demsem.dev
My personal website. It is free and liberated from social media.
Duck Day blog
+110
blog/duck_day_2026/index.html
+110
blog/duck_day_2026/index.html
···
1
+
<!doctype html>
2
+
<html lang="en">
3
+
<head>
4
+
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
5
+
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
6
+
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/style.css" />
7
+
<title>Duck Day 2026</title>
8
+
</head>
9
+
<body>
10
+
<header>
11
+
<h1>Duck Day 2026</h1>
12
+
<div class="article-header">
13
+
<address class="author">
14
+
<a href="mailto:demetrius@demsem.dev">Demetrius Semanko</a>
15
+
</address>
16
+
<time class="date-posted" datetime="2026-03-03">2026-03-03</time>
17
+
</div>
18
+
<section>
19
+
<p>
20
+
When programming, we try to develop
21
+
<span class="italic">something</span>, but we also develop
22
+
<span class="italic">problems</span>. We try our best to fix the
23
+
problem, but we find ourselves struggling. Who or what can we turn to?
24
+
</p>
25
+
<em>A duck! 🦆</em>
26
+
<p>
27
+
We can talk to a duck, usually a rubber duck, (or maybe even a real
28
+
duck!) to vocalize the issue we encounter and how we want to address
29
+
it. The simple act of articulating a programming problem often brings
30
+
about a realization that inevitably precipitates the solution.
31
+
</p>
32
+
<p>
33
+
Duck Day sought to coordinate a mid-semester gathering for our fellow
34
+
Computer Science majors to grab a rubber duck, chat, unwind, and have
35
+
some food. We had nearly 40 attendees, and it went off without any
36
+
hiccups. What a success!
37
+
</p>
38
+
</section>
39
+
<nav>
40
+
<a href="/">Home</a>
41
+
<a href="/projects/">Projects</a>
42
+
<a href="/blog/" class="titular-navbar-tab">Blog</a>
43
+
</nav>
44
+
</header>
45
+
<main>
46
+
<section>
47
+
<h2>I am a Treasurer</h2>
48
+
<p>
49
+
Becoming Treasurer for the Computer Science club only recently, I
50
+
learned a decent bit about event planning from the perspective of a
51
+
funds person. I think going through the motions helped increase my
52
+
confidence in the role. For our event's catering order, I oversaw the
53
+
major stages of ordering, communicating with the vendor, and picking
54
+
up the food (with the appreciated assistance from some extra pairs of
55
+
hands! 😁).
56
+
</p>
57
+
<p>
58
+
We knew our choice of vendor for quite a while. When ordering, I
59
+
worked with our Club's President to make some selections. I had and
60
+
stayed below a target total. Communication with the vendor began
61
+
immediately after ordering. I really enjoyed communicating our
62
+
circumstances as an organization, our funding status, and both asking
63
+
and answering questions. For example, we did not know if we had the
64
+
requisitioned funds available to us. I communicated the uncertainty
65
+
with the vendor, and I would like to imagine the vendor enjoyed
66
+
staying in the loop. I genuinely did not want to sully our
67
+
customer-client relationship. Eventually, I went directly to our
68
+
University's organizational funds management office and confirmed the
69
+
funds availability to us. We made our payment, grabbed our food, and I
70
+
call all that a success!
71
+
</p>
72
+
</section>
73
+
<section>
74
+
<h2>Problems and Solutions</h2>
75
+
<p>
76
+
Another vendor, from whom we have ordered before, gave us a hard time.
77
+
Previously, after ordering online with them, we went to pick up the
78
+
order only for us to hear, "we didn't receive your order". Of course,
79
+
we cannot blame the worker for this. Their responsibility does not
80
+
include making sure the online point-of-sale/ordering tools work. I
81
+
also cannot in confidence conclude any intentionality in the
82
+
misgivings we experienced.
83
+
</p>
84
+
<p>
85
+
For this year's Duck Day, our Club President placed an order through
86
+
the vendor's website, but, having a bad experience with them
87
+
previously, they also tried to call and confirm the order.
88
+
<i>They didn't answer the phone.</i> In fact, on Duck Day, we called
89
+
seven (7) times with no answer. My much needed help and I drove to the
90
+
place and asked about our order.
91
+
<i>They didn't receive the order.</i> I did not fault the worker for
92
+
this happening. Luckily, the worker quickly put together our order
93
+
since the food prepares easily (and is eaten even more easily! 😋).
94
+
</p>
95
+
<p>
96
+
I had a great time helping make sure this event went together and went
97
+
off with relatively no issues. When an issue did come up, like when
98
+
one of our vendor's ordering system didn't work, we addressed it.
99
+
</p>
100
+
</section>
101
+
<section>
102
+
<p>
103
+
Thank you to everyone for coming together and bringing their
104
+
happiness!
105
+
</p>
106
+
</section>
107
+
</main>
108
+
<footer><section>© 2026 Demetrius</section></footer>
109
+
</body>
110
+
</html>
+36
-32
projects/index.html
+36
-32
projects/index.html
···
22
22
<a href="/blog/">Blog</a>
23
23
</nav>
24
24
</header>
25
-
<section class="projects">
26
-
<p>
27
-
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Neque possimus
28
-
odio qui eum ipsum ut minus vero laboriosam unde aperiam distinctio,
29
-
necessitatibus magni, cum, consectetur at quibusdam! Aliquid,
30
-
repellendus impedit.
31
-
</p>
32
-
<p>
33
-
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Sunt eaque
34
-
nisi incidunt saepe minus eos laboriosam accusamus. Natus quibusdam
35
-
officiis, ratione dicta, perferendis quidem vitae asperiores harum, ipsa
36
-
nesciunt nisi?
37
-
</p>
38
-
<p>
39
-
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Beatae aut
40
-
commodi facilis deserunt suscipit sapiente, nobis totam ullam sequi,
41
-
reprehenderit nihil inventore obcaecati rerum, natus molestias vel
42
-
minima illo culpa.
43
-
</p>
44
-
<p>
45
-
Lorem ipsum dolor sit, amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Alias
46
-
quisquam, ipsum amet rem assumenda hic ullam, quam quas tempora
47
-
quibusdam, consequuntur obcaecati doloremque corrupti minima id
48
-
voluptate officiis fugit! Cumque?
49
-
</p>
50
-
<p>
51
-
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Debitis veniam
52
-
ex aut quod totam a, magnam deserunt ipsa illum numquam eum ab cum
53
-
eligendi recusandae quia laudantium? Sint, provident reprehenderit!
54
-
</p>
55
-
</section>
25
+
<main>
26
+
<section class="projects">
27
+
<p>
28
+
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Neque
29
+
possimus odio qui eum ipsum ut minus vero laboriosam unde aperiam
30
+
distinctio, necessitatibus magni, cum, consectetur at quibusdam!
31
+
Aliquid, repellendus impedit.
32
+
</p>
33
+
<p>
34
+
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Sunt eaque
35
+
nisi incidunt saepe minus eos laboriosam accusamus. Natus quibusdam
36
+
officiis, ratione dicta, perferendis quidem vitae asperiores harum,
37
+
ipsa nesciunt nisi?
38
+
</p>
39
+
<p>
40
+
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Beatae aut
41
+
commodi facilis deserunt suscipit sapiente, nobis totam ullam sequi,
42
+
reprehenderit nihil inventore obcaecati rerum, natus molestias vel
43
+
minima illo culpa.
44
+
</p>
45
+
<p>
46
+
Lorem ipsum dolor sit, amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Alias
47
+
quisquam, ipsum amet rem assumenda hic ullam, quam quas tempora
48
+
quibusdam, consequuntur obcaecati doloremque corrupti minima id
49
+
voluptate officiis fugit! Cumque?
50
+
</p>
51
+
<p>
52
+
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Debitis
53
+
veniam ex aut quod totam a, magnam deserunt ipsa illum numquam eum ab
54
+
cum eligendi recusandae quia laudantium? Sint, provident
55
+
reprehenderit!
56
+
</p>
57
+
</section>
58
+
</main>
59
+
60
+
<footer><section>© 2026 Demetrius</section></footer>
56
61
</body>
57
-
<footer><section>© 2026 Demetrius</section></footer>
58
62
</html>