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.