Todaythenewclasscommitteehelditsfirstevermeeting,andIwassohonoredtobepresentasthenewcommissaryinchargeofstudies,alongwithAmy,ournewmonitor;Vivian,aveteranclasscadrewhoalwaysanimatestheclass;Yan,asecond-timecommissaryinchargeoforganizationwhohasgonetogreatpainsthesedaysinplanningandorganizingthegraduationtrip;Miggy,commissaryinchargeofsports;Maria,Leaguebranchsecretary,andEva,commissaryinchargeofsubsistence.Ourdiscussioncentredaroundtheprospectivegraduationtrip,andalthoughwecouldn’tcometoanysubstantialconsensusastowhereandwhentogo,wedidagreethatfirst,thiswasgonnabeadecisionforthewholeclasstomake;thatsecond,weweregonnaprovideahostofitinerariesandlettheclassvote;andthatthird,wedidnotwanttobeperceivedasdictative,arbitraryorirresolute.IalsomadeareporttothemonitoronwhatIconsideredtobetheprioritiesofmyworkthiscomingterm:theduepayment forallthetextbooks,ourinternship,TEM-8preparation,andhowtocreateasortofpositiveatmospherearoundtheclassthatcanbeconducivetoourstudies.Themonitorlistenedattentively,nodded,andtooknotesasshedebriefedeachcommitteememberon hisorher projectedwork. Themeetingwasnotdraggy,andtheconversationwehadthroughoutwascordialandconstructive.Wedrankcokeaswetalked,andwereappreciativeofthischancetoservetheclass.Thatfeltgood,Ithought,forIcouldseesomecoherenceinthisnewteamofclasscadresofwidelydifferenttemperaments,someexperienced,somepassionate,somecalmandthoughtful,andsomequicktolearnandwillingtolisten.Ifeltallthemoreproudjusttobepartofitandtocontributemylittleeffortstothegreatcauseofmakingourclassabetterone.Thisideaofserviceisnoble,butinaverypracticalsense,Ithinktheword“service”connotessomethingmuchlargerandgreaterthantheplaintenureofapostmaydenote.Forinstance,themerefactthatIamnowaclasscadremeansagreatdealtomepersonally,andcanbenothinglessthananopportunitytogetmyselfoutoftheparochialcircleofconcernsthattypifiesthemodernlifestyleofacollegestudent.Unlikethevacuousnatureofself-pleasingindulgence,thisnotionofdoingsomethingforothers,ifproperlyunderstood,canhighlymotivateapersoninawaythatmereutilitarianismandprivatismnevercan,foritgivestheperson,whosemindisthusset,asenseofconnectiontoothers,afeelingthatattheendoftheday,wedonotlivejustbecausewewanttolive,norsimplybecausewehaveto,butbecauseweunderstandthatinthisinterconnectedworld,wedonotlivealonelikelonelyislands,andthereforecannotchoosebuttointeractwithoneanotherandtofindtheepiphanyoflifeinthelengthycomplexprocessofsocializationandintheformingsofacquaintance,friendship,partnership,relationship,etc.Factshaveshownthatthosewholiveinconnectionwithothersarefarmorelikelytoliveahappyandmeaningfullifethanthosewhoforwhateverreasonsthereare,secludethemselvesfromtheoutsideworld.Andinthisregard,toserveacollectivebody,suchastheclassis,isnotdegradingormenialanymorethanitisashowofegoandvanity,butitleadsonetobetterunderstandandappreciatehislife. Ifindthatkindofmentalitytobeveryhelpfulinadjustingtomynewjob,whichismainlyabouthandlingthevariousaffairsofstudies,assignedbyteachersandtheschooladministration,thatmayhaveabearingontheinterestsofeachandeveryoneofmyclassmates.Ithinkitaveryexcitingandchallengingjobandhavenothingbutreadyacceptanceforthehighlyvisibleandbustlingnatureofit.InfactIhavelearnedmyduelessonsthesedays:goingfrequentlytotheteacher’soffice,askingvariousquestionsonbehalfofothers,textingandcallingsomeofmyclassmatestoinformthemoftheofficialreplies,postingnoticesontotheclass’sQQgroupandmakingrecoursetoFetiontomakesurethattheseimportantmessagesreacheachandeveryoneofthosewhomIserve…Justyesterday,IhadtogototheTriangleCityalonetoseeifthenewtextbookshadarrived.Itturnedoutthattheyhad,andbeingalone,IhadtocarrythemontoaminibusallbymyselfandcamebackinittoHeyuan,whereIgotoffandcalledKevinandRoss,whohelpedmecarrythesebookstothegirls’dormitory.Afterthesefewdaysinthejob,IthinkIhaveunderstoodandtakenwithalldueawetheawesomeweightofbeingacommissaryinchargeofstudies.Youhavetoworkhard,Ikeeptellingmyself,becausethisiswhatyouhavesignedupfor.Yes,thisiswhatIhaveanticipatedwhenIfirstdecidedtorunforthispositionsomanymonthsago,andIwillnotshirkmyresponsibilities,orcomplainwhenthejobseemslaboriousanddispleasing.Iamreadytodowhateverittakestofulfilmydutiesandliveuptotheexpectationofthosewhotrustandsupportme.Afterall,isthisnotpartofwhatcomeswithmaturity?
2009-09-19 15:59:02
作者:Timothy KOE
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