https://maps.app.goo.gl/Z6E6gan1DCRtgcEK6
They have one of the most regular weekly lunch speaker events which has it's pros & cons. The cons are that it becomes a clique after a while. There are regulars there who seem like they haven't missed a lunch in decades.
And they keep track ( in their minds) of who's who. These regulars are not very impressive individuals. One in particular is a major slob. And it's not as if they are eminent scholars. They just happen to be in the same place at the same time every week for years on end .
Even the speakers they bring in sometime are exceedingly boring & dull (which apparently is the way they like it). And they DON'T sincerely like "outsiders". The dept chair may give platitudes in his welcome but if they decide to not like you they make it known thru micro aggressions, including the "Stanford stare" or "evil eye" .
One guy with a big beard on repeat occasions would turn & give me a prolonged stare as if to say "who are you ?" even though I'd been coming there for a while.
It's unethical & simply despicable for them to open it to the public if they don't really want us there. Just open it up to your cronies. It's not as if I'm a total dummy just coming out of a tent on the street to get a free lunch.
I do have two bachelors and a Masters from good institutions, but I'm not one of those who likes to compare degrees. I let my accomplishments speak for itself .
My purpose for originally attending this weekly lunch was to try to learn something. I always try to pick up a new nugget of wisdom or insight to add to my knowledge base.
But I felt uncomfortable after a while with some of the supercilious attitudes I encountered. So I stopped attending even though I'm usually on campus on Wednesdays. I don't have any desire to return.
You can have your little ladies coffee hour all to yourself & engage in group think. Congratulations . And I thought this was an institution of higher learning.
