moocowinthecity

Letter

moocowinthecity 2006-11-04 No Comments

To the Adult Board,

I need to make this incredibly clear:

Hillel of Buffalo is in a crisis.

Unfortunately, this crisis is not caused by Anti-Semites, Pro-Palestinian Radicals, Hezbollah Supporters, or even Neo-Nazi’s on campus. Rather, this danger to our community is Jordan A. Richmond.

When Jordan was hired, he was one of two applicants; however when you pick the lesser of two poisons you are still, indeed, picking a poison. It is unfortunate that I was not present at his interview, because despite my lambasting of the candidate that I met, she should have been hired over him. No matter how awful she could have possibly been, she would have, in no way, been able to cause damage to the sheer magnitude that Jordan has managed to reach. What he has been able to destroy in one semester is staggering. In fact, I’m glad that Mr. Richmond considers himself Jewish – despite a total lack of Jewish Education, Culture or Connection to the Jewish Community – I can only begin to imagine the terror he would unleash on this campus if, in fact, he were on the other side and an anti-semite.

Our Hillel is Decimated. Do not delude yourselves into thinking otherwise. Do not let him sugar coat for you a pill which is deadly to swallow.

Jordan claims to have been in the camping industry for 22 years. At his current age, that would mean that he was a camping professional at age 5. How industrious. He says that for these twenty two years – starting as a gifted five year old executive – he spent them in the Jewish Camping Industry.

However, he has no ability to read Hebrew, knows none of the blessings – which he would be required to say at least three times a day regardless of whether or not he knows Hebrew, and as a Fifth Year Linguistics Student with a passing familiarity with Child Language Acquisition Theory it would stand to reason that he would at that early of an age at least be able to memorize the prayers he was saying three times a day for twenty two years, unless either a) he was not in fact in Jewish camping or b) he was in Jewish Camping, perhaps as a Janitor or c) he wasn’t paying attention for twenty-two years, either way, none of these paints a promising picture.

He has consistently changed his story for how long it took him to acquire his degrees. I have been told that it has taken him seven years for his first degree, one year for his second degree, other students have been told that it took him four years for each and others different figures and percentages all amounting to a total of eight years. Regardless of how long it took him is not of concern to us – we honestly don’t care – it’s a blessing that he received them. What concerns us is that he is so over protective of his ego, that his ego is so easily tarnished, that he is willing to blatantly lie to students to protect himself for something so ridiculous and petty.

At what has come to be known ‘The Camp Lakeland Fiasco’ among the students, a student from AEPi was hazed.

He was left, on a freezing cold night, in the middle of the woods, without his glasses, and without a flash light, in the darkness, and left there to find his way home. He came home, hours later, his body cut up, and thorns embedded in his legs – he had to wait until he returned home to UB almost a day later to be able to seek out care.

Jordan understood that this was going on, to claim otherwise would have meant that he was blind. He said nothing. I can only assume through his silence that he condoned these activities. I base this assumption further on how proud he was when he told me of his own horrific hazing while he was involved in a fraternity. There is nothing Jewish about humiliating another person, it stands against everything our faith has taught us. Further, since Mr. Richmond is the adviser of AEPi he too is culpable for their behavior. As the Jewish ‘adult’ – and I use that term incredibly loosely – representing Hillel on the trip, he had an obligation to look out for the safety and well being of the student and he did neither. He should be ashamed, and the false apologies from him, at this stage in the game, are nothing more than lip service. If the student decides to sue Hillel I have no doubt in my mind that he will win and I would support him fully if he chooses to seek restitution.

Further, the fact that Mr. Richmond consistently disappeared on this trip, on a camp ground that took up hundreds of acres, with no cell phone usability, and limited access to telephones was dangerous. Had an emergency occurred, there would have been no way to assure that help would be able to be quickly mobilized. In an emergency, every second counts. As someone who says they are Red Cross Certified, Jordan should have known better.

Jordan A. Richmond has so offended people on this campus, that they will no longer work with Hillel, despite numerous apologies that I as well as others have made on behalf of the organization – Mr. Richmond, again, remains silent; we have been unable to get former key contacts to work with us as of this moment.

I was personally accosted by a parent for inappropriate emails that went out on the list serve by his ‘Fellows’ that were supposed to be under his direction, and the fact that the only thing the organization is doing at present is smoking hookah is an embarrassment.

Mr. Richmond regularly acts unprofessionally – despite claims that he is an ‘amazing manager’ his actions – which are the only thing that one should ever be judged on – say otherwise. He constantly attempts to play students off one another, to no success – students talk, we know what he’s up to. When a student ever expresses any concern his immediate reaction is “Do you hate me or what!?” – whether we hate him or not should not be his concern, it his job to act professional, not like an undergraduate frat boy, it is unfortunate that he has not been able to make this distinction. Despite the numerous times he has waxed eloquent about his world experience, his inappropriate behavior shows a much more sinister side. He has made sure to place fellows around him (with the exception of one) who are nothing more than sycophants, serving to boost his ego and tell him how well he’s doing. No matter how many times the emperor was told he looked gorgeous, the fact of the matter was the he was wearing no clothes.

Hillel of Buffalo is lost, our Jewish Community on campus is torn apart, and ripped to shreds. We are no longer a light among the nations (of which there are over a hundred represented on this campus) to turn to.

I have met Muslims and Christians who know more about the Jewish faith than he does – this is dangerous. For some, on this international campus where over 180 countries are represented, he is the first Jew anyone will ever meet…imagine the damaging impression he has now left of our community. For him to say “having a Rocking Yom Kippur” indicates such a level of naivety, I can only imagine what he would say to someone who is sitting Shiva. This is completely neglecting the time that he served imitation crab meat – which while imitation, still has crab flavoring and extracts, or the fact that our Sukkah wasn’t Kosher because it had no view of the sky. The damage to the community by his ignorant and foolish behavior is manifest.

Jordan is impossible to work with because he chooses to be militantly ignorant. He refuses to take anyone’s advice and leaves people with a nice amount of lip service while nothing ever changes or is actually accomplished.

Jordan is all after taste with no actual content.

Mr. Richmond will consistently say that we are “Co-Chair” of the campus recycling program. Please ask him what that means and what, as co-chair, we have accomplished other than receiving another title. We have had so few Shabbat services this semester that we are loosing students rapidly and it is not, as Jordan wishes people to believe, that we’ve engaged so many students so rapidly, that we’re loosing them. It is because it is Mr. Richmond doing the engaging, and he doesn’t know what he’s engaging them for.

He is, indeed, above all else an actor.

He claims to have a successful company in Colorado, whether you believe that is open to your personal belief (though perhaps a five year old camping executive prodigy is capable of such things) however I – and many others who have no confidence in him – believe that his application to Hillel was nothing more and nothing less than a final act of desperation.

I would understand why he applied to Hillel if he had previously, any connection to the Jewish community – which he does not, and after making some good money, wanted to give something back, and so chose to take a three year long sabbatical to help and to connect with youth.

In a meeting I had with him over Coffee after The Camp Lakeland Fiasco, I questioned him about this and he said, quote “I’m here for three year so I can recruit students for my company…I can say I have Jewish students from Hillel and set them up with camps…I can forge a relationship with my company and Hillel.”

Jordan’s motives are obvious even to the casual observer. Since day one he has had his interests – not the safety or the interests of the students for which he is supposed to work and represent, ahead of theirs. It is an embarrassment.

However, despite Jordan’s claims of working 16 hours a day students who were assigned community service hours to Hillel as of two weeks ago, had not had their forms processed through UB’s Computer System despite completing their Community Service hours at least a week because Jordan was tardy with the paperwork and then complained bitterly when students asked him again to submit it. These students financial aid, housing december graduation, course registration, ability to eat, depend on that paperwork being turned in.

I, and the other students, hold him personally and financially responsible for any late fees associated with this gross dereliction of duty, that are imposed by the University and we have directed those students to seek legal council from Group Legal Services on campus as required.

When Heather McArthur was going to go to the board to tell them what was going on, Jordan asked her to lie and say that “nothing was going on” it was all “restructuring” but this is again is behavior we see from someone who is totally desperate – had I known when I was reading a Street Car Named Desire years earlier in high school that one day I’d meet Blanche DuBois, I would have saved a copy of the script for him to sign.

The students of Hillel of Buffalo are reclaiming our organization as of now, and we are prepared to fight Tooth and Nail for it. It is time for us to clean up from this disaster and in the spirit of the Maccabees to reclaim and re-anoint the Jewish Soul on this campus and it is time for Jordan’s reign of terror to be put to a stop – not at the end of this year, not at the end of this semester, but now.

If he is unable to be terminated for breech of contract due to his conduct, jeopardizing a students life or any other of his numerous questionable acts than it would behoove us just to buy out his contract, and be done with him. I assure you the damage he will cause to our reputation if he stays here far outweighs whatever we would be paying him over his three year tenure. Our investment in his termination will be the best investment we have ever made.

We are taking our Hillel Back from the hands of this tyrant.

For the Majority,

Matthew L. Schwartz (Matan Ar’ye Schwartz)

Here’s a go

moocowinthecity 2006-11-04 No Comments

To the Adult Board,

I need to make this incredibly clear: Hillel of Buffalo is in a crisis.

Unfortunately, this crisis is not caused by Anti-Semites, Pro-Palestinian Radicals, Hezbollah Supporters, or even Neo-Nazi’s on campus. Rather, this danger to our community is Jordan A. Richmond.

When Jordan was hired, he was one of two applicants; however when you pick the lesser of two poisons you are still, indeed, picking a poison. It is unfortunate that I was not present at his interview, because despite my lambasting of the candidate that I met, she should have been hired over him. No matter how awful she could have possibly been, she would have, in no way, been able to cause damage to the sheer magnitude that Jordan has managed to reach. What he has been able to destroy in one semester is staggering. In fact, I’m glad that Mr. Richmond considers himself Jewish – despite a total lack of Jewish Education, Culture or Connection to the Jewish Community – I can only begin to imagine the terror he would unleash on this campus if, in fact, he were on the other side and an anti-semite.

Our Hillel is Decimated. Do not delude yourselves into thinking otherwise. Do not let him sugar coat for you a pill which is deadly to swallow. While Jordan’s administrative qualifications remain unclear – at best, he’s been vague about them, and at worst he’s lied. His qualifications to lead a Jewish organization, are non-existant. He has no Jewish education and no real Identity other than the mask he shows to the outside world.

Jordan claims to have been in the camping industry for 22 years. At his current age, that would mean that he was a camping professional at age 5. How industrious. He says that for these twenty two years – starting as a gifted five year old executive – he spent them in the Jewish Camping Industry.

However, he has no ability to read Hebrew, knows none of the blessings – which he would be required to say at least two times a day regardless of whether or not he knows Hebrew, and as a Fifth Year Linguistics Student with a passing familiarity with Child Language Acquisition Theory I put forth that it would stand to reason that he would – at that early of an age – at least be able to memorize the prayers he was saying two to three times a day for twenty two years, unless either a) he was not in fact in Jewish camping or b) he was in Jewish Camping, perhaps as a Janitor or c) he wasn’t paying attention for twenty-two years, either way, none of these paints a promising picture.

He claims to have a successful company in Colorado, whether you believe that is open to your personal belief (though perhaps a five year old camping executive prodigy is capable of such things) however I – and others who have no confidence in him – believe that his application to Hillel was nothing more and nothing less than a final act of desperation.

I would understand why he applied to Hillel if he had previously any connection to the Jewish community – which he does not – and after making some good money, wanted to give something back, and so chose to take a three year long sabbatical to help and to connect with youth.

In a meeting I had with him over Coffee I questioned him about this and he said, quote “I’m here for three year so I can recruit students for my company…I can say I have Jewish students from Hillel and set them up with camps…I can forge a relationship with my company and Hillel.”

Jordan’s motives are obvious even to the casual observer. Since day one he has had his interests – not the safety or the interests of the students for which he is supposed to work and represent, ahead of theirs. It is an embarrassment.

Moreover, he has consistently changed his story for how long it took him to acquire his degrees. I have been told by him, that it has taken him seven years for his first degree, one year for his second degree, other students have been told that it took him four years for each and others different figures and percentages all amounting to a total of eight years. Regardless of how long it took him is not of concern to us – we honestly don’t care – it’s a blessing that he received them. We question what he’s hiding or if he’s even received these degrees at all in the first place at this point – the fact that he is so evasive about what should be his credentials gives us great cause for concern.

Jordan has proven his incompetence on multiple occasions.

At what has come to be known ‘The Camp Lakeland Fiasco’ among the students, a student from AEPi was hazed. The student was left, on a freezing cold night, in the middle of the woods, without his glasses, and without a flash light, in the darkness, and left there to find his way home. He came home, hours later, his body cut up, and thorns embedded in his legs – he had to wait until he returned home to UB almost a day later to be able to seek out care.

Jordan understood that this was going on, to claim otherwise would have meant that he was blind. He said nothing. I can only assume through his silence that he condoned these activities. I base this assumption further on how proud he was when he told me of his own horrific hazing while he was involved in a fraternity. There is nothing Jewish about humiliating another person, it stands against everything our faith has taught us. Further, since Mr. Richmond is the adviser of AEPi he too is culpable for their behavior. As the Jewish ‘adult’ – and I use that term incredibly loosely – representing Hillel on the trip, he had an obligation to look out for the safety and well being of the student and he did neither. He should be ashamed, and the apologies from him, at this stage in the game, are nothing more than lip service. If the student decides to sue Hillel I have no doubt in my mind that he will win and I would support him fully if he chooses to seek restitution.

Further, the fact that Mr. Richmond consistently disappeared on this trip, on a camp ground that took up hundreds of acres, with no cell phone usability, and limited access to telephones was dangerous. Had an emergency occurred, there would have been no way to assure that help would be able to be quickly mobilized. In an emergency, every second counts. As someone who says they are Red Cross Certified, Jordan should have known better.

I was personally accosted by a parent for inappropriate emails that went out on the list serve by his ‘Fellows’ that were supposed to be under his direction. The student’s mother stormed the office and berated me for over twenty minutes and demanded to know who was in charge, when I informed her that it was Mr. Richmond she demanded to know if that was a student, and was appalled to find out that he was a hired professional She is a graduate with two degrees from the university and was appalled to find that the only thing being done on campus was Hookah nights..

Another student (who asked to remain nameless) has her parents donating to her sisters Hillel at Albany, they refuse to donate to our Hillel because of our lack of Judaism and the total level of unprofessionalism that they have seen (what they view as unprofessionalism, you’d have to ask them).

During Sukkot Mr. Richmond served imitation crab meat in the Sukkah and stored it in the fridge. Most, if not all, imitation crab meat contains crab extract and flavoring which is not kosher. This product was stored in the refrigerator at Hillel, which is now, no longer Kosher.

Mr. Richmond regularly acts unprofessionally – despite claims that he is an ‘amazing manager’ his actions – which are the only thing that one should ever be judged on – say otherwise. He constantly attempts to play students off one another, to no success – students talk, we know what he’s up to. When a student ever expresses any concern, Jordan’s immediate reaction is “Do you hate me or what!?” – whether we hate him or not should not be his concern, it his job to act professional, not like an undergraduate frat boy, it is unfortunate that he has not been able to make this distinction.

Despite the numerous times he has waxed eloquent about his worldly experience, his inappropriate behavior shows a much more sinister side. He has made sure to place fellows around him (with the exception of one) who are nothing more than sycophants, serving to boost his ego and tell him how well he’s doing. No matter how many times the emperor was told he looked gorgeous, the fact of the matter was the he was wearing no clothes.

This semester, we have accomplished nothing because if the students suggest anything remotely Jewish we’re told that it’s “uncool” or “un-engaging” when in reality Jordan doesn’t want to host a Jewish event because he doesn’t know what the event’s about. He has said in meetings with me and others, repeatedly, that Hillel’s biggest problem is that our name is Hillel.

Jordan want’s to make Shabbat 360 an engagement event; however during the meeting where the students were attempting to plan the event, he repeatedly told us that Shabbat isn’t “engaging” and wanted to throw a party instead and call it a Shabbat Service. Shabbat Services are a religious function, not a show. If Mr. Richmond wanted to engage students through Shabbat Services, perhaps he should have stayed in New York State during Shabbat and held them regularly instead of traveling to see friends.

We’re sorry if Mr. Richmond doesn’t like the fact that Hillel is a Jewish organization as he regularly tells us that we are a “pluralistic organization” he has allowed it to become so pluralistic, that on the whole, Hillel of Buffalo is one step away from being Jewish in name only.

For some, on this international campus where over 180 countries are represented at last estimate, he is the first Jew anyone will ever meet. Imagine the damaging impression he has now left of our community. For him to say “having a Rocking Yom Kippur” indicates such a level of naivety, I can only imagine what he would say to someone who is sitting Shiva. The damage to the community by his ignorant and foolish behavior is manifest.

Jordan is impossible to work with because he chooses to be militantly ignorant. He refuses to take anyone’s advice and leaves people with a nice amount of lip service while nothing ever changes or is actually accomplished, he is all after taste with no actual content.

Mr. Richmond will consistently say that we are “Co-Chair” of the campus recycling program. Please ask him what that means and what, as co-chair, we have accomplished other than receiving another title. We have had so few Shabbat services this semester that we are loosing students rapidly and it is not, as Jordan wishes people to believe, that we’ve engaged so many students so rapidly, that we’re loosing them. It is because it is Mr. Richmond that is doing the engaging, and he doesn’t know what he’s engaging them for.

Despite Jordan’s claims of working 16 hours a day students who were assigned community service hours to Hillel as of two weeks ago, had not had their forms processed through UB’s Computer System despite completing their Community Service hours at least a week because Jordan was tardy with the paperwork and then complained bitterly when students asked him again to submit it. These students financial aid, housing December graduation, course registration, ability to eat, depend on that paperwork being turned in.

I, and the other students, hold him personally and financially responsible for any late fees associated with this gross dereliction of duty, that are imposed by the university on these students, and we have directed those students to seek legal council from Group Legal Services on campus as required.

When Heather McArthur was going to go to the board to tell them what was going on, Jordan asked her to lie and say that “nothing was going on” it was all “restructuring” but this is again, behavior that we see from someone who is totally desperate.

It is time for the Students of Hillel of Buffalo to reclaim and re-anoint the Jewish Soul on this campus. It is time for Jordan to be excused, not at the end o the year, not at the end of the semester, but now.

If he is unable to be terminated for breech of contract due to his conduct, jeopardizing a students life or any other of his numerous questionable acts than it would behoove us just to buy out his contract, and be done with him. I assure you the damage he will cause to our reputation if he stays here far outweighs whatever we would be paying him over his three year tenure. Our investment in his termination will be the best investment we have ever made.

For the Majority,

Matthew L. Schwartz (Matan Ar’ye Schwartz)

Letter

moocowinthecity 2006-11-04 No Comments

To the Adult Board,

I need to make this incredibly clear:

Hillel of Buffalo is in a crisis.

Unfortunately, this crisis is not caused by Anti-Semites, Pro-Palestinian Radicals, Hezbollah Supporters, or even Neo-Nazi’s on campus. Rather, this danger to our community is Jordan A. Richmond.

When Jordan was hired, he was one of two applicants; however when you pick the lesser of two poisons you are still, indeed, picking a poison. It is unfortunate that I was not present at his interview, because despite my lambasting of the candidate that I met, she should have been hired over him. No matter how awful she could have possibly been, she would have, in no way, been able to cause damage to the sheer magnitude that Jordan has managed to reach. What he has been able to destroy in one semester is staggering. In fact, I’m glad that Mr. Richmond considers himself Jewish – despite a total lack of Jewish Education, Culture or Connection to the Jewish Community – I can only begin to imagine the terror he would unleash on this campus if, in fact, he were on the other side and an anti-semite.

Our Hillel is Decimated. Do not delude yourselves into thinking otherwise. Do not let him sugar coat for you a pill which is deadly to swallow.

Jordan claims to have been in the camping industry for 22 years. At his current age, that would mean that he was a camping professional at age 5. How industrious. He says that for these twenty two years – starting as a gifted five year old executive – he spent them in the Jewish Camping Industry.

However, he has no ability to read Hebrew, knows none of the blessings – which he would be required to say at least three times a day regardless of whether or not he knows Hebrew, and as a Fifth Year Linguistics Student with a passing familiarity with Child Language Acquisition Theory it would stand to reason that he would at that early of an age at least be able to memorize the prayers he was saying three times a day for twenty two years, unless either a) he was not in fact in Jewish camping or b) he was in Jewish Camping, perhaps as a Janitor or c) he wasn’t paying attention for twenty-two years, either way, none of these paints a promising picture.

He has consistently changed his story for how long it took him to acquire his degrees. I have been told that it has taken him seven years for his first degree, one year for his second degree, other students have been told that it took him four years for each and others different figures and percentages all amounting to a total of eight years. Regardless of how long it took him is not of concern to us – we honestly don’t care – it’s a blessing that he received them. What concerns us is that he is so over protective of his ego, that his ego is so easily tarnished, that he is willing to blatantly lie to students to protect himself for something so ridiculous and petty.

At what has come to be known ‘The Camp Lakeland Fiasco’ among the students, a student from AEPi was hazed.

He was left, on a freezing cold night, in the middle of the woods, without his glasses, and without a flash light, in the darkness, and left there to find his way home. He came home, hours later, his body cut up, and thorns embedded in his legs – he had to wait until he returned home to UB almost a day later to be able to seek out care.

Jordan understood that this was going on, to claim otherwise would have meant that he was blind. He said nothing. I can only assume through his silence that he condoned these activities. I base this assumption further on how proud he was when he told me of his own horrific hazing while he was involved in a fraternity. There is nothing Jewish about humiliating another person, it stands against everything our faith has taught us. Further, since Mr. Richmond is the adviser of AEPi he too is culpable for their behavior. As the Jewish ‘adult’ – and I use that term incredibly loosely – representing Hillel on the trip, he had an obligation to look out for the safety and well being of the student and he did neither. He should be ashamed, and the false apologies from him, at this stage in the game, are nothing more than lip service. If the student decides to sue Hillel I have no doubt in my mind that he will win and I would support him fully if he chooses to seek restitution.

Further, the fact that Mr. Richmond consistently disappeared on this trip, on a camp ground that took up hundreds of acres, with no cell phone usability, and limited access to telephones was dangerous. Had an emergency occurred, there would have been no way to assure that help would be able to be quickly mobilized. In an emergency, every second counts. As someone who says they are Red Cross Certified, Jordan should have known better.

Jordan A. Richmond has so offended people on this campus, that they will no longer work with Hillel, despite numerous apologies that I as well as others have made on behalf of the organization – Mr. Richmond, again, remains silent; we have been unable to get former key contacts to work with us as of this moment.

I was personally accosted by a parent for inappropriate emails that went out on the list serve by his ‘Fellows’ that were supposed to be under his direction, and the fact that the only thing the organization is doing at present is smoking hookah is an embarrassment.

Mr. Richmond regularly acts unprofessionally – despite claims that he is an ‘amazing manager’ his actions – which are the only thing that one should ever be judged on – say otherwise. He constantly attempts to play students off one another, to no success – students talk, we know what he’s up to. When a student ever expresses any concern his immediate reaction is “Do you hate me or what!?” – whether we hate him or not should not be his concern, it his job to act professional, not like an undergraduate frat boy, it is unfortunate that he has not been able to make this distinction. Despite the numerous times he has waxed eloquent about his world experience, his inappropriate behavior shows a much more sinister side. He has made sure to place fellows around him (with the exception of one) who are nothing more than sycophants, serving to boost his ego and tell him how well he’s doing. No matter how many times the emperor was told he looked gorgeous, the fact of the matter was the he was wearing no clothes.

Hillel of Buffalo is lost, our Jewish Community on campus is torn apart, and ripped to shreds. We are no longer a light among the nations (of which there are over a hundred represented on this campus) to turn to.

I have met Muslims and Christians who know more about the Jewish faith than he does – this is dangerous. For some, on this international campus where over 180 countries are represented, he is the first Jew anyone will ever meet…imagine the damaging impression he has now left of our community. For him to say “having a Rocking Yom Kippur” indicates such a level of naivety, I can only imagine what he would say to someone who is sitting Shiva. This is completely neglecting the time that he served imitation crab meat – which while imitation, still has crab flavoring and extracts, or the fact that our Sukkah wasn’t Kosher because it had no view of the sky. The damage to the community by his ignorant and foolish behavior is manifest.

Jordan is impossible to work with because he chooses to be militantly ignorant. He refuses to take anyone’s advice and leaves people with a nice amount of lip service while nothing ever changes or is actually accomplished.

Jordan is all after taste with no actual content.

Mr. Richmond will consistently say that we are “Co-Chair” of the campus recycling program. Please ask him what that means and what, as co-chair, we have accomplished other than receiving another title. We have had so few Shabbat services this semester that we are loosing students rapidly and it is not, as Jordan wishes people to believe, that we’ve engaged so many students so rapidly, that we’re loosing them. It is because it is Mr. Richmond doing the engaging, and he doesn’t know what he’s engaging them for.

He is, indeed, above all else an actor.

He claims to have a successful company in Colorado, whether you believe that is open to your personal belief (though perhaps a five year old camping executive prodigy is capable of such things) however I – and many others who have no confidence in him – believe that his application to Hillel was nothing more and nothing less than a final act of desperation.

I would understand why he applied to Hillel if he had previously, any connection to the Jewish community – which he does not, and after making some good money, wanted to give something back, and so chose to take a three year long sabbatical to help and to connect with youth.

In a meeting I had with him over Coffee after The Camp Lakeland Fiasco, I questioned him about this and he said, quote “I’m here for three year so I can recruit students for my company…I can say I have Jewish students from Hillel and set them up with camps…I can forge a relationship with my company and Hillel.”

Jordan’s motives are obvious even to the casual observer. Since day one he has had his interests – not the safety or the interests of the students for which he is supposed to work and represent, ahead of theirs. It is an embarrassment.

However, despite Jordan’s claims of working 16 hours a day students who were assigned community service hours to Hillel as of two weeks ago, had not had their forms processed through UB’s Computer System despite completing their Community Service hours at least a week because Jordan was tardy with the paperwork and then complained bitterly when students asked him again to submit it. These students financial aid, housing december graduation, course registration, ability to eat, depend on that paperwork being turned in.

I, and the other students, hold him personally and financially responsible for any late fees associated with this gross dereliction of duty, that are imposed by the University and we have directed those students to seek legal council from Group Legal Services on campus as required.

When Heather McArthur was going to go to the board to tell them what was going on, Jordan asked her to lie and say that “nothing was going on” it was all “restructuring” but this is again is behavior we see from someone who is totally desperate – had I known when I was reading a Street Car Named Desire years earlier in high school that one day I’d meet Blanche DuBois, I would have saved a copy of the script for him to sign.

The students of Hillel of Buffalo are reclaiming our organization as of now, and we are prepared to fight Tooth and Nail for it. It is time for us to clean up from this disaster and in the spirit of the Maccabees to reclaim and re-anoint the Jewish Soul on this campus and it is time for Jordan’s reign of terror to be put to a stop – not at the end of this year, not at the end of this semester, but now.

If he is unable to be terminated for breech of contract due to his conduct, jeopardizing a students life or any other of his numerous questionable acts than it would behoove us just to buy out his contract, and be done with him. I assure you the damage he will cause to our reputation if he stays here far outweighs whatever we would be paying him over his three year tenure. Our investment in his termination will be the best investment we have ever made.

We are taking our Hillel Back from the hands of this tyrant.

For the Majority,

Matthew L. Schwartz (Matan Ar’ye Schwartz)

Here’s a go

moocowinthecity 2006-11-04 No Comments

To the Adult Board,

I need to make this incredibly clear: Hillel of Buffalo is in a crisis.

Unfortunately, this crisis is not caused by Anti-Semites, Pro-Palestinian Radicals, Hezbollah Supporters, or even Neo-Nazi’s on campus. Rather, this danger to our community is Jordan A. Richmond.

When Jordan was hired, he was one of two applicants; however when you pick the lesser of two poisons you are still, indeed, picking a poison. It is unfortunate that I was not present at his interview, because despite my lambasting of the candidate that I met, she should have been hired over him. No matter how awful she could have possibly been, she would have, in no way, been able to cause damage to the sheer magnitude that Jordan has managed to reach. What he has been able to destroy in one semester is staggering. In fact, I’m glad that Mr. Richmond considers himself Jewish – despite a total lack of Jewish Education, Culture or Connection to the Jewish Community – I can only begin to imagine the terror he would unleash on this campus if, in fact, he were on the other side and an anti-semite.

Our Hillel is Decimated. Do not delude yourselves into thinking otherwise. Do not let him sugar coat for you a pill which is deadly to swallow. While Jordan’s administrative qualifications remain unclear – at best, he’s been vague about them, and at worst he’s lied. His qualifications to lead a Jewish organization, are non-existant. He has no Jewish education and no real Identity other than the mask he shows to the outside world.

Jordan claims to have been in the camping industry for 22 years. At his current age, that would mean that he was a camping professional at age 5. How industrious. He says that for these twenty two years – starting as a gifted five year old executive – he spent them in the Jewish Camping Industry.

However, he has no ability to read Hebrew, knows none of the blessings – which he would be required to say at least two times a day regardless of whether or not he knows Hebrew, and as a Fifth Year Linguistics Student with a passing familiarity with Child Language Acquisition Theory I put forth that it would stand to reason that he would – at that early of an age – at least be able to memorize the prayers he was saying two to three times a day for twenty two years, unless either a) he was not in fact in Jewish camping or b) he was in Jewish Camping, perhaps as a Janitor or c) he wasn’t paying attention for twenty-two years, either way, none of these paints a promising picture.

He claims to have a successful company in Colorado, whether you believe that is open to your personal belief (though perhaps a five year old camping executive prodigy is capable of such things) however I – and others who have no confidence in him – believe that his application to Hillel was nothing more and nothing less than a final act of desperation.

I would understand why he applied to Hillel if he had previously any connection to the Jewish community – which he does not – and after making some good money, wanted to give something back, and so chose to take a three year long sabbatical to help and to connect with youth.

In a meeting I had with him over Coffee I questioned him about this and he said, quote “I’m here for three year so I can recruit students for my company…I can say I have Jewish students from Hillel and set them up with camps…I can forge a relationship with my company and Hillel.”

Jordan’s motives are obvious even to the casual observer. Since day one he has had his interests – not the safety or the interests of the students for which he is supposed to work and represent, ahead of theirs. It is an embarrassment.

Moreover, he has consistently changed his story for how long it took him to acquire his degrees. I have been told by him, that it has taken him seven years for his first degree, one year for his second degree, other students have been told that it took him four years for each and others different figures and percentages all amounting to a total of eight years. Regardless of how long it took him is not of concern to us – we honestly don’t care – it’s a blessing that he received them. We question what he’s hiding or if he’s even received these degrees at all in the first place at this point – the fact that he is so evasive about what should be his credentials gives us great cause for concern.

Jordan has proven his incompetence on multiple occasions.

At what has come to be known ‘The Camp Lakeland Fiasco’ among the students, a student from AEPi was hazed. The student was left, on a freezing cold night, in the middle of the woods, without his glasses, and without a flash light, in the darkness, and left there to find his way home. He came home, hours later, his body cut up, and thorns embedded in his legs – he had to wait until he returned home to UB almost a day later to be able to seek out care.

Jordan understood that this was going on, to claim otherwise would have meant that he was blind. He said nothing. I can only assume through his silence that he condoned these activities. I base this assumption further on how proud he was when he told me of his own horrific hazing while he was involved in a fraternity. There is nothing Jewish about humiliating another person, it stands against everything our faith has taught us. Further, since Mr. Richmond is the adviser of AEPi he too is culpable for their behavior. As the Jewish ‘adult’ – and I use that term incredibly loosely – representing Hillel on the trip, he had an obligation to look out for the safety and well being of the student and he did neither. He should be ashamed, and the apologies from him, at this stage in the game, are nothing more than lip service. If the student decides to sue Hillel I have no doubt in my mind that he will win and I would support him fully if he chooses to seek restitution.

Further, the fact that Mr. Richmond consistently disappeared on this trip, on a camp ground that took up hundreds of acres, with no cell phone usability, and limited access to telephones was dangerous. Had an emergency occurred, there would have been no way to assure that help would be able to be quickly mobilized. In an emergency, every second counts. As someone who says they are Red Cross Certified, Jordan should have known better.

I was personally accosted by a parent for inappropriate emails that went out on the list serve by his ‘Fellows’ that were supposed to be under his direction. The student’s mother stormed the office and berated me for over twenty minutes and demanded to know who was in charge, when I informed her that it was Mr. Richmond she demanded to know if that was a student, and was appalled to find out that he was a hired professional She is a graduate with two degrees from the university and was appalled to find that the only thing being done on campus was Hookah nights..

Another student (who asked to remain nameless) has her parents donating to her sisters Hillel at Albany, they refuse to donate to our Hillel because of our lack of Judaism and the total level of unprofessionalism that they have seen (what they view as unprofessionalism, you’d have to ask them).

During Sukkot Mr. Richmond served imitation crab meat in the Sukkah and stored it in the fridge. Most, if not all, imitation crab meat contains crab extract and flavoring which is not kosher. This product was stored in the refrigerator at Hillel, which is now, no longer Kosher.

Mr. Richmond regularly acts unprofessionally – despite claims that he is an ‘amazing manager’ his actions – which are the only thing that one should ever be judged on – say otherwise. He constantly attempts to play students off one another, to no success – students talk, we know what he’s up to. When a student ever expresses any concern, Jordan’s immediate reaction is “Do you hate me or what!?” – whether we hate him or not should not be his concern, it his job to act professional, not like an undergraduate frat boy, it is unfortunate that he has not been able to make this distinction.

Despite the numerous times he has waxed eloquent about his worldly experience, his inappropriate behavior shows a much more sinister side. He has made sure to place fellows around him (with the exception of one) who are nothing more than sycophants, serving to boost his ego and tell him how well he’s doing. No matter how many times the emperor was told he looked gorgeous, the fact of the matter was the he was wearing no clothes.

This semester, we have accomplished nothing because if the students suggest anything remotely Jewish we’re told that it’s “uncool” or “un-engaging” when in reality Jordan doesn’t want to host a Jewish event because he doesn’t know what the event’s about. He has said in meetings with me and others, repeatedly, that Hillel’s biggest problem is that our name is Hillel.

Jordan want’s to make Shabbat 360 an engagement event; however during the meeting where the students were attempting to plan the event, he repeatedly told us that Shabbat isn’t “engaging” and wanted to throw a party instead and call it a Shabbat Service. Shabbat Services are a religious function, not a show. If Mr. Richmond wanted to engage students through Shabbat Services, perhaps he should have stayed in New York State during Shabbat and held them regularly instead of traveling to see friends.

We’re sorry if Mr. Richmond doesn’t like the fact that Hillel is a Jewish organization as he regularly tells us that we are a “pluralistic organization” he has allowed it to become so pluralistic, that on the whole, Hillel of Buffalo is one step away from being Jewish in name only.

For some, on this international campus where over 180 countries are represented at last estimate, he is the first Jew anyone will ever meet. Imagine the damaging impression he has now left of our community. For him to say “having a Rocking Yom Kippur” indicates such a level of naivety, I can only imagine what he would say to someone who is sitting Shiva. The damage to the community by his ignorant and foolish behavior is manifest.

Jordan is impossible to work with because he chooses to be militantly ignorant. He refuses to take anyone’s advice and leaves people with a nice amount of lip service while nothing ever changes or is actually accomplished, he is all after taste with no actual content.

Mr. Richmond will consistently say that we are “Co-Chair” of the campus recycling program. Please ask him what that means and what, as co-chair, we have accomplished other than receiving another title. We have had so few Shabbat services this semester that we are loosing students rapidly and it is not, as Jordan wishes people to believe, that we’ve engaged so many students so rapidly, that we’re loosing them. It is because it is Mr. Richmond that is doing the engaging, and he doesn’t know what he’s engaging them for.

Despite Jordan’s claims of working 16 hours a day students who were assigned community service hours to Hillel as of two weeks ago, had not had their forms processed through UB’s Computer System despite completing their Community Service hours at least a week because Jordan was tardy with the paperwork and then complained bitterly when students asked him again to submit it. These students financial aid, housing December graduation, course registration, ability to eat, depend on that paperwork being turned in.

I, and the other students, hold him personally and financially responsible for any late fees associated with this gross dereliction of duty, that are imposed by the university on these students, and we have directed those students to seek legal council from Group Legal Services on campus as required.

When Heather McArthur was going to go to the board to tell them what was going on, Jordan asked her to lie and say that “nothing was going on” it was all “restructuring” but this is again, behavior that we see from someone who is totally desperate.

It is time for the Students of Hillel of Buffalo to reclaim and re-anoint the Jewish Soul on this campus. It is time for Jordan to be excused, not at the end o the year, not at the end of the semester, but now.

If he is unable to be terminated for breech of contract due to his conduct, jeopardizing a students life or any other of his numerous questionable acts than it would behoove us just to buy out his contract, and be done with him. I assure you the damage he will cause to our reputation if he stays here far outweighs whatever we would be paying him over his three year tenure. Our investment in his termination will be the best investment we have ever made.

For the Majority,

Matthew L. Schwartz (Matan Ar’ye Schwartz)

Oh, and I meant to write about this

moocowinthecity 2006-11-03 No Comments

But it’s absolutely fascinating to watch movies with Jackie (iolausian)…she has her MA in film studies and american studies (I think I got that correct). It’s an experience…one we’ll be repeating soon.

Okay bed.

Oh, and I meant to write about this

moocowinthecity 2006-11-03 No Comments

But it’s absolutely fascinating to watch movies with Jackie (

iolausian)…she has her MA in film studies and american studies (I think I got that correct). It’s an experience…one we’ll be repeating soon.

Okay bed.

My Dad & I

moocowinthecity 2006-11-03 No Comments

So my Dad called me today, just to talk which was nice (he’s in Virginia at the moment on his way to doing a Civil War Re-Enactment). Ever since I brought him to synagogue on the High Holy days and did some construction work with him, he’s been happier…and he’s talking about returning to the synagogue which really just makes me so happy…Baruch Hashem, it’s about time.

So we spoke for an hour, part of the reason he called though was because (he owns his own business on Long Island) and he’s arranged for the guy who owns the company that investigates his employees for him (the guy who he hires, owns this investigative firm which also does bodyguard and security detail for celebrities in NYC, among other things) to train me in security over December break before I move to Tel Aviv in 13 months which was very generous of him and an offer I took him up on. I also haven’t used a hand gun or rifle since I was sixteen so I’m going to go down to Pennsylvania next time Chris (gryvon) and Candie (covarla) go down to their parents and do some target practice (no, I will NOT go snipe hunting…I know what snipe hunting is…not cool…not cool at all =P though I’ll be more than happy to play with your puppies…oh, I should bring my camera too…).

One of the designers who he works with is from Egypt and flies back and forth, and he’s talking to him as well on my behalf, it’d be cool if I can get to know him, if nothing else to practice Arabic with while I’m on break from school…I can practice my Hebrew with Rabbi Harvey.

Dad doesn’t really understand what I study yet, so I really need to finish typing out the five page “So what is Linguistics, Phonetics and Applied Sociolinguistics anyway?”

Ron Smyth (the researcher and professor in Toronto) wrote back to me…I’m so excited. I’m driving up with my research assistant (yes, I’ve already formed my base team) on Wednesday and I’ll be staying over night at a hostel in Toronto, (or…perhaps in the car…depending on just how poor we are) and we’ll be driving back on Thursday. Paauw gave me permission to miss his class…ohh…maybe I’ll find George and convince him to marry me on the way (for those of you who don’t recall, George is the hot guy from Carrie’s (irenefinlay) wedding…I firmly believe, based on his dress, beer choice, and manner of drinking that he’s a kinky bastard in bed and would love the chance to prove my hypothesis true).

This is the shit dreams are made of man, a little bit of craziness, two academics (me and Brigitte) and a whole lot of faith.

I rock a lawsuit when I’m going to court, a white suit when I’m getting divorced, a black suit at the funeral home and my birthday suit when I’m home alone – Good Charlotte

I have my Arabic Mid-Term this Tuesday. This weekend will be spent studying. As I thought, the general exam outline is vocabulary, sentences, and bi-directional translation. I spoke to Prof. Roustum about missing his class on Thursday and he said “Matthew, no problem! We’ll help you get there!” – he’s awesome…just truly, truly awesome. He also said he’d teach us the bad words after we graduate. I’m taking him up on that.

I have so much reading to do over Thanksgiving (three text books need to be post-it flagged, formulas written down, binders organized). Five weeks of instruction left kiddies! it really isn’t funny but it’s gunna happen.

I also have 20 CE’s that I need to do so I can re-certify in a year (I just want them out of the way) and I have to start studying for the CIPP exam.

Five weeks more of instruction…then Finals.

This December I won’t be in the Middle East (that’s for a friended post later today, when I have the time and energy to do one) however I will be meeting with Nefesh B’Nefesh, then getting security training on Long Island (apparently), then Vermont to say hello to Cows, and then me and the Kaymar Crew will be in Salem, Mass. where I get to be Candie’s (covarla) research assistant…she got her grant…so now we have money to stay a hotel! Other benefits than the fact that I really just enjoy research as well as watching Candie work, is the Irish Pub, Mexican Restaurant, awesome little shops and boats.

Oh, and I just want to put this out there:

You can lead a horse to water and make him drink, all you need is a hose and some duct tape. Persistence people, it pays off.

My Dad & I

moocowinthecity 2006-11-03 No Comments

So my Dad called me today, just to talk which was nice (he’s in Virginia at the moment on his way to doing a Civil War Re-Enactment). Ever since I brought him to synagogue on the High Holy days and did some construction work with him, he’s been happier…and he’s talking about returning to the synagogue which really just makes me so happy…Baruch Hashem, it’s about time.

So we spoke for an hour, part of the reason he called though was because (he owns his own business on Long Island) and he’s arranged for the guy who owns the company that investigates his employees for him (the guy who he hires, owns this investigative firm which also does bodyguard and security detail for celebrities in NYC, among other things) to train me in security over December break before I move to Tel Aviv in 13 months which was very generous of him and an offer I took him up on. I also haven’t used a hand gun or rifle since I was sixteen so I’m going to go down to Pennsylvania next time Chris (

gryvon) and Candie ( covarla) go down to their parents and do some target practice (no, I will NOT go snipe hunting…I know what snipe hunting is…not cool…not cool at all =P though I’ll be more than happy to play with your puppies…oh, I should bring my camera too…).

One of the designers who he works with is from Egypt and flies back and forth, and he’s talking to him as well on my behalf, it’d be cool if I can get to know him, if nothing else to practice Arabic with while I’m on break from school…I can practice my Hebrew with Rabbi Harvey.

Dad doesn’t really understand what I study yet, so I really need to finish typing out the five page “So what is Linguistics, Phonetics and Applied Sociolinguistics anyway?”

Ron Smyth (the researcher and professor in Toronto) wrote back to me…I’m so excited. I’m driving up with my research assistant (yes, I’ve already formed my base team) on Wednesday and I’ll be staying over night at a hostel in Toronto, (or…perhaps in the car…depending on just how poor we are) and we’ll be driving back on Thursday. Paauw gave me permission to miss his class…ohh…maybe I’ll find George and convince him to marry me on the way (for those of you who don’t recall, George is the hot guy from Carrie’s (

irenefinlay) wedding…I firmly believe, based on his dress, beer choice, and manner of drinking that he’s a kinky bastard in bed and would love the chance to prove my hypothesis true).

This is the shit dreams are made of man, a little bit of craziness, two academics (me and Brigitte) and a whole lot of faith.

I rock a lawsuit when I’m going to court, a white suit when I’m getting divorced, a black suit at the funeral home and my birthday suit when I’m home alone – Good Charlotte

I have my Arabic Mid-Term this Tuesday. This weekend will be spent studying. As I thought, the general exam outline is vocabulary, sentences, and bi-directional translation. I spoke to Prof. Roustum about missing his class on Thursday and he said “Matthew, no problem! We’ll help you get there!” – he’s awesome…just truly, truly awesome. He also said he’d teach us the bad words after we graduate. I’m taking him up on that.

I have so much reading to do over Thanksgiving (three text books need to be post-it flagged, formulas written down, binders organized). Five weeks of instruction left kiddies! it really isn’t funny but it’s gunna happen.

I also have 20 CE’s that I need to do so I can re-certify in a year (I just want them out of the way) and I have to start studying for the CIPP exam.

Five weeks more of instruction…then Finals.

This December I won’t be in the Middle East (that’s for a friended post later today, when I have the time and energy to do one) however I will be meeting with Nefesh B’Nefesh, then getting security training on Long Island (apparently), then Vermont to say hello to Cows, and then me and the Kaymar Crew will be in Salem, Mass. where I get to be Candie’s (

covarla) research assistant…she got her grant…so now we have money to stay a hotel! Other benefits than the fact that I really just enjoy research as well as watching Candie work, is the Irish Pub, Mexican Restaurant, awesome little shops and boats.

Oh, and I just want to put this out there:

You can lead a horse to water and make him drink, all you need is a hose and some duct tape. Persistence people, it pays off.

What is sleep?/Travel/Course Work so Far/etc.

moocowinthecity 2006-11-02 No Comments

There’s plenty time to sleep when you’re dead.

Classes for Next Semester:
Arabic IV with Prof. Roustum
Structure of English: Sound System with Karen E. Michelson
Structure of English: Grammar & Lexicon with David Zubin
Linguistic Anthropology – they’re seeing about getting me into the class, it’s full at the moment.
Advanced Sociolinguistics with Wolfgang Wölck – I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to be taking a course from this legend.

Classes this Summer:
Finishing my last two GenEds

Final Fall Semester:
Phonetics with Dr. Jaeger (let’s be real: who else?)
Arabic Independent Study with Prof. Roustum unless magically the university sees fit to fund an Arabic V…I mean, why would anyone ever study Arabic…let’s fund Sanskrit instead – no seriously, I’ve taken Sanskrit at UB from R.D. Woodard).
TA-ship – Wherever I best fit in, though I’m hoping with Jaeger just because there’s a lot I can learn from her as a TA that I won’t be able to learn as a student, however I also want the most qualified person to TA so if that person isn’t me, then it’s all cool…always admit what you don’t know right off the bat, admitting you don’t know something allows you to succeed.
And then (at my count) one more class (I forget which one)…though I could be wrong…it happens every now and then.

Then Graduation in December of 07!

I don’t believe I’ll be walking as the walking part is held in June, though maybe they’ll hold a special session of the Lavender Ceremony for me and the other Queer students graduating at the December session, at the IDC…if not, it really doesn’t bother me. I do hope my grandparents in NJ will come up just so I can show them where I’ve been going to school these five and a half years. Dad should come up again so I can take him to the Frank Lloyd Wright House (he’s one of our favorite designers) and Mom should come up again (she comes up once or twice a year) just to come up (I’ve shown her my life up here already). Plus, it’d be December…they can all use some Buffalo snow.

In all honesty, walking isn’t that important to me. I didn’t go to my high school graduation (I went to Gay Pride in Bryant Park instead, clearly I made the better choice…I think my twin brother slept in). I’ll walk…maybe…when I get the third stripe on my robes…I don’t really feel the need to do it for my B.A., or my Masters…I mean, if the G-Parents really want a picture of me shaking hands with my adviser or the dean I’ll rent the robe, stand outside of an official looking place, and have someone take a digital picture for them.

Then, after I make sure the last of my belongings is either sold, or fits into (at max) two bankers boxes, I strap on my backpack with what’s coming with me to the Middle East, head to JFK International Air Port and get on a plane, go to sleep, and wake up in Tel Aviv.

Paauw said I wasn’t allowed to take 25 years off like he did before I start grad work…but I don’t view this next phase as “taking off” – I’m getting myself prepared to contend. I’m going to finish fluency…I’m going to experience another culture, I’m going to experience stress, fear, apprehension, joy, and numerous other emotions. I’m going to experience things that I haven’t encountered yet challenging myself to come up with new, innovative and creative solutions to handle them and I’ll also be experiencing some beautiful men and for that too, I’m excited. This is in no way the end of my higher education, in fact, it’s barely a start.

I meet with Nefesh B’Nefesh this December; they’re very nice over there, I’ve been speaking with them. After I figure out how the whole process works with one of their counsellors, I’ll determine when I can apply to TAU and then think, about possibly, making a decision about when.

“There’s only so much you can learn in one place, the more that I wait, the more time that I waste…I haven’t got much time to waste, it’s time to make my way. I’m not afraid of what I’ll face, but I’m afraid to stay, I’m going down my own road and I can make it alone, I’m working, I’m fighting, I’ll find a place of my own…are you ready to jump? Get ready to jump. Don’t ever look back oh baby, yes I’m ready to jump, just take my hand, get ready to jump.” – Madonna

I’ve often found going “yup” can solve a lot of things…like when I really don’t feel like listening to someone.

“It’s going to be incredibly hard, you won’t be able to take it, you’ll never make it, you’ll fail and die and you’ll be crushed to death by a thousand pink poodles with horrendous hair cuts” and I reply with a simple “yup” and then they ask “so you’re not going to go?” and I go “nope, I’m still going to go, now I’ll just make sure to send you a post card” and they just stand there and stare at me.

It’s a pretty basic philosophy: I don’t care if it’s hard, I don’t care if I get cut, banged up, bruised or seriously battered during it. The only determining question I ask myself is “was someone else able to do it?” and if the answer is Yes, than I know I can do it too. If the answer is No…then I’m going to be the first to do so, or at least the first (or maybe another in a long line) to try. There is NOTHING embarrassing or humiliating about failing, the only embarrassing or humiliating thing is if you give in to others past failures or fears that they have about themselves and subsequently project on to you, and don’t even try.

No fear…best slogan a company ever came up with.

My mom had a good email signature for a while, not quoting exactly, but something to the effect of:

You should not arrive on time to your funeral, in a well preserved body, but rather, late, screeching to a stop, smoking, as you fall into your coffin, banged, bruised, cut, hollering “Good God what an awesome ride!”

The only thing that can stop us short of chains of bondage from doing what we want in life…is ourselves.

99.99% of the time, when I announce that I’m going to do something (as Alice – maleficentseyes – can probably tell you best) it means I’ve already thought about it for a long time, held the town hall meeting with myself, campaigned, voted, and now I’m just publicly releasing the results…I’m not actually looking for comment.

Life happens folks, get a mop. Clean it up, then get back out there…life is for living not existing.

I hope to have an awesome experience: if I do, awesome.
If I have a gut wrenching, awful, experience, where I’m miserable: awesome. It’s still an experience, and an important one to have. Life is all about experiences, some good, some bad, all required and all make you a better person.

How can you possibly know the joy of having someone say “yes” when you ask them on a date, until you have a few people say “no” first? How can you know the joy of life unless you have been touched by death? How can you rejoice if you have never known sorrow? How can you be full if you’ve never known hunger? How can you fight for freedom with your whole heart if you have never felt oppression?

I’m never lost, wherever my feet are, is where I’m supposed to be.

And on that note, it’s time for my feet to take me to my bedroom so I can get up for class tomorrow.

• Currently Feeling: :needing iced tea
• Tunes: :Face the Music (Kascade Club Mix Edit)-Conjure One-Face the Music – EP

What is sleep?/Travel/Course Work so Far/etc.

moocowinthecity 2006-11-02 No Comments

There’s plenty time to sleep when you’re dead.

Classes for Next Semester:
Arabic IV with Prof. Roustum
Structure of English: Sound System with Karen E. Michelson
Structure of English: Grammar & Lexicon with David Zubin
Linguistic Anthropology – they’re seeing about getting me into the class, it’s full at the moment.
Advanced Sociolinguistics with Wolfgang Wölck – I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to be taking a course from this legend.

Classes this Summer:
Finishing my last two GenEds

Final Fall Semester:
Phonetics with Dr. Jaeger (let’s be real: who else?)
Arabic Independent Study with Prof. Roustum unless magically the university sees fit to fund an Arabic V…I mean, why would anyone ever study Arabic…let’s fund Sanskrit instead – no seriously, I’ve taken Sanskrit at UB from R.D. Woodard).
TA-ship – Wherever I best fit in, though I’m hoping with Jaeger just because there’s a lot I can learn from her as a TA that I won’t be able to learn as a student, however I also want the most qualified person to TA so if that person isn’t me, then it’s all cool…always admit what you don’t know right off the bat, admitting you don’t know something allows you to succeed.
And then (at my count) one more class (I forget which one)…though I could be wrong…it happens every now and then.

Then Graduation in December of 07!

I don’t believe I’ll be walking as the walking part is held in June, though maybe they’ll hold a special session of the Lavender Ceremony for me and the other Queer students graduating at the December session, at the IDC…if not, it really doesn’t bother me. I do hope my grandparents in NJ will come up just so I can show them where I’ve been going to school these five and a half years. Dad should come up again so I can take him to the Frank Lloyd Wright House (he’s one of our favorite designers) and Mom should come up again (she comes up once or twice a year) just to come up (I’ve shown her my life up here already). Plus, it’d be December…they can all use some Buffalo snow.

In all honesty, walking isn’t that important to me. I didn’t go to my high school graduation (I went to Gay Pride in Bryant Park instead, clearly I made the better choice…I think my twin brother slept in). I’ll walk…maybe…when I get the third stripe on my robes…I don’t really feel the need to do it for my B.A., or my Masters…I mean, if the G-Parents really want a picture of me shaking hands with my adviser or the dean I’ll rent the robe, stand outside of an official looking place, and have someone take a digital picture for them.

Then, after I make sure the last of my belongings is either sold, or fits into (at max) two bankers boxes, I strap on my backpack with what’s coming with me to the Middle East, head to JFK International Air Port and get on a plane, go to sleep, and wake up in Tel Aviv.

Paauw said I wasn’t allowed to take 25 years off like he did before I start grad work…but I don’t view this next phase as “taking off” – I’m getting myself prepared to contend. I’m going to finish fluency…I’m going to experience another culture, I’m going to experience stress, fear, apprehension, joy, and numerous other emotions. I’m going to experience things that I haven’t encountered yet challenging myself to come up with new, innovative and creative solutions to handle them and I’ll also be experiencing some beautiful men and for that too, I’m excited. This is in no way the end of my higher education, in fact, it’s barely a start.

I meet with Nefesh B’Nefesh this December; they’re very nice over there, I’ve been speaking with them. After I figure out how the whole process works with one of their counsellors, I’ll determine when I can apply to TAU and then think, about possibly, making a decision about when.

“There’s only so much you can learn in one place, the more that I wait, the more time that I waste…I haven’t got much time to waste, it’s time to make my way. I’m not afraid of what I’ll face, but I’m afraid to stay, I’m going down my own road and I can make it alone, I’m working, I’m fighting, I’ll find a place of my own…are you ready to jump? Get ready to jump. Don’t ever look back oh baby, yes I’m ready to jump, just take my hand, get ready to jump.” – Madonna

I’ve often found going “yup” can solve a lot of things…like when I really don’t feel like listening to someone.

“It’s going to be incredibly hard, you won’t be able to take it, you’ll never make it, you’ll fail and die and you’ll be crushed to death by a thousand pink poodles with horrendous hair cuts” and I reply with a simple “yup” and then they ask “so you’re not going to go?” and I go “nope, I’m still going to go, now I’ll just make sure to send you a post card” and they just stand there and stare at me.

It’s a pretty basic philosophy: I don’t care if it’s hard, I don’t care if I get cut, banged up, bruised or seriously battered during it. The only determining question I ask myself is “was someone else able to do it?” and if the answer is Yes, than I know I can do it too. If the answer is No…then I’m going to be the first to do so, or at least the first (or maybe another in a long line) to try. There is NOTHING embarrassing or humiliating about failing, the only embarrassing or humiliating thing is if you give in to others past failures or fears that they have about themselves and subsequently project on to you, and don’t even try.

No fear…best slogan a company ever came up with.

My mom had a good email signature for a while, not quoting exactly, but something to the effect of:

You should not arrive on time to your funeral, in a well preserved body, but rather, late, screeching to a stop, smoking, as you fall into your coffin, banged, bruised, cut, hollering “Good God what an awesome ride!”

The only thing that can stop us short of chains of bondage from doing what we want in life…is ourselves.

99.99% of the time, when I announce that I’m going to do something (as Alice –

maleficentseyes – can probably tell you best) it means I’ve already thought about it for a long time, held the town hall meeting with myself, campaigned, voted, and now I’m just publicly releasing the results…I’m not actually looking for comment.

Life happens folks, get a mop. Clean it up, then get back out there…life is for living not existing.

I hope to have an awesome experience: if I do, awesome.
If I have a gut wrenching, awful, experience, where I’m miserable: awesome. It’s still an experience, and an important one to have. Life is all about experiences, some good, some bad, all required and all make you a better person.

How can you possibly know the joy of having someone say “yes” when you ask them on a date, until you have a few people say “no” first? How can you know the joy of life unless you have been touched by death? How can you rejoice if you have never known sorrow? How can you be full if you’ve never known hunger? How can you fight for freedom with your whole heart if you have never felt oppression?

I’m never lost, wherever my feet are, is where I’m supposed to be.

And on that note, it’s time for my feet to take me to my bedroom so I can get up for class tomorrow.

1. Currently Feeling: :needing iced tea

1. Tunes: :Face the Music (Kascade Club Mix Edit)-Conjure One-Face the Music – EP