And the Ashley Saga continues. So, we had another team meeting on Monday, which Ashley didn’t bother to acknowledge in any form or come to. The rest of us went on without her and finished up the final phase of the proposal work. Late Tuesday night, Ashley posts something on the class message board saying, “Here’s my ideas for phase 3.” Um…no, see, we already did it without you. We spent hours working on a plan that you are monkey wrenching. Plus, can you say “too little too late?”
Well, Jason, the only male team member, read the post and completely went off on her. He said:
I don’t want to come off like a jerk, but let’s face it. You haven’t done any work all quarter. Girl did all the work for Phase 1 that you two were supposed to share. Your Phase 2 contribution was totally sub par, as I think you saw when we turned it in two weeks ago. You apparently haven’t done your individual writing pieces. In your Phase 3 post, you said you had some thoughts on what we could do. You proceeded to either repeat the general concept for the department or post ideas that have been posted for a couple of days now. We already met today and generated material for two issues, which we’ll be turning in on Wednesday.
I applauded. I was totally with him in sentiment, but I knew what it meant for class tonight: shit meets fan.
Ashley actually showed up for class. She was waiting outside the classroom when I arrived. She walked up to me and said “Um, what’s your name again?”
What’s my name?? Are you fucking kidding me?? If you had been a member of this team all quarter, you’d know my fucking name!!!!!
I was the very definition of livid after that. The other team members arrived and she started making one excuse after another about why she hadn’t done anywork (she’s been sick, she had no Internet, she was moving, blah blah blah) and then she proceeded to blame the rest of the team for her not doing her own work! It was our fault she didn’t turn anything in because we didn’t tell her it was due. Ashley, meet my friend THE SYLLABUS.
She ran to the prof at that point, pissing and moaning that we were being mean to her, so the whole team had to stay after everyone else left, to listen to her make more excuses. The prof was really great and all of the proof of what she hasn’t done is on our group message board, so it was not like Ashley was snowing her. So Ashley decided to cry.
She was sitting in her chair with her head down, she wouldn’t make eye contact, it was like watching a 3-year-old having a time out. And then she launched into the blame the other team member speel again. I had had quite enough by that point. I said, “Look, Ashley. No one is trying to attack you, although I am sure that is how it feels. But I have to say, it is not Jason, Betsy, or my responsibility to babysit you and make sure you have your work done. And honestly, it is frustrating and un-fair to blame the rest of the team for you not having met expectations.”
That’s when she cried.
So now, we have another team meeting next week and the prof is going to sit in on it because Ashley is apparently afraid to be alone with the rest of the team, ’cause we might be mean to her.
*Eye roll*
