Keep St. Mary's Weird

I was walking a dog around campus the other day when I saw something strange. A "weird" bumper sticker on a car, a bumper sticker I had never seen, but feared that I would one day see.

Inspired by the 2000 "Keep Austin Weird" movement, the slogan began appearing more frequently at SMCM in 2009 (???) as a facebook group supporting this idea was established (I believe the group has been recently deleted unfortunately).
 
What is weird? That's something I've never understood. How do you keep something weird?

I guess I could talk about weird things I've seen at SMCM. Public art that goes up overnight. Guys in dresses (aka me). College presidents that no one sees. College presidents that offer their home to host a crab feast. The Point on fire. Townhouses with fireplaces. Public Safety officers that give warnings and take celebrity shots during a beer pong match.

I think there are more weird things though.

For Austin it started out as a way to support local businesses, and was eventually Trademarked and appropriated by a corporation. And it caused the surrounding community to continue to hate Austin.

At St. Mary's it started out as a way to express frustration towards a changing student demographic, and was appropriated by the college in 2012 for use in Orientation activities and speeches. And the surrounding community probably still hates SMCM.

 HOW WEIRD!!!

Orientation Leader Interview

Last night I had my Orientation Leader Interview with Tricia Realbuto, Shannon Lockwood, and a very nice lady whose name I forgot.  I've seen her around campus before but I don't remember her name, I think it might have been Wendy though.  I was kinda nervous, not like super nervous, but interview nervous, and it's hard to remember people's names when you are nervous.  They were all very nice.

Before it started they mentioned having read my blog, and that they looked for their names on it.  I found this odd because I was pretty surprised that they knew about it, but then I thought that there was the possibility that I mentioned it on the application.  Regardless, I will now talk about the three of them in an attempt to be selected as an OL.

Shannon is very nice, we've met a few times and we had survey together.  I think she is from Jersey which is regrettable, but to make up for it she is into sailing and I think her family owns a marina of sorts.  Sometimes I see people with Lockwood Sails shirts and I get really jealous because I totally want one.  (this is how I intend to get one of those shirts).

Tricia is really nice and cool and I was glad to finally meet her.  I think I saw her at AquaAerobics once while I was teaching swim lessons, but it might have been Kaitlan Gruber because sometimes I think they look very similar and I get them mixed up.  I also try to block out most of my memories of teaching swim lessons because they often revolve around horrible horrible small children.

I am pretty sure mystery woman/Wendy/I wish I remembered her name is a student but I'm not positive.  I feel like I have seen her on campus before, but it might have been during orientation last August.  Either way she was also very nice and helpful.

I hope I have made all of their dreams come true by talking about them on this blog (probably not).

EDIT:  THANKS TO FACESTALKING I have figured out her name is Emilie Campbell.  Phew