High school students are in the lab

Weird happenings in research-ville, lately. Our lab is involved in a local upward-bound program for high school students. So we help students do a project and write a paper, powerpoint, and poster presentation. However, one of the other grad students decided to help the program out by hosting students as well. My advisor couldn't be there on the first day, so the undergrad and I went to pick up the student ourselves. Well, the other grad student was there and he wanted us to join forces and chat with the students together. That's fine, except that he was totally unprepared and didn't even know what project he should have his students do. Even so, he dominated all the talking. So we started them on my project and I tried to pull him aside to iron out what other project we might have the students do that could involve a different project of mine or his. But, he wouldn't commit to anything. I had to tell the students that we would chat with our advisor and give them more details about different aspects of the project the following day.

Well, turns out the students went back and complained. My advisor got an email stating that each student should have one project, not three to a project. Ugh! One of the students decided to join a biology lab, but the other two were still interested (one from our group; one from his).

We all met this morning to prepare for the students and come up with a solution. But, the other grad student totally flaked out and said we could take both the students becaue he was too busy writing articles. Grrr!

He said that he only offered to do this to help the program out. But, if you are not serious about helping, you should not start students off on such a bad foot and then hand them off to someone else as you exit the picture.

I am so annoyed. But, I think it turned out the way it should have.