and Kisses,
Michael Joseph Steinert
From: <[Ed's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] IHC responses
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 00:45:14 -0600 (CST)
best emails ever?
fact.
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 02:46:53 -0600
From: "Winston Gao" <[omitted]>
To: [Nora's email]
Subject: Re: [yobohost] IHC responses
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
I love it, Nora.
Mike, you're an idiot.
Regards,
Winston Gao
From: <[Mike's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] IHC responses
To: Winston Gao <[omitted]>
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 10:40:32 -0600 (CST)
Duly noted.
And with this the opening shots were definitively fired, as Andrew's reply attests:
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2008 01:21:19 -0600
From: Andrew Wong <[omitted]>
To: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] IHC responses
Well, this was news to me this evening as I was intending on going... oh well, but how can I go now?
-Andrew Wong
Quasi-former IHC rep with Nunez
It was Sean - yes, Sean Robinson, our old House President, and now, apparently, our spy in high places - who alerted us to the next stage:
Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:02:30 -0600
From: Sean Robinson <[omitted]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: [yobohost] [Fwd: Tufts House]
Well done, Tufts, well done. I have it on good authority that if his meetings
with the houses don't go well, Tufts in particular, his days are numbered. Take
this condescending jackass down a peg or two, would you?
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: *Charles Stephen Thompson* <[omitted] <mailto:[same]>>
Subject: [IHC-ExCom] Tufts House
ExCom,
Nicole and I have talked for a while about Tufts House and the larger issue that
it symbolizes - i.e., the lack of interest in IHC. In the past, we have allowed
houses, if they so chose, to not participate in IHC. This has fostered an image
of IHC as unrepresentative and unimportant to the wider student body. In our
previous attempts at ameliorating this problem, we have only angered and further
frustrated resident heads and residents. It has therefore been made clear that
we must approach the problem from a different direction.
As the leaders of IHC, we must figure out a way to not only make members and
houses see the value of maintaining a strong relationship with IHC, but also to
make IHC relevant to the wider student body. I think that, in doing one, we
shall accomplish the other. The most important issue, then, is to establish
strong channels of communication to the various houses on campus. As much as we
would like to ignore those houses who have chosen to ignore us, we cannot. We
are a representative body of housing and when any house chooses to not send a
rep, we are worse off for it.
Simply put, we cannot stand idly by while houses disassociate from IHC. As
democratic as their decisions may have been, it renders our organization
useless, unrepresentative, illegitimate, and ineffectual - everything the
/Maroon /accused us of being in their infamous editorial. The previous attempts
we have tried to ameliorate this problem have not been popular, as we well know.
The suggestion I offer, then, is not my own creation but that of Nicole: ExCom,
acting either as a group or through individual members, should visit the various
house meetings, specifically speaking with the resident staff and residents
about the importance of maintaining ties. In such meetings, we should emphasize
the things that IHC does, what it can do, and what it is currently doing for the
House System. Moreover, we should specifically target those houses who either
never send representatives or have abysmal attendance records. We should help
the houses to understand that, while they may find it useless, they would likely
be furious if we did not consult them upon changing the dining plan, the lottery
system, etc.
Please consider this for our next ExCom meeting. It would behoove you to think
of other possible ways in which we can reach out to these houses.
Thank you,
Charles
Over a month later, Colin received the following, noting "I'm so, so glad they sent this to me":
Subject: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
From: "Dana Lutenegger" <lutenedm@uchicago.edu>
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:39:07 -0500
To: [Colin's email]
Dear Mr. Gaw and the Tufts House Council,
My name is Dana Lutenegger, and I am the vice-president of the Inter-House
Council (IHC) here on campus. I understand that events this year have
caused you to question the usefulness of IHC and Tuft's role in it. I am
writing to offer my view of IHC and to request an audience with you in order
to discuss Tufts' participation in it.
While IHC sometimes tackles large issues like keeping Coke on campus or
enacting open housing (gender neutral) policies, I have always believed that
the smaller things that we do provide no less of a service to our members
and to everyone in the house system. Our representatives participate in a
variety of committees and hear several speakers every quarter. These
experiences may not impact official university policy, but they increase the
knowledge of the representative, and through them the student body,
concerning housing and student life policies. These aspects of IHC do not
get as much coverage as the "big issues", so many believe that we are
defined solely by a few events and issues. Some of our more concrete impact
on policy also goes largely unpublicized. Just recently, the housing office
came to us seeking input on a proposed change to the policies regarding
house seniority for study-abroad students. These experiences make IHC
invaluable for our representatives, and to other students, when the
representatives return to the house to pass on their knowledge.
We have been working to highlight these lesser-known advantages in order to
raise awareness about our council on campus. As you have responded
forcefully to IHC's calls for participation in the past, we thought that a
dialogue with your house or house council might be a good place to start. I
could come and speak with you on a date of your choosing. Please let me
know if you are interested in hearing from me.
Sincerely,
Dana Lutenegger
(Have I mentioned I don't like the term "House Council"? Apparently it's always been the official term for our elected officers, but it was Bill and Dave last year who revived it. My reply: We already have a house council. It's called the house.)
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:40:28 -0500
From: Sean Robinson <[omitted]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Don't respond too forcefully, Mr. Gaw.
Laura attempted to pre-empt our battle plans with the following note:
From: <[Laura's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: [Colin's email], yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:46:24 -0500 (CDT)
For the record, I know Dana personally, and you could not find
a more genuine, sweet, sincere, earnest individual. He
probably meant every word of that email from the bottom of his
heart. If anyone was planning on it, please don't flame
him...he rivals Steve, I shit you not.
You can flame me if you need an outlet, I suppose...
-Laura "STEEEEVE" Felley
But Jake already had other ideas.
From: <[Jake's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: [Colin], yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu,
thecouncil@listhost.uchicago.edu [Presumably the Shadow Council]
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:22:27 -0500 (CDT)
Colin,
Let them come. I suggest forwarding the following as a
presage of things to come:
--------------------------------------------------------------
IHC messenger: All the God-Rep Charles Stephen Thompson
requires is this: a simple offering of earth and water. A
token of Tufts's submission to the will of Charles Stephen
Thompson.
Colin: Submission...well that's a bit of a problem. See, rumor
has it that the Hendus have already turned you down. And if
those hipsters and... boy-lovers have found that kind of nerve...
Jack: [interrupting] We must be diplomatic.
Colin: ... And of course Tuftsians have their reputation to
consider.
IHC messenger: Choose your next words carefully, Colin. They
may be your last as president.
[Colin turns and ponders the offer - looks at three different
views - the last being Aviva]
Colin: [thinking] Earth and water?
[He draws his hypodermic needle and points it towards the IHC
messenger, whose back is to a large, deep well]
IHC messenger: Madman! You're a madman...!
Colin: Earth and water... You'll find plenty of both down there.
IHC messenger: No man – in Max or Pierce -- no man threatens a
messenger!
Colin: You bring the crowns and heads of conquered reps to my
house's steps. You insult my pony-tail. You threaten my people
with slavery and death! Oh, I've chosen my words carefully,
asshole. Perhaps you should have done the same!
IHC messenger: This is blasphemy! This is madness!
Colin: [He looks at Aviva, who nods to him] Madness? THIS IS
TUFTS HOUSE! [kicks the screaming messenger down the well]
--------------------------------------------------------------
-Jake "Before you speak, know that in Tufts House, everyone,
even a university-sanctioned student committee’s messenger,
are held accountable for the words of his voice" Earl
And so in reply to Laura:
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:51:25 -0500
From: "Grant Larsen" <[omitted];
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Blasphemer.
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:44:20 -0500
From: "Jim Murphy" <[omitted]>
Reply-To: [same]
To: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Laura, what the fuck?!!!! Nobody rivals Steve. Tell that IHC kid to beware.
Steve doesn't hold grudges. That's what I'm paid for.
Jim
P.S. Obviously Steve wouldn't pay me to hold his grudges. United for a More
Steve-like America, an unaffiliated organization (Treasurer: Aaron Horton)
supplies my salary.
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:54:12 -0500
From: Harry Altman <[omitted]>
To: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Has everyone forgotten about Ginny? :(
-Harry
In a side note, that got two very different responses...
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:34:02 -0500
From: Marissa Wills <[omitted]>
CC: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
We could never forget Ginny! ^_^ She is missed...
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:39:46 -0500
From: Andrew Wong <[omitted]>
To: Harry Altman <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Who is Ginny?
-Andrew
Colin picks up on the idea a bit late, but quickly decides to go ahead:
From: <[Colin]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: Grant Larsen <[omitted]>
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:19:28 -0500 (CDT)
Sooo........invite them to come to talk to us at house
meeting and ambush?
From: <[Colin]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:59:46 -0500 (CDT)
Thats it, I've made up my mind; I'm inviting them to come
speak to us at house meeting as soon as they can. We should
have a high turnout for when they come...and plan
accordingly (By that I mean come prepared (and by that I
mean armed), and make sure Jake is there).
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:31:31 -0500
From: "Aaron Horton" <[omitted]>
To: [Colin]
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
TONIGHT WE DINE IN HELL!
From: Mark Berberian <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: [Jake's email], yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:06:51 -0500 (CDT)
You beat me to the 300 reference this was the first thing
that came into my mind when i read this, however i am
surrund by 300 references non stop Athens is Great
miss yall
Mark "THIS IS TUFTS HOUUSEEEE!!!!!" Berberian
Ps I am currently wearing the who you with shirt
From: <[Colin]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: Mark Berberian <[omitted]>
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:29:36 -0500 (CDT)
I just threw down the gauntlet; they're coming to house
meeting next week.
We should be ready.
From: <[Nora's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: [Colin]
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:53:32 -0500 (CDT)
I know this is beside the point at this time, but since I wrote that email after
consulting Mike, you may want to refer them to me after you've knocked them
down a well and planned for our dignified slaughter at the hands of University
wrath. You know, since you actually never said anything about them, Colin. (But do
the well first.)
I guess if that doesn't work we could always send them the alternative
response that Mike gave, challenging their sexual prowess.
Nora "crazy, but not a competitor" Casey
And soon we got a message from Colin simply saying "The trap is set" with his message to Dana attached:
Subject:
Re: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
From: <[Colin]>
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:28:45 -0500 (CDT)
To: Dana Lutenegger <[omitted]>
Dear Mr. Lutenegger,
Thank you for contacting me, I think the house as a whole
would be interested in having IHC representative speak to us
during our house meeting. I have to admit that my perception
of IHC was defined by the "big issues" you mentioned, to the
degree that I assumed that it did not deal with on ground
issues immediately relevant to dorm residents. The decision
not to participate in IHC this year was a controversial one
that many people, including myself, had mixed feelings about,
and it might be good for Tufts if we re-evaluated the
situation. Would it be possible for you or another IHC
representative to come speak to us at our house meeting next
week, Wednesday at 10:00 PM? Thanks,
Colin Gaw
Meanwhile, Mike's fear of Tancer, has apparently extended to things she's not at all involved in:
From: <[Mike's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: [Colin]
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:47:42 -0500 (CDT)
Last time someone talked to us in the house they accused me
of being a rapist……
4 days later, Colin forwarded us the following, asking, "thoughts?"
Subject: Re: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
From: "Dana Lutenegger" <[omitted]>
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:34:40 -0500
To: [Colin]
Dear Mr. Gaw,
Thank you for your invitation. I would be happy to come to your house
meeting on Wednesday to talk about IHC with your house. Is it ok if I come
with Sophie Sun, one of our social philanthropy chairs? She has been working
with me on some of our outreach efforts and could provide insight on some of
IHC's event planning work. Of course, if you think that two people would be
overbearing, I could certainly come alone.
Thank you,
Dana Lutenegger
From: <[Tyler's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Re: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:40:07 -0500 (CDT)
If two people come, there's twice the chance that someone in
the house will be accused of being a rapist.
Tyler
From: <[Mike's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Re: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:46:34 -0500 (CDT)
tylers right...... there is always strength in numbers.
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:04:03 -0500
From: "George Gulotta" <[omitted]>
To: [Mike]
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Re: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
I like the way you think.
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:29:08 -0500
From: "Winston Gao" <[omitted]>
To: "George Gulotta" <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Re: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
Cc: [Mike], yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
I'm calling the cops on you.
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:01:17 -0500
From: Sarah Magidson <[omitted]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Re: Dialogue on Inter-House Council Participation
> tylers right...... there is always strength in numbers.
...But is there more strength in variables?
From: <[Colin]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: Re: Dialogue on Inter-House
Council Participation
To: Winston Gao <[omitted]>
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:56:36 -0500 (CDT)
I'd like to disassociate myself with everything everyone but
Winston has said. Mike, I'd expect this from the other two but
I'm disappointed in you.
Sorry... where were we?
It is in the next email from Colin that we see the beginning of actual, specific plans. Apparently they have shifted from being directly antagonistic to IHC, to, well, other things:
From: <[Colin]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:57:56 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: [yobohost] IHC Reps
Okay, so as of right now it seems like IHC is going to come
talk to us at 10:30 weds. Anyone who wants to contribute to
making this difficult for them is cordially invited to attend,
so long as they arrive formally attired and prepared to sing
the chorus of "Peace Train" when the moment comes.
Jake, you absolutely have to come.
From: <[Dan's email]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:06:31 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
I don't think making this "difficult" for the IHC rep is a good goal; instead, we
should try to make them as confused as possible. It involves equal humor and less
ill-will. And "Peace train" is a must.
-Dan
From: <[Jake]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:42:24 -0500 (CDT)
Dan,
I'm confused about why we should show "less ill-will". Why
would we want to be disingenuous with these people? To this
end: Colin, one of us should be menacingly holding a
baseball bat.
-Jake "I'll be there" Earl
Andrew tries to stop how things appear to be going, to little avail:
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:58:03 -0500
From: Andrew Wong <[omitted]>
CC: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
We're not being disingenuous. These people aren't "Charles Stephen Thompson." We have no ill-will for these people in particular. However, confusion is ok, assuming we hear them out first.
-Andrew Wong
From: <[Nora's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: Andrew Wong <[omitted]>
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:17:57 -0500 (CDT)
ill-will, confusion, "Peace Train"... this is my definition of "hearing them out."
More importantly, I'm ready to ask the difficult questions about the big issues, ie.
Pepsi. Or was it Coke?
-Nora
From: <[Ed's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:19:40 -0500 (CDT)
> We're not being disingenuous. These people aren't "Charles
>Stephen Thompson." We have no ill-will for these people in particular.
>However, confusion is ok, assuming we hear them out first.
>
> -Andrew Wong
FALSE.
these people enjoy "playing politician." it makes them feel
important. it is our job to remind them that the IHC isn't
curing cancer or helping me on chem labs, but wasting time
arguing about inane and pointless topics. if we don't do our
duty as informed citizens and stand up against this tyranny
and injustice, who will? i personally look forward to seeing
the look on their faces the split second that their egos burst.
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:25:58 -0500
From: Andrew Wong <[omitted]>
To: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
I feel the need to defend myself. I do not support the IHC. Since I've been receiving their e-mails on their listhost, I believe the IHC shouldn't exist. Furthermore, I believe every house should stop attending the IHC. That said, ill-will is not what we need.
-Andrew Wong
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:35:14 -0500
From: "Jim Murphy" <[omitted]>
Reply-To: [same]
To: "Andrew Wong" <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Cc: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Ill-will and absurdity are not mutually exclusive, but one should err on the
side of absurdity. It's funnier.
Jim "Sisyphus's boulder" Murphy
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:09:16 -0500
From: Harry Altman <[omitted]>
To: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Wogderborgle!
-Harry
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:13:33 -0500
From: "Jim Murphy" <[omitted]>
Reply-To: [same]
To: "Harry Altman" <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Cc: "yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
Precisely.
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:51:05 -0500
From: "Winston Gao" <[omitted]>
To: [Jim]
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Cc: "Harry Altman" <[omitted]>,
"yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu" <yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu>
> Wogderborgle!
>
> -Harry
I'll Wogderborgle you... you piece of wogabofter.
Uh... back on topic now...
From: <[Jake]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:56:15 -0500 (CDT)
> I feel the need to defend myself. I do not support the IHC.
> Since I've
> been receiving their e-mails on their listhost, I believe the IHC
> shouldn't exist. Furthermore, I believe every house should stop
> attending the IHC. That said, ill-will is not what we need.
>
> -Andrew Wong
Let's see what follows, shall we, Wong?
You believe both (a) that IHC should not exist and (b) that
every house should stop attending IHC meetings. Tufts can aim
to achieve these ends either through ill-will or its lack. In
favor of ill-will:
1. Ill-will may upset/intimidate the IHC admins to the point
that they quit, thus dissolving IHC.
2. With no IHC, Tufts will not have to attend any meetings.
Against ill-will:
1. Lack of ill-will will achieve neither one nor two.
2. You can sleep peacefully at night knowing that you in no
way offended our merciful Lord Jesus Christ by attempting to
do anything awesome, for so long as your own life is
inoffensive and generally beige, you're guaranteed the
greatest possible number of crowns in Heaven.
That all said, I want to correct an earlier statement of mine.
I further think that the baseball hat should have a rusted
railroad spike sticking out of it.
-Jake "by any means necessary" Earl
From: <[Colin's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: [Jake]
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:20:20 -0500 (CDT)
Its confirmed, IHC will be here to talk to us with two
people at 10:30. Remember that formal dress-code. And Jake,
you mean baseball "bat" with a nail in it, not "hat", right?
From: <[Dan's email]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:23:23 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Mr. Earl-
It is delusional of you to think that ill-will can accomplish 1 or 2. The IHC will
not dissolve on our account. If we are blatantly mean and vicious toward their
representative, it will do nothing to shatter their self-important, condescending
attitude. It will simply confirm their belief that IHC embodies all that is good and
that any house that refuses to be a part of it is an abomination, which is only
true of the Catholic faith, and frankly, JAKE, I want my seven crowns when the
good lord Jesus Christ lets my meek little ass into heaven, and your spiked
baseball bat wielding devil tactics have no business interfering.
But to the point, a riled up IHC rep will be a lot harder to manipulate than one
who is so discombobulated that he doesn't know how to respond to our antics.
Outright hostility will accomplish nothing that bewilderment and confusion can't
take care of, and I think the latter will be much funnier.
Peace train, holy roller
High on the peace train
Eeya, eeya, eeya
Come on the peace train
-Dan
From: <[Colin]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: [Dan's email]
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:35:08 -0500 (CDT)
Oh, for those interested in attending we should continue this
ill-will debate in person at 10:00 before IHC gets to Tufts.
Colin "High on the Peace Train" Gaw
From: <[Jake]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:09:09 -0500 (CDT)
Mr. Willdangler,
While I disagree wholeheartedly that a bewildered IHC rep
would be less manipulable than one who is bowled over by
intimidation, I think that this is beside the point. We want
to manipulate him? For what end, DAN? I imagine you mean for
him to do our bidding... for him to do our bidding via his
authority as a member of IHC. I knew of your Papism, but I
wasn't aware that your naivite extended this deep. You can't
take down a system from inside the system... the machine is
perfectly evil, its cogs are perfectly designed for its
devious purposes, even in their defect. We need to smash the
Easy-Bake Oven that is IHC, and this can't be done by
confusing it as to whether it should pump out Lemon Squares or
Princess Barbie Edition Cuppiecakes. We can act as men
against the insidious forces of this world, or we can wait and
pray for salvation. Bow to your Viceroy Ratzinger if you
want, I for one am taking up the nail-bat...for freedom...for
justice...for Tufts House.
-Jake "BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY" Earl
From: John Wood <[omitted]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:43:36 -0500
Coincidentally, I have a rusted railroad spike you can borrow. I carried it around in my coat pocket during the winter. It's pretty thick, so it would probably splinter a wooden bat. However, you could probably get it through a 2x6.
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:33:57 -0500
From: "bryan hahn" <[omitted]>
To: "John Wood" <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
but jake, who will be next supervisor?
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:43:11 -0500
From: Sarah Magidson <[omitted]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Hmmm... restrictions on attire? A president who does the Nazi salute? Harassment and dehumanization of people and the unleashing of mass sadistic impulses upon them?
You see, when you let democracy fail, you get fascism!
——Sarah M.
From: <[Colin]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
To: Sarah Magidson <[omitted]>
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:47:39 -0500 (CDT)
Too late Sarah, too goddamn late. You're either with us, or
you're with IHC.
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:19:29 -0500
From: Sean Robinson <[omitted]>
To: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Re: IHC reps
Guys, one word: ransom.
Nora then forwarded again to the list the message Charles Stephen Thompson sent us when we lost voting rights, in case we should want to use it. Jim took note of one part:
Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 02:49:52 -0500
From: "Jim Murphy" <[omitted]>
Reply-To: [same]
To: [Nora's email]
Subject: Re: [yobohost] Fwd: From the President of the Inter-House Council
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
> Because your house has lost voting rights, its collective voice will go
> unheard in our chamber.
Uh-huh. I was always under the impression that they met in the South Lounge.
I didn't know IHC had its own underground lair. I'm guessing one enters by
pressing somewhere on the glory of manly sports mural in bartlett before
descending down a spiral stone staircases to the inner recesses of the
underground campus, lit only by their hand held wooden torches. Surely, only
in this inner sanctum can IHC members, donning shrouds of red, chanting in a
long forgotten tongue in between sips of phoenix blood, sacrifice virgins to
their pantheon of gods in hopes that one day, they too will join the ranks
of the immortals.
You could just see it in their eyes tonight.
Jim "so happy Chuck knows a denotation for chamber that almost nobody uses"
Murphy
Oh, but that was after the meeting. I'm getting ahead of myself.
So what you've seen here has basically been the discussion of how antagonistic to be... but what to actually do?
The idea of Jake wearing a cape (someone said he had one) and going all 300 on them was thrown out pretty early. So we were all going to dress up and play Peace Train at them? And generally be hostile and intimidating and put them on the spot and embarrass them? When the "absurdity" thing came up, I suggested to Colin getting those Groucho Marx glasses things but that did not work out. But people dressed up, they got their musical instruments ready (basically anyone who had one), and Jake made little name placards to mark the two's seats.
But there was one thing they didn't account for: Dana Lutenegger has a stutter. Here's my brief record of it from the house meeting that followed immediately afterward:
IHC comes, the guy has a speech impediment, Colin would have put just the Asian
girl on the spot but he couldn't. So we failed to intimidate them, even with
the song. It came off as friendly, if you ask me. Sasha danced. We claimed
dressing up for house meeting was a Tufts House tradition. We amend the
constitution so that if we ever go to IHC, we have to go in formal wear. Jake
gets a vote, but was not wearing a cape, neither did he have a baseball bat (or
hat).
Andrew: What they were saying is what IHC believes they're doing.
Andrew then claims that IHC is giving Housing bad advice.
The votes are against joining IHC.
[lots of stuff omitted]
Colin proposes that he attends IHC sporadically and belligerently for the rest
of the year, and drag out the meetings, even if he can't vote; the house
strongly disapproves.
And so not being willing to embarrass a stutterer, instead of being hostile we just asked them actual questions about the usefulness of IHC, and then played Peace Train at them, which was not intimidating either. One thing I failed to note - we told them we would be coming to IHC in the future. The vote not to was taken after they left.
Colin doesn't want to give all this up, though:
From: <[Colin]>
To: tufts@listhost.uchicago.edu
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 15:44:11 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: [yobohost] IHC Plan
After careful consideration of last nights events, I've
thought of a good way to handle future non-participation in
IHC for Tufts House. Given my pledge to attend their
meetings, they'll no doubt contact me soon asking why I'm
not coming. I'll then deny ever having spoken to them, and
that IHC representative ever attended a house meeting. When
they talk about all the weird stuff we did, I'll accuse them
of being delusional. Then I'll invite them to come explain
IHC to us for *real* this time. If they're dumb/brave enough
to accept, we'll just do the exact same thing, as many times
as it takes.
Brought to you by The Right Honorable Charles Stephen Thompson
Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 15:46:31 -0500
From: "Amelia Hay" <[omitted]>
To: [Colin's email]
Subject: Re: [yobohost] IHC Plan
Cc: tufts@listhost.uchicago.edu, yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Colin, I'm starting to worry that you're becoming obsessed with this issue
From: <[Laura's email]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] IHC Plan
To: Amelia Hay <[omitted]>, [Colin]
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 15:56:44 -0500 (CDT)
I <3 Colin Gaw, even though he does make a mockery of PTC.
-Laura "PTC" Felley
Brought to you by The Right Honorable Charles Stephen Thompson
From: Mark Berberian <[omitted]>
Subject: Re: [yobohost] IHC Plan
To: [Laura], Amelia Hay <[omitted]>,
[Colin]
Cc: yobohost@listhost.uchicago.edu
This plan seems ok but have u considered going and being
extreemly vocal about every issue and questioning its point
exclaiming the meeting to be pointless and march out singing
the star spangle banner
Mark " animale house" berberina
...but that was the end of that.
Wow, that took a long time.
Next: The quarter in summary! By which I actually just mean all the house minutes.
-Harry
Hilarity
Date: 2008-06-30 10:17 pm (UTC)Sincerely,
Charles Stephen Thompson
Re: Hilarity
Date: 2008-06-30 10:20 pm (UTC)Thanks,
CST
Re: Hilarity
Date: 2008-06-30 10:34 pm (UTC)Re: Hilarity
Date: 2008-06-30 11:30 pm (UTC)