fandomhigh | Political Campaigning (Thursday, March 23, 4th period)

"Today we're going to talk about planning a fundraising event," Josh said, pacing around the room. "The most important thing to remember is that the entire point of a fundraising event is to raise money. You might have the greatest idea for a party in the history of history, but if it costs you more than you made, it's stupid. Also, you're normally tossing these things together with at most two weeks' lead time, so they have to be realistic."

He waved his hands. "Events, done right, can generate momentum for your campaign, can be used as a reward for major donors, can help you build your list of contributors, and can give you a specific deadline for getting money into the campaign. However, they can also be a gaping black hole of a time-sucking pain in the ass."

He grinned. "They tend to fall into several basic categories: dinners, receptions, breakfast/luncheons, and home parties. Home parties are the cheapest for the campaign: someone else, normally a major donor, comps the food and forms the guest list. All you have to do is show up. Dinners can be huge catered things where you can charge ungodly amounts of money for rubber chicken dinners. The other types fall in between, and are good to spread around throughout the campaign schedule." He raised his eyebrows. "If you are going to be doing this for a living, the fundraising things start to be thought of as dinnertime. And sometimes the only time you get out of the office. But remember that campaign staff won't be paying for the food--make sure you've got some actual people there to raise some funds."

Josh sat down. "Okay. Form into pairs--I don't care with who--and plan me a party. Decide how many people you'd invite, how much you'd charge, and what kind of thing it would be. Bonus points if you don't serve chicken or chili."

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Angel slumped down into a chair. "If I tell you now will you not hit me? You know, again?"

Parker sat on her hands and raised her eyebrows. "I am agog. Listening and fascinated."

"I sort of..." hand gesture "went fangy on Logan. Twice. He saw me the last time."

Parker bit her lower lip, and studied Angel very carefully. "You had to fight it back? Both times? Or it just-- faded away?"

"Gone like that," Angel said, snapping his fingers. "No more than a second."

Frowning, Parker said, "Okay, that's just-- odd." She pulled her hands out fom under her, and folded her arms, looking thoughtful. "Why did you tthink it was about sex? Was it just the biting-equals-fun equation for vampires, or was there any other reason?"

Angel made a face. "I didn't! Bel's got a dirty mind!"

"Shock," Parker deadpanned. "Got it. So. Biteyness. Which leads to awkwardness. Which leads to lying to me, which you must not do, no, no. And we bring it all back around to you having no idea why it happened?"

Angel followed all that, and then nodded. "Right."

Parker sighed, and finally just rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Right. I'll look something up in Special Collections if you want, but since you're a special unique one-and-only-almost case, I doubt I'll find anything." She shook her head, then studied him a moment. "How freaked are you? And does Logan know what's up, exactly? Did you explain?"

"Yes," Angel said, as though this was confirmation. "I said we couldn't be friends anymore."

Parker stared at him sadly. "Which is a no. Right. Brain damage. We've brain damaged you, haven't we?"

"What? What?" Angel asked. "It takes care of the problem! I go fangy when I'm near him, I don't go near him - no more fangy!"

Parker covered her face with her hands, and laughed in despair. "Except where you don't know for certain why or how it happens, and while I don't see any good reason for you to talk to Logan at all in any universe, there's the thing where he might freak out and tell people you're turning into Angelus?"

"Well, see, that's why... I avoid him," Angel mumbled, rubbing at a crack on the desktop as though he were perhaps aware that didn't actually solve the problem.

Face, meet palm.

"Right. I strongly suggest you re-think that, because I'm sure as hell not going to explain what's happening to Logan. And I even more strongly suggest that the next time this happens, you tell me *immediately*." She folded her arms. "All that research on ways your soul can lose its anchor, and this never came up; all the problems that will come up if FangBrain makes a reappearance, and we have to deal with it. Can you see, just now, why I might be, oh, a little upset that you didn't tell me?"

"I've been doing stuff," Angel said. "I told Cal, and John, and talked with Prof. Dream."

"Thank god for small favors. Woo." Parker studied him, then shook her head. "And you told Bel. And you screwed up telling Logan. Anyone else? Because you might notice, people end up looking at me when problems occur with you, or other threats to life and limb. And when I don't know what's going on, I end up looking like this."

Parker gave him the bzuh? look.

Angel snickered a little. "No, nobody else so far."

"Ha. Good to know I'm not the last to know." She glared at him again, but without much heat. "Was that so very difficult? Were you in such life-threatening danger that you can't, again, suck it up and deal with me? Honestly. How old are you, anyway?"

"It was embarassing," Angel said. "Everybody I talked to thought I was talking about sex! I have no idea why that keeps happening. He's not even my type!"

Parker shuddered again. "Gah. Gah. For the record? Never want to think about you and sex in any context whatsoever, but especially not with Logan, and I completely take your word for it on it not being a sex thing. Can we never, ever, ever have this conversation or any variation of it with you and Bel, you and John, you and any guy or girl I know? Please?"

"Okay, but I'm just gonna point out that I did try to avoid that and then you hit me."

*thwap* on the arm. "Some things are unavoidable. I'm one of them. If you'd just learn that, we'd save a lot of time."

"Ow." Angel rubbed his arm. "Couldn't I pay you taxes instead?"

Re: After class

mparkerceo.livejournal.com - 2006-03-24 07:23 (UTC) - Expand