Problems in McKenzie

Well, I visited my brother and sister-in-law in McKenzie on Friday--there was a variety show being put on by the students in the program my brother is helping lead. Some acts were out of sight: there was a jazz band piece that brought the house down; a bluegrass quartet did beautifully; a smoove R&B number; and a cover of the Eagles' "Already Gone." Then there were the other acts: a cover-your-eyes rendition of "These Boots Were Made for Walkin'," a deafening and screechy version of "His Eye is on the Sparrow," and a number from Grease that would curl your hair. Still, everyone was supportive, and the good numbers really overshadowed the bad ones.

Behind all this, however: R (my sister in law) has a job in the "business office," i.e., the department responsible for all finances, etc., and has come to find out that the college has multiple creditors that haven't been paid for upwards of six months. She isn't able to process payments, but she's now getting the phone calls--because the lady responsible for accounts payable just won't answer the phone or even check her voice mail. Meanwhile, B is finding that the program he's involved in is pretty much hated by everyone else on faculty and staff--particularly the one (that's "1") theater professor. Meanwhile, there's a lady in the administration building that likes to feed stray cats--in the building. Decisions made at the highest administrative levels, for instance that B should be able to have access to the university's theater facilities, scene shop, costume shop, etc., are not communicated to the persons actually responsible for carrying them out.

I could go on. Point being, I'm more than a little concerned that what we were seeing as a great opportunity is actually a trap.