I don’t usually consider writing apologist columns, but then again, we all make mistakes at some points in our lives and do need to apologize to take some of the load off.
It does happen. We’re not all infallible. Sure, not everyone’s mistakes are of equal magnitude or impact, but each mistake affects people differently. Let’s look at some historical mistakes.
In the category of wars, we have Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler.
Mid-1812: Napoleon and his army try to invade Russia, but are driven back by the Russian army’s scorched earth policy and a harsh winter.
Mid-1941: Hitler and his army try to invade Russia, but are driven back by Russian troops and the oncoming winter. Both of these result in the joke, “How do you stop a dictator?” and give new meaning to the phrase, “Winter is coming.”
In the world of sports, we have the White Sox, Pete Rose and Tonya Harding.
October 1919: Several members of the Chicago White Sox are accused of working to throw the 1919 World Series.
Mid-1989: Cincinnati Reds Manager Pete Rose is blacklisted for betting on baseball games, namely those in which his team was playing.
January 1994: Tonya Harding, along with her ex and her bodyguard, hire someone to break one of Nancy Kerrigan’s legs in an attempt to win the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
The motivators: money, money and fame (or money in some way, shape or form).
Yes, these mistakes are far greater than my previous column about the Career Development Center, but the overall point still stands: Don’t make rash or poorly thought-out decisions. Writing up that column from just my point of view without getting other points of view wasn’t the brightest or most balanced thing to do, but we all have dim moments now and then.
How was I supposed to know that the person leading the CDC presentation was rushing to finish it up in the basement of the Glenn G. Bartle Library and get over to the Old University Union? I wasn’t, and I wouldn’t have known unless I had waited around longer. Should I have given the benefit of the doubt and waited a little longer? Yes, I should have.
Then again, there’s the philosophy of waiting five to 10 minutes into a class and leaving if the professor doesn’t show up, but classes and informational presentations are two different cups of tea.
Making a rash call about the actions of one CDC representative doesn’t amount to badmouthing the entire organization, but as the representative was, well, representing the CDC, it seems as such. It’s something I learned from my internship last spring and something that’s clear to all businesses: Individuals who work for your company represent your company outside of the office.
Hypothetically, if someone overindulges at a happy hour and starts hitting on interns, that person could be on the out-and-out for potentially damaging the reputation of the company they work for. If someone’s a little late for a meeting … It happens. It’s a part of life. Not everyone will always be on time, and that’s a fact that people just have to accept, just like the fact that everyone makes mistakes.