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+--- Forum: Officer Elections '12-'13 (https://forum.mmsports.org/forumdisplay.php?fid=17)
+--- Thread: Chris Chrzan- V.P. (/showthread.php?tid=9959)
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Chris Chrzan- V.P. - little baby jesus - 04-19-2012
Hey guys,
My name is Chris and I'm running for VP for the '12-'13 term. Although I have been friends with most of you for some time, there may be those of you who are newer to MM that I haven't met yet. First, I'd like to explain why some of you may not have seen me around at as many events as usual this year. This fall I decided to invest in a motorcycle (big thanks to Lincoln for driving 2 hours to get it with me), and had been forced to get a job in order to pay for the whole ordeal. The job, which was sometimes 6 hours a day, took most of my time when I wasn't studying. I'm proud to announce that this next year I will be job-free and ready to get back to this wonderful club.
Here's just a little bit about myself...
My Academics:
-Rising Senior, Biology Major
-Honors Program, with a research concentration in Neurobiology
Now for the early years...
I had come into MM as a first-semester freshman after Jake had extended a welcoming hand at the Student Org Night, and had no idea that it would soon become a large part of my college experience. One of the first aspects of MM that I immediately noticed was that everyone who was there...WANTED to be there. Isn't this kind of expected in all clubs? Nope. I can guarantee you that not one of the pre-med club members gets excited to go to a meeting (well, save a few kids). Even more so, not only would everyone get together for the meetings, but also just to hang out and have a good time. The "thursday night crew" as we called it (you know who you are) hung out not just as club members, but also as friends (cliche). This was one of the things that made the club so inviting, nobody was looked down on and or considered "just a freshman"...you were there because you liked cars, and that's all that mattered.
My favorite MM events (in order):
1. VIR
For those of you who have gone to VIR, you can skip this paragraph because you already know what I'm going to say. The trip to VIR when the club rented a van (after the suspension was lifted) and made the trek down to the track was EXACTLY what this club should be about. Hey, lets face it, were all poor college kids...but the alumni and other generous drivers at the track can give us just a little taste of what we all crave...racing. I know a few of our members have actually done HPDE when we go down, and from what I've heard the experience is unreal. From the free hotel room where Madison Motorforts was established (shout out to my man Chris Levey), to the Tavern, the trip is just a great bonding experience.
2. G-Force
The first ever karting trip, I'm ashamed to say, I slept through (Girls Gone Wild party at Vixens). However, I have been karting many times after that and it never ceases to thrill. The trip is one that we absolutely must keep going in this club. I know due to money constraints that some officers this year have considered ending this event, and this is something we can't let happen.
3. Autocross
Again, big shout out to Jake for playing the big brother role here. Freshman year Jake took me out around Harrisonburg on thursday night to teach me how to drive stick, and friday afternoon he asked me if I wanted to race the next day..wait..what? I never even knew you could race cars in that kind of an event, and ever since my first race I've been hooked!
Now that I've spent enough time on memory lane...
Dan, and Jon and I have gotten together and discussed things that IF we all happened to be elected, we would like to modify, change etc. Here are some of the points that had been discussed:
-- First of all, we all agreed that the officers need to work together as a team. It seems that this year had been somewhat of a one-man-show and this just creates headaches, and separation, within the team that ultimately ends up hurting everyone in MM. We have each discussed our schedules for next year and agreed that each should have a sufficient amount of time to invest in the club and those who are in it. I personally have had many roles, especially in an academic laboratory environment, where teamwork was essential to success. I believe that this experience will help in a smooth transition into office, and further into the semester.
-- Secondly, it had been brought up that the club always seems to be in need of money. Fundraising this year was minimal, and this needs to be improved upon in a big way. Some ideas could be: cleaning the stadium after football games like alumni used to do, and or simple things like getting our lady friends to wash cars in their bikini's (girls love showing off...lets be serious). The main idea here is to have the club, as a group, decide what THEY would be interested in helping to contribute with. In my experience people are much more motivated to do something when they believe in the cause (which I hope everyone would...) and enjoy the activity. However, it is my understanding that Jon Polen (potential treasurer) has specific ideas in mind that he would like to implement, so we're already off to a great start for next year.
--The next issue that had been discussed is, well, rather uncharted territory. I personally had been the one to bring it up and Dan and Jon had both agreed that this subject deserved greater attention. It's simple, eliminate the free-loaders. Eliminate the people that show up for the MM sticker and shirt, and then leave and go show off that they're a cool kid who races cars and never returns to the club. This has always been a pet peeve of mine and I intend to ensure that those who sport the MM logo DESERVE to sport the logo. This also helps in terms of securing our reputation as a respectable club. We don't want some kid who came to the FIRST meeting to go out and get pulled over doing 120mph and have the cop see his MM sticker on the window.
--The last MAJOR issue to be discussed at our meeting was the ever-needed social aspect of MM to be brought back. This club is full of people who love to talk about cars, race cars, work on cars, but we ALSO are a club that should be composed of great friends. If I were elected VP I would ensure that more social events were held, even if it was just an epic drink your face off thursday night festivity, which are often the most fun. This club was started by friends, and we need to continue that tradition.
All in all, I hope you guys will consider me for V.P. in the upcoming election. Though whether I am elected or not I'm sure that the new team of officers will do a great job in bringing this club back to what it should be, what it used to be. Have a great night guys!
Chris
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - CaptainHenreh - 04-19-2012
One of the problems a large group of people had with previous leadership is lack of participation on the forum. How do you feel about your own participation, as this is, for many, the primary means of communication and feedback.
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - CaptainHenreh - 04-19-2012
ALSO HOW SOFT IS YOUR FUR?
CUZ MINE IS PRETTY FUCKING SOFT AND THE BITCHES LOVE IT
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - Jake - 04-19-2012
Rex, tell Diesel to stop posting from your account.
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - little baby jesus - 04-19-2012
Ah, very good catch, meant to say something regarding this in my original post...
Anyone who has known me in MM for the past couple years has already had this conversation with me (most by alumni and most on less than sober terms). My participation on the forums thus far has been minimal. I'm more of a in-the-moment kind of person and for my particular situation thus far, (i.e. not an officer and currently still in college) I haven't felt the need to hop on the forums. If I ever had a question I would simply just call whoever I wanted to talk to. The drawbacks to this are, of course, that my contact with the alumni have been limited to face-to-face interaction at MM events. If I were elected V.P. I fully understand that my participation on the forums would then be more than necessary. As I said...we need to bring back the social aspect to this club, and I think you're correct in that the forum is necessary for this to be done.
Great question!
On a side note...my fur is less than adequate and I'm thinking of buying a red M3 to compensate
(jokes)
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - NTIman - 04-19-2012
little baby jesus Wrote:--The next issue that had been discussed is, well, rather uncharted territory. I personally had been the one to bring it up and Dan and Jon had both agreed that this subject deserved greater attention. It's simple, eliminate the free-loaders. Eliminate the people that show up for the MM sticker and shirt, and then leave and go show off that they're a cool kid who races cars and never returns to the club. This has always been a pet peeve of mine and I intend to ensure that those who sport the MM logo DESERVE to sport the logo. This also helps in terms of securing our reputation as a respectable club. We don't want some kid who came to the FIRST meeting to go out and get pulled over doing 120mph and have the cop see his MM sticker on the window.
This isn't completely uncharted, but hasn't been discussed at length. There are always asshats who want to be in a club, but my question to you (and the other candidates) is what constitutes being an asshat? Should there be a certain reason to boot someone out? What would be the protocol for removing someone or denying someone a membership?
My point is, everyone makes mistakes and all that, so you need to strike a balance between "We want you to join and grow as a enthusiast/driver and have fun" and "We need to uphold our reputation as a club."
I say this partially from experience. When I was in NC for technical school, we were required to wear a shirt from the school during the school day.They were bright blue and they were quite the reason for police to pull us over. You definitely don't want to get in a place like that with a motorsports club, but you also don't want to turn too many people off.
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - little baby jesus - 04-19-2012
Ah ok good question. Well, I think I'll start off by saying that everyone makes mistakes. It's well known that this past semester one of our officers had their license taken away for quite some time, and so awkward situations do present themselves.
My first response is that we should have a one semester membership requirement before any new member is issued decals/shirts. This semester must also consist of the member attending a good part of the social and or track events. This raises the question...how many events? Well, there may be some room in this club for a "points" system (tacky as it is...). We can issue members certain point values for the events they help participate in, and or attend. The points system will also help settle disputes such as who works at the ONE open VIR working spot, who goes karting (if god willing all the spots are almost filled one day).
In terms of when someone LOSES membership...thats a whole other story. This is something that both Dan, and the club will have to decide together. I'm not quite sure we should have a strict policy for what constitutes that someone need be shunned, as there are ALWAYS exceptions and people aren't perfect. The members of MM aren't idiots, if we recognize that someone doesn't belong in our club, it will be taken care of immediately. The only requirement I ask Dan (if elected) to uphold will be to strip the previous member of the decal/shirt. I know it sounds childish, but the last thing we need is an "asshat" giving the club a bad name.
Did this answer your question? I'm sorry to dance around the question like a politician, but I feel that this decision is one that the club as a whole should make, and not be left up to one person.
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - NTIman - 04-19-2012
little baby jesus Wrote:Ah ok good question. Well, I think I'll start off by saying that everyone makes mistakes. It's well known that this past semester one of our officers had their license taken away for quite some time, and so awkward situations do present themselves.
My first response is that we should have a one semester membership requirement before any new member is issued decals/shirts. This semester must also consist of the member attending a good part of the social and or track events. This raises the question...how many events? Well, there may be some room in this club for a "points" system (tacky as it is...). We can issue members certain point values for the events they help participate in, and or attend. The points system will also help settle disputes such as who works at the ONE open VIR working spot, who goes karting (if god willing all the spots are almost filled one day).
In terms of when someone LOSES membership...thats a whole other story. This is something that both Dan, and the club will have to decide together. I'm not quite sure we should have a strict policy for what constitutes that someone need be shunned, as there are ALWAYS exceptions and people aren't perfect. The members of MM aren't idiots, if we recognize that someone doesn't belong in our club, it will be taken care of immediately. The only requirement I ask Dan (if elected) to uphold will be to strip the previous member of the decal/shirt. I know it sounds childish, but the last thing we need is an "asshat" giving the club a bad name.
Did this answer your question? I'm sorry to dance around the question like a politician, but I feel that this decision is one that the club as a whole should make, and not be left up to one person.
Agreed, just wondered if you had anything in mind/wanted to spark a discussion on it. Gotta give someone a hard time :lol:
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - Kaan - 04-20-2012
IMHO, losing membership shouldnt happen. We have all seen some random Dbag with an MM sticker and wanted to repo that shit. BUT this is a club that will take in ANYONE at any time. All they have to do is have a passion related to motorsports. you were out doing your thing, did you turn your shirt in? did you come back? When you put on the minty fresh MM shirt, you remeber the good times, the fun times, and it might bring you back.
you want active participation. everyone does. but "we" tend to let people be as active as they want... though we hunt them down and bug them and give them all the opportunities in the world.
Every year there has been someone who does some jackass move. from year one! Put it out there, take your licks, and move on. thats what happens. For whatever reason this club survives ALL the jackass moves we have done for a decade. I'm old, i'm a pain, i worry about this all the time. I'm seeing the light a little. we must do our part to keep it from happening, but its going to happen.
There have been members and even officers that didnt have cars, didnt have a drivers license, etc. There were kids that LOVED show cars and dozens of 10 inch woofers. this is a motorsports club, a drivers club, the only requirement is that you have a little desire. there was a point in MM history where we'd autox anything with wheels.
Since you have strong feelings about shirts and stickers, are you against having a club store where members can buy gear to help boost the club funds?
How do you feel about non MMers winning shirts and stickers as prizes at the car show?
Can you post a picture? i was probably drunk when i met you at the tavern. you can blame me for tequila and wild turkey.
I'm not doubting your pimp hand, but telling the girls to do a car wash? I'll believe that when i see it.
What in your background gives you the ability to be the VP? this is a hinge position, jack of all trades, ready to step in for anyone type slot.
if you dont win vs. a dog, is little baby jesus going to cry?
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - D_Eclipse9916 - 04-20-2012
I would have to disagree, who is to say who is a jack ass and why.
I know personally that I have done plenty of asshattery, especially when I was younger. I can remember doing very stupid shit, and plenty of the alumni on this board have as well. I am glad to see this has been reduced in our current students, I see less and less of it every year. I do not know if this is because of outside factors, but I am thinking it may be because we "shun" them instead of trying to help them, and this limits our ability to grow.
The point of this club is to encourage motorsports activity, and if we have people doing it in the wrong way, we are to promote safer avenues. When I started doing more autoxes, I became a lot less aggressive on the street. Lets help point these guys in the right direction for the automotive "fixes".
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - Sully - 04-20-2012
Kaan Wrote:How do you feel about non MMers winning shirts and stickers as prizes at the car show?
I don't think Kaan meant it this way but I have seen it posted in almost every relevant thread from car show threads to election threads....this year we gave out shirts and stickers to winners....last year, what was given out to winners? A shirt, a sticker, and a subaru shirt that subaru had been handing out free to everyone all day...not tryin to shit up election thread but this is just where I happened to snap about the issue.
Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk 2
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - CaptainHenreh - 04-20-2012
Sully Wrote:.last year, what was given out to winners? A shirt, a sticker, and a subaru shirt, and trophies that subaru had been handing out free to everyone all day...not tryin to shit up election thread but this is just where I happened to snap about the issue.
ftfy
(or at least we USED to, anyway)
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - Kaan - 04-20-2012
Sully Wrote:Kaan Wrote:How do you feel about non MMers winning shirts and stickers as prizes at the car show?
I don't think Kaan meant it this way but I have seen it posted in almost every relevant thread from car show threads to election threads....this year we gave out shirts and stickers to winners....last year, what was given out to winners? A shirt, a sticker, and a subaru shirt that subaru had been handing out free to everyone all day...not tryin to shit up election thread but this is just where I happened to snap about the issue.
Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk 2
so that question i posted wasnt to call anyone out about anything. if chris is passionate about who has stickers and shirts... i want to know how he feels about non MMers in MM gear! thats it! Its related to the club store question. i could ask more!
How do you feel about NASA MA members that purchased over stock shirts and wore them to track events? these were mostly racers and instructors?
How do you feel about the "MM" stickers on the grand am cars since they are not members? what if an MM sticker is on a car that does some crazy nascar shit in a grand am race?
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - little baby jesus - 04-20-2012
Haha hey guys, no need to tiptoe around stuff, this is the time to ask and critique! I'm going to start by addressing Kaan's first post...
In terms of your concern for club growth, Dan and I have discussed this and completely agree with you that this is needed. There is no question that this would be beneficial and I'm not suggesting that we cut the club down. However, I DO suggest that we handle WHO is in the club. What do I mean by this? Well, I'm not saying you have to attend EVERY event or know EVERYTHING about cars, (I hadn't even done an oil change until I came to college), BUT what you do need is the desire to actually BE a member in the club. I think it is absolutely ridiculous that people show up, grab a shirt, and then leave never to be seen again. If anyone has any passion for cars at all, no matter how big or small, they will of course be welcome in MM. I do not think we should sacrifice membership quantitiy for quality. I would much rather have a great group of 30 guys who are great to be around than 60 new people who were "encouraged" to be in the club by their friends, and have no actual desire to be a member.
In terms of you mentioning my absence, I feel I need to clarify a few things. When you said I "left" the club, this was an inaccurate statement. I have still attended plenty of MM events throughout the year (and even hosted a BBQ at my house), so though I wasn't able to attend meetings, I was still there cheerleading, karting, and autoxing whenever possible.
A club store is a GREAT idea. However, I stand by my position that non-club members should not run the risk of ruining our reputation. If we wanted to sell, and or give out our merchandise at car shows we could go along the lines of giving out things that would be along the lines of "I support MM" t-shirts, water bottles, or other corny stuff of this nature. Recognition from other people using and or wearing our gear would be nice, but we have to ensure that it does not come at a detrimental cost to the club. In terms of people supporting MM gear OUTSIDE of the college environment, I'm all for it!! The whole point of this strict policy towards MM gear in college is that it protects the club from harrisonburg P.D. and JMU. If you have strong feelings about allowing individuals to hold onto their MM gear, I at least request that the sticker be the most "watched" item, as this is in plain view of the law and really one of the biggest places our club can suffer.
Car wash...I didnt say the QUALITY of girls that would be washing the cars. I hear the JMU club rugby team is available on saturdays...(but in all seriousness have already found 4 girls willing to do this event for us).
I believe that my club background itself will be a big help in returning this club to its full potential. I was a member during the good old days (IMO) a few years ago and have the ability to re-implement some of what had been done. In addition, I have attended multiple leadership seminars. One of which was in Washington, DC and was a two week program in high school where I was named one of the top eight leaders in a conference of 350 individuals from over 5 countries. What does this little certificate mean? Jack S%&*. It really comes down to how I assist Dan in handling this club. I have had experience in selling cars and handling money as I worked as a salesman on saturdays (then detail and accountant bitch during the week) at Sports and Specialist Cars in Hopewell, NJ. This previous experience, I feel, will help me assist in other areas of office as well.
In addressing the last question of your first post: I'm from Jersey. The only thing that will make me cry is if first pumping goes out of style. (jokes)
The question had been brought up regarding why we would "shun" someone for being an "asshat"...
Well, we've all done stupid things in life. However, repeated offenses are a different story. The beauty of this issue is that the club members (and alumni) should be the ones to decide situations like this that present themselves. I agree that "shunning" isn't always necessary, and certainly should not be the case for things that we have all done, lets try not to be hypocrites here. However, I think that if a situation like this were to present itself, it should be quite obvious to all of us what we feel is necessary to be done. Your point is well received that turning them to Autox may help their agressive behavior, and can certainly be implemented during a "probation" period or whatever the members decide is appropriate.
In terms of your last post, Kaan, I see where your concern arises. The point of restricting who wears our gear is simply to protect the club from the COLLEGE, while in college, and from JMU po-po. Alumni, friends, relatives and whomever else wants to wear our stuff in the "real world" is perfectly fine with me! Personally, I thought it was bad ass that the MM sticker was on the grand am car...and have absolutely no problem with that.
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - little baby jesus - 04-20-2012
Oh, and btw Kaan, I see you have/did have a '99 R6. That just happens to be the bike I've been fixing up, should be putting the last bolt on today when the part comes in...you dont happen to know how to read a wiring map for a tail light do you?
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - Kaan - 04-20-2012
My suggestion for club image and HPD/JMU PD (who i worked for in college AND there are some pro car officers) would be to educate them on MM. we used to have a very good relationship with the local PD and somewhat the university.
the MMs wont get anyone in trouble with the police if they are educated... the jackass and his car will be the one targeted.
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - Kaan - 04-20-2012
little baby jesus Wrote:Oh, and btw Kaan, I see you have/did have a '99 R6. That just happens to be the bike I've been fixing up, should be putting the last bolt on today when the part comes in...you dont happen to know how to read a wiring map for a tail light do you?
i do... since i rigged mine to LED.
PM in coming.
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - Ken - 04-20-2012
A potential for not one, but TWO officers from the North? Can the club handle this? WILL THERE BE COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF FIST PUMPING?
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - Kaan - 04-20-2012
Ken Wrote:A potential for not one, but TWO officers from the North? Can the club handle this? WILL THERE BE COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF FIST PUMPING?
my biggest concern is if they can pump their own gas
Re: Chris Chrzan- V.P. - Ken - 04-20-2012
hahaha, my old roommate was blown away when he visited once and they pumped his gas. I think he even gave the guy like a 5 dollar tip, probably made the dude's day.