Lab Bitch [rowing]
Jun. 16th, 2020 09:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rebeccmeisterSome time ago, I believe back during grad school, I remember having some conversations with other people about lab housekeeping culture. Lab housekeeping culture can be very much like having roommates. My experience with roommates is that there's always a spectrum between those who prefer to keep things neat and tidy, and those who don't mind or can tolerate some mess. In that conversation, we eventually came up with the term "lab bitch" to describe the interpersonal dynamics involved.
Here's the "lab bitch" part: in a lab, there almost inevitably winds up being one person who shoulders the responsibility of making sure that breakage and contamination and such are kept to a minimum. This is an unpleasant job because it requires pointing out problems and bad habits and getting people to work on those problems and bad habits because we're all in a shared working environment. In a lab with grad students, it generally isn't the PI, because the PI isn't in the lab enough to observe behavior and set the standard. So it's someone else, and thus there's always tension associated with the power dynamics.
And, well.
On one front: since I have my own lab now, I get to set my own standard, so that's fun. My personal lab space is a mess right now, but it's MY mess and I'm not breaking too many things.
On another front, I am also assuming the role of being the Lab Bitch of the club's rowing equipment.
And I am going to blog about it here because, due to my Helga nature, there is a part of me that is deeply satisfied by getting to be Lab Bitch, even though I risk pissing people off.
But you know, if it backfires, well, I guess there's always the kayak.
Anyway, have some rowing pictures, since you've now patiently read my rambling thinking about being Lab Bitch. It was beautiful out, and there were only two of us there to row, so I got a bunch of good coaching feedback. Boutique.
I also encountered some good friends!
Here's the "lab bitch" part: in a lab, there almost inevitably winds up being one person who shoulders the responsibility of making sure that breakage and contamination and such are kept to a minimum. This is an unpleasant job because it requires pointing out problems and bad habits and getting people to work on those problems and bad habits because we're all in a shared working environment. In a lab with grad students, it generally isn't the PI, because the PI isn't in the lab enough to observe behavior and set the standard. So it's someone else, and thus there's always tension associated with the power dynamics.
And, well.
On one front: since I have my own lab now, I get to set my own standard, so that's fun. My personal lab space is a mess right now, but it's MY mess and I'm not breaking too many things.
On another front, I am also assuming the role of being the Lab Bitch of the club's rowing equipment.
And I am going to blog about it here because, due to my Helga nature, there is a part of me that is deeply satisfied by getting to be Lab Bitch, even though I risk pissing people off.
But you know, if it backfires, well, I guess there's always the kayak.
Anyway, have some rowing pictures, since you've now patiently read my rambling thinking about being Lab Bitch. It was beautiful out, and there were only two of us there to row, so I got a bunch of good coaching feedback. Boutique.
I also encountered some good friends!
no subject
Date: 2020-06-16 04:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-06-16 05:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-06-16 08:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-06-17 08:45 am (UTC)Enjoy being the Labv Bitch ;)