Apparently I’ve forgotten what it is to be a student. I may have texted multiple people today that I was dropping out (it has yet to be seen if that was a joke.) I had a job interview this afternoon so wore a dress all day, leading passersby to believe I was dress-wearing excited for the first day of class which couldn’t have been farther from the truth. The amount of reading I have to do before my European Integration class tomorrow is insane and should be illegal, this is syllabus week people! On a brighter note, my roommates are awesome, and I’m not just saying that because they assigned each of us nicknames and I am now only referred to as “Bitch Duck.” Dearest friend and future Boston roommate (yes, we decided this last night– if you know of PR places in Boston looking for two shockingly good-looking employees in about nine months, keep us in mind) Natalie has been reintroduced to my life. And yes, I only added that because she asked for a blog shout-out. Not only have I made homemade sweet potato fries tonight, I actually said the sentence “I wish Jersey Shore was on every day” out loud and don’t really feel that bad about it. The DI had an article today on how freshmen have taken to literally roaming the town in search of house parties now that they’re banned from the bars. My business acumen tells me there’s a mighty big money-making market for those of us of legal keg-buying age, we’re all pretty excited about it.

During my Monday morning perusal of the Daily Iowan to count how many of my friends got to personally meet some of Iowa City’s finest over the weekend, I found this article which addresses the very reasons I picked up the phone on Day One of this blog and say “Yo Pops, I’m hoppin’ mad ’bout some shit goin’ down.”  If you really don’t want to read the piece, or the Press-Citizen’s version of events here, essentially the hospital will begin asking patients’ permission to put their contact info in a database and solicit them for money.

I’m not particularly fond of the DI’s reporting on it, as it seems the side in favor of this policy basically wrote the article.  This is problem numero uno I have with the profession I’ve chosen to go into.  While PR is spun to us in class as unicorn and rainbows, press releases and event planning, it’s often hard to forget the giant elephant in the corner with his Spin Doctor shirt on.  No matter how much the spokespeople try to gloss this over as “low pressure…ethical…everyone else does it” (<–which um, HELLO, I was taught in like second grade that should never be an excuse for something) the fact is that it’s over the line.

 While I’m extremely glad they are not asking Medicaid and Iowa Care patients to participate, this is such a skeezy, low brow move for such an “esteemed” high-class place that we’re supposed to be running.  People are at the hospital because they are sick, because there is something wrong, in which medical bills will need to be paid.  Let’s try to now catch them in a very vulnerable, anxious state, in which they are already filling out dozens of forms.  Do they not think patients realize the hospital exists?  That they’re just sitting around with their checkbooks going ‘Gee, I sure want to give back in some way, but I just don’t know if UIHC will want this money.’  I understand that signing the form will only put them in a database, that no one is holding a gun to their head and demanding five bucks, but at the end of the day it’s solicitation, and outright asking people for money sucks.

As for the argument that this would somehow affect patient care, that those who consent would be treated better than those who don’t, I don’t think that’s an issue at all.  That thought never crossed my mind when I found out about this a few weeks ago– I have faith in my co-workers, who are as disgusted by this as I am, that nothing like that would even be considered.  While many days I wonder how we can have so many CEOs making bank while 200 fellow employees were laid off, at the end of the day they’re still human CEOs making bank…

The UI Foundation does some great work.  Not only do I know many students who work for them, but many of the administrative staff of the foundation have come to speak with my PR workshop class.  These people are good at what they do, they’ve taught us some great things about fundraising, it doesn’t even sound like a half bad place to work.  I can see how some might try to pose a legitimate argument that they’re just trying to do their jobs, that these people, after the bills are paid, may want to be informed of programs they otherwise wouldn’t know anything about.  None of this relevant as far as I am concerned however, this entire idea is tacky and completely out of line. 

 Iowa has one of the smallest percentages of alumni who give back in the Big Ten– let’s work on increasing that before we cop out and start taking advantage of many of the patients who have to go to our hospital, not who choose to.  Hospital employees are not having this either– many of the reception staff who will have to be trained how to administer these forms have flat-out said they will not go.  I don’t see how, from a relationship-building standpoint, this idea could ever work out in the long run.  People will be so turned off by this that I can only see negative things coming from it. 

In the Press-Citizen article, someone from the foundation is quoted as saying she’s surprised people are even questioning this program after the Pappajohn’s announced their $26 million gift.  Are you high?!  Does this not seem like the most contrived announcement, hiding behind that gift, to make this program seem like no big deal??  She makes it sound like the patients should be thanking them when she says they’re simply “offering the opportunity to grateful patients who want to help make a positive impact on the lives of others.”  That is the dark side of PR.

A spur-of-the moment trip to UNI to visit primary bestie was in order yesterday afternoon– I took her to a very belated birthday dinner (…at Applebee’s) and we saw Couple’s Retreat.  I thought it was cute and funny and I really wanted to be married afterward (my movie companion said this was quite possibly the dumbest thing I’ve ever uttered which is saying something) and my other friend told me that you don’t need to be married to visit a resort.  WHATEVER.  It wasn’t like drop-what-you’re-doing-and-go-see-this-movie-good, it could definitely be a rental, especially if you get irritated at Vince Vaughn playing quick-talking wise guy character in all of his movies.

Upon my return, I picked up a copy of the Daily Iowan and was briefed on:

1. Dr. Ponseti died (sad– he’s the one who’s foundation we did the 5K for on Friday)

2. If you did not know by now that the Hawkeyes are 7-0 you are just the DUMBEST person on the planet because IS YOUR TEAM RANKED #6 IN THE BCS POLL!?!?  Facebook has become equally unbearable.  Maybe it’s because I was raised quite anti-Hawkeye, but I have yet to jump on the undefeatable bandwagon.  Don’t get me wrong– it’s amazing when we win & I hope we go to infinity and beyond, but the inner-pessimist in me is saying Stop being like this, entire rest of campus– when we lose, your Stanzi is the Manzi face tattoo will seem a bit ridiculous.

3. After a few weeks of relative quiet, some jackasses decided we needed some real fist-to-mouth, trips-to-the-hospital assaults.  Nothing like a girl walking home from downtown and getting jacked in the face by a guy to remind her she’s in Hawkeye country.  You can read about the two downtown assaults here: http://www.dailyiowan.com/2009/10/19/Metro/13733.html

4. The east-side dorms were also not a peach of a place to find yourself if you had to pee at 3 a.m.: http://www.dailyiowan.com/2009/10/19/Metro/13727.html .  Now, I AM NOT CONDONING THE ACTIONS OF THE MALES IN THIS SITUATION, but as a college female who lived in the dorms, I read this and had kind of a “Umm, duh?” moment.  This girl was probably staying with her boyfriend and didn’t want to have to go to a girls’ floor to use the bathroom.  She may have also been from a different school altogether & didn’t have a key to a girl’s bathroom– whatever, lots of possible scenarios.  I can see both sides of this– at 3 a.m. she’s thinking– what guy is going to be in there?  I’ll go fast, even though it’s against the rules, no one will notice.  Note: there are unlocked bathrooms for both sexes on the first floor of all dorms.  It had to be truly terrifying for the lights to go out and all of that to go down, but all I’m saying is: think.  I know the thought of this ever happening never crossed her mind, as it probably wouldn’t mine either, but Iowa City is not the safest place to be.  Regardless if you’re “safe” in a dorm or school building, you can’t control the actions of your (most likely inebriated) peers. 

In closing, I just ran about three miles and am feeling fantastico.  Perhaps I’ll work on some homework… in advance?..so I can enjoy bestie apple brats on Wednesday & family time this weekend?  What a strange concept– we’ll see how it goes…

Today I shall share with you my opinions on where Hancher/Voxman/Clapp should be relocated to because I have a blog and I CAN.  Prepare to have your feathers ruffled.

You can read the article in today’s DI about the forum last night for some background:  http://dailyiowan.com/2009/10/13/Metro/13582.html

Do not bring the arts campus downtown.  Do not pretend that this university has even close to the funds to buy new property (where is this elusive “south of Burlington” anyway? Can someone give me a map? “South of Burlington” is either waaaay south, where there’s been a lot of gang-related violence, or kinda south, in which case all that property should be used as residential area because I’ve recently been in some of those new apartments and they are nice haha.)

Music students, Iowa doesn’t really want you there.  They want your money there.  Not that this decision will affect any current music students I know or myself at all, because by the time a decision gets made & the building actually goes up, wherever they put it, we will hopefully be long out of here.  But the article even says: downtown site = improved business.  If they keep Voxman on the west side, students might have to like, bring their lunches to class or eat out of vending machines or not be able to walk by Express between classes and pick up something to wear downtown that weekend.  THE HORROR.

Even if this institution wasn’t looking at this situation purely through dollar-sign tinted glasses (and I realize that’s how they look at everything, even though I was just told last week that its “primary job was to get you kids a job.” HA) remember, my musically-inclined peers, the summer before last.  I seem to recall a lot of water.  And I seem to recall you completely getting the shaft.  This is not an arts-centered institution.  If you want to sing your heart out and have some actually care, go to Simpson or Luther.  The arts students were an afterthought during the flood of ‘08– I’m not even sure music performance should be a real major, yet my blood boils everytime I see photos of Voxman neck-deep in the Iowa River.

Speaking of real majors, let’s put the economic factors of moving the music facilities aside.  Perhaps I am a realist, maybe it’s how I was raised, but music as a profession is completely impractical to me.  I’m not talking about music educators or even music therapy, but students coming here for the sole purpose of one day making a real living off of playing their instrument live in a fantasy world.   If you’re that good, like major metropolis chamber orchestra good, travel ’round the world selling out concert halls good, get Julliard on the phone.  I am coming from the completely biased position of not being a huge music person– maybe some people’s only talent is to play an instrument or sing.  If that’s the case, why are you here? Especially after the flood, I should think there are many, many others places you could go to hone your craft who could serve you much better.   

I’ve thought about this music major thing before because I used to date one (AHA! you say– her true motives are coming through.  Simmer down, I’d like to think I have a valid point, regardless.)  It was actually alleged post-break up that I didn’t “have faith” in him.  DO NOT GET ME WRONG: I wish nothing but the best for these people– I am friends with many music majors, I would never wish anyone to spend thousands of dollars and four years of their life to fail, but to me, the risk is not worth it.  The world says most of these students will graduate with a degree they may never use and toil at cubicle desk jobs by day, crying into their masterful cello-playing at night.  Journalism is certainly not giving me concrete job opportunities when I graduate, but I have learned the skills to land some slimy beat at even the most podunk of small-town newspapers should I need it.

So… uhh, in conclusion– the music building should stay where it belongs.  Not just because the university doesn’t have the funds to move it, but because the music department is not fully a part of the college.  There– I said it.

*Steps off soap box.