I registered for the Fall Semester today.<\/p>\n
Usually the excitement of picking new classes to take in the coming months is
\noutweighed by the annoyance I feel at the red tape one has to go through in
\norder to achieve this task. I remember registering for my second semester of
\ncollege. I talked to my advisor, stood in line at the registrars office
\nwhere they told me, in a very haughty tone, that I needed his signature. I
\nwalked across campus to go back to him, got him to sign it, waited in line,
\nand was told that I needed to go the business office first. Stood in line
\nthere… etc… It was a memorable, but not pleasant, experience.<\/p>\n
The people in those offices are not very nice. Let’s leave it at that.<\/p>\n
Today I figured it would be a breeze. I’ve gone through the procedure so
\nmany times that I must have it down pat. Except that I tend to forget
\nexactly how to go about it. Fortunately, for the first time, they’ve posted
\ninstructions in plain sight on how to register. Double checking the list
\ntaped to the wall to make sure I needed to go to the business office first, I
\nwaited behind a couple of people. When my turn came, I was told to proceed
\nto the Financial Aid office to get a memo. “Financial Aid. Memo,” I
\nrepeated to myself, making my way down the hall.<\/p>\n
The Financial Aid office is actually kind of nice. The Registrars and
\nBusiness Offices are separated from the hall by a counter and glass with
\nholes to talk and push papers through. That makes it a little hard to
\ncommunicate with the people on the other side, but I suppose it keeps them
\nfrom getting strangled by irate students. I don’t blame them. The students,
\nthat is. But the Financial Aid office is a real office where one opens a
\nreal door, waits on real couches, and talks to someone behind a real desk.
\n Every time I’ve been in there, the employees have been helpful and patient
\nas they tried to explain the intricacies of getting money. Or not paying as
\nmuch.<\/p>\n
This time was no exception. The lady was quite courteous (at least as
\nopposed to the attitude usually emanating from the talk holes under the sign
\nmarked “Business Office”). “Memo,” I said with my best puzzled expression
\nthat says, please don’t ask my any questions because I really don’t
\nunderstand the significance of the word I’ve just spoken. There was no need
\nfor it, however. The lady immediately took the papers in my hand and typed
\npurposefully into the computer on her real desk.<\/p>\n
I looked around me. A guy from my World Religions class was filing folders
\nnearby. A couple I know was standing behind me. I sensed an audience. “You
\nknow,” I began, “it sure is nice to come into this office and be greeted by
\nsuch courteous service. Every time I’ve been in here it has been a pleasant
\nexperience.” “Oh,” answered the woman behind the real desk, grinning warmly,
\n“I wish you’d tell that to people down the hall.” “I should do that,” I
\nsaid, “I’ll go into Mike Magnoli’s office and tell him what a wonderful job
\nthe people in the Financial Aid office do. Because every time I come in
\nhere, it makes my day that much more pleasant.” The couple behind me began
\nto giggle. The lady was starting to laugh. “I’m serious,” I added not at
\nall seriously, “Everyone in here is cheerful, helpful, and polite. It makes
\nme happy just standing in this room.” The woman stopped laughing to get out,
\n“You need to fill out the Alabama Student Grant forms. I’ll give them to
\nyou, and you can just bring them back sometime.” “Oh, I could fill them out
\nright now,” I offered. “That’s okay, just bring them to me,” she insisted.
\n “Well, if you want me to leave…” I began to pout. “You can do it here!”
\nshe grinned. “All right. This way I can stay within this aura of happiness
\neven longer,” I sat down on one of the real couches and began scribbling in
\nthe information it demanded.<\/p>\n
When I was done, I brought the papers back to the real desk. The lady took
\nthem from my hands once again and skimmed over them, “Good, very good.”
\n “Wow,” I exclaimed softly, “Not only this feeling of happiness but I get
\naffirmation for doing a good job as well. This is too much.” I walked to
\nthe door, turned and said, “Thank you very much for making my day more
\npleasant.” She grinned again and answered, “Come back sometime!”<\/p>\n
I headed straight for the president Dr. Magnoli’s office. Magnoli has an
\n“open door” policy so that any student can come in, but hardly anyone ever
\ndoes. Most of the students don’t even know what he looks like. But the door
\nto the office of the presidency was open, so I walked in. I could see the
\n“Big Man on Campus” in the inner office talking to someone on a couch. I
\nwouldn’t ask to talk to him since he was busy. Instead I directed my
\nattention to the secretary sitting behind a huge desk in front of me. She
\nwas directing her whole attention on me walking in with my greasy hair,
\nt-shirt, denim shirt, jeans, and untied high tops.<\/p>\n
“I just came over from the Financial Aid Office,” I started, my brow wrinkled
\nseriously, “and I just wanted to say that every time I’ve been in there, they
\nhave been very courteous and helpful and have made my day more pleasant.”
\n Her face was a torn combination of shock and elation. “Well, ah,” she
\nseemed unsure of what to say as she grabbed for a pen and scrap of paper,
\n“Thank you! We don’t get many positive comments. Usually people just
\ncomplain, it’s the other way around. I’ll be sure to let Dr. Magnoli know.
\n What’s your name?” I’m not sure why she needed my name, but I gave it to
\nher anyway, spelling my last name.<\/p>\n
Finally I made it to the business office where the lady behind the glass said
\nthrough the hole, “You have a credit of 536 dollars. Would you like a check
\nrequest for it?” I have no idea where that extra half a grand came from, but
\nthinking on my feet, I answered, “Sure!”<\/p>\n
Maybe it does pay to be nice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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