The Student Leader Blog

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.