Sorry, Wrong Approach?

It's weird, but I'm considered a "commuter" at my school because I'm an online student. So every week I get an e-mail update for commuters in my school in-box. I'm kinda bothered by one of the events this week:

This Wednesday, February 27th the CA’s will be hosting
an [sic] lunch and discussion surrounding the ever increasing concern of Eating
Disorders and how those disorders affect the people they
infect.

The lunch and discussion will take place in Conference Room
C beginning at 12:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided for participants.


It's not the poor diction, although infect is irritating my editor-senses a great deal. I don't mean to be insensitive, because eating disorders are horrible things and can take a long time, even a lifetime, to heal, and it's good that school is talking about it. . . but really, lunch? Who wants to hear and/or talk about eating disorders while they're eating? I'm one of those people who sometimes has a hard time eating in front of people (self-conscious, don't like commentary on what I'm eating, etc.), so this event just seems a little weird to me. But, hey, for all I know it really works, and if it does, more power to 'em. Sometimes offering anything for free will attract more participants.

Comments

WordGirl said…
I picked up on that before I even got to your commentary in the next paragraph. "Infect"? "INFECT"!? It's not a tapeworm or scabies or something! GEEZ! And a discussion of ED's should not be happenin' over lunch. (Coffee, maybe.) Because that just invites people to spy on each other's plates and habits all paranoid-like.
Mr. Bingley said…
That's just too funny.

In a sick, twisted, they-really-didn't-do-that-did-they kind of way.
WordGirl said…
Christopher Guest, eat your heart out.
Kate P said…
WG--yeah, I totally envisioned people checking whether or not their table mates finished their lunches, went back for seconds, went to the restroom, etc. It almost could've happened during "Clueless" if it were set in college.

Bingley--You also were saying to yourself, "No. No way. This can't be for real," as you were reading?

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