Why I’m Not a Fan of “I go to OIP&T, NOT Kaplan College Dayton Campus!” Facebook Fan Page.

Let me start by saying that I understand why the “I go to OIP&T, NOT Kaplan College Dayton Campus!!!” page was started.  The move was tough for a lot of people, and frankly the page was funny at first.  I’ve been asked by more than a few students why I haven’t become a fan myself.  For one, as a rule I don’t bad-mouth, or take part in discussions bad-mouthing, current or past employers online.  It’s just a professional preference of mine.  More than that though, I have five main reasons why I choose not to become a fan:

1. The original intent seems to be different from what it’s evolved into.

The description posted at the top of the page reads “…to help keep the spirits of the photography department high after the Transition”.  It doesn’t do this.  The key word here is transition.  There’s very little transition in any of the serious discussion going on.  It’s like going on vacation with your best friend so they can “transition” from their breakup with their girlfriend, then they talk about them the entire time you’re at the beach.  It’s time to move on.  There’s also a serious amount of sophomoric bitching by a few select people, and that’s just plain annoying. It’s one thing to post funny threads like Russ did the other day (thanks for the job offer Russ), but using the page as a springboard for your daily frustrations…not cool.

2. It discourages the new students.

The most discouraging thing to a new student is to hear that the school they chose to attend is trash.  Here’s the fact: it’s not trash, it’s just different.  Hard wood floors do not change the education that you’re receiving.  Sorry, but it’s the truth.  The new students need to know it’s still the best two-year education that you can receive in photography, and honestly I believe this.

3. The Faculty are the school, not the company that pays the lease on the building.

OIP&T was not a building, it wasn’t a logo, it wasn’t a location, it was the instructors.  Guess what, they’re still here.  They’re still writing the best curriculum in the industry, still working long hours, and still going to bat for the students just like every other teacher at every other college.  In fact, if the instructors can adapt, the students surely can.  To say that the old school is dead is an unintended slap in the face to the people who teach you every day.

4. The author of the page remains anonymous.

I catch hell for things I’ve said or written all the time.  At no point however, have I anonymously posted something controversial under a pseudonym while letting others post their names freely for others to see.  While I know the individual that started the page and think they’re great, I disagree with the anonymous way they moderate it.  If you have the guts to post the page, have the guts to slap your name on it.

5. The author is using a logo I created without my consent.

The OIP&T “Educational Presentation” logo was something that I created for the school to give presentations a bit more personality.  Maybe I’ll navigate over to a particular person’s Facebook page and use one of their images for an unintended purpose without their consent…

So there you go.  Like them or not, those are my reasons.

February 4th, 2010 | Category: Life, Photography | Leave a comment

Epiphany.

Yeah...I bought some more parts...

It’s never apparent how well you’re doing until you see someone who’s doing worse. I’ve been buying a lot of bike parts lately, and have been feeling quite guilty about it. Years of trying to develop responsible financial habits has left me with serious buyers remorse for anything over $20.

My family has been very encouraging. My wife is an avid cyclist, so she understands the purchases. My dad tells me that I could be into far more expensive hobbies, and it’s not like I’m doing anything else.

For a different reason though, my outlook has begun to change. There’s someone I know who’s life is a mess, and it’s not from circumstances beyond their control. They simply make the wrong decisions.

I once heard someone say that the difference between ignorance and stupidity was that ignorance was the lack of knowledge where as stupidity was the inability to learn from your own or others experiences. I would agree with this. Add to the mix someone that enables the stupid activity and you have a disaster. Sometimes the best thing to do for a person is to let them fail. You can’t hold onto the your kid’s bike seat forever. You have to let go at some point and let them fall. It’s the only way they’ll every understand the importance of staying on the bike.

So while I’m still not completely over my spending guilt, I can can look at myself with a little more pride. My few hundred dollars worth of bike parts is balanced out by the trust my family has in my judgement, something I now know not everyone deserves.

February 3rd, 2010 | Category: Life | Leave a comment

Worse than I thought…

Last Saturday I went mountain biking with my friends Rodney and Rich. We went to Caesar’s Creek which is one of the tougher places to bike in this part of Ohio. The first two-and-a half hours were great. The ground was frozen, and despite some nasty ruts and roots the day was great.

The last half hour was different. My front brakes (the most important component in mountain biking) went out, and all of the frozen ground turned to mud. By the time we got back to the cars the bikes were completely covered in mud, and it wasn’t until I started to clean the bike that I realized that the mud had done a bit more damage than I thought. It’s going to require a break-down of the bike with much of the components being scrubbed in degreaser. I don’t mind spending the time to do this, but the 29 degree weather will make the whole operation painful.

Oh well, if that’s the worst problem I have so far this week maybe life’s not so bad. :)

January 18th, 2010 | Category: Life | Leave a comment

Trying Not to Get Frostbite.

Yes I've Been Riding My Bike in the Snow.

In the last week five of my friends have purchased mountain bikes.  This summer should be a blast if everything goes right.  I’ve been out riding a few times in the snow with my single-speed.  I won’t lie, it’s not the same as riding during the other times of the year.  The 4 inches of snow and 20 degree temperature make riding a bit of a chore.  It’s not so much the actual riding for me, but the suiting-up for the cold takes a long time.

The worst part is that I’ve gained weight since the fall, weight that I was happy to get rid of over the summer.  Hopefully in a few weeks I’ll be able to buy an indoor trainer for my old road bike, and I’ll be fit in time for the spring races.

January 11th, 2010 | Category: Life | 2 comments
 
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