My First Bad Day

So today was not the greatest day ever. For starters, I got a knock on my door from a teary girl around 1:00 this morning. She'd had a nightmare involving a murderer in our bathroom and was convinced we were all going to be killed in our sleep. After much persuading I got her to come to the bathroom with me to see for herself that there was no one there, but she was still pretty freaked out so I gave her my People Magazine "Babies of the Year" issue to take to bed because nothing is less scary than babies. I think it's a testament to my sleep-deprived state that the whole time I was exploring the bathroom with her I was thinking how funny it would be if there was actually a guy with a knife hiding in one of the stalls...

Then after lunch I had the following conversation with one of my girls:

Girl: Caroline, how do I go on a diet?
Me: Why do you want to go on a diet?
Girl: Because I'm fat!
Me: You're not fat at all! What are you talking about?!
Girl: Of course I'm fat! Look, I can do this! (pinches a little roll from around her tummy)
Me: Everyone can do that! Look, I can do it too! (demonstrates) Are you saying I'm fat?
Girl: (hesitates) But you're really pretty!

Ouch.

While the kids were at study hall there was a "TA/RA Soiree" at a local coffee shop, which would have been nicer had it not been pouring down rain for the fifteen minute walk there and held in a room that was air conditioned to below the freezing point.

But the kicker was a memo we got in our boxes about five minutes before hall meeting. It's a tradition at many CTY sites to have "dress days," and all the kids get really into them. For example, we had pajama day earlier in the week and it was a rousing success. Tomorrow was going to be cross-dress day, which has been a tradition at this site at least since I was a student here. The kids get really into it, and all of today you could see girls discreetly slipping boys skirts and tank tops in exchange for baggy shorts and baseball caps. I myself borrowed gym shorts, a soccer jersey and a baseball cap from one of the male RAs, who got a skirt and a pink sparkly shirt in return. But apparently as of 9:40 pm today, cross-dress day is not longer allowed on the CTY campus because it is insulting to those of different sexual orientations. Now I'm all for equal rights and tolerance, but this is ridiculous. They have added so many rules since I've been here for the sake of being PC and not being liable that sometimes I wonder if it's the same CTY that I loved so much as a student. Of the four gay/bisexual RAs not a single one had a problem with crossdressing day, in fact several of them had a problem with the fact that we can't do it "for their sake." This policy makes me mad on so many levels, but the most upsetting thing about it is that when I walked by one of my girl's doors after the meeting I heard her saying "This isn't fun like it used to be, I don't want to come back anymore." I hate the fact that the administration is so caught up in wanting this program to look perfect that the kids having fun, which should be our first priority, is not even a consideration.

CIMRs today: 2
Thought: isugfpiausgfpisauf!!1!