Faculty and Staff

so, I run home this morning before my lab...partially to see my family and partially just to run home. I have some breakfast with my mom before heading off to my first thing of the day...Chem For Living Lab. As I arrive, I pull into the Nuse parking lot. Now, here's the thing...I have never had a problem pulling into this lot before. I have never had a problem parking there. I have never gotten a ticket for parking there. I mean, OBVIOUSLY I am not going to drive back to my house and walk to class..THAT IS JUST RIDICULOUS. So, I hit up the parking lot, just like many times before. And as I start to get out of the car, I hear this voice..."faculty and staff parking only." This wasn't a cheerful and pleasant voice. This was like the secretary from Monster's Inc. who hated her life. This was a voice that was just bitter and angry at the world and I really never did anything to her. Now, I must admit that once I heard this voice, I was a tad bit upset. I might have wanted to punch her...but then I just moved my car and went on with my life. Now, here's where my rant begins...The parking lot in Nuse is a faculty and staff only parking lot. This lot...has quite a bit of spots that are never even close to being filled. In fact, I think there are like triple the spots more than the professors who even work in there. So, tell me this...WHY IS IT ONLY FACULTY AND STAFF? I mean, really?! Do we not have enough stupid parking spots for people who don't really need them? There are multiple spots around campus that are completely pointless that we can't park in. It's not that I am too lazy to walk to class because I usually do, but today...I just wanted to park and go to class. Really, is it that big of a deal? Is it Mrs. Monster's INC. secretary who hates her life? Just because your job sucks, doesn't mean that you have to make our lives suck. Just saying.

While I am on this rant let me continue with something that I have been annoyed with lately. I have been thinking about community plunge lately. And I have been thinking about how much I hate it even more than I ever have. I mean, people ask me what I think about it as a person from Upland and this is what I have to say...thanks...thanks for walking in our parade and glorifying yourselves, thank you for making t-shirts...and glorifying yourself, thank you for showing us how hard you work to make our community "nicer," thank you for helping Taylor affiliated people and not the real community.

I mean, I am not saying that it is bad for community plunge to help out in the community, but I will be real...it does not do as much as it brags to do. Really, what does Taylor students walking in our parade do for us? What does a freshman who does not want to really serve do for our community? What does the wrong heart really do for our community? And here is the biggest question...how are people really helping when they just assume our needs? What does Upland really need...has anyone asked the people that? And by the people, I mean the unnoticed. The untouchables. I mean the people that we see every day and do not go out of our way just to say hello. The people in the gas station who we do not take the time to understand their stories. The kids in the red barn who we do not take the time to be the family they need. The people who we just assume have so many problems...but when has anyone really stopped to ask? Really. And even further...why is this a one day a year thing? Why do we take a day for service to show how great we are? We can be doing service everyday of the year. We can be doing service in all we do. So, tell me this...what makes this one day so freaking special? Thank you Taylor for your dedication one day a year. I mean there are people who are dedicated more than this, but these people are few. And a few can make a huge difference...but what would happen if we made that few a little bit more and then a little bit more and so on? How much greater would this community that allows us to call it home for a few months out of the year be? What if we came up beside Upland people and worked with them? What if we asked and got to know them? What if we really cared?

I see a lot of things that people will never see...and that is because I understand. I am from here and I am from the part that isn't so pretty and shiny. I am outside of the box and I see the hurt and pain that is here. I see the struggles and the stress and I long for people to understand this. I long for people to fall in love with Upland to make it their goal to really serve Upland. I long for people to fall so in love with these people of Upland that they will sacrifice for them. What's the hold up?