The Student Leader Blog

Shifting my own perceptions - or - A funny thing happened to me on Twitter the other day

As a student worker and leader, I have come to realize that many of the faculty and staff at my community college seem to operate as if making work easier for themselves will lead to a better learning environment for students. This thought began to grow out of a tweet I saw by SA blogger Kevin Prentis. While I don’t remember the exact wording it was something like, “schools ask ‘how has this been done before’ 5-6 steps [or so] prior to asking ‘how will this impact students.’” I have seen this approach while revamping our club/organization's handbook and in the development of a web portal for students, faculty and staff. I take this statement to represent the assumption that their most important “problem” to solve, or goal to reach is smooth implementation of policy and procedure - from an administrative standpoint. While working to make things easier for the “end-users” of a project and taking stress off of faculty and staff is a great thing (something I would gladly cheer for) I don’t think there is a direct correlation between an easier day at the office and a better learning experience for students.

Sometimes streamlining doesn’t really assist processes and can take the focus off of the students. Pounding my head against a wall of paperwork and trying to follow expectations that have been passed down can get in the way of affecting constructive change or simply doing something fun. When students feel ways of doing things are not necessary and try to get around the system, I have seen their efforts viewed as challenges to authority. Directors and coordinators step in with a firm assertion of their roles and, though they listen to student’s reasoning it seems half hearted at times. I feel lucky that my supervisors say that they are working for students and I’ve seen them act upon their convictions, but there have been times when I feel my ideas have gotten stifled or dismissed for no better reason than “that’s not how we/others do/have done things.”

While I get frustrated with this answer and its outcomes, I try to look at most challenges as a learning experience. “What’s the lesson” has become a sort of mantra when frustrated or unsure how to continue. When I am shot down, seemingly out of hand I have to dig a little deeper. I try to find an answer if for nothing more than my own piece of mind. Many times I come to the conclusion that I might not have expressed myself clearly, or I am unaware of all the influences surrounding an issue. Politics certainly exist in any large group of people and school systems are often great examples of aggressive human interaction. I have to realize that some issues concerning me might not really be about me at all, a sort of hard pill to swallow. I also think that many times I overestimate my own understanding of an issue. I can miss the point entirely and become so wrapped up in the frustration of a situation that I fail to recognize the knot of emotions impeding my own thought process.

One basic assumption that all of this searching has brought me to is kind of complex; the people I work for, who profess to be ultimately working for me, do have the basic motivation of helping students. They feel their goals will ultimately benefit students. This is their motivation for seeking change or standing in the way of changes they disagree with. So maybe the statement that Kevin made has some more background to it that I may have overlooked when reacting to the truncated nature of the tweet. If we trust that our administrators are in fact working to makes school a more productive place for students, they probably ask themselves how will this benefit students many times each day. So when I look at the steps taken in a certain project, I might not fully appreciate all the steps involved. I still think it’s a shame there isn’t necessarily an open discussion about the impact on students before people consider the impact to their work, legal considerations, etc., but I am also guilty of the same thought process.

Maybe my first question should be a deeper “why” when looking into my inability to create change. I might have more success if I don’t assume resistance to my ideas is caused by belligerent adherence to "the way things are." Our education system certainly needs new ideas and a lot of changes in perception, but my being shot down doesn’t automatically mean my supervisors are opposed to change for the better, regardless of my own convictions. Maybe they are teaching me how to make changes that will aid a bigger picture that I might not have enough experience to fully appreciate; they may be teaching me how to make changes that last rather than changes that just make my life easier. Of course this assumes that administrators really are looking out for students. There are individuals that only look out for their paychecks and professional standing, but I have to admit I’ve found (in my limited experience) that this is the exception rather than the rule.

CVCC 3/16/09 - Better Get To Know a Student Leader

Karter, Rosana, and Kim of Central VA Community College's Student Government share their thoughts on kicking down doors, facebook addicts, and trying to remembering their position.

p.s. I should note my mic was not working very well so you may hear them yelling at times.

School Killed My Creativity but I Got It Back!

I'm hooked on listening to the Stanford Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Podcasts. Every time I travel, I download a few to bring with. Each podcast runs about one hour and are presented by top thinkers in the entrepreneurial world. I think of them as my free weekly Stanford classroom lessons.

My latest lesson was "Young at Heart: How to Be an Innovator for Life" by Tom Kelley of the world-renowned design firm IDEO.

Through some great personal stories, Kelley gives a series of suggestions to make sure we remember to play in the right brain (our creative side).

- "Think Like a Traveler" - I recently traveled to SE Asia and when I first stepped off the plane in Bangkok, all my senses came alive. I noticed what the airport smelled like, the lighting, the advertisements, the bathrooms, the money, the coins, the door handles, the stores, the air, the trees, etc etc etc. At home, I'm much different. My senses operate on autopilot because I've "been there, done that." Thinking like a traveler allows us to be more present in the moment and to notice our surroundings. Even the stuff we think we know really well. And, in noticing, we'll start to discover new ways of thinking. Kelley also says that thinking like a traveler allows us to hold up our world view against what's actually happening.

- "Be Childlike" - Being creative is about releasing your inner child. School does a great job of focusing on the left brain, and so it's our job to keep the right brain open and fresh. As a student leader, all of your "out of the classroom" work provide great opportunities to use the right brain.

- "Think of Life as an Experiment and be Willing to Fail Forward" - Scientists get excited about failing because it means they've crossed off another possible solution. Be willing and excited about failing as long as it means it allows you to check another possibility off your list so you keep moving forward. Kelley tells the story of WD-40. WD stands for Water Displacement which makes sense, but what does the 40 stand for? Bonus points to the first person to share the answer in the comments below.

- "Finding Your Creative Hour" - I don't drink caffeine, but when I wake up in the morning I'm wired for action. I often do most my reading and writing in the first two hours after waking because I feel amazingly creative. When's your creative hour? Kelley says finding your creative hour is like finding gold, but so many of us waste our best creative hour on our inbox. I don't open my email or internet until two hours after I wake up. Those two hours are my golden creative hours and a gift that is lost if I don't use them.

If I had to pick one of these four tips as the most important, I'd pick the last one. Spend some time over the next couple days to figure out when is your creative hour (and post it in the comments below). Then, once you've found it, grab a book or start a blog and never let go of that time.

Getting in Shape While Balancing Your Schedule Doesn't Have to be THIS Painful...

So I am a bit over weight, I’m not gonna to say how much exactly, but I know I could be more active. I am having a hard time getting done what I need to for work and school, which makes me feel like there is no time to work out. What’s more, my energy level drops almost invariably a half an hour before I get ready to go home. I want to find the motivation to do anything I don’t necessarily have to do with projects, assignments, test and work looming over my every waking moment. And even though I am no narcissist, I know I’m more stressed when I’m not ok with my appearance, it is just one more thing to worry about. So I’ve done some research and some thinking, and come up with a few helpful suggestions to reduce stress, get done what I need to and (eventually) loose some weight.

1) Take short breaks, avoid apathy!

Taking a 15 minute break every hour helps me focus better and stay creative. Using this time to do some sort of exercise helps a lot too. I don’t know about you faithful readers (and authors), but I can’t really study at home, so I go to coffee shops, libraries, huge book stores like Barnes & Noble, and other study conducive places, which usually are a 15 to 20 minute bike ride away from each other!

2) Pay attention to portions and types of foods.

 Eating well is a key to any attempt at weight loss, and it can help you feel better too. Around dinner time, I get really hungry, and then after chowing down I feel like taking a nap. But experts say that eating “fist sized” portions four times a day and snacking on fruits and vegetables to manage one’s apatite will lead to increased metabolism and more energy. I can’t do this all the time, but I try to Monday through Friday, and then stay a bit more active over the weekend, which is usually when I eat more calories. I try and have a simple carb, a protein and a fruit/veggie for every meal.

3) Drink more water!

 I love, soda, coffee and energy drinks, but I can’t handle the crash any more. The wall I hit at 5pm every day is usually produced by coffee, then a Mountain Dew followed by another cup of coffee and a sprinkling of energy drinks throughout the day. Our bodies need more water than what is retained from these synthetic forms of energy, so no wonder I need a nap and have a headache in the afternoon, especially after that huge calzone I just ate! So,  drink more water, and follow the above suggested eating habits, this will afford you more energy and help avoid the infamous crash.

4) Prepare easy, portioned meals in advance.

When working or studying, I tend to just want something easy to eat, and don’t want to take the time to make myself something nutritious, so I end up eating out. This allows me to indulge in things I normally wouldn’t, because it's easy. I have found that making a bunch of burritos over the weekend with quality ingredients like chicken, bell peppers, black beans, long grain rice, cooked green chilies and a bit of cheese will taste great, cost way less than most sandwiches at sub shops, and will usually be a lot more healthy. I also keep some nuts, dried fruit, or sliced veggies on me too if I need something to tide me over until I can get home for dinner or one of my mid-day meals.

5) Find a motivator other than “I want to look better!”

I have found if I am focused on getting in shape to look dead sexy, I never get the results I want, as soon as I want, which leads to frustration, and once I allow my self to skip a meal, resulting in an even bigger meal later on, or I eat out a few times rather than going home to grab my premade food I lose dedication to my plan of action, which eventually leads to dropping the whole thing all together. If I am able to decide to do this to better my self, to be healthier, to reduce stress and boost energy, I see the results a lot faster because I am not relying on other people reacting favorably to my efforts and I am focusing on the positives rather than the negatives. I begin to realize I’m setting myself up to have a longer, happier life.

So…now I have to follow the advice I have heard from a lot of my more in-shape friends and from many other articles scattered throughout my memory. It is hard to keep up with a plan of action while there are a lot of other things going on, but I think that the suggestions above, coupled with a realistic workout routine, will allow me to reach my goal of 20lb’s lighter, I’ll let you know how it goes, and if you have success, please let me know as well, I just might need some good juju that day!    

<http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m318/tippyturtle2/Simmons.jpg>

And I thought I'd only learn inside the class room!

Late last Friday afternoon, an obviously concerned club adviser approached me and in a vague, non-committal way communicated that their club has been directly affected by seemingly unrelated issues in their department. Now, I always want to attack an issue head-on and try to find out all the information I can in hopes of efficiently reaching a solution, so thank goodness my supervisor was there to rein me in. I don’t really know the first thing about recognizing, let alone handling situations in which my reaction to seemingly unrelated political agendas could land me, or my superiors, in hot water. I come from a food service background, so I do know a bit about jockeying for the Friday night serving or bar tending shift, but this stuff was way over my head.Taking my boss's lead, I soon found that the most I could say was, “as a student I don’t have the experience necessary to handle such a situation.” It all felt wrong to me though; I hate marginalizing what I feel and being unable help my fellow students. I still feel I should be able to bring something positive to the situation. Hey, maybe I could go to some other teachers and get their take on the matter. Maybe I should approach the leads of the department and tactfully inquire about the history of the teacher and the club in question, like how long they’ve been involved together or how much experience the teacher has with student groups. I know! I’ll ask the Dean of Transfer Education if there has been any new hires or teachers in the department moving from part time to full time…or…crap, I’ve been sucked in!

I guess the lesson is “mind my own business and do the best I can.” Maybe this is sort of an end to the innocence I’ve enjoyed regarding our educational system. I want to think that the educator's main focus is always the student's well-being. I also may be displaying my naivety by believing that working toward the student's best interest won’t step on anyone's toes. I still feel a bit of frustration though; no matter how I react in this situation I will be contributing to the issue and my actions will still be a reflection of my department and superiors. In the end though, my job has nothing to do with the professional issues of any academic department, and I won't really be involved unless the club or department violates guidelines I have been asked to uphold. And even though I do plan on becoming a teacher one day, I’m not one yet.For now, I get to sit back and learn from this situation, and see what I do and don’t agree with. I can just put this experience in my mental vault for when I do have to deal with personal agendas and defend the student’s best interests. All I need worry about now is the our next event and how I can help my friends and fellow students have a great college experience. I guess I’m being shown that the most meaningful learning experiences sometimes happen outside the class room. I've heard that a lot this past year, but I'm kind of having an epiphany as I recognize the truth of this statement. Action certainly is an integral part of education.

How is School Going?

"How is school going?"  How many times does a college student hear that question in the course of their student career?  How is it typically answered?  Many times it is answered pretty much the same way as the question, "How are you?"  As a student, I have certainly answered it that way myself, "School is fine."  or "It's interesting." or some similar expression.  Unfortunately, I just as often hear such responses as, "It's a drag!" or "School sucks!" and other negative comments.  These responses make it seem that students are unhappy at school and find it a harsh experience, at least on the surface.  In high school this was the case perhaps and certainly the prevailing "cool" attitude.  After all, high school was forced on the student.  College is different.  Yes, there is pressure, sometimes immense pressure to go to college, but ultimately college is still a choice.  And despite the negativity voiced, I have also seen students spending the time and effort to achieve success in college and so know that they really do want to learn, even enjoy learning new things.  Why then, do they answer the question negatively?  Is it fear of rejection?  What if we, as students, stop making it "uncool" to enjoy learning?  What if instead, we showed our appreciation and approval?  Acceptance is a powerful weapon.   The new semester is starting and I have returned to school looking forward to all the new experiences.  So I am resolved to find ways to let every student I can know that I think the better of them for continuing with their education and share with them my joy of learning. 

Reaping the Benefits of Selflessness

When I got to college at the age of 25 I hadn’t been involved in my community much and wasn’t very interested in joining the clubs around campus. Getting acclimated to the notes, homework and test thing after a 5 year break was about all I could handle. A work study job at our info. desk finally got me involved and gave me a genuine interest in my campus. Showing up and doing the best job I could impressed a few key people, who eventually offered me the opportunity to serve as the Club Coordinator at Front Range Community College. I went from minimal involvement to a leadership role in two semesters.

About three weeks after getting this job - in a system I was fairly unfamiliar with mind you - my boss left...he was there on Wednesday and  was gone on Thursday...AHHHHH! I was greener than baby poo and still wondering exactly what my job was about. The director of student life, my former bosses boss, was put into survival mode (her words) after losing another full-time faculty member, putting more responsibility on me and another student worker while interviews were conducted and student life went on…for a full semester.

I've finally been able to slow down and do a bit of retrospection and have realized the power of keeping a service-minded attitude. It’s been the most effective tool I’ve used to stay focused, learn in a high stress environment, and keep myself sane! My purpose as club coordinator is to help students learn outside of the class room, help take some of the stress off of my superiors, co-workers and fellow students, and have fun, an attitude which allows me to take things less personally and consider issues with a clearer head. Remaining pointed in this direction has sometimes pulled me in different directions. Armed with the intention of finding a level ground (not necessarily that which I’d prefer to stand on), an “us versus them” mentality hasn’t existed much, which could easily have been the case considering the stress and confusion of last semester. It has been hard finding the balance between wanting people to like me and doing what my superiors expect of me, and it would be easy to pat myself on the back, but I feel I’d be taking ownership for the accomplishments of others. I have gotten a lot of help during the last 7 months, and I've learned a ton. My superiors, co-workers and fellow students teach me and enrich my life. Without their help, and having a higher purpose than just getting paid, I couldn’t be where I am today.

Facebook Page or Facebook Group?

What's the best way to represent your student club/organization on Facebook?

Due to the number of questions received about this topic, I was about to write up my own analysis, but figured I should check with my blogging pals first. Sure enough Leigh Householder of Advergirl put together a nice post for businesses that is easily translated to Student Groups. Here is a full repost:

There are a lot of choices – groups, pages, causes, fans, friends. And, none of the which and the why seems terribly clear.

To make it simple: There is one main choice. And, then a few other important options.

First pick: Page or group or both

Page
Who can create it: An official representative of the real public figure, artist, brand or organization that the page is for

Why page?

•     First up, pages are indexed on Google. A nice little add to your integrated social SEO strategy
•     Allows you to connect with an unlimited number of fans (personal profiles & groups support up to 5000 friends)
•     You can send messages to all your fans
•     You can use rich media and leverage Facebook apps (super customizable)

Why not page?

•     Little of the new content or activity you post is actually fed to your profile new feeds (the most visible? New fans. New photos or video uploaded by fans)
•     Messages to fans don’t go into their inbox; rather, they’re delivered as an “update,” which fewer people see.
•     Unlike being an administrator of some non-FB communities (like blogs or wikis),there’s no automated way to moderate activity. You have to manually check for new links, videos, etc.

Group:
Who can create it: Anyone (on any topic)

Why groups?

•     Most importantly, you can message all members and the notice shows up right in their inbox for maximum attention
•     All activities are picked up in the feed – posts, discussion, photos, etc., which provides a lot more visibility
•     Tend to be more informal, which can, in itself, feel more social
•     Lots of control over who to involve. There are three different types of groups: Open (anyone can join); Closed (the group owner/admins have to approve all members); Secret (only the members and invitees know the group even exists).

Why not groups:

•     There’s a 5000 fan limit for messaging. More people can choose to be fans of your group, but you won’t be able to directly contact them
•     You can’t add apps directly to a group
•     Customization is limited
•     Unlike being an administrator of some non-FB communities (like blogs or wikis),there’s no automated way to moderate activity. You have to manually check for new links, videos, etc.
•     Word is, these groups are also very tricky to delete (Editor Comment - Only way to delete a group is to ask everyone to leave the group, then it just closes. There is no delete button)
  

Then add:

•     Fan: both these pages allow administrators to turn on a fan function. Allowing fans lets your organization rack up contacts (just like a personal profile allows you to add friends)
•     Cause: Want to raise money, enable supporters to raise money, win volunteers, etc? Facebook’s new action-based app is Causes. It’s a good add for a group or page strategy. But, because it requires users to add an application, it’s definitely not a standalone.

Quick update in response to an offline discussion:

Q: What's the difference between a profile and a page?
A: Short answer: a profile is for people; a page is for non-people (or super people, i.e. celebs). Profiles are the basic building blocks of FB. They represent its millions of members. In a longer answer, I'd also tell you that pages allow a lot more customization and flexibility ... but, I think this whole person vs. nonperson thing gives you the talking point most people need.

Stress Hitting College Students the Hardest

USA TODAY released a new study showing that college students are the most stressed population segment. Gosh, I wonder why?

You are...

• taking on multiple credit classes
• involved in several out-of-class activities
• working an extra job to pay for the tuition hikes
• scared your mac and cheese supply might run out
  
• taking out extra loans just to pay for your textbooks
• stressed about getting a job after graduation
• worried about all your socks having holes in them

Good thing college is a finite amount of time. But since you are still in college try out some tips given by SL Writer Mike Sharp on how to keep your life more balanced.

The Point of Happiness

I'm teaching a class on happiness tomorrow and the thought of it is telling my brain that it's 3PM instead of the 3AM that it really is. I'm awake. I'm very much awake, and I'm trembling all over. My couch is covered in books, my notepad is full of scribbles, and up until I sat down to write this post, I couldn't stop pacing around the apartment. My cats got tired of watching me and fell asleep.

I don't know if happiness is something one can teach and, even if it is, whether I can teach it. I don't know whether this class will have any impact on anyone or anything aside from my sleep cycle, but it seems that there's a possibility that it may, and so long as that possibility exists I need to take it very seriously.

Why? What's the point of this class? What's the point of happiness?

The simplest answer is that it feels good. In the book A Primer in Positive Psychology (the best textbook ever written), Chris Peterson points out that happiness has also been shown to predict things like long lasting relationships, financial success, and physical health. But what makes it so God damn important in my eyes is the realization that you can either live a life bursting with joy and radiance or you can live your life as though it's a homework assignment. An entire life cherished, or an entire life simply, spent. You only have one teeny life, and how you live it depends entirely on your perspective.

When I think of the point of happiness, I also think of the point at which my own perspective shifted forever. It was in high school, and I had been depressed for over a year, maybe a lot longer. Then in one instant, I suddenly snapped out of it. I don't know exactly what did it (though I'm sure the antidepressants helped), but suddenly I was exuberant, and I'll never forget the contrast between those two mental states: like lying under a pile of bricks one moment and then floating up on a cloud of balloons in the next. Being mentally present for that transition taught me how to recreate that feeling voluntarily, but more importantly, it taught me that life can feel terrible, it can feel like nothing much, or it can feel wonderful. And if it can be wonderful, why not work to make it wonderful?

Feeling wonderful makes us want to do wonderful things - to create, to build, to nurture, to solve, to take risks, and to make others feel wonderful. And that's the point; isn't it?