08-28-2006, 08:37 PM
i'll do my best to not be redundant here. this is more for the current members than the alum.
one thing that must be understood is that the MM alumni, on the whole, are fiercely loyal and look at MM as not only a club but a living memory and a major success story. when i was but a youngin, and just joined MM back in '01, i think we had maybe 20 some people as members? now we have like 3 or 4 times that, a nice website, and hundreds of people registered to our forum. it's hard to watch something you built change under the direction of others, be it good or bad. what i mean to say is that for those who are current students - n00bs if you will - should not be put off by what seems to be a flood of words (sometimes critical) coming from the old guys. we care. i care. i speak for many when i say that i plan to support MM til i die from boost rot.
this plays into the idea of getting to know the alum, and what others have said better than i can. if there is a rift in the communication, or words are said that come across harshly, its because all this is happening in large part because the club is spread out and noboby really know who's talking. nothing beats talking and having a good time face to face. there's no replacement for a handshake, or helping someone wrench on their car. i hope we can all chill more often, it really helps (i mean that for both studs and alum) and yeah i'll say it too....let everyone post in campus events or kill it off....it would be cool if alumni could post just to give a heads up or something.
as for participation in motorsports and club activities....well i love seeing people rocking out at parties, working on cars together, whatever. that's been going on for years in MM, and it fosters some real tight bonds. what's hard to get over from the alum's standpoint though, is that we had regular attendance at all kinds of events, year round. you could count on nearly 3-4 current students (at least) being at almost every thing in the events section. it seems that kind of drive is no longer there.
before you current officers and members flame me hard, let me say that i do understand in many ways why things are how they are. honestly i do. we took a big hit in May when many really involved students graduated. from a once-officer's standpoint i understand the difficulties that officers face. that said, every cabinet of officers through the years has had unique challenges. as for you students that aren't sure what you're getting into with this club -- ask! there's alot to learn and alot to see but nobody here will push you away. and if getting up really early and driving far to participate/see an event is too daunting a task to handle, then i really hope we can change your mind. i live in freaking GA, the last place i thought i'd be. you can be damned sure if i was back in VA i'd be at some meeting and know many of you personally.
in closing....we all love cars. it comes with the territory. but it's the thrill of the hunt, the urge to build yourself and your machine to go faster, better, safer and the commaradarie that comes as a by product of being part of a unique group of focused students that makes MM stand alone as a college club for what we hope will be many years to come.
one thing that must be understood is that the MM alumni, on the whole, are fiercely loyal and look at MM as not only a club but a living memory and a major success story. when i was but a youngin, and just joined MM back in '01, i think we had maybe 20 some people as members? now we have like 3 or 4 times that, a nice website, and hundreds of people registered to our forum. it's hard to watch something you built change under the direction of others, be it good or bad. what i mean to say is that for those who are current students - n00bs if you will - should not be put off by what seems to be a flood of words (sometimes critical) coming from the old guys. we care. i care. i speak for many when i say that i plan to support MM til i die from boost rot.
this plays into the idea of getting to know the alum, and what others have said better than i can. if there is a rift in the communication, or words are said that come across harshly, its because all this is happening in large part because the club is spread out and noboby really know who's talking. nothing beats talking and having a good time face to face. there's no replacement for a handshake, or helping someone wrench on their car. i hope we can all chill more often, it really helps (i mean that for both studs and alum) and yeah i'll say it too....let everyone post in campus events or kill it off....it would be cool if alumni could post just to give a heads up or something.
as for participation in motorsports and club activities....well i love seeing people rocking out at parties, working on cars together, whatever. that's been going on for years in MM, and it fosters some real tight bonds. what's hard to get over from the alum's standpoint though, is that we had regular attendance at all kinds of events, year round. you could count on nearly 3-4 current students (at least) being at almost every thing in the events section. it seems that kind of drive is no longer there.
before you current officers and members flame me hard, let me say that i do understand in many ways why things are how they are. honestly i do. we took a big hit in May when many really involved students graduated. from a once-officer's standpoint i understand the difficulties that officers face. that said, every cabinet of officers through the years has had unique challenges. as for you students that aren't sure what you're getting into with this club -- ask! there's alot to learn and alot to see but nobody here will push you away. and if getting up really early and driving far to participate/see an event is too daunting a task to handle, then i really hope we can change your mind. i live in freaking GA, the last place i thought i'd be. you can be damned sure if i was back in VA i'd be at some meeting and know many of you personally.
in closing....we all love cars. it comes with the territory. but it's the thrill of the hunt, the urge to build yourself and your machine to go faster, better, safer and the commaradarie that comes as a by product of being part of a unique group of focused students that makes MM stand alone as a college club for what we hope will be many years to come.
2010 Civic Si
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past: 03 Xterra SE 4x4 | 05 Impreza 2.5RS | 99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T | 01 Accord EX | 90 Maxima GXE | 96 Explorer XLT
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past: 03 Xterra SE 4x4 | 05 Impreza 2.5RS | 99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T | 01 Accord EX | 90 Maxima GXE | 96 Explorer XLT