(no subject)

I'm killing time until the GSU meeting. Again. And wishing I didn't have to go, because I was getting work done until I opened LJ. At least I'm a co-rep, which means I only have to show up every other month. I really shouldn't complain about a two hour commitment every other month. And I wouldn't, if it didn't mean that I lose three nights in a row. And if I didn't have a four hour lecture to look forward to tomorrow.

My study group today when suprisingly well, especially for the Monday group, most of whom normally prefer to emulate statues during study group. I'm becoming a big fan of group presentations. It's a little less pressure for the students than targeting them individually for answers would be, but it's still interactive. And the time passes a whole lot faster if ten minutes of it is spent watching them flip through their books. ;) I think one of the best parts about being a TA for this class is the opportunity to run four study groups per week. While in many ways that's a pain, it also means that I get to try out different techniques with the same material and see how it works. I'm finding it very educational.

Time for the meeting.

3 hours, 45 minutes

Hints for anyone trying to persuade a council to pass a motion (or four) in support of your cause:

1. Consider your audience's background when framing your argument. Do not put forward arguments that will be difficult for your audience to believe (i.e. that one individual's personal grudge is the cause of widespread, officially-sanctioned persecution of a large group of people) when you're requesting immediate action with no chance for the council to verify the information you're providing.

2. Choose the wording of your motions carefully. Do not throw around terms like "hate propaganda" and "genocide" unless you're certain that the legal definition applies to your situation, and then be prepared to back it up.

3. When you're presenting at the end of an almost four hour meeting that's been extended three times to accomodate an hour of debate on your issue, do not answer a brief request for information with a ten minute spiel about how fantastic and worthy your cause is. Be particularly careful to avoid this if you're not even going to bother answering the original question.

A final bit of advice: Keep in mind when you're attending a meeting that began at 6:00 pm that there's a good chance that many of the members won't have eaten supper and are liable to be a bit grouchy by 9:30. Act accordingly: Stay on point.