Wednesday, March 05, 2008

I Hate It.

I keep busy at the League. I am the "Editor in Chief" if you will, of our newsletter and that thing is a lot of work. Finding articles, scheduling interviews, and securing good pictures for the monthly newsletter, plus keeping up with my other administrative tasks is sometimes more of a struggle than I anticipated. (note the cluttered desk)
When I send out the newsletter, its sent to everyone on our email list. Somehow it almost never fails that someone hits "reply all" with a comment they intend to send to me regarding the newsletter. Generally the comments are positive, which of course I like and appreciate. This past newsletter, the one for February, included some blurb about Black History Month. This guy responds back with a 3 or 4 paragraph tirade about how too often Black History Month only focuses on Blacks' history over the last 400 years, but doesn't tend to focus on African History. Okay, that's fine, and it's also true for the most part. But the tone of his email was so condescending and harsh. On top of that, I was kind of baffled as to what his point was. Did he intend for me to know that Black history is more than the history of Blacks in America? I do know that. Did he expect me to change the article after it had been sent out? It was like, "why are you telling me this?" Oh, and of course he "replied to all" and sent his diatribe to EVERYONE who received the newsletter. Thanks.
So, the director "replies to all" inviting him to do an article for our next newsletter (since he has so much to say). I get the article and I hate it. It's more of the same of what everyone has already read from him, but in a condensed form. He even calls Black History Month "African History Month." I've never heard of this African History Month, but its clear to see that he wants it to be just that. I show Dr. S. the article and she thinks its lovely. I hate it. It's not positive, encouraging, or even enlightening. I don't want it in the newsletter.
The director finished her article too. I politely reminded her several times not to make it too long. It's a newsletter, and we only have a limited amount of space. We dont' need a dissertation, just a small article. Please. The article, is of course, too long again, so I'll have to cut some of it out. I don't mind editing, but I feel a little bad because I'm sure that every word in there is a word or a thought that she wanted to include. What to take out? What to leave in? I hate that.
But alas, I must get back to work so I can get this blasted newsletter out today and start on next month's.