Interview with Kjersti (cruz) - Chief of Info:Desk

When did you start your career as crew at The Gathering, and what made you want to apply?

My first experience as crew at The Gathering was in 2003, as a member of Info:Desk. There were of course many reasons to apply, the chief among them being a desire to be part of something great, a place where 5000 boys and girls meet and exchange ideas, information, experience and form lasting bonds. Being the largest computer party in the world, in terms of participants, there are a mind-bogglingly huge number of things that need to coincide to make it work. I wanted a proper challenge, one that The Gathering was sure to provide. I was tempted by some of my friends, who had been crew there earlier, who told me about the great experience and unique atmosphere.

Like last year, you are Chief of Info:Desk, What are your tasks before, during and after The Gathering 2006?

I supply the participants with information before the party starts. I also answer questions asked either on the forum and on IRC, and I wrote the FAQ at http://gathering.org/tg06/partyinfo/faq. I also pick the members of the Info:Desk crew.

During the preparations, the days before the doors open, I am in charge of construction the Info:Desk, with the projectors and info-screens, as well as supplying the crew with the equipment they need to do their job. I am also in charge of the rather tedious task of packing the “goodie-bags” which we later hand out to the participants as they arrive and check in.

During the party, I am in charge of the check-in procedure that the participants go through to get into the ship. I work together with Info:Flow to spread information to the participants either by using info-screens or by answering questions. I also maintain the Lost & Found department.

After the participants leave, we clean up. I collect all the items from the Lost & Found department and store information about the items in a database. To do all this I have with me a crew of hard working and dedicated people.

What is the Info:Desk ?

It’s the stand you see at the end of the ship, in front of the cantina and the stage. It’s where the participant go if they have questions, complaints, suggestions, or if they’ve lost or found something and want to report it.

You mentioned that you pick your own crew, what do you look for in an application?

Well, it's a combination of experience, people skills, the references they provide, and their ability to work well and cooperate with others. It's not easy to find 17 people who can all work well with each other and also have the skills to stay calm under pressure.

You do all this work voluntarily, why do you spend so much time working for The Gathering for free ?

I honestly don't really know why I spend so much time working for The Gathering. All the pressure, the hard work and long hours is fun in a sort of strange way. It is really great to see that what we do is appreciated so by over 5000 enthusiasts!

The girls the crew is a minority this year as well. How do you feel about being a female in a crew with so many male members?

The atmosphere and unity amongst the crew is extraordinary. To be honest, I don't really give it much thought to the boy/girl ratio. We all share the same interests, and I can’t say I mind being surrounded by guys :-)

Do you recommend other girls to apply for crew positions?

Of course! As I mentioned, the atmosphere here is great! And who knows, it might be even better with more girls!

What are your goals with this year’s TG? Is there anything you want to achieve this year that you've felt’s been missing in the earlier happenings?

This TG is going to be the best, EVER! We work to improve ourselves every year. Our continuously work to get the latest, and most accurate information out there, straight to the participants does show. I hope the participants will receive even better help than earlier years, and that the crew will be better still at spreading the information.

Do you think that your experience from TG can help you on later occasions?

I sure hope so! Maybe a future employer will appreciate the experience I’ve obtained through my work here at TG. Who knows, maybe I meet a future employer at “The dark side of Pluto”. The possibilities are endless!