Baruch Club Budgets: Fill & Download for Free

As a student club president back in the day I used to plan or cosponsor at least two events every month on campus. Real estate is at a huge premium and having the ability to book rooms on campus for events was great. Booking non-college related events near 23rd and lex is a bit tricker but doable on a budget thanks to all the bars and hotels nearby. Most will let you do it for free if folks are buying drinks. If you do have a budget there are a variety of lounges that have great private event spaces for less then $1k-800 for 35-50 people if you book and plan early. I hope that helps.

I applied to 19 schools (I considered an honors college as a separate one). Majority of them were in-state (NYC/Upstate area, Long Island), with 8 of the schools being out of state. I’ll include some of my stats as well as a short description of how they are presented the way they are, and what school I’ve decided on at the moment.BackgroundBlack/ First Generation College Student (both of my parents are from Trinidad and Tobago).Middle class family.My public high school is split into 3 communities, not actual schools. This was part of the plan when the school was first created, as it allowed for more student focus since they were put into 3 different communities. At graduation, we would have 3 salutatorians and 3 valedictorians.Class Rank: In my community, I rank 2 out of what I think is 85 students.Test ScoresSAT: 1190/1600 (640-EBRW/550-Math)21/24 on the essayACT: 25 (I didn’t report this score in any of my applications)AP English Language and Composition Exam: 3My school only offered a few AP classes, as the way they were ran made the material much simpler than it was supposed to be. I had only taken AP US History, Environmental Science, Psychology, and English Language. I was expecting to take English Literature and Statistics in my senior year, but before it started the two courses had been removed. This was the only course in which I passed the following exam for, everything else was a 2.Senior Year CoursesCalculus: this wasn’t an Honors or AP course, it was mainly a standard one.Senior EnglishRegents Chemistry (In NY, certain subjects have a test you take at the end of the school year called the Regents)Dual-enrollment classes at CUNY Queensborough Community College. For my senior year, I’ve taken a second level Psychology course known as “The Psychology of Adjustment”. I’ve taken my fourth course, overall, known as “Introduction to Criminal Justice.”Government: Our (high) school is run on a semester system. The first semester was dedicated to economics, and the second was dedicated to Civics.Participatory Budgeting and Justice: This was a special course, as I believe only 40 schools were selected to offer this course. The school received $2,000, and our principal matched that, so we had $4,000 to work with. Throughout the course, we learned about budgeting and government proceedings, as we had also worked to give a voice to school opinions and determine what they would like us to improve with the $4K. After conducting a survey vote, our school had spent the money on improvements on bathrooms (although I don’t think that change could materialize since the COVID-19 pandemic closed down our schools).Student/Senior Government: This is both a class and a club, as once every week we meet up to discuss events that we can hold for the student body and what can be done for the seniors.Physical EducationExtracurricular ActivitiesNational Honor Society member since 10th GradeSchool Beautification Club co-founder: I founded this club along with 3 other NHS members. It mainly started off as cleaning up areas of the school and trying to promote a much cleaner environment, as I was hoping we could’ve done more than this. Unfortunately, it had to be halted given all that was occurring. I received the Leadership award along with my 3 other founders from our school’s NHS.Fencing: I only did this in the 11th grade and then the coach quit :/Church Lector: Every Saturday I would help out at mass by participating in the daily readings since the 10th Grade.Field Biology Internship: For 8 weeks, I participated in an internship at a nearby park and its nature center. I conducted some small research regarding the environment, where at the end of the internship we had to prepare a presentation on an environmental topic based on the research we conducted. My topic was simply about Climate Change.Student/Senior Government: see description under “Senior Courses” section.“Herstory”: This was a writing club headlined by my Sophomore and Junior Year English teacher. It was partnered with Adelphi University, as every week we would come together and collaborate. We would share pieces on topics ranging from mental health to loss of a loved one, as would provide positive feedback and suggestions on what can be done to improve it for the next time. In the end of each semester, the club would have a final reading where we all gather and share the culmination of our weeks work.Teaching Intern: This was part of another class I took in Junior Year, in which we were required to attend an internship with one of two neighboring elementary/middle schools. I was assigned to a first grade class, which grew very fond of me including the co-teachers for that course. I helped teach some lessons, ensured that the students were completing their work, and cleaned the classroom and organized files for the teachers (some of this may have sound mundane, but as the year progressed I helped along with other interns in decorating a hallway in preparation for some of the school’s bigger events).CollegeNow: This was the program that offered the dual-enrollment course(s) I had taken. We earned real college credit that can be applied towards the college that we go to (dependent on if the credit matches any course that we would have to take). I’ve done this since junior year.GPA: My school went by a 100 system, and the last I’ve checked, my cumulative GPA was a 97.36 weighted.Letters of Recommendation: I got one from the person who I always help every Saturday at church, the professor at my dual enrollment course(s) for psychology, my Chemistry teacher (who was also my Biology teacher sophomore year), my Spanish teacher (he had known me for the 3 years I was in his class), and my Algebra 2 teacher (we got close, and she liked me as a student throughout the year I was in her class). When I write this part of the answer, it did seem like a lot of letters to have.My common app essay was about my ability to succeed in a speech contest at elementary school despite having a speech disability, where I managed to grow into a succeeding person at high school. Felt a bit generic, but after getting it edited it seemed to be something much more deeper to me.Here are the college decisions. I applied to most of these for Regular DecisionAcceptedCUNY Hunter CollegeCUNY City CollegeCUNY Brooklyn CollegeAdelphi University: I was accepted to this school through an on-site admissions** program that my high school offered.Long Island University-Post : I was also accepted to this school through an on-site admissions program at my high school.SUNY Binghamton: This was considered to be one of the best SUNY schools out of those that were in the system.University of Minnesota-Twin Cities: I was a bit surprised to be accepted to this school. I applied here because I wanted to move to Minnesota in my adult life, or when my career began. This school felt like more of a target for me.Penn State-University Park: I liked this school as well, and was happy to be accepted. However, I don’t think I would attend this school given the lack of financial aid they provided me. :/Hofstra University: I was also accepted to the Honor College (which I don’t think I applied for). I got the Dean’s Scholarship, which was $26,000 per year. I don’t think I’ll attend this school either, given it’s short distance from where I live.** On-site admissions is when an admissions counselor from a college visits your high school, reviews your application and then immediately tells you whether or not you have been accepted to said college.WaitlistedSUNY Stony Brook University: I was a little surprised to see that I was offered a spot on the wait list. I declined it however since I wasn’t too keen on attending this school. Plus I knew there were other applicants who wanted to go to this school more than I did.University of Michigan: This is my dream school! I knew it was a competitive school, but I fell in love with the atmosphere and the academics as well. I was also surprised to see that I was considered up to the point I got this decision, but upon reading the letter, I immediately accepted the offer. I’m still praying and hoping for good news from this school (l listed 4 majors for this school and attached 3 letters of rec. That probably could’ve been why I’m in this position as well).RejectedBowdoin College: I didn’t submit my test scores for this school since it was test optional. I thought my essays and some of my achievement would help in my application, but I guess not. I also had a slight feeling this would happen given the competition among the other applicants.Boston University: This one stung for a little bit. I first woke up on the Saturday that the decision was posted, checked my email and found that the decision was available. I logged into my portal only to see that I was rejected. I wouldn’t really mind going to this school since it’s pretty great academically and it’s in Boston, which is a pretty nice city. However I did see the average SAT range, and I didn’t think the academic rigor at my school would help given the caliber of this one.Yale University: I toured the campus and attended an info session the July before my senior year started. New Haven did have its sketchy parts and moments, but I fell in love with the campus and the vibe that the school exuded. I know my test score(s) weren’t exactly the best, nor the courses I had taken, but I still took a risk and applied. I completed the application a few days before it was due, and managed to get them edited, but when I revisit the supplements, it still felt a little bit mediocre to me.Columbia University: I couldn’t really tour this school, but I still applied regardless. I hadn’t really exposed myself to much classical material as I thought Columbia had expected, but I still provided lists of my interest in literature and entertainment. Again, a little bit stunned yet still had a strong expectation this would happen.Brandeis University: I was stunned by this one as well. I had help in the college application process by two people. One person is from a service known as UStrive and the other was a former student from my school who goes to this college. He checks up on me to see how I’m doing and helps guide me through anything I need to complete for the sake of the process. I even referenced him on my application when it asked for all the sources I learned about Brandeis from. I was on the phone with him when I was opening up the status update, but again as me and him were both stunned to see that I had been rejected. I didn’t submit my test scores as I instead used a graded paper from my Government class. I guess I underestimated how competitive this school was as well.New York University: I had originally expected this to happen to me, despite how well I crafted my application. I was a little bit down when viewing the decision, but it was a bit expected given that over 85,000 people applied here for the CO2024. Plus I’ve also heard that the financial aid NYU gives out isn’t really helpful, so to say. My parents also liked this school, since their medical school is free for any student that attends NYU. I toured the school in Junior Year and loved it especially since it was in the Greenwich Village area.CUNY Macaulay Honors College: I actually expected this to happen, but I only applied since I felt like it was worth a shot given my academic standing.CUNY Baruch: I didn’t have any strong feelings towards this school, and by the time I got a decision from them, I had already committed to another college.University of Michigan: *see the second update at the bottom of this post*As of now, I’m mainly looking towards committing to SUNY Binghamton, as it still provides a traditional college experience I’m looking for and has a pretty good value with it, that is unless Michigan accepts me (I’m hoping that they also provide some substantial financial aid despite my being an out-of-state student, if the acceptance happens).Reflecting on this process, I definitely would’ve changed some of the things I had done, starting with studying more for the benefit of improving my test scores. I also would’ve limited the amount of EC’s I had listed, since I probably should’ve kept only some of the ones that were the most meaningful to me or I dedicated the most time to. More time could’ve also been put into crafting my essay and writing supplements. I understand that the college I go to doesn’t define my worth or abilities as a person, even if an elitist part of me tells me otherwise. In the end, I still managed to make my parents proud, even despite the rejections from the schools that had plentiful resources and opportunities. Overall, the college application process was a pretty interesting time during my high school years, as it also had taught me more about myself in ways I wouldn’t have thought to look at.I had applied to most of these schools for Psychology, but I am now interested in studying Neuroscience for the Pre-Med track. I’m open to hearing any advice on how to adjust to the college life as a first-generation student, and if anyone is studying Neuroscience or is a Pre-Med student. I’m also open to hearing your opinion on how the major is and any study skills that might help. I’ll come back to this post later once I make my decision or if anything has changed before my final high school year ends.Last Note: I had contacted the admissions office and my regional counselor for Michigan about whether it’s acceptable to send a letter of continued interest, and they said no (I first asked the counselor via email, where he thanked me for the email and appreciates my interest in the school). I simply ask, if you’ve been waitlisted, how was your experience? Did the school accept you off of it? If not, what school do/did you go to?UPDATE: I apologize for being extremely late on not updating this post at an earlier time, but here I am now. I’ve committed to Binghamton University! I still haven’t heard anything from U of Michigan, but I feel that I’d be better off going to Binghamton for the time being since I’m already deep in the process of preparing to start the Fall 2020 term.SECOND UPDATE: Again, apologies for not being timely on updating this post. On July 24, I got an email from U of Michigan in which I had been rejected (or in other words, am unable to attend the school since all of the remaining spots had been filled up). U of M did say that I am welcome to apply as a transfer student, preferably when I am a rising junior. For now, I’ll enjoy my first two years at Binghamton (planning to major in Neuroscience for Pre-Med) and decide where I’ll go from there. I look forward to starting my time at college.THIRD UPDATE: I’ve finished my first semester at Binghamton. Overall, it was a rather interesting experience transitioning from high school to college. I’ve learned how to properly manage the classes I’m taking (Rate My Professor helps), and next semester I intend to develop a stronger work ethic, and a more rigid study routine and schedule. I did manage to pass all my classes, but I know I can do much better in the coming months and years.

Newspaper Route & Comic Books, Literary Society and The Test Dinner Party and Corporate DramaNewspaper Route & Comic BooksAt 6 years old, I needed cash. I was fiending for it. I had a comic book/action figure Jones and my measly allowance, washing dishes and sweeping and taking out the garbage, that bullshit wasn’t working out.I went to my mother and stepfather and explained that something had to change in this set up or I’d make their lives hell. My mother was like well, get a job or more appropriate t, start a business. I went back to my round king sized bed and contemplated what i could do on Staten Island, a business.Once I’d gotten past drug dealer, abortion doctor and assassin I came back to her with newspapers. I could sell the Sunday newspaper to the neighbors in our building. Just like I brought her the paper in the morning and did the same for a neighbor, I could knock on doors and ask if they wanted to buy it for a slight mark up. 50%. I was young, I was cute, I could pull it off. But I needed a loan, a huge loan to get me started—-and the shopping cart. And an alarm clock. Ok, a huge loan, the shopping cart, an alarm clock and maybe a nice breakfast to get me started at 6am. And hugs, plenty of supportive hugs.My mother wrote up a contract to loan me $5 with repayment terms that I was to pull from my profits. I was also given the rule of knock/ring the door, place the shopping cart before me and the door, never go inside.I signed. She spotted me $5 and that Sunday I bought a wad of papers and started my invented route. I was sold out in 30 minutes. I took the profits and went and bought another round of papers and sold out of those in 30 minutes. I went and did a third time. By the time I got home that first morning, I gave back the bank—-my mother her $5 and had funding cash plus profits for the Jones I was feeding. For months I was up at the crack of dawn, knocking on doors, selling more and more papers. More profits meant I could buy more at a time—10, 20, 40 papers at a time so I could do one good trip, one good round and go back home.My babysitter’s niece and nephew lived in the buildings up the block. They wanted to know if I would teach them, hire them. I did. I broke off some of my papers, they sold them and I paid them for every batch they sold, different than the 50% price we were reselling for. I pointed out, the more of your profit you pour back in, the more papers I can front you, the more you’ll make. I was acting as the bank, as my mother had, but they never worked multiple waves to build up their profit cache, they worked like one or two.Then the niece, let’s call her Agnes—-Agnes says I should split the TOTAL Sunday profits 3 ways. Agnes was older and taller than me. I told her to take a deep breath and think this through. Careful, bitch, careful.Agnes, rather threateningly loomed over me that she could just take it away. Her bother, Johnny, my age, agreed. Agnes added that unless I agreed to a 1/3 split, she and Johnny would just go buy papers themselves and sell in their buildings and not use me as a bank nor cut me into the profits (they were technically franchisees.)I asked was she sure? Agnes haughtily said yes. Johnny yelled yes. I politely told them they were both fired and walked away.I went home and explained this to my mother who explained that I’d done the right business thing but babysitting time might get dicey.I went and we played and laughed that whole week and then Sunday came. I continued my route, I assumed they continued in their buildings. This went on for a few weeks until their aunt approached my mother, Agnes and Johnny had no funding capital and I’d told them they were fired. My mother explained what had happened. They were employees (at best franchisees) and had jumped out of pocket. I was the sole owner of my business, it was up to me.I smiled politely and continued my business. I fired my first employees at 7, that still gives me a special tickle to my heart when I think about it. Agnes and Johnny, having taken on the position of employees (at best franchisees) misunderstood that they held the least power in the relationship, particularly with no financial backing. I could cut them out, fire them, wait them out, take them back or do nothing. That’s the power of being the owner.We moved.Comic Books and CopyrightA few years later I’m in Middle School. Again I need cash. I would visit my mother at her job at AT&T and we’d meet my stepfather and go to dinner. I would sit at a desk coloring or reading comics or doing my homework or making photocopies.I got a brilliant idea. I would enlarge panels and make posters of comic books.I went back to school and told all the comic geeks—-what posters do you want? 25, 50 cents, $1, $2 specialty color orders. I was doing weekly deliveries in a month, collecting cash and breaking all copyright laws.Then we started playing role playing games but everyone wanted the game rules, campaign books—-I started copying the campaign books. I’d buy them for $6, photocopy and sell for $3,Then I was like, we have so many original ideas. I actually came up with the Vision being merged into the Hulk!What if we created our own comic books? Our own comic book company? Published and sold them around the country?How to recruit? What would be the membership charge monthly?Comic fans would send in letters to a comic and they’d be printed on the last page—-I copied them down—-on my Commodore 128 typed up intro letters and a membership form and for a measly $25 you could join!I used the proceeds from one venture to create the other and got dozens of members. My best friend was the VP. Then he moved to Long Island. Then he got lazy. Then I fired him. By now my mother was used to explaining to parents that if their children didn’t hold up to the bargain, implied contracts, occasionally written contracts I’d created, they could be fired. Yes, she acknowledged, her son was a bit ruthless.Literary Society and The 48 Laws of Power at A Dinner PartyFast forward to college. The comic book amateur company had run it’s course after about 5 years. I was just writing/being a student, looking for the next opportunity. I get to undergrad SUNY, I start writing for the newspaper, the magazine, the Literature chapbooks, the graduate chapbooks. I’m on a tear. Mainly because I have a sense of my work as product and not writer angst. So I make deals with editors—-for instance the school magazine published 16 times a semester—-if they would give me three cover story slots—-I would do them, deliver, but I needed a column, ten short story slots. To the Editor in Chief it was a dream come true—-he had guaranteed content from me.The Lit Society asked me to become an Editor and hinted, the mostly female group that had started it that in a couple of years they’d all be graduating so I could be in line to be the Lit Society Club President and Editor in Chief.Hmmm. I’d now progressed in my entrepreneurial thoughts to OPM in business—-Other People’s Money—-using the capital of others—-namely SUNY—-and I’d long thought the University's money would be an excellent resource to experiment with.I turn to the newspaper and I’m dropping stories to them and to the magazine and the yearly Lit Society chapbook—-there were some grumbles and upset—-back then I didn’t think it was racial or jealousy or a combination of both—-now looking back, the lack of Black students writing for the publications—-I actually pulled a friend in so there would be two of us at the magazine and newspaper —-was a factor that I was too young to completely codify. Also jealousy—-I had a huge output—-I’d started going through the Writer’s Market book and sending out 20–50 manuscripts/stories/poems a month.(I have a blind spot about jealousy because I’m an only child so I’ve never had envious situations. I’ve also been mainly en-cultured with adults so I’ve always operated at an adult level—-applying an adult level of production, perfectionism, interest and strategy to things that younger people generally learn not find immediately natural.)Year 3 comes around and the old guard that had started the Lit Society Club and published the chapbook are all in their Senior years and leaving within a semester or so. By the Student Government laws (we’re in April) we have to vote in a new cabinet. I’ve dutifully been an Editor for two years. There was a bit of a feminist slant to the Board, it had been created by young White women and it’s primary supporters on faculty were White female professors. I noted this but didn’t think it would be an issue as I was friends with everyone. I often forget I’m Black. And male. And tall. Call it past lives as a woman haze.My mother though she’s chatting me up about my work, school, extra curricula moves and we’re discussing her entrepreneurial businesses and then my interest in the magazine or the Lit Society—-becoming EIC or President & EIC.We decide that the Lit Society is where I should start first, to experiment with OPM and publishing before taking over the magazine—-and the chapbook has more freedom than the magazine.Now there’s a 1 credit 15 slot management responsibility that comes with anyone who signs up for credit. It’s a lot but I’ve been TAing for three years by then for several professors, in fact I’m the only undergraduate TA in the history of SUNY. Normally you have to be a graduate student but since I’m 3 years older than most Freshman and have extensive work experience, I’ve been granted the position and I’m also getting a paycheck for it, eventually totaling as high as a grad student’s. Again, I’m obtuse that these might be extraneous issues to my running for President.My mother is like race, gender, sexual orientation, your TA position, the credits, it’s all going to come up and it’s going to get ugly. Here’s what you have to do:First she sends me a certificate of accomplishment, naming me as President and EIC, three months before the election. She tells me to hang it up in my apartment, to focus and visualize it coming to pass.Then she’s like, make a list of everyone involved and notations about each one of them, what you know, grudges, who they like and dislike—-files on everyone.Then she’s like you need leverage—-it’s essentially a popularity contest—-due to race and maleness and spite, I’m not going to win just based on capability, I have to stack the deck.All elections take place on say the 2nd Friday of April. But by the 1st Friday of April all school clubs have to have spent up their entire budget for the year (anywhere from $500 to $10,000) or have it committed in signage/promissory notes for the SUNY office to pay (say you order jackets for your club for graduation—-the check might not need to be cut until the last week of April for the jackets to be made and delivered by the 2nd week of May but the money must be spoken for).Now the chapbook had been paid for once a semester, it cost $1000 to print several hundred copies but the budget of the Lit Society was always about $250 a semester—-they had to beg these professors to write checks—normally their supporting White female teachers.I explain all these machinations to my mother and she’s like that’s where you have leverage. We talk about all the people I know, and because I’m a TA, I know students from all class levels and lots of groups that they belong to. Go to those clubs, the last week, when everyone HAS to get their budget to zero or the SUNY review assumes they gave them too much money and lessens their new year budget. Catch them a few days before the deadline and clubs will sign off on giving you thousands of dollars.Which is what I do. Now I have a stack of signed promissory notes for thousands of dollars for the coming year, more than the Lit Society has ever raised before—-the LGBT club, The Black Student Association, Fraternities, Latin Association, the Chess Club!But I tell the clubs that the Board meeting/election is happening early, the Thursday before the deadline, if I don’t become President—-I’ll tear up all the promissory notes but I’ll redirect all the monies to other clubs I work with.Deal.The Lit Board meeting begins—-a guy who was desperately trying to seduce me warns that not everyone likes me. he was White, I should’ve known, ready to roll over and die—-no spine……glad I never let him touch me.The President, let’s call her Chastity, suggests something that in 5 years has never happened, after everyone announces their interest in positions. (I’d locked up the other positions—Closet Guy for VP, a young lady for Treasurer and another guy for Secretary—-it will be a new clean Board to start off with.)Chastity says she'll stay President for another semester, though technically she’s graduating in May, and then I can become President in January of the following year. For January to April. I ask if in the 5 years of the Lit Society existing has this ever happened or been done before? They all admit no.Then out of left field, a girl we shall call Jane jumps out at me that I need to be quiet and stay in place and not forget they started this and they’ll structure it as they will, even as they leave. (Amazingly, completely justifying some social experiment, Jane had been the nicest to me over the years and I’d never seen her so…venomous. Most tellingly, no one came to my defense.)I politely look over my left shoulder, then my right shoulder. There’s a room full, maybe 25 people and I ask her: “Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to in that tone?”Then I rip her a new one, sideways, in Latin, with a double axle twist.Five minutes later when I’m done with her, she actually ran out of the room crying.I turn to the rest of them and I say:I’ve put in the years as an Editor, supporter, etc,I have more than enough experience, in fact I’m more qualified than them to run the credit granting aspectand over qualified than any of them to manage a business and I will not settle for a halfsies Presidency.Oh, and I have thousands of dollars , I slap the promissory letters on the conference room table, that are attached to me as President. The letters are commitments to me. I’ll take them/the cash, thousands of dollars to another club. And they, whomever is left from this shit show can beg yet another year for crumbs and crackers.And, as you can see, I don’t take shit from anyone. I’ll shoot a kitten in the face if it comes at me the wrong way.Chastity says they have to vote now.We cast our ballots and step into the hallway where a couple of people tell me I went too far cutting Jane a new one, she’s one of the original members/creators, I poisoned the waters. I reply that I’ll be a strong president and strength doesn’t take shit from anyone, no one, no matter position I have or don’t, gets to disrespect me like that.A true leader must be a balance of compassion and ruthlessness so that you are capable of both helping and protecting those around you; if they saw me kowtow to her they would know that one, I was weak and two, I couldn’t protect them when the time might come.(Three, bitch had it coming. If you can’t ride, don’t get on the horse. My mother was calling from her house in teh mountains but also from our apartment in Brooklyn. G’wan, blood clot with the bullshit. Don’t bring none, won’t be none! We don’t play that kind of mouth-smack in Crooklyn. She lucky I wasn’t a girl like her, might have tied up my dreds and gone across the table……..)The Vote Is InWe go back in.By an overwhelming vote, I’m voted in as President and EIC.I warmly thank everyone.They ask me my plans—-I open my leather portfolio—-because I’d been able to talk to the VP, Treasurer and Secretary candidates, they are the ones I wanted and I have some ideas……One, we won’t be dependent on begging professors to pay printing bills, I’ve covered that with the money my name has obtained.Two, I’m going to change the printing schedule and size of the chapbook. I have some bigger marketing ideas for the singular rather than two chapbooks we’ll produce.Three, we’re going to hold more events—-poetry readings and such.Four, I’ve got some other professors on-board who’ve wanted to be involved for years but it was a little too heavily feminist for their tastes—-we’re going to democratize and expand to include all colors and orientations.Five, but first I want to personally thank everyone with a gift to them all.Out of my portfolio I pull out the next stage in my mothers plan—-beautifully printed invitations for a dinner party in 2 weeks at my house with a full banquet meal prepared by me.“For all of the hard work you’ve all done over the years, I want to given the graduating, exiting Board/creators a grand send off. And for everyone else, rather than just the cookies and soda one time event, I want to give them all a beautiful dinner for all of their hard work and commitment.”Did I mention my mother was a psychology major at Baruch?Scene shifts to my rushing upstairs to the office, calling her long distance, we did it! She asks did I hand out the invitations? I say yes. I’m putting in the voucher now for the food from Wegman’s. (Yes, my first official act was to pay for all of this with OPM. I’m no fool.)Now the design of the dinner party is simple, a psychologically ruthless trap she’s devised. Everyone who has honestly worked hard will attend the party, those who haven’t, subconsciously, they won’t be able to. I’m like—-nah, old woman, you’re crazy, that will never work.Two weeks later—-I’ve prepared a feast, enough food for 40 people.Slowly people start milling in. None of the old Board arrives—-except for Jane who has apologized for her attack. And honestly, she had worked tirelessly on the whole club. All of my Board shows up. Plus the new people I’ve brought in. But only Jane and another young lady of the old guard. Interesting.By the end of the evening, my mother’s ploy had proven who were the hard workers, the loyalists, the malcontents.I went on to really experiment with the club, throwing galas at the Art Gallery—-a beautiful glass four story design; shifting the chapbook to free for SUNY folk but expanding it to being for sale through bookstores throughout the city to generate revenue back in to pay for the future expenses and getting more monies in from clubs who now feel included in the chapbook, etc..The Treasurer had to go to Australia for an internship, but still needed the 2 credits, could we work something out? Sure. We agreed that I could sign off as the President and as the Treasurer and she got her credits. The VP was a fool who I never pressured to come in to meetings, just gave him his credit to get rid of his uselessness, but I held his vote/power; the same for the Secretary. Benevolent dictatorship.In Sum….What I learned was the machinations of power, leverage, ruthlessness and OPM and the psychology of power. To her credit, my mother predicted a lot of their actions and reactions and helped solidify what my strengths were and paying attention to my blind spots. Her own entrepreneurial and management strengths were focused through me as a learning lens. I doubted her tactics but her strategy was sound.Frankly, they (from childhood to college…I haven’t even told my corporate intrigue tales of ruthlessness) never had a chance.When I reflect upon it, it was like she was a puppet master and orchestrating how I could get into power.Secondly, when I got a copy of the 48 Laws of Power, it was like old hat. Between her and my father, they had taught me so many tactics—-the velvet gloved claw—-to plan several steps ahead—-to not tolerate public attack—-to be magnanimous (I accepted Jane’s apology—-I never forgot her attack though and made sure that I quietly but succinctly eliminated her from contact, control, influence…with a smile and often asked her “advice”. She’s gone on to be a published author and teacher—-I also keep an eye on people through social media.)Once, years later, I used similar tactics, and I shifted an entire national organization through deft moves, for the better, I hope. I think of ruthlessness as neutral, like capitalism. There are times when emotion has to be put aside, when there is a greater good or just a greater prize to be had.I’m a good person, I’m not a nice person.There are times though when I’m oblivious to discrimination by gender, sex, sexual orientation and I’ve had to quickly surmise and act to offset attack, smeared reputation, exit myself from insane professional situations…and make it look like fate, chance, the other person’s idea.Have I hurt people?I suppose so. I am a force in life, I expect that I’ve hurt people that I’m both aware of and not aware of. There were some that was darkly intentional and others that were unintentional.But here’s where I differ in two respects—-I take full responsibility for my actions and I always tell adversaries to their face what I will do, have done. I don’t play passive aggressive games, I don’t pretend, I don’t shrug innocently.I look you dead ass in the face and say,“Yeah, I fucking did it to you. Merry Christmas. Smooches.”#KylePhoenix