[ProgSoc] Clubs Trivia 29/08/08

John Elliot jj5 at jj5.net
Mon Jul 14 16:54:31 EST 2008


Rob Howard wrote:
> On Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 04:04:09AM +0000, Nora F wrote:
>> the best dressed team gets $250.
> 
> This sounds like a challenge.

Indeed.

On what criteria will "best" be established?

Presumably the best clothing would be the lowest cost, lowest 
maintenance, least energy intensive, and most durable attire for 
comfortably protecting the body and regulating its temperature within 
its local environment.

That's the function of clothing, isn't it?

Or is it that we shall be compelled to compensate for tendencies to 
interpret our clothing and other aspects of our appearance as a sign to 
others placed within a context of contemporary consumer-oriented popular 
culture wherein the expense of time, energy and materials on specific 
features of our attire over-and-above those necessary to meet functional 
needs is held to be in some way desirable?

If the former, then a trip to the local army disposals store might well 
be in order.

If the latter, then it would seem we will need to have prior knowledge 
of the judges' arbitrary prejudices in order to increase our chances of 
victory. Will we have foreknowledge of such, or should we perhaps take 
for our guide a random selection of prototypical stylisations as 
presented and held as amiable in the adverts and popular media of our time?

In either scenario, if the cost per individual required to win the 
artificially constructed competition exceeds an average of $31.25 then 
collectively we lose even if we win, particularly if in our personal 
valuation of the winning attire we regard it a sunk cost.

Perhaps the best course of action is to take an expansive view of our 
community, and recognise that if we take no action and fail to win the 
competition, then at least less time and materials were lost among the 
collection of UTS clubs, and we can be happy knowing that the $250 
received by some other club helps to mitigate in some way the "broken 
window" of their appearance? I dunno. It's all a bit too tricky for me.

p.s. I'll come! Fair warning though: I may well be a liability. :P









More information about the Progsoc mailing list