University of Virginia Library

Ass Kissing

ass kissing is the "standard
operating procedure" for being
selected as a counselor. "When
I was applying for the
program," agrees Mr. Truehart,
"I guess you could say that I
kissed ass too. I got to know
my senior counselor very well.
This was, and as far as I know,
still is very important."

"A lot of people have been
cut simply because they didn't
have that extra advantage of
knowing the people who were
interviewing them," admits one
first-year Resident Assistant.
"In any case, it certainly is
helpful to have kissed ass in
borderline cases."

"You must, of course, get
along with your counselor,"
says Mr. Babb. "But ass kissing
appalls me and turns me
against the person that is doing
it. If 'Joe Schmo' comes up to
me three weeks beforehand, I
say 'get off it Joe Schmo.' I
know what he's up to."

"Anyway," he points out,
"it's simply a system of petite
politics and finesse. And that's
a big part of counseling,too."