Today, for the sake of free pizza and soda, I attended the graduate student senate (GSS) meeting. I used to be one of the department’s student representative, but dropped that position this year. Too many things on my plate. Anyway, one of the student was looking for volunteers to be S.T.A.R. tutors.

“S.T.A.R. (Students That Are Ready) is an early intervention program designed to enrich and enhance the academic performance of economically and academically disadvantaged and/or at-risk middle/high school aged children.”

I’ve wanted to do this before, but the program was/is on Saturdays and previously, without the car, I’m always stuck at Duh on the weekends. This time I can actually do it, so I volunteered. It’s an alternate Saturday commitment, about 2 hours each time.

As for the GSS meeting, we (but I only ate and listen) discussed about trying to reduce the technology fee that graduate students have to pay every semester. This broadband connection is not free, I’m paying $150 per semester! And two new grad student clubs were installed: Chinese Folk Dance Club and the Association of Optical Engineers. Chinese folk dance? That’s baffling.

Anyway another student talked about a new club that he wanted to add to the GSS: the cricket club. He was saying that it’s called the gentlemen’s sport and that the team is currently playing competitively. When asked whether women could join the club, he said yes. When asked whether women could play in the tournament, he said since it’s a technical game and it takes a long time to be good at it etc etc…ultimately he said no, but women can join the club and play the easier game and use a tennis ball instead of full cricket gear. I don’t know…if I happen to be at the next GSS meeting when they vote to install this club, I may vote against it. Just because I don’t see women having meaningful participation in this club, and since they do play competitively, I would guess they wouldn’t really have many “easy-use-tennis-balls” game. Not that I want to play cricket, ever since the thumb injury, I’ve developed a phobia of any sport that requires a bat and a ball. Even watching baseball on TV is painful.

Then we discussed what constitutes an open event held by student clubs, and what clubs must do to advertise the open event, in order to receive funding from GSS. There’s also 2 Halloween parties this Friday, and any student who comes to the party dressed as a “graduate student” would be forced to perform the Monster Mash dance on stage. And after a few other announcements, including one about the Jingle Bell Run, the meeting ended.