Dumb-ass

It’s been over a month since I last posted and I can’t say anything has changed for the better. I finally was able to take my previously-scheduled vacation, after having postponed it three times because my fucking boss didn’t seem to be concerned about it.

When I returned refreshed, I came back to somewhat of a shit storm.

I knew that the middle of September was going to be rough for me. I had several admission projects coming up fast and all due on the same day, a couple other things I was working were taking longer than I had hoped and of course, you have the last-minute “should-have-gotten-it-yesterday” bullshit that throws EVERYTHING off.

Although it was tough, I managed to survive the incredible and ridiculous overload of work I had to do and I met all of my deadlines. I’m very happy with what I’ve completed and so are the “clients.” Now, I’m currently in a lull and while I hate being bored, I think I’m going to enjoy it while things are calm.

This week, I’ll be attending a designer’s conference in Toronto, so I’ll be out Friday and all the following week. I’m very excited about that.

I’m already dreading my return because I’m going through a period where I don’t want to stay at this job anymore and I may have a huge decision to make.

It’s getting to the point where I can’t stand the sight of my boss, I don’t have much respect for my supervisor and frankly, I’m not very motivated. My morale hasn’t bottomed out, but it’s increasingly becoming more and more difficult to go to work in the morning. My biggest gripes stem from my boss – and we all know the luck I’ve had:

1. She’s just a rude ass bitch. There are days she won’t speak to me at all, even if she sees me. There are days she’ll walk right into my office to speak with my officemate and completely ignore me. Out of common courteousy, how do you NOT acknowledge your own staff member?

2. She’s bad at what she does. Her writings are constantly full of spelling, punctual and grammatical errors, which often have to be rewritten by others. She has no eye for quality photography and thinks her corny, moronic catch phrases are clever. She’d rather get a cup of coffee than review and approve a rush job. And, she refuses to proofread. I guess the words “yeah, looks good” magically fixes any spelling mistakes?

3. Her skull is thicker than the Berlin wall. I find myself asking her 7 or 8 times for bits of information I need to do my fucking job. She refuses to keep a calendar of all the department’s deadlines so she can keep track of what’s going on. If I tell her I’m stressed and overloaded, she gives me more work to do. Let’s not forget how she refuses to police the verbal messaging of my projects -- I’m often the one to suggest typographic changes in case you’re wondering.

4. She’s a gigantic dipstick. Ask her a “yes or no” question, and you’ll get 15 minutes of “blah blah blah,” STILL with no answer. She won’t make a decision on anything and waffles at any chance she gets. Oh no, it’s not a matter of talking to fucking much, it’s a matter of needing a smack. Her eyes cross when she laughs and she mumbles half of her sentences. Is there a book I can buy called “Dumb Bitches for Dummies?”

5. She ain’t got her priorities straight. I know I’m the lowest on the totem poll, but she’ll use any chance she gets to throw me under the bus to save her own ass or that of my supervisor. My work and my well being doesn’t equal that of her own or the other designer’s – hence the runaround about my vacation.

She leaves at 5 during the busiest times and forwards e-mails to me with 16 conversations requesting that I forward it to someone else. Why can’t she do that? I’m not her fucking secretary!

6. She’s in her own fucking world. I don’t know what world that is, but it’s light-years away from earth.

Those are my gripes folks. Fix those, and I’d be a happy camper. Am I asking too much?

All I have to say is this...

Manhattanville faculty passes vote of no confidence against college president

By DIANA COSTELLO
THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: September 5, 2007)

PURCHASE - The firing of a top adviser at Manhattanville College has shaken students and contributed to a recent faculty vote of no confidence against President Richard Berman.

Students plan to protest the layoff today before the board of trustees meeting.

The faculty, meanwhile, is urging the board to launch an independent investigation into the events surrounding the firing of the adviser, Mary Corrarino, the senior vice president for student affairs.

The faculty voted 60-4 at a special meeting last week in support of the proposition that "the faculty no longer has confidence in the leadership of President Berman," Chairman David Adams said.

Adams confirmed that the vote pushing for an "immediate, outside, independent investigation" into the firing of Corrarino passed 71-2.

He said yesterday that he could not yet comment on the faculty's votes.

Peter Giles, a representative for the college, said he would release a statement after today's trustee meeting.

Berman reportedly addressed the faculty at the special meeting and said he and Corrarino have had "irreconcilable differences" for at least the past year and a half, making it impossible to jointly lead the college, according to unofficial minutes.

He then informed the faculty that Corrarino and the college have retained attorneys and therefore he could not comment on the events leading up to her dismissal, according to the minutes.

Faculty members at the meeting expressed their concern about several issues concerning transparency and a crisis of confidence, particularly the construction of a building on the edge of campus that is rumored to cost approximately $200,000 and may have begun after allegedly inaccurate filings were submitted to the town of Harrison, according to the minutes.

The college's board of trustees is investigating, according to the minutes.

Corrarino could not be reached yesterday for comment.

Students said they planned to gather at 7:30 a.m. today before the college board enters into executive session.

Lindsey Keller, a senior involved in the protest, said students had a right to know what was going on. She described Corrarino as a "fabulous" adviser who was always willing to listen and was always fair.

"Students have a right to know, since we're paying tuition, what happened to Mary Corrarino," said Keller, 21. "It's just very shady how nothing's being said."

Need I validate myself further?