Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Rogue Applicants Week

This post is to serve as a reminder that this Friday is the day our applicants will meet with us. I'm pasting in a copy of the letter I sent out to each of them. Please be sure you're available to hang out AFTER 5:30p. I would like the current staff to think-tank for a while after the applicants leave because, as you'll see in their letter, I have announced that we will declare our new membership next Monday, 4/2.

Letter:

Dear Rogue Applicant,

I am happy to tell you that we reviewed your essay, and we would like to extend an invitation to you to come to our meeting this Friday, 30 March. Weather permitting, we will meet at Zink Park (31st & Utica) directly after school for a meeting lasting from about 4:00p – 5:30p. We will meet by the tennis/basketball courts; Easter will want to talk briefly with your parent/guardian. You will need to arrange your own transportation. If there is a conflict, and you need help getting a ride, see Easter. He will have you complete a form and will contact your parent/guardian to get their approval to attend the meeting. In the event of inclement weather, we will meet in Easter’s room, 229, and hold our meeting there.

The meeting is the next phase of our informal interview process. We would like simply for you to interact with current staffers and experience a typical Rogue meeting. Please bring some of your poetry with you that you’d be willing to share with the group. You can bring your spiral or journal—or just some loose poems from your collection. We ask you to do this as proof that you are an actively writing poet.

As you know, not everyone who applies will be brought on as a staffer. Our goal is to keep a staff of about 10; that true, we have about 5 slots to fill (based on our graduating seniors). Nine people applied. Because our 5 non-graduating staffers are ALL sophomores, we’re certainly looking to diversify in terms of grade classification. The staff will take into consideration your essay, pledge of commitment, and comfortable, positive interaction with the group in making their decision of whom to invite on as a staffer. The decision will be announced on Monday, 2 April 2007.

Please keep in mind that this Friday’s meeting is equally about your getting to know us and about what we do as it is about our getting to know you. In effect, you’re interviewing us, too, to be sure our group appears to be the kind you’d like to join. If we invite you on as a staffer, you will be asked whether you accept or decline—in case, after our Friday meeting, you decide you’re no longer interested in being a staffer.

We are grateful you took the time to apply, and we enjoyed reading your application. We are very excited about meeting you in person.

Warm Regards,



The ’06 – ’07 Staff of Rogue


I know, I know. It' s way formal and completely UNlike the type of letter you all received. But with so many applicants, there are a lot of unknowns--and I feel the need to be as specific and "official" sounding as possible, at least for the time being.

Be sure you've chosen a poem you'd like to share (something you really like of your own); be sure, too, that you've practiced reading it aloud so we can look like a group of accomplished writers.

Heart 12million,

Easter

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Friday Coffee

...so who can meet tomorrow for coffee/poetry at the 15th Street coffee house? I would suggest 3:00p, perhaps. There is a slight chance I will be out of town, but at this point, it's just slight. Please consider your schedules and post your availability.

If several members are available, we will briefly discuss how we want to approach the rogue applicants upon our return next week.

As for our working rogues (and soon-to-be-working rogues), it is probable you will have to be flexible with your schedules in order to keep/land a job. Ensuring that your boss knows you have certain meetings, lessons, "classes", or other priorities is perfectly legit., and I encourage it, but just be aware that if you appear to be "difficult," your odds for getting ANY hours (let alone the job) drop significantly. Rogue meetings during the summer are not BoDable--so especially if you're just seeking summer employment, remember that. Also, during the summer we can flex our meeting times and days to help fit people's schedules.

I'm off to prowl for Thursday garage sales. Don't forget to post if you can come tomorrow--and if it occurs I need to be out of town, I'll post as soon as I know.

Heart 12,

Easter

Monday, March 19, 2007

Tuesday Zoo/Oxley = ?

Here is an update based on what I can gather from comments to the previous post:

Tomorrow at 11:00a--if you can--meet at 21st/Yale Sears; we'll caravan to Mohawk Park. Be in the bottom part of lot that faces 21st St. Have your cell phones on in case you can't locate the group.

Bring your lunch & we'll eat in the park. There are a couple of shelters where we can eat if it's raining.

The group in attendance will decide--based on weather, primarily--whether to go to Oxley (free, but completely outdoors) or the zoo ($6.05 indoor/outdoor). If you've got a camera, bring it.

CONDITIONS:
(1.) If people start backing out for any reason and the # drops below 4 (3+ me), the gig is off.
(2.) If the weather turns really nasty--stormy, not just rainy--the gig is off.
EXPLANATIONS:
(1.) It stops being a Rogue Event if there are too few people and turns into me (teacher) running around w/ you (students) in a social setting...can you say AWKWARD?
(2.) Ultimately, we have to hold safety as our priority. If the weather is volatile, it's reckless for me to encourage your getting out in an open environment; further, I would expect your parents would elect to veto the gig at the last minute for inclement weather.

Heart 12,

Easter

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Oxley & Other Options

Ok.

We talked about Oxley. People may have suggestions for other Spring Break Rogue Events. (?) Here's the "blank" post I promised. Comment your interests and availabilities.

Something to consider: Sunday is the ONLY "guaranteed" sunny day. Monday - Saturday have at least a 40% chance of rain/storms EACH day. And I don't know how fun it would be to do a "Rogue goes to the mall (or other dry place)" event. We did that once (Woodland) and though our goal was a photo shoot, it was strange...and we learned that taking staged photos in the mall will get mall security on your tail. For some reason, they don't like it.

Heart 12,

Easter

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

B & N, Spring Market, and Recruitment

First, let's plan on a park reading for this Friday's Rogue. I think Zink Park was requested, and provided it's not secluded, I am on board. We can stop at QT and get coffee, snacks, whuteva.

We need to be starting to think about our Barnes & Noble showcase event. It is in late May. I would like for you to start preparing the poems you may want to share. Also, if there are any people from previous RogueNights that you'd like to invite to read along with you, let me know soon so I can extend an invitation.

As for Spring Market, it is our next event--and it takes place in April, just later than B & N. Spring Market is on 21 April (Saturday) from 9a - 5p. We will need to begin planning some jewelry building and t-shirt printing days. I think we could use 4 or 5 sessions. We also need to organize shifts for the actual sales at Spring Market so that we've got a couple people around all day. Last year, we had plenty of people who could do the a.m. shifts; it was later in the afternoon that we had some issues getting enough people to work. If memory serves, KC had to do a lot of the take-down herself... Anyhow, let's be sure your schedules are fully cleared off for that Saturday. Also, start honing your salesmanship skills. I do not want people STARING at customers--you've got to be warm and chatty. You have to encourage people to try something on and remind them of their potential need for a friend's birthday gift, etc. Last year, this was our biggest fundraiser.

Recruitment. So far, we STILL have the same 3 essays. If you guys don't hound the people who've said they'll remit an essay, they just may not. Remember: Artists are flaky. They're going to need reminding. Now, please consider reminding them ONLY if you believe they truly ARE writers. I don't want people on staff who just think they want to be a part of YOU.

Please have your poems ready and consider bringing a blanket or cushion for the park--maybe even a change of clothes if it's going to be really warm.

Heart 12,

Easter

Thursday, March 08, 2007

zees froiday

zees froiday ve shall haf our rogue poytry raiding @ zee fiftaynth stroit coffay hoos.

broing yer poims!

see yoo zayur.

aystur

Monday, March 05, 2007

new focuses...foci?

OK. Today after school Wade & I made recruitment posters that he then went and put up (with Jessie's help). I made 'Rogue for sale' mini posters that need to go up tomorrow.

A quick note on recruitment: In the past, we've drawn our strongest writers from among YOUR circles of friends. And this is no surprise--as they say, birds of a feather... It's definitely time to plume the nest. Do I need to remind that we're graduating T H R E E this year?

In addition to thinking about selling our Rogue publication and recruiting new staff we also need to turn our focus toward events like the Barnes & Noble showcase and Spring Market.

As for this Friday, I think we may have a small-ish turn out. Suzanna has her grandparents' anniversary party and Jessie is going to Cali. Joe will probably be unavailable because of the musical (though he hasn't said anything to me yet...I'm just guessing). All of this true, the remainder of us had better have our two poems!

Yeah? Yeah.

Stuff.

Easter

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Friday is Rogue Alumni Day

It has been a busy week, and I have forgotten to post about the Alumni day until now. My bad. It IS tomorrow, 3/2 (first Friday of the month). Because of its being hellweek for RogueNight, I am excusing anyone's lack of poetry. I will expect, though, in return, a full attention to the readings of others. I don't want people to disrespect readers who DO have poetry, especially our alums (who--if any show--probably WILL have poetry to share).

We will have plenty of time at our meeting/reading to discuss RogueNight and let our alums know how it went (if they don't get to make it).

I would like us to meet at the 15th St. coffee house...4:00ish. It'll probably be 4:15 before many of us arrive.

Heart 12,

Easter