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Nobody minds when you dont comment first but we get concerned when you dont comment, like that dominos that saved that guys life after they called the ambulance because he didnt ring for his daily pizza
There are other jobs. Probably plenty that pay a lot better than a college RA. Ruth is a strong, intelligent person; she doesn’t need to destroy herself for this.
Sometimes you’ve got to cling to that one thing that makes you feel that you have value. To everybody else it’ll seem like utter madness, but to you it’s a pocket of air in a sinking ship.
“And then I’ll have to go back and live with my grandfather, and he’ll keep reminding both me and my brother what a failure I am, and it’ll be true because I won’t even be able to keep a McJob without a college degree so I’ll have to listen to it forever.”
This is why depression is dangerous to anyone, but especially someone with virtually no support network.
I don’t know, I’ve blasted that anthem while burning job bridges in a pit of depression but being at the point that it didn’t matter anymore and the job was one less thing to fret over. :/
(And that was a long-ass run-on sentence. My bad.)
Probably the best outcome at this point. Ruth needs help, she can’t perform her duties in her current state, she doesn’t need the pressure of having to do so, and the she certainly doesn’t need the one person who cares about her needing to pretend she doesn’t.
I just hope the job wasn’t that important to her, and losing it doesn’t cost her a a scholarship or having a place to live.
Not necessarily. When you’re dealing with depression, which my sisters had, it can make you almost completely intractable on things that you otherwise wouldn’t give up.
For Ruth, being R.A. gave her Control, a control that is now slipping. Billie represents a whole bunch of emotions, a number of which she is likely nowhere near comfortable with. This can easily make the R.A. position even MORE important to her on a psychological level, a final anchor she clings to, even as the ship itself continues to take on water.
Well, I think this means Ruth wants to be fired to keep having a relationship with Billie, or I’m entirely wrong and I’m about to die inside. It’s Willis, you never know.
Ruth assumes everything she does is meaningless or eventually will fail. I’m assuming she is just in a constant state of waiting for the other shoe to drop.
That may be me projecting though, since I’m like that as well.
I don’t read it as wanting anything but having whatever consequences disengaging is going to have make themselves known. I’ve given up on everything a couple times due to depression, and that in between place where you’ve given up but the world hasn’t acted on it yet is a weird place to be.
^ This. It’s easy to say “just hurry up and shit all over my life already” when you’re in that state, because at least it’s not that weird “nothing matters, yet here I am” position. It’s actually more acceptable to the brain to have your life be shit, because it reinforces the idea that your life is shit.
I’ve never heard of it actually paying in the sense of “Here is cash,” so not so much helping one with the goods and services. But it does generally come with room and board, which is definitely significant.
“Compensation for both positions includes:
-Single room.
-RPS meal plan.
-Laundry Stipend.
-A stipend of $1,500, paid bi-weekly during the academic year.”
Now I get why she had to be so damn strict, that’s a legitimately good gig she has going. I’d be breaking femurs left and right if I was in her shoes and I’m chill as balls.
I’m relatively certain that would be an annual stipend of $1500, but that instead of getting it as a lump sum, it is divided up over around 16 two week long intervals. So maybe about $100 a pay period, or $50 a week. It looks like the university pays most of their student staff members around $10 an hour, and I think 5 hours a week is probably the most that an RA would be expected to be actively doing RA duties.
Yes, they are also (somewhat?) on call, but the primary remuneration is in their room and board. That probably comes to about $9000 a year. She never sees that 9000, but without that she’d have to find 9000 to cover living on campus.
Haha, yeah, that $1500 is going to be a per-year thing. XD IU’s website estimates room and board as being around $10,000 a year.
I feel like it’d be more than five hours a week of active RA-ing, though? I mean, I guess it depends on how into the role you are. Just friends of mine who had done it seemed to end up giving a lot of their time to it.
Benefits vary. My brother in law was an RA, it gave him a single room without paying extra, paid food for the semester, etc. it also gave him the option to stay on campus in the Summer and work, which ALSO helped his tuition costs.
I was wondering that as well. I’m thinking that the lighting would be different if it was open. Willis has in the past taken little details like that into account. Like in one comic two characters were walking by/under a tree, and he had the shadow from it moving.
Don’t let yourself panic about what might happen. Right now you need to be focused on getting healthy and dealing with the challenges in front of you. You might get fired. You might not. Deal with that when you get there.
Whether or not you have a job is secondary to whether or not you’re alive to do it.
Given that Carla is a giant wild card in the situation, I think Billie might be right that it’s not a guaranteed thing that she’s getting fired.
Yes, everyone knows, but now everyone also has a reason to empathize with her, so she may benefit from the Queer Girl Underground that’s been hiding Becky from her. Additionally, Carla knows Mary’s blackmail plan and has no fucked it over in two separate ways, so I could see her “solving” the problem with the RA as well, not because Ruth deserves to have her job, but simply to fuck over Mary.
Ruth might actually get out of this blackmail attempt in relatively one piece. But I can also see her suffering the additional scrutiny from her actions. So… who knows.
It’s mostly something implied as having happened during the time skip during the past week. In Friday’s chapter several of the girls on the hall say things that imply they’ve been helping hide Becky from Ruth and Mary ever since she was rescued from Toedad on Monday. One of those girls is Mandy (who to the best of our knowledge is still dating Grace).
[I hope I got the character names right!]
I like where your going with this Cerberus as I think the end game does have Carla saving the day, but I suspect that she’s going to have to make a sacrifice to do it. Everyone keeps forgetting the one point about Carla that she really wants everyone to forget, she’s stinking rich. I’m afraid the end game is going to be Carla having to learn that she has to use that privilege sometime even if she doesn’t want to be defined by her family’s money.
Not really. I’ve had days where, because of legal, personal, or emotional issues or setbacks I’d have liked nothing better than to lie down on my bed, fall asleep, and just never bother waking up. But one eventually finds some other reason to get up and get over it.
Also, oof to that feeling where you wish the bad thing would hurry up and hit already so you could stop worrying about it. Been there far too many times for comfort.
god…how messed up Billie’s emotions must be right now, that after sprinting down the hall and busting into this girl’s room while desperately screaming her name, all she can think to do is lay stiffly on the bed next to her without touching…
For all the awkward it seems, it may actually be the best thing to do for Ruth right now. Let Ruth initiate any physical contact, not trying to pressure her to talk about anything or ‘talk her out of it’ but just being there to support her and prevent any immediate physical danger.
Yup. She’s been through a hell of a ringer herself emotionally and it says volumes that she’s not spooning her or pulling her up to a sitting position, she’s just lying on the bed next to her, refilling her spot.
It sort of feels like, the hell for Billie was just physically not being able to BE there, able to see and hear Ruth being alive. And now she can, she doesn’t know what else to do, and maybe doesn’t even really NEED to do anything else except settle back into place. She’s here. She’s back.
I kinda want to see Mary do a hallway full of everyone on her floor delivering a punch to her face in sequence. Better yet, they have the choice to either support her or punch her in the face as some sort of vote of approval. The approvals do not go her way.
I feel like that would eventually get really uncomfortable. No matter how you slice it, Mary is still an 18 year old girl, who so far hasn’t attempted to physically harm anyone. Mary’s awful, but mob justice is still bad.
If it was Carol I would say the same thing, there’s a massive difference between thinking somethings okay, and deciding violence is the best way to solve it.
Having been in the throes of depression and waiting for the shit to hit the proverbial fan (loss of scholarships, ergo no longer being able to afford college), that last line is too familiar. Wanting to lose everything, to have everyone give up on you, so there’s no reason (in her current thinking, anyway) to keep on going. Maybe I’m wrong, and there’s a more optimistic reading.
I think your reading is valid, although I read it a little differently just from my own experience. For me, it’s always more this bone-deep certainty that everything *is* going to go to hell, so once it does, I’m almost glad to have it just… happen.
I’m not sure if that’s more or less optimistic than your interpretation…
Prolly a combination of both. She wants the bad thing to happen so she can finally lose what she’s using to hold on (see also her constantly trying to push away Billie), but she also is probably just really tired of the fear and just wants the worst to come already, because then she can be done worrying about it.
I’m on anti-depressants so I think I have it? My doctor told me they’re used for depression and anxiety and they seem to work. I was prescribed them by a psychiatrist so yes?
I genuinely have no idea if that constitutes a clinical diagnosis.
If they were prescribed by a professional, then yes, it’s a clinical diagnosis. Your doctor might have mentioned anxiety and depression because they frequently go hand-in-hand and it can take awhile to separate if one, the other, or both are specific to your situation. Some meds tackle both, because they aim for the same set of chemical signals to try to correct your mood and thoughts.
Sometimes people mention that Carla could keep Ruth in her job by donating to the university or what not. I would much prefer to Carla’s parents start a charity that allowed queer young people to apply for scholarships/grants. And then Carla might mention to becky or ruth or whoever to try applying for such a thing.
Because while it is not great for a person to take over too much financially for a friend (or especially a new significant other) due to power imbalance… I think a new scholarship option could work.
And it is the sort of thing that could help lots and lots of people, so even if it was acquaintances of Carla’s that inspired the idea, it wouldn’t have to be even slightly centred on them. Like, there are probably still many not such great aspects to this idea, but I still prefer it to the idea of Carla’s parents donating to the university in order to manipulate the university towards a certain end.
The scholarship idea is great actually. If the comic lasts longer than the first semester maybe something like that might happen?
My initial thought was for Varla’s parents to threaten pulling any school funding ( I’m assuming they have some RnD on campus since Carla got their tech pretty quickly) in order to keep Ruth on campus if the school finds out and tries to punish her.
Though it would kind of suck (for the characters of this comic; not for the fictional universe in general) if they started this scholarship and then neither Becky nor Ruth receive it.
Could definitely happen! Though i mean, they could just purposefully be very bad at advertising the initial round of scholarships. So that it /is/ a favour from Carla, but in a manner that doesn’t have to leave them feeling too indebted to her, I hope.
I mean, her parents donating to the university to keep Ruth in her job would lead to just as much of a potentially negative power dynamic from financial necessity as a somewhat pre-selected scholarship recipient.
Ooh, economic freedom from sir, potential emotional care from engaged parental figures, chance of helping out Becky as well (and Becky’s likely to come up soon, just because Carla’s now a bit more entangled with Sal, Billie, and Ruth.
And – I think it would be bad at this point for Billie (or her parents) to do too much financially for Ruth – like, obviously having material necessities is, well, necessary. But the relationship between Billie and Ruth is already not the healthiest, and I don’t think making Ruth financially dependent on Billie(+ Billie’s parents) would make their relationship healthier – as in, it would probably make it worse.
Dina’s parents, while probably not wealthy, I think also have some level of disposable income – But I think that it would not be good for Becky to be overly reliant on that either. Even though their relationship is looking to be of a healthy sort, financial dependence can trap people badly.
(I know plenty of relationships have a primary/sole breadwinner. This does not have to be problematic, but I do think it has potential to be problematic, especially if, pretty much from day one, one party depends on the other so completely as to not be on the streets. Not that it would be wrong for someone to keep their partner off the streets, obviously, but it would preferably be a short term solution towards empowering the other one to be able to not be entirely dependent on someone they’ve been dating for a week)
There are levels of richness, and essentially adopting another person (as taking full economic responsibility over Ruth would basically entail) is not something the lower end of rich people can do lightly. Paying for Ruth to attend college would cost about $89,000 by itself, and all her other economic needs are, at a quick estimate, $10,000-$20,000 per year.
It’s one thing to be cozy with politicians, owning a yatch, and throwing money at one’s estranged daughter out of guilt. It’s another thing to spend 100,000 to provide for one’s daughter’s latest fling.
On the bright side, the quickest way to defang blackmail is to not fear the threatened consequences. She looks exhausted enough that she can’t get together the energy to be actively afraid, and she has someone there to support her emotionally. If she was ever going to play dentist with blackmail, this might work.
On the other hand, that depression-rooted apathy hurts. Reminds me of some really bad times when one of the major reasons I didn’t ‘walk to the shore and just keep walking’ was because I didn’t have the energy to walk across campus to the Atlantic Ocean beach.
Just a thought, Ruth — carry on as if nothing has happened, because as far as you and your position is concerned, until you hear from someone like the Dean of Housing or some other high muckety-muck in the Housing Office nothing officially HAS happened.
Some friends of mine looked into the IU handbook and found out that having sex with your residents is not against the rules.
So it depends on if they can get all the alcohol out of the room before an inspection takes place.
It’s only been a day or two with her crippling depression and desire to stay in her room, which won’t get her fired unless it extends for a few more days and interferes further with her job. If someone comes to her for help and she refuses to provide it, then she’ll face issues with the university.
She most likely won’t be fired unless someone snitches about all the booze. And even then, if anyone likes her, they can help her get the bottles and whatnot out of the room.
So, rest easy, friends! Ruth is safe–her floormates just need to read up on policies for RAs at IU.
Wait, it really says that in the IU handbook? I mean yeah the booze and stuff is probably what’ll get her, but wow. Just watch though, somebody will mention all the worry about Ruth getting fired over her and Billie, and then Dorothy will be all like “You guys know that’s not against the rules right?” Then everyone does a big “Duh-wahhhh?!”
that would be pretty anti-climactic considering how long the idea that it’s a fireable offense has been maintained. not that i think its impossible, but i think itd be better for the story if it’s just a way the school in the comic is different from the real-world one.
True, but I do believe Willis has tried to minimize straying too far from ‘reality’, as it were. Has it been stated explicitly that it’s a fireable offense, or just that Ruth believes it? Cause I can believe Willis doing a plot twist like that. Allows a semblance of the status quo, and then can explore further storyline dynamics, like Becky and such.
daisy (the girl at the school paper) has also said it’s pretty bad, but i think only ruth and billie have directly said she’d be fired for it.
but it’s also been directly compared to the sal/jason situation, so condemnations of that could probably count for billie/ruth too.
At the same time, it would be such a Dorothy moment. Plus, Dorothy is writing for the student paper IIRC, so if she believes that this is the case, you’d damn well better believe there will be a front-page op-ed the very next day if she thinks Ruth is being treated unjustly. That would bring upon the school the one thing they care about preventing: Negative Attention. In the wake of a dude literally brandishing a gun on their campus, assaulting a student, attempting to kidnap a woman and being attacked by multiple vigilantes in the process, they can’t handle another scandal. They will absolutely bend rules to make that shit go away, although they might first threaten Dorothy’s academic career and future…but I feel like at this point, Dorothy is at a turning point where she will be willing to stand her ground, because the whole reason she wants to be President in the first place is her strong sense of principles.
Daisy said that when Billie approached her after being wall slammed by Ruth before they were dating, unless they talked about this another time. Daisy saying it’s bad doesn’t really have to apply to a consensual (if unhealthy) relationship. Also I’m pretty sure Daisy actually waved it off because it sounded hot, so maybe we’re really talking about different times.
I’m not sure that’s correct, actually. From the Graduate Staff manual:
“If the nature of a friendship turns more serious and romantic, then there is a reason for concern. There are distinct professional and ethical issues involved when one enters a romantic relationship with someone that he or she directly supervises[…]You should consider talking with your coordinator supervisor if the potential of becoming romantically involved with someone you supervise exists.”
It’s exactly as Ruth has spelled it out in-comic: “Fraternizing with anyone on this floor could get me terminated.” “Could”, not “would definitely”. But even if her specific supervisor was okay with it (not a guarantee by any means), it would also invite scrutiny and prompt them to start paying more attention, which could uncover her other problems re: alcohol and mental illness.
Yeah, that might really the biggest danger. If the forces below start paying more attention to her floor, they’ll see the other negatives she brings to the table like threatening her charges, her alcoholism, and how her crippling depression is impacting her ability to even do her job day to day.
And even if she doesn’t get fired or they shrug about the relationship, they’ll probably also be checking up on her more regularly, especially if the Becky thing ends up coming out around the same time.
“Relationships outside the Instructional Context. A faculty member should be careful to distance himself or herself from any decisions that may reward or penalize a student with whom he or she has or has had an amorous or sexual relationship, even outside the instructional context, especially when the faculty member and student are in the same academic unit or in units that are allied academically.”
As long as Billie does not feel like she’s being rewarded or penalized in a way that puts her above or below other people, she’s in the clear. Billie is obviously very interested in being with Ruth, so she’s not going to say that she’s getting preferential treatment, and honestly, she’s not–outside of hiding booze, which obviously won’t get reported because they’re the only two who know about it.
Since Billie wants everything that Ruth offers–no matter how sexual or violent it is–she will never admit to getting special treatment by Ruth. Thus, the issue doesn’t fall under the rule.
No one believes Billie when she talks about how Ruth attacked her in the past, so she has no reason to expect anyone to look into it. It rests on the shoulders of no one knowing more details than they currently know right now.
Any additional information may tip the scales, but right now, she’s perceived to be within her rights.
No, Ruth isn’t a graduate student, but the RA manual directly states “Resident Assistants and Graduate Supervisors are academic appointees. As such they are
bound by the same guidelines, which exist for all academic appointees.” re: romantic relationships, so it still applies to her.
In my experience RAs — who are, after all, students themselves— are considered to be more “peer advisors” rather than supervisory personnel. Optimally they would follow the same guidelines as those set forth for Graduate Staff (as spelled out by miz), but I feel those guidelines are in place more to address situations such as Sal and her ‘tutoring’ from Jason.
To me, that makes it sound like it’s allowed, but not encouraged. She may be made RA of a different dorm, and they’ll get a new one, to avoid an abuse of authority.
Yeah, but generally “Talking with your supervisor” means “find a way in which you are no longer in charge of this person.” I had been assuming Billie would have to move down a floor.
This seems reasonable to me, but she did still knowingly harbor a non-resident on the premises for literally days, and I get the distinct impression that’s something she’s supposed to be actively preventing. She could easily get shit-canned for it, I would assume.
To be fair. She hasn’t yet. She found out Friday, Becky left that evening and isn’t back yet. Like, she’ll start breaking that rule going forward, but at this moment, she’s done nothing of the sort to harbor a non-resident.
After having depression from 6 years old, I know this feeling all to well, and this just hurts my heart. This entire webcomic has the best portrayal of mental illnesses I’ve seen so far, and for that I am eternally grateful.
And Grav Roulette has made me Agatha again. I wasn’t happy then, and I’m still unhappy now.
… I’m about to be stereotyping and prejudiced here.
Agatha is a Mormon, and I… don’t like Mormonism. There’s several issues I have the LDS church, but principle among them are its harsh, abusive treatment of its LGBT members, and also of apostates. I also still hold a grudge for their part in Prop 8, and take it as a clear signal that it’s not enough for them just to torment their own people with their religious code… they have to force the rest of us to live by it as well.
So, angry.
The thing is, my upset with Mormonism does not extend to Mormons. Most Mormons I have met have been polite, kind, civil, decent people. That’s not universal, but neither are any of the grounds for hatred. Properly speaking, my condemnation should be for the religion and not for the religious.
And by and large, it is.
We haven’t seen Agatha much but every time we’ve seen her she’s been kind or happy or… well, nothing to complain about. She’s only mentioned her religion when the subject of church or prayer comes up. She’s not going door to door. She’s not handing out pamphlets. She’s not campaigning against LGBT rights. She’s helped shelter Becky, though I don’t know if that was in apathy of her gayness or in spite of it. But the things I hate about the religion, but not necessarily the religious, are not apparently present with this religious individual.
But I still don’t want her as an avatar. Being represented by someone who is a Mormon, and that’s one of only about four facts we know about her?
Nope.
Nopenopenopenopenopenopenope.
The thought of it makes me feel icky. Like eating at Chic-Fil-A a few years ago would have made me feel with every bite I took, or reading Orson Scott Card now that I know of his anti-LGBT activism. It just changes everything about it, to the point where I can’t enjoy it.
Maybe if Agatha gets some development, I’ll think of that when I see her more than her Mormonism.
But for now….. NOPE.
…. and I’m not entirely comfortable with how prejudiced this might make me, but I’m more comfortable with that question than with an Agatha grav.
It’s interesting to note that I left the Catholic Church because their treatment of, well a lot of issues, but am largely Catholic in every one of my views. Religion is an odd thing because it’s an ideology as well as an organization. They can be very varied among individuals or not at all.
Yeah it super bums me out when real life ruins fiction. Bill Cosby, Tom Cruise, OSC, goddamned Dilbert (Scott Adams is cuckoo)…the list goes on. I used to be totally in love with Kirstie Allie until I found out she was a new age ditzoid.
To distract myself from depression flashbacks: I hope Mary’s reaction will be explored in more depth later on. The last comic was the first time I could relate to her.
Up until now, we didn’t know her motivations to be deplorable, she just was. But we now know she is into controlling the situation and the people in it. Craving power over others as she does is human – what she does with that power is terrible, but the power high I can relate to. I’m curious where it will go.
If Ruth gets kicked out of residence, she can totally move in with Becky. There is absolutely no way that could go badly whatsoever and it will be smooth sailing all the way forever.
Ruth wouldn’t get kicked out of college. She’d lose her single room but chances are then they’d just stick her in an open double (and she’s never going to face consequences for the things she did that actually would entail her getting kicked out). You can get expelled for alcohol consumption but that ain’t gonna happen either, so the administration is gonna go easy on her and probably get her help more than anything.
You all hate that, but you can be sure she will propose her candidature. And no one else will bother to do so.
And has no one else want to do the job, Carla end up proposing her candidature too.
She won (I lied on my first line), and now she has to take care of a bunch of people and doing a job and policing around and applying rules, some of them (most) she think dumb and she hate that job and having to deal with responsibility but it was either that or let Mary get the job.
Carla hate that new responsibility thus Mary won anyway.
And again I remind everyone in the comic that Billie has already been assuming effective responsibilities of an RA, from fixing the stuck trash chute to solving roommate disputes.
In fact, that’s how she first discovered Ruth was in a bad way – she’d been doing Ruth’s job for several days and hadn’t seen Ruth even once, so eventually she pulled the fire alarm and broke into Ruth’s room.
She’s also said about being ‘head cheerleader, problem solver’.
AND she’s been coaching Ruth and pushing her towards doing her job sometime during the last week.
Basically what I’m saying is that if Ruth does end up fired, Billie is the next most natural choice for an RA, and if she doesn’t, Billie’s going to keep covering for her.
There’s no need for Carla to take it up… other than to, y’know, help with Billie’s own depression and other issues.
Age issues aside, I’m not sure that any administration after firing Ruth for alcohol abuse, sleeping with one of her charges, letting a homeless girl live on her floor and whatever else they find out is going to turn the job over to the alcoholic she was sleeping with, and drinking with, who was letting the homeless girl use her bed. Why not just leave Ruth in charge at that point?
I guess Billie’s not actually suicidally depressed. Is that enough?
ruth gets kicked out
moves in with becky
both get jobs at galasso’s
wacky adventures ensue
leslie gets to work on that sandwich board so these things stop happening so much
Ruth shouldn’t be the RA because she’s a horrible horrible person (due to circumstances beyond her control) to the people under her. I don’t take threats of violence as something slapsticky as I’ve known people who live in mortal terror of these kinds of individuals in positions of authority. So, I hope any solution involves getting her fired and figuring out a way to keep her in college.
Best mob justice for Mary: entire floor (except her, obvs) goes to Ruth’s supervisor and says “We want her to stay”. Much better than a punch in the face.
Why would they want her to stay, and does it really matter if Ruth’s violating rules she’s supposed to enforce?
Like, I don’t think anyone on the floor actually hates her the way Carla says it; at most I think she’s just their jerky RA they duck out of the way to avoid, but she’s not exactly someone who they’d stick their necks out for either.
I’m not convinced anyone else wanted to be at that meeting, either. I got the same vibe I used to get from those stupid “crisis” meetings: “Why, exactly, am I made to be in some kind of ‘group therapy’ session about something I want to deal with on my own, taking advice from a kid who is younger than me?” (Granted, Ruth is older than most of the girls we’ve met on her floor; that is not always the case at universities.) Ruth, at on point, believed that her superiors “loved her,” which indicates they’ve always given her praise for how she manages her floor. And, I suspect, if the other girls found out why and how Mary’s been bullying Ruth (preferably willingly from Carla), they would be glad to keep Ruth and get Mary kicked off the floor.
Ths is a huge MAYBE but perhaps upon seeing the Ruth’s emotional state without Billie and the simple basic need of a person to have people in their life no matter the relationship might AT LEAST set the seeds of change in Mary’s outlook and her bigotry
If anything, Mary is going to try to pin this on Carla when the higher-ups find out. “If that -insert gross slur of Mary’s choice- were on the boy’s floor, this wouldn’t have happened!”
You mean this one?
And remember, we found out in the strip before it that Ruth’s ringtone was Metallica’s “Sandman”, which I think might be a little ominous.
Regarding replacing Ruth as RA – no frosh need apply. Only sophomores we know on the floor are Sarah and Carla. Hard to see why Carla would be interested. Sarah could use the financial assistance.
I don’t know about IU, but my university regularly hired right-out-of-high school 18-year-old freshmen to be RAs. It was actually kind of rare to have anyone older as an RA, unless they stuck with it from one year to the next.
That’s really different from what I’m used to! Generally, in my experience, RAs are at least sophomores so they can help their younger students adjust to college life. It helps to know what freshman year is like when you need to help other people cope with it. RAs (again, in my experience) are often there for guidance and whatnot, so I’m really surprised to hear that. It’s interesting!
I like how Ruth’s face slightly softens when Billie is back. Like, it’s not gonna make her not depressed, but it’s a coping strategy she didn’t have that’s back and that’s an important something to her.
So, Ruth and Billie are Co-dependent. Ruth is dependent on Billie to keep her from slipping into depression, and Billie is dependent on Ruth in a maternalistic, protective way.
The only candidates for the position if Ruth was fired would be Sarah or Carla, maybe Rachel if she’s also a sophomore, or a completely new character who’s so terrible that everyone wants Ruth back.
In my university, there was a fair amount of competition in the initial application process, although nothing overwhelming. That being said, the way my (and I think many) university handled it was to hire 2 or 3 “Cover” RAs (basically a waiting list), who aren’t actually placed on a floor, but are trained and can slide right into a position if a current RA is fired or has to leave.
The years I was an RA, it seemed like they needed one per year to fill in for someone, for various reasons. That was at a large private university; I imagine a large public uni like IU would be similar.
Competition at my school was pretty high. Nobody like Ruthless would have gotten the position; at our school it’s considered a position to take care of the freshmen, grow floor community, and generally be a very kind/caring/social person. But it’s a small Christian school so things are different
Kind of? I mean, Ruth may or may not lose her job. (My bet is she will.) On the other hand, she can hopefully now actually get some help, to help pull her out of a sincerely life-threatening situation, thanks to what Carla did. That’s why it’s a good thing; at the end of the day, fuck the job.
Here's an entertaining cite at the bottom of the first page
Josh Gerstein@joshgerstein.bsky.social ⋅ 20h
JUST IN: Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan moves to dismiss federal criminal case against her for allegedly helping immigrant hide from ICE. Her lawyers say she's protected by official acts & judicial immunity and 10th Amendment. Doc: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Where did Hollywood go so wrong? I thought movies were supposed to be an escape from reality, a chance to put your worries aside and not have to think about any underlying ideas or concepts. Well, not anymore.
theonion.com/you-can...
It's not a new argument, of course, but Chesterton dismissed it effectively in 1908.
"You will hear everlastingly... this argument that the rich man cannot be bribed. The fact is, of course, that the rich man is bribed; he has been bribed already. That is why he is a rich man."
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com ⋅ 1d
Hawley dismisses Trump lining his pockets with his memecoin: "Listen, I think nobody believes that Donald Trump can be bought. I mean, what does Donald Trump need more money for?"
wilbur, savvy enough to know he's in a comic strip but still not a great actor, awkwardly lifts a muffin up into frame so that we, the audience, understand that he has a muffin right now, which is very important narratively, but he's not really selling it well as an organic, human action
confirming that the reason there's been no Galaxy Version female characters in Blokees until now is that they felt they needed to make Round Lady Thighs For Ladies
It's #webcomicday? We have a special day???
Well, my name is Pat McHoarney and I draw 69 Mouse-Ear Blvd, a multigenerational story about women who all have sexy legs and probably other features. There was a grandmother, but she wasn't hot and so she died off-panel.
Elizabeth Holmes is in prison for defrauding investors through her blood-testing company, Theranos. Her partner, Billy Evans, is now trying to raise money for a company that describes itself as “the future of diagnostics.” nyti.ms/3FbtZm9
Josh Gerstein @joshgerstein.bsky.social ⋅ 20h
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com ⋅ 1d
Pavel
@spavel.bsky.social ⋅ 10d
The New York Times @nytimes.com ⋅ 5d
preternia @preternia.com ⋅ 3d
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:/
we’ll be sleeping in the flowers
tell my boss that I’ve been fired
Ana, you failed in your duties to get first comment.
You are fired
The first part has happened before.
1. I don’t care, tbh
2. SOMEBODY in the next room is watching AGDQ Super Mario RPG and I lost like twenty minutes
Sorry
Nobody minds when you dont comment first but we get concerned when you dont comment, like that dominos that saved that guys life after they called the ambulance because he didnt ring for his daily pizza
Was daily pizza in any way related to why he needed an ambulance to begin with?
Maybe.
You are implying that daily pizza isn’t what all human beings should strive for.
You are fired.
Give us this day our daily pizza.
AGDQ = best marathon of the year, twice a year. Never miss it!
1. I don’t care, tbh
That sentiment must be devastating for those who live vicariously though you at 12:01 AM EST every day.
That is some serious latency.
SM:RPG SGDQ 2016? It it that good to keep watching? I assumed it wasn’t much different from last time. And it’s just so long.
if i die young, bury me in satin
lay me down on a bed of roses
HAIL SATIN
Indiana might be a little too landlocked to declare that Billie is an island
You never heard of Lake Michigan?
Sure. It’s in Michigan somewhere, isn’t it?
It gives Michigan an outright unhealthy wedgie.
It’s like they say: No man is an island. And Billie is NO MAN. The prophecies were true!
Billie is Gnome Ann. https://xkcd.com/1704/
Damn. I had the same thought
They Might Be Giants… I like the way you think.
Soul Music?
Then they’re certainly dwarfes!
How did you change your gravitar image???
I don’t care that you didn’t first comment, just as long as someone else remembers that album in the canon.
(Seriously, it’s like that and Factory Showroom are the forgotten step-children of the TMBG library.)
Ruth, there are more important things than your job.
such as your health
And more Slipshine
YES.
being able to buy food keep bodies healthy.
Can’t live on cookies. Sadly.
Are you sure?
There are people who have tried, I’m sure. Walky is probably one of them.
Until dorothy probably saved him from himself
There’s also the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street.
Even he acknowledges that cookies are a sometimes food.
What about the Cookie Crisp wolf? Cookie Monster?
Depends, I suspect, on how far you’re willing to stretch the recipes and definition of “cookie.”
What if they were healthier cookies? Like maybe oatmeal raisin?
That does not fall into my definition of “cookie.”
Oatmeal raisin falls under my definition of ‘delicious’!
Not with that attitude!
Promises, promises.
Well, you CAN, but not if you don’t EAT them…
I’ll bet nutrient-enriched cookies that meet all the body’s dietary requirements are a thing.
There are other jobs. Probably plenty that pay a lot better than a college RA. Ruth is a strong, intelligent person; she doesn’t need to destroy herself for this.
Actually, there probably aren’t, when you consider what room and board would cost out of a McPaycheck. RAs usually have a pretty sweet deal.
(me in the comic) Fuck your job! right now your health and sanity are more important.
Billie: will you go the hell away.
Sometimes you’ve got to cling to that one thing that makes you feel that you have value. To everybody else it’ll seem like utter madness, but to you it’s a pocket of air in a sinking ship.
better late than premature
It’s not like being R.A. was super awesome in the first place.
Yes, but without it she might have to drop out of college and go back to live with your (probably) abusive grandfather.
How did you know about Kris’s (probably) abusive grandfather?
Especially since he’s dead?! Who are you?! O_o
Has it been established that she was using income from the R.A. job to pay some of her tuition? If so where?
I don’t know if the RA job helps her with tuition, but the job does generally cover room and board.
And all the femors you can tear out.
So, zero femurs.
Which can be a significant amount
I believe it has been implied (or stated) that her ability to remain in college is dependent on her keeping that job.
I meant with “her” grandfather, not “your”. Sorry about that.
OK, now I look like a heel.
Could be worse. You could look like a toe.
That is an interesting mentality. Compare any of life’s problems to having to look like a toe.
So true.
you could be toe dad
Actually, you look like Amber. Are you saying that Amber looks like a heel, you heel?
Not surprising after her recent face-heel-turn!
I try it again: the link.
Being RA typically helps with finances at college. She might not be able to remain if she is fired.
Fortunately for her, Billie has a lot of money.
Nope, it’s Billie’s parents that have money. And they might no be capable or willing to pay for Ruth’s tuition.
Sorry Kris!
But now she won’t be able to abuse people without getting in trouble
She’ll still have Billie to abuse.
*cue Slipshine on the phone*
I wonder if she’s been visualizing worst case scenarios while lying like that.
I can pretty much guarantee it. That’s one of the things depression does best
Co-sign.
Yeeeep.
“And then I have to drop out of school and lose Billie entirely, and then”
“And then I’ll have to go back and live with my grandfather, and he’ll keep reminding both me and my brother what a failure I am, and it’ll be true because I won’t even be able to keep a McJob without a college degree so I’ll have to listen to it forever.”
This is why depression is dangerous to anyone, but especially someone with virtually no support network.
*plays “Take This Job And Shove It” on the hacked Muzak*
No, that was a joyous anthem of liberation. Ruth’s situation is anything but that.
I don’t know, I’ve blasted that anthem while burning job bridges in a pit of depression but being at the point that it didn’t matter anymore and the job was one less thing to fret over. :/
(And that was a long-ass run-on sentence.
My bad.)
Well, Operation: Make Ruth Not Feel As Terrible is off to a great start!
Oh good, the most reasonable solution is happening. Excellent job, Carla.
Probably the best outcome at this point. Ruth needs help, she can’t perform her duties in her current state, she doesn’t need the pressure of having to do so, and the she certainly doesn’t need the one person who cares about her needing to pretend she doesn’t.
I just hope the job wasn’t that important to her, and losing it doesn’t cost her a a scholarship or having a place to live.
But if it wasn’t that important to her, she wouldn’t have put so much effort into trying to keep it.
Not necessarily. When you’re dealing with depression, which my sisters had, it can make you almost completely intractable on things that you otherwise wouldn’t give up.
For Ruth, being R.A. gave her Control, a control that is now slipping. Billie represents a whole bunch of emotions, a number of which she is likely nowhere near comfortable with. This can easily make the R.A. position even MORE important to her on a psychological level, a final anchor she clings to, even as the ship itself continues to take on water.
The only other way for this to go was a further downward spiral.
Well, I think this means Ruth wants to be fired to keep having a relationship with Billie, or I’m entirely wrong and I’m about to die inside. It’s Willis, you never know.
I read it that way, too.
Ruth assumes everything she does is meaningless or eventually will fail. I’m assuming she is just in a constant state of waiting for the other shoe to drop.
That may be me projecting though, since I’m like that as well.
So I was entirely wrong and I’m about to die inside. THANKS WILLIS.
If it makes you feel any better, this is just the normal, day to day experience for a depressed person, and it’s surprisingly easy to get used to.
That wasn’t comforting in the slightest.
I don’t read it as wanting anything but having whatever consequences disengaging is going to have make themselves known. I’ve given up on everything a couple times due to depression, and that in between place where you’ve given up but the world hasn’t acted on it yet is a weird place to be.
^ This. It’s easy to say “just hurry up and shit all over my life already” when you’re in that state, because at least it’s not that weird “nothing matters, yet here I am” position. It’s actually more acceptable to the brain to have your life be shit, because it reinforces the idea that your life is shit.
How long until we get the alphabet soup?
why is being an RA even good its not like you can put it on your college application
It pays money which can be exchanged for goods and services, and probably provides complimentary shelter.
I’ve never heard of it actually paying in the sense of “Here is cash,” so not so much helping one with the goods and services. But it does generally come with room and board, which is definitely significant.
According to IU’s website, their RAs ARE paid. (I forget how much tho, I’d have to look it up again.)
“Compensation for both positions includes:
-Single room.
-RPS meal plan.
-Laundry Stipend.
-A stipend of $1,500, paid bi-weekly during the academic year.”
found it
Yeah, I just looked that up myself. It’s cool they get something that they could put toward tuition. The room and board seem like the main perk.
Wait, am I reading that right: ~$36000/yr PLUS room/board? That’s a lot!
Maybe more like 24-27000 (depending on either a 32 or 36 week academic year/how they count holiday periods), but it’s not insignificant, yeah.
I guess most of that goes toward tuition.
Now I get why she had to be so damn strict, that’s a legitimately good gig she has going. I’d be breaking femurs left and right if I was in her shoes and I’m chill as balls.
I’m relatively certain that would be an annual stipend of $1500, but that instead of getting it as a lump sum, it is divided up over around 16 two week long intervals. So maybe about $100 a pay period, or $50 a week. It looks like the university pays most of their student staff members around $10 an hour, and I think 5 hours a week is probably the most that an RA would be expected to be actively doing RA duties.
http://www.rps.indiana.edu/employment.cfml
Yes, they are also (somewhat?) on call, but the primary remuneration is in their room and board. That probably comes to about $9000 a year. She never sees that 9000, but without that she’d have to find 9000 to cover living on campus.
Haha, yeah, that $1500 is going to be a per-year thing. XD IU’s website estimates room and board as being around $10,000 a year.
I feel like it’d be more than five hours a week of active RA-ing, though? I mean, I guess it depends on how into the role you are. Just friends of mine who had done it seemed to end up giving a lot of their time to it.
Does it pay? Does she need the money?
yes and yes
I think she does. She may not be able to stay in college without it.
Or at least, not without taking an off-campus job, making her life more difficult… but it’s also likely an emotional component.
Also, you CAN put it on you resume.
In fairness, lia47 said you con’t put it on your college application.
Given she needs to be in the collage to get the job, putting on the application only helps if she’s transfering..
Benefits vary. My brother in law was an RA, it gave him a single room without paying extra, paid food for the semester, etc. it also gave him the option to stay on campus in the Summer and work, which ALSO helped his tuition costs.
Well she’s alive. That’s a plus at least…
Is the door still open? Should it remain open?
I was wondering that as well. I’m thinking that the lighting would be different if it was open. Willis has in the past taken little details like that into account. Like in one comic two characters were walking by/under a tree, and he had the shadow from it moving.
Honestly, kinda hate to say it, but on the surface this seems best for all involved.
Don’t let yourself panic about what might happen. Right now you need to be focused on getting healthy and dealing with the challenges in front of you. You might get fired. You might not. Deal with that when you get there.
Whether or not you have a job is secondary to whether or not you’re alive to do it.
But she might be homeless without it, or have to live with her grandfather, who has been implied to be at least verbally abusive.
She can always stay in Becky’s room.
And then they fucked. (We hope)
Not with the door still open, no.
>implying Billie has never fucked with the door open and an entire floor of college freshmen watching
In her defence, she was drunk at the time.
Perfect gravatar for that comment!
Dinner and a show!
How about No, Ruth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2LZdhZwqrY
this is fitting wouldn’t you say
Given that Carla is a giant wild card in the situation, I think Billie might be right that it’s not a guaranteed thing that she’s getting fired.
Yes, everyone knows, but now everyone also has a reason to empathize with her, so she may benefit from the Queer Girl Underground that’s been hiding Becky from her. Additionally, Carla knows Mary’s blackmail plan and has no fucked it over in two separate ways, so I could see her “solving” the problem with the RA as well, not because Ruth deserves to have her job, but simply to fuck over Mary.
Ruth might actually get out of this blackmail attempt in relatively one piece. But I can also see her suffering the additional scrutiny from her actions. So… who knows.
The optimist in me really wants carla’s badass-ness to save the day, but the realist in me is saying this is going to blow up in their faces.
So Carla is this universe’s equivalent to Leslie under the thrall of a Robin contact high?
Are we sure Carla doesn’t also have a submarine mode? Like, has anyone checked?
Queer Girl Underground?! What? Did I miss something? I think I would’ve noticed something that awesome in the comic.
I think both Other Rachel and Agatha were giving her warnings and physically pulling Becky out of the halls when Ruth was about.
Queer Girl Underground:
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/02-that-perfect-girl/steplightly/
It was Mandy! Dang it my memory wasn’t as good as I thought.
It’s mostly something implied as having happened during the time skip during the past week. In Friday’s chapter several of the girls on the hall say things that imply they’ve been helping hide Becky from Ruth and Mary ever since she was rescued from Toedad on Monday. One of those girls is Mandy (who to the best of our knowledge is still dating Grace).
[I hope I got the character names right!]
Yup, the other was Agatha and it’s hinted that there are a few others involved as well.
Did they say mary, too?
Well if they were hiding Becky from mary, they didn’t do a good job, since she knew about her. (And told Ruth, if not explicitly.)
Boom: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/02-that-perfect-girl/steplightly/
Aaand ninja’d by Cerberus. Curse your quick fingers, Cerberus!
I like where your going with this Cerberus as I think the end game does have Carla saving the day, but I suspect that she’s going to have to make a sacrifice to do it. Everyone keeps forgetting the one point about Carla that she really wants everyone to forget, she’s stinking rich. I’m afraid the end game is going to be Carla having to learn that she has to use that privilege sometime even if she doesn’t want to be defined by her family’s money.
So will this end up with Becky, Marcie and Ruth living under the same roof?
With twelve other people in a studio apartment? Can you say, “Zany sitcom idea?”
I can!
Soooo….
…. something that can work in DoA?
Also, that’s more reality TV than sitcom.
“Twelve Angry Men” — only as a sitcom.
And genderbent, but set in an apartment rather than a jury room. Otherwise exactly the same.
Except for the part where they think they’re going to destroy a city but they’re actually releasing zoo animals.
Or was that Attack of the Killer Fried Green Tomatoes instead of Twelve Angry Monkeys, I forget.
I was thinking just Becky and Ruth. Marcie already has a bunch of roommates.
Only if someone makes them hammocks out of duct tape.
“Tell them to hurry it up” is business-finishing language, I fear. D:
Yeah, that was my thought too.
Not really. I’ve had days where, because of legal, personal, or emotional issues or setbacks I’d have liked nothing better than to lie down on my bed, fall asleep, and just never bother waking up. But one eventually finds some other reason to get up and get over it.
Also, oof to that feeling where you wish the bad thing would hurry up and hit already so you could stop worrying about it. Been there far too many times for comfort.
Me too.
never in my life can i understand ruth’s feelings so well which hurts even more
the whole hopelessness can really show, she doesn’t care anymore, it’s too tiring to care
I hope she doesn’t get fired.
She could use a win for a change.
Billie has taken the place of cookies.
For me, Billie could never take the place of cookies. I will always love you, cookies.
god…how messed up Billie’s emotions must be right now, that after sprinting down the hall and busting into this girl’s room while desperately screaming her name, all she can think to do is lay stiffly on the bed next to her without touching…
For all the awkward it seems, it may actually be the best thing to do for Ruth right now. Let Ruth initiate any physical contact, not trying to pressure her to talk about anything or ‘talk her out of it’ but just being there to support her and prevent any immediate physical danger.
Yup. She’s been through a hell of a ringer herself emotionally and it says volumes that she’s not spooning her or pulling her up to a sitting position, she’s just lying on the bed next to her, refilling her spot.
It sort of feels like, the hell for Billie was just physically not being able to BE there, able to see and hear Ruth being alive. And now she can, she doesn’t know what else to do, and maybe doesn’t even really NEED to do anything else except settle back into place. She’s here. She’s back.
Eventually someone will punch Mary, and it won’t be Ruth, Billie, Carla or even Joyce.
It will be Howard…and it will be awesome.
Or at least I really want that to happen.
If he has Mr Fantastic power, then he can do that.
I want Dina to do it. Mary tries to get Becky kicked out of the dorms and POW!
But how can a raptor punch a bigot when she has such little arms? I’m waiting for a full-on face-ectomy via her deadly talons.
I kinda want to see Mary do a hallway full of everyone on her floor delivering a punch to her face in sequence. Better yet, they have the choice to either support her or punch her in the face as some sort of vote of approval. The approvals do not go her way.
All in favor say aye?
I feel like that would eventually get really uncomfortable. No matter how you slice it, Mary is still an 18 year old girl, who so far hasn’t attempted to physically harm anyone. Mary’s awful, but mob justice is still bad.
Sure. Individual vigilante justice is much more satisfying than societal mob justice.
So, uh, at what magical age does hateful bigotry become intolerable, for you?
If it was Carol I would say the same thing, there’s a massive difference between thinking somethings okay, and deciding violence is the best way to solve it.
And one ‘fuck you’ slug is, well, not the same as a hallway’s worth of people beating on someone.
I’m just sayin’, you’re the one who brought her age into this.
eh yeah I wasn’t really paying attention when I wrote that.
I’m thinking Joyce, after Mary does something to Becky.
…. or Mike.
Or Joyce paying Mike to do it. Established business relationship and all that.
…..
I’m going to say not in the main comic, though. Willis normally puts the fan service in Slipshine.
But isn’t Slipshine still canon?
It is!
One of those flashback panels – well actually narrative butting in to mock Danny – is from a slipshine.
Mary already threw a wrench into Becky’s living situation. I can’t imagine Joyce is going to be happy when she hears about that.
Well Ruth already slapped her off-panel….
Having been in the throes of depression and waiting for the shit to hit the proverbial fan (loss of scholarships, ergo no longer being able to afford college), that last line is too familiar. Wanting to lose everything, to have everyone give up on you, so there’s no reason (in her current thinking, anyway) to keep on going. Maybe I’m wrong, and there’s a more optimistic reading.
I think your reading is valid, although I read it a little differently just from my own experience. For me, it’s always more this bone-deep certainty that everything *is* going to go to hell, so once it does, I’m almost glad to have it just… happen.
I’m not sure if that’s more or less optimistic than your interpretation…
Prolly a combination of both. She wants the bad thing to happen so she can finally lose what she’s using to hold on (see also her constantly trying to push away Billie), but she also is probably just really tired of the fear and just wants the worst to come already, because then she can be done worrying about it.
I’ve wanted to drop out of college or lose my job before, just to stop carrying the weight of responsibilities and expectations.
It’s normal to feel that?
Huh. Who knew? That makes so much sense.
I’m not sure? I’ve been treated for depression before.
I’m on anti-depressants so I think I have it? My doctor told me they’re used for depression and anxiety and they seem to work. I was prescribed them by a psychiatrist so yes?
I genuinely have no idea if that constitutes a clinical diagnosis.
If they were prescribed by a professional, then yes, it’s a clinical diagnosis. Your doctor might have mentioned anxiety and depression because they frequently go hand-in-hand and it can take awhile to separate if one, the other, or both are specific to your situation. Some meds tackle both, because they aim for the same set of chemical signals to try to correct your mood and thoughts.
I’ve been on cipralex for over two years now and tend to have bad times when I try to get off them, so… yeah.
I mean I kind of figured I did, I just never put the punctuation on it.
…. huh.
I don’t know whether “tell them to hurry it up” is a self-destructive impulse, or “let me out of this awful trap so you and me can be happyish again.”
Sometimes people mention that Carla could keep Ruth in her job by donating to the university or what not. I would much prefer to Carla’s parents start a charity that allowed queer young people to apply for scholarships/grants. And then Carla might mention to becky or ruth or whoever to try applying for such a thing.
Because while it is not great for a person to take over too much financially for a friend (or especially a new significant other) due to power imbalance… I think a new scholarship option could work.
And it is the sort of thing that could help lots and lots of people, so even if it was acquaintances of Carla’s that inspired the idea, it wouldn’t have to be even slightly centred on them. Like, there are probably still many not such great aspects to this idea, but I still prefer it to the idea of Carla’s parents donating to the university in order to manipulate the university towards a certain end.
The scholarship idea is great actually. If the comic lasts longer than the first semester maybe something like that might happen?
My initial thought was for Varla’s parents to threaten pulling any school funding ( I’m assuming they have some RnD on campus since Carla got their tech pretty quickly) in order to keep Ruth on campus if the school finds out and tries to punish her.
Though it would kind of suck (for the characters of this comic; not for the fictional universe in general) if they started this scholarship and then neither Becky nor Ruth receive it.
Could definitely happen! Though i mean, they could just purposefully be very bad at advertising the initial round of scholarships. So that it /is/ a favour from Carla, but in a manner that doesn’t have to leave them feeling too indebted to her, I hope.
I mean, her parents donating to the university to keep Ruth in her job would lead to just as much of a potentially negative power dynamic from financial necessity as a somewhat pre-selected scholarship recipient.
Ooh, economic freedom from sir, potential emotional care from engaged parental figures, chance of helping out Becky as well (and Becky’s likely to come up soon, just because Carla’s now a bit more entangled with Sal, Billie, and Ruth.
Hmm, that could actually work.
The funny thing is that Billie’s family is rich, too. Just not particularly philanthropic.
And – I think it would be bad at this point for Billie (or her parents) to do too much financially for Ruth – like, obviously having material necessities is, well, necessary. But the relationship between Billie and Ruth is already not the healthiest, and I don’t think making Ruth financially dependent on Billie(+ Billie’s parents) would make their relationship healthier – as in, it would probably make it worse.
Dina’s parents, while probably not wealthy, I think also have some level of disposable income – But I think that it would not be good for Becky to be overly reliant on that either. Even though their relationship is looking to be of a healthy sort, financial dependence can trap people badly.
(I know plenty of relationships have a primary/sole breadwinner. This does not have to be problematic, but I do think it has potential to be problematic, especially if, pretty much from day one, one party depends on the other so completely as to not be on the streets. Not that it would be wrong for someone to keep their partner off the streets, obviously, but it would preferably be a short term solution towards empowering the other one to be able to not be entirely dependent on someone they’ve been dating for a week)
There are levels of richness, and essentially adopting another person (as taking full economic responsibility over Ruth would basically entail) is not something the lower end of rich people can do lightly. Paying for Ruth to attend college would cost about $89,000 by itself, and all her other economic needs are, at a quick estimate, $10,000-$20,000 per year.
It’s one thing to be cozy with politicians, owning a yatch, and throwing money at one’s estranged daughter out of guilt. It’s another thing to spend 100,000 to provide for one’s daughter’s latest fling.
Also a live-in housekeeper it seems.
“Senor Billingsworth” is the type to chase homeless people out of their downtown haunts, so I doubt he pays Nina that much. :/
On the bright side, the quickest way to defang blackmail is to not fear the threatened consequences. She looks exhausted enough that she can’t get together the energy to be actively afraid, and she has someone there to support her emotionally. If she was ever going to play dentist with blackmail, this might work.
On the other hand, that depression-rooted apathy hurts. Reminds me of some really bad times when one of the major reasons I didn’t ‘walk to the shore and just keep walking’ was because I didn’t have the energy to walk across campus to the Atlantic Ocean beach.
Times I’m glad are behind me.
Just a thought, Ruth — carry on as if nothing has happened, because as far as you and your position is concerned, until you hear from someone like the Dean of Housing or some other high muckety-muck in the Housing Office nothing officially HAS happened.
Some friends of mine looked into the IU handbook and found out that having sex with your residents is not against the rules.
So it depends on if they can get all the alcohol out of the room before an inspection takes place.
It’s only been a day or two with her crippling depression and desire to stay in her room, which won’t get her fired unless it extends for a few more days and interferes further with her job. If someone comes to her for help and she refuses to provide it, then she’ll face issues with the university.
She most likely won’t be fired unless someone snitches about all the booze. And even then, if anyone likes her, they can help her get the bottles and whatnot out of the room.
So, rest easy, friends! Ruth is safe–her floormates just need to read up on policies for RAs at IU.
She’s already cleaned house. All evidence of booze gone. And with the exception of Billie, she hasn’t drunk in front of witnesses.
Wait, it really says that in the IU handbook? I mean yeah the booze and stuff is probably what’ll get her, but wow. Just watch though, somebody will mention all the worry about Ruth getting fired over her and Billie, and then Dorothy will be all like “You guys know that’s not against the rules right?” Then everyone does a big “Duh-wahhhh?!”
that would be pretty anti-climactic considering how long the idea that it’s a fireable offense has been maintained. not that i think its impossible, but i think itd be better for the story if it’s just a way the school in the comic is different from the real-world one.
True, but I do believe Willis has tried to minimize straying too far from ‘reality’, as it were. Has it been stated explicitly that it’s a fireable offense, or just that Ruth believes it? Cause I can believe Willis doing a plot twist like that. Allows a semblance of the status quo, and then can explore further storyline dynamics, like Becky and such.
daisy (the girl at the school paper) has also said it’s pretty bad, but i think only ruth and billie have directly said she’d be fired for it.
but it’s also been directly compared to the sal/jason situation, so condemnations of that could probably count for billie/ruth too.
At the same time, it would be such a Dorothy moment. Plus, Dorothy is writing for the student paper IIRC, so if she believes that this is the case, you’d damn well better believe there will be a front-page op-ed the very next day if she thinks Ruth is being treated unjustly. That would bring upon the school the one thing they care about preventing: Negative Attention. In the wake of a dude literally brandishing a gun on their campus, assaulting a student, attempting to kidnap a woman and being attacked by multiple vigilantes in the process, they can’t handle another scandal. They will absolutely bend rules to make that shit go away, although they might first threaten Dorothy’s academic career and future…but I feel like at this point, Dorothy is at a turning point where she will be willing to stand her ground, because the whole reason she wants to be President in the first place is her strong sense of principles.
I like this thread, talking about the policies of ‘Ruth being able to keep her job’. It means were moving past the ‘Is Ruth still alive’ conversation.
Daisy said that when Billie approached her after being wall slammed by Ruth before they were dating, unless they talked about this another time. Daisy saying it’s bad doesn’t really have to apply to a consensual (if unhealthy) relationship. Also I’m pretty sure Daisy actually waved it off because it sounded hot, so maybe we’re really talking about different times.
I’m not sure that’s correct, actually. From the Graduate Staff manual:
“If the nature of a friendship turns more serious and romantic, then there is a reason for concern. There are distinct professional and ethical issues involved when one enters a romantic relationship with someone that he or she directly supervises[…]You should consider talking with your coordinator supervisor if the potential of becoming romantically involved with someone you supervise exists.”
Sounds pretty discouraged to me.
Kinda’ seems like it’s at the discretion of your supervisor though. From what Ruth’s said they give her a lot of leeway because she gets shit done.
Of course, them being so lenient and not checking up on her also led to a lot of problems I’m sure.
It’s exactly as Ruth has spelled it out in-comic: “Fraternizing with anyone on this floor could get me terminated.” “Could”, not “would definitely”. But even if her specific supervisor was okay with it (not a guarantee by any means), it would also invite scrutiny and prompt them to start paying more attention, which could uncover her other problems re: alcohol and mental illness.
There was supposed to be a link to this comic in there somewhere: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/03-when-god-closes-the-door/spilled/
Yeah, that might really the biggest danger. If the forces below start paying more attention to her floor, they’ll see the other negatives she brings to the table like threatening her charges, her alcoholism, and how her crippling depression is impacting her ability to even do her job day to day.
And even if she doesn’t get fired or they shrug about the relationship, they’ll probably also be checking up on her more regularly, especially if the Becky thing ends up coming out around the same time.
Ruth is not a graduate student. She’s an undergrad student employee.
This is what it says in the Code of Academic Ethics (http://policies.iu.edu/policies/categories/academic-faculty-students/conditions-academic-employment/Code-of-Academic-Ethics.shtml):
“Relationships outside the Instructional Context. A faculty member should be careful to distance himself or herself from any decisions that may reward or penalize a student with whom he or she has or has had an amorous or sexual relationship, even outside the instructional context, especially when the faculty member and student are in the same academic unit or in units that are allied academically.”
As long as Billie does not feel like she’s being rewarded or penalized in a way that puts her above or below other people, she’s in the clear. Billie is obviously very interested in being with Ruth, so she’s not going to say that she’s getting preferential treatment, and honestly, she’s not–outside of hiding booze, which obviously won’t get reported because they’re the only two who know about it.
Since Billie wants everything that Ruth offers–no matter how sexual or violent it is–she will never admit to getting special treatment by Ruth. Thus, the issue doesn’t fall under the rule.
No one believes Billie when she talks about how Ruth attacked her in the past, so she has no reason to expect anyone to look into it. It rests on the shoulders of no one knowing more details than they currently know right now.
Any additional information may tip the scales, but right now, she’s perceived to be within her rights.
No, Ruth isn’t a graduate student, but the RA manual directly states “Resident Assistants and Graduate Supervisors are academic appointees. As such they are
bound by the same guidelines, which exist for all academic appointees.” re: romantic relationships, so it still applies to her.
Somewhat off-topic, but that’s some pretty terrible wording. How can one be bound by guidelines?
In my experience RAs — who are, after all, students themselves— are considered to be more “peer advisors” rather than supervisory personnel. Optimally they would follow the same guidelines as those set forth for Graduate Staff (as spelled out by miz), but I feel those guidelines are in place more to address situations such as Sal and her ‘tutoring’ from Jason.
To me, that makes it sound like it’s allowed, but not encouraged. She may be made RA of a different dorm, and they’ll get a new one, to avoid an abuse of authority.
Yeah, but generally “Talking with your supervisor” means “find a way in which you are no longer in charge of this person.” I had been assuming Billie would have to move down a floor.
This seems reasonable to me, but she did still knowingly harbor a non-resident on the premises for literally days, and I get the distinct impression that’s something she’s supposed to be actively preventing. She could easily get shit-canned for it, I would assume.
She didn’t really realize that Becky was homeless and using the dorms as a place to sleep in a serious way, not a sleepover way.
The fact that she was unaware of this shows that she’s too far dealing with her alcoholism to notice things like that.
Where I went to college, you can let someone sleep over for 3 days, and after that, they reserved the right to not check you in on day 4.
To be fair. She hasn’t yet. She found out Friday, Becky left that evening and isn’t back yet. Like, she’ll start breaking that rule going forward, but at this moment, she’s done nothing of the sort to harbor a non-resident.
After having depression from 6 years old, I know this feeling all to well, and this just hurts my heart. This entire webcomic has the best portrayal of mental illnesses I’ve seen so far, and for that I am eternally grateful.
And Grav Roulette has made me Agatha again. I wasn’t happy then, and I’m still unhappy now.
… I’m about to be stereotyping and prejudiced here.
Agatha is a Mormon, and I… don’t like Mormonism. There’s several issues I have the LDS church, but principle among them are its harsh, abusive treatment of its LGBT members, and also of apostates. I also still hold a grudge for their part in Prop 8, and take it as a clear signal that it’s not enough for them just to torment their own people with their religious code… they have to force the rest of us to live by it as well.
So, angry.
The thing is, my upset with Mormonism does not extend to Mormons. Most Mormons I have met have been polite, kind, civil, decent people. That’s not universal, but neither are any of the grounds for hatred. Properly speaking, my condemnation should be for the religion and not for the religious.
And by and large, it is.
We haven’t seen Agatha much but every time we’ve seen her she’s been kind or happy or… well, nothing to complain about. She’s only mentioned her religion when the subject of church or prayer comes up. She’s not going door to door. She’s not handing out pamphlets. She’s not campaigning against LGBT rights. She’s helped shelter Becky, though I don’t know if that was in apathy of her gayness or in spite of it. But the things I hate about the religion, but not necessarily the religious, are not apparently present with this religious individual.
But I still don’t want her as an avatar. Being represented by someone who is a Mormon, and that’s one of only about four facts we know about her?
Nope.
Nopenopenopenopenopenopenope.
The thought of it makes me feel icky. Like eating at Chic-Fil-A a few years ago would have made me feel with every bite I took, or reading Orson Scott Card now that I know of his anti-LGBT activism. It just changes everything about it, to the point where I can’t enjoy it.
Maybe if Agatha gets some development, I’ll think of that when I see her more than her Mormonism.
But for now….. NOPE.
…. and I’m not entirely comfortable with how prejudiced this might make me, but I’m more comfortable with that question than with an Agatha grav.
It’s interesting to note that I left the Catholic Church because their treatment of, well a lot of issues, but am largely Catholic in every one of my views. Religion is an odd thing because it’s an ideology as well as an organization. They can be very varied among individuals or not at all.
Yeah it super bums me out when real life ruins fiction. Bill Cosby, Tom Cruise, OSC, goddamned Dilbert (Scott Adams is cuckoo)…the list goes on. I used to be totally in love with Kirstie Allie until I found out she was a new age ditzoid.
Damn you RL.
To distract myself from depression flashbacks: I hope Mary’s reaction will be explored in more depth later on. The last comic was the first time I could relate to her.
Up until now, we didn’t know her motivations to be deplorable, she just was. But we now know she is into controlling the situation and the people in it. Craving power over others as she does is human – what she does with that power is terrible, but the power high I can relate to. I’m curious where it will go.
Well it’s nice that most of the comments aren’t “Now Kiss”. Or are most people just thinking it?
Kissing can wait until ruth is healthy
Why have Billie’s hands turned into forks
So spoons won’t get involved?
That makes sense. It’s hard to spoon when you’re busy forking.
that’s why we invented sparks!
*Sporks
Billie, just hug Ruth and let her cry on you. I really, really think that this is what she needs right now.
If Ruth gets kicked out of residence, she can totally move in with Becky. There is absolutely no way that could go badly whatsoever and it will be smooth sailing all the way forever.
Ruth wouldn’t get kicked out of college. She’d lose her single room but chances are then they’d just stick her in an open double (and she’s never going to face consequences for the things she did that actually would entail her getting kicked out). You can get expelled for alcohol consumption but that ain’t gonna happen either, so the administration is gonna go easy on her and probably get her help more than anything.
Think we can get Becky hired as RA?
We replaced your normal freckled redhead with new “Becky” brand. Can anyone tell the difference?
Bark Bark Bark Bark Bark Bark!
Mary become the new manager.
You all hate that, but you can be sure she will propose her candidature. And no one else will bother to do so.
And has no one else want to do the job, Carla end up proposing her candidature too.
She won (I lied on my first line), and now she has to take care of a bunch of people and doing a job and policing around and applying rules, some of them (most) she think dumb and she hate that job and having to deal with responsibility but it was either that or let Mary get the job.
Carla hate that new responsibility thus Mary won anyway.
Good idea, bad presentation o-O Please consider to work on your grammar.
*consider working
You still understood them though, right? No need to be rude. They’re doing their best.
I was asking nicely._.
Mary is a freshman. Freshmen aren’t allowed to be RAs.
And again I remind everyone in the comic that Billie has already been assuming effective responsibilities of an RA, from fixing the stuck trash chute to solving roommate disputes.
In fact, that’s how she first discovered Ruth was in a bad way – she’d been doing Ruth’s job for several days and hadn’t seen Ruth even once, so eventually she pulled the fire alarm and broke into Ruth’s room.
She’s also said about being ‘head cheerleader, problem solver’.
AND she’s been coaching Ruth and pushing her towards doing her job sometime during the last week.
Basically what I’m saying is that if Ruth does end up fired, Billie is the next most natural choice for an RA, and if she doesn’t, Billie’s going to keep covering for her.
There’s no need for Carla to take it up… other than to, y’know, help with Billie’s own depression and other issues.
As another person pointed out on the topic of Mary becoming R.A., freshmen cannot become R.A.s.
billie would be my choice too! if she werent too young to hold the position.
so yeah, carlas a pretty decent second choice
Age issues aside, I’m not sure that any administration after firing Ruth for alcohol abuse, sleeping with one of her charges, letting a homeless girl live on her floor and whatever else they find out is going to turn the job over to the alcoholic she was sleeping with, and drinking with, who was letting the homeless girl use her bed. Why not just leave Ruth in charge at that point?
I guess Billie’s not actually suicidally depressed. Is that enough?
Have the cookies multiplied? It looks like there are FIVE cookies!
ruth gets kicked out
moves in with becky
both get jobs at galasso’s
wacky adventures ensue
leslie gets to work on that sandwich board so these things stop happening so much
Ruth shouldn’t be the RA because she’s a horrible horrible person (due to circumstances beyond her control) to the people under her. I don’t take threats of violence as something slapsticky as I’ve known people who live in mortal terror of these kinds of individuals in positions of authority. So, I hope any solution involves getting her fired and figuring out a way to keep her in college.
Best mob justice for Mary: entire floor (except her, obvs) goes to Ruth’s supervisor and says “We want her to stay”. Much better than a punch in the face.
Why would they want her to stay, and does it really matter if Ruth’s violating rules she’s supposed to enforce?
Like, I don’t think anyone on the floor actually hates her the way Carla says it; at most I think she’s just their jerky RA they duck out of the way to avoid, but she’s not exactly someone who they’d stick their necks out for either.
Maybe they recognize she’s depressed but…yeah, she’s a horrible RA who couldn’t comfort anyone during a school shooting.
I’m not convinced anyone else wanted to be at that meeting, either. I got the same vibe I used to get from those stupid “crisis” meetings: “Why, exactly, am I made to be in some kind of ‘group therapy’ session about something I want to deal with on my own, taking advice from a kid who is younger than me?” (Granted, Ruth is older than most of the girls we’ve met on her floor; that is not always the case at universities.) Ruth, at on point, believed that her superiors “loved her,” which indicates they’ve always given her praise for how she manages her floor. And, I suspect, if the other girls found out why and how Mary’s been bullying Ruth (preferably willingly from Carla), they would be glad to keep Ruth and get Mary kicked off the floor.
No offence, but you clearly grossly misunderstand depression.
Another reason why it’s hard to blackmail a depressive – sometimes, they just can’t care what happens to them.
The person to fear the most is one with nothing to lose.
Yup. And the one who feels like they have nothing to lose is gonna be more likely to be, yeah, okay, destroy my life. Sure, let’s get it over with.
Bring it.
Ths is a huge MAYBE but perhaps upon seeing the Ruth’s emotional state without Billie and the simple basic need of a person to have people in their life no matter the relationship might AT LEAST set the seeds of change in Mary’s outlook and her bigotry
hahaha no.
Her entire takeaway from this was “I lost my blackmail material.” This isn’t going to change her at all.
This.
There may be an event that shakes her out of her bigotry and her hate, but it is not this one.
If anything, Mary is going to try to pin this on Carla when the higher-ups find out. “If that -insert gross slur of Mary’s choice- were on the boy’s floor, this wouldn’t have happened!”
I’m still looking for the phone call with “sir,” but in the search I found this:
Ruth’s kind of high maintenance, but I’m taking care of her.
You mean this one?
And remember, we found out in the strip before it that Ruth’s ringtone was Metallica’s “Sandman”, which I think might be a little ominous.
Regarding replacing Ruth as RA – no frosh need apply. Only sophomores we know on the floor are Sarah and Carla. Hard to see why Carla would be interested. Sarah could use the financial assistance.
I don’t know about IU, but my university regularly hired right-out-of-high school 18-year-old freshmen to be RAs. It was actually kind of rare to have anyone older as an RA, unless they stuck with it from one year to the next.
That’s really different from what I’m used to! Generally, in my experience, RAs are at least sophomores so they can help their younger students adjust to college life. It helps to know what freshman year is like when you need to help other people cope with it. RAs (again, in my experience) are often there for guidance and whatnot, so I’m really surprised to hear that. It’s interesting!
Except Carla just basically volunteered last comic. She’s the misanthrope who will fix everyone’s problems.
I like how Ruth’s face slightly softens when Billie is back. Like, it’s not gonna make her not depressed, but it’s a coping strategy she didn’t have that’s back and that’s an important something to her.
So, Ruth and Billie are Co-dependent. Ruth is dependent on Billie to keep her from slipping into depression, and Billie is dependent on Ruth in a maternalistic, protective way.
It’s only codependent if Ruth enables Billie’s problems and/or Billie enables Ruth’s problems on a routine or prolonged basis.
…which is exactly what’s happening because Billie has several times encouraged Ruth’s drinking and overlooked related problems.
I wonder if everyone else is just looking in.
The light changed; it looks like the door is closed now.
As a general question, how much competition is there for RA positions?
The only candidates for the position if Ruth was fired would be Sarah or Carla, maybe Rachel if she’s also a sophomore, or a completely new character who’s so terrible that everyone wants Ruth back.
In my university, there was a fair amount of competition in the initial application process, although nothing overwhelming. That being said, the way my (and I think many) university handled it was to hire 2 or 3 “Cover” RAs (basically a waiting list), who aren’t actually placed on a floor, but are trained and can slide right into a position if a current RA is fired or has to leave.
The years I was an RA, it seemed like they needed one per year to fill in for someone, for various reasons. That was at a large private university; I imagine a large public uni like IU would be similar.
Competition at my school was pretty high. Nobody like Ruthless would have gotten the position; at our school it’s considered a position to take care of the freshmen, grow floor community, and generally be a very kind/caring/social person. But it’s a small Christian school so things are different
It’s still Sunday morning, Ruth. They won’t fire you until 9 am Monday, at the earliest.
Eat your darn cookies.
Ok so Ruth is hopefully going to get canned from being an RA which means that what Carla did was a good thing or have I missed something?
Kind of? I mean, Ruth may or may not lose her job. (My bet is she will.) On the other hand, she can hopefully now actually get some help, to help pull her out of a sincerely life-threatening situation, thanks to what Carla did. That’s why it’s a good thing; at the end of the day, fuck the job.