2008 Email of the Year
The
Information Age has brought us things like palm-sized computers, micro-processors more powerful than equipment that used to take up the size of an airplane hangar, MP3 music and tiny display screens that have enabled us to take our entertainment, our business and our personal lives mobile. The
Information Age also enabled us to voice our opinions on matters to a wide broadcast of persons that got the wheels of change spinning. For these moments, a
Ryan Award is dedicated. The nominees for the 2008
Email of the Year award are:
Bryna Hardy, ICTS Skills TrainerFor the past 7-10 months, I have responded to the same email queries about why the training system is not smart enough to comprehend fairly simple matters with the same response citing how we do not want the computers to become too smart as that will lead to war with them; as predicted in the
Terminator movie series (though I have assured all queries that we ultimately win agains the machines anyways). After several months and several dozen queries with no acknowledgement of the reference, ICTS Skills Trainer Bryna Hardy replied back in good spirits about the reference and, to this day, is the only person to have ever acknowledged the
Terminator reference.
Cassandra Southerland, FC Skills TrainerFollowing the organizational collapse that was the October Support Group, emotions were high and opinions galore. Cassandra challenged The Man with well-pointed and direct points that she felt needed to be discussed as serious concerns regarding some of the things that were going on around here. Speaking for all of us without any of us with confidence and clarity. Since her email made the rounds of the department, FC Team Meeting interruptions have fallen by over 300% - no exaggeration; I keep tally. THAT is the email of change.
Greg Baron, FC Skills TrainerFollowing the organizational collapse that was the October Support Group, Greg Baron proved that even those who only are on campus for a handful of hours a week are able to mass-email opinions on matters of opinion. While it went largely unnoticed compared to Cassandra's email, Greg did manage to get the Director to notice and be upset by it; which is arguably more important.
Ian Mouser, FC Skills TrainerA true Foster Care Elder, the Great One has been a critical part of Foster Care for some 5 years now - with a pocket full of memories and a flashy clock to show for it. While is job is to teach the kids life skills, he also watches our back when others are careless... and I mean the back door. The sliding back door, to be more specific. In an email sent out a few months back, Ian addressed safety and security by alerting us via mass-email about the sliding glass door being left ajar and the security risk that it presents. For a man with little at stake here and almost lesser presence here, to be looking out for the security and well-being of the environment is indeed a mark of honor and professional principle.
Bobby Martin, BRS Case ManagerIn one of many examples of taking the iniatitive, Bobby sent out a mass email -- complete with illustration -- to everyone and Suzie (Receptionist) celebrating Administrative Professionals Day (April 23). While there is considerable doubt that Bobby actually wrote the content or created the image as opposed to just copy-pasting or forwarding some thing he had already received some where else, the point is that Bobby took the effort to wish all good will. Suzie appreciated the kind words and lovely graphic... even if Bobby was just the mass-messenger.
Cordelia Apple, FC Skills TrainerNot everything that is printed is true (except everything that you read here for the Ryan Awards) and an example of this fact comes from an email exchange with our own great Cordelia. In one of the best, meaningless debates to happen through email, Cordelia boggled the rational mind and proved herself a renegade of reason when claiming that Santa Fe, NM was better than Albuquerque, NM. The opinion being correct only if "Santa Fe is better than Albuquerque" was followed by phrases like: "...in general sucking" or "...in regards to a small town annoyances" or maybe even "... in a magical world where everything good is in fact bad; everything bad is indeed good. Sort of like Opposite World but without the cliche' name." However, that was not Cordelia's angle and while I do not agree with her enough to ever say that Santa Fe is better than my native Albuquerque (except with the above exceptions), I do agree that it was a memorable email and thus worthy of nomination.
