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.

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.

Campus Wide Game of Tag....With Zombies ( HvZ )

Campus life at Rochester Institute of Technology has never been so alive...well actually dead. The students are engaged in a campus wide game of modified tag called Zombie Tag that runs 24 hours a day nonstop.

USA Today picked up on the evolving game that's spreading like wildfire across the US.

The rules are fundamentally simple: Zombie tags human, human becomes a zombie. Unlike movie zombies, with shambling walks and undead makeup, zombies in the game just wear headbands to distinguish them from armband-wearing humans. And they are free to sprint.

Humans ward off zombies with Nerf guns or by hitting them with a balled-up sock — a defensive move that stuns the zombie, usually for 15 minutes. The goal is to still be a live human at the end.

There is even a website dedicated to the game as well as several YouTube clips that play like a late night edition of SportsCenter.

The idea of mixing small group activities related to just your interest group with whole campus events is great and collectively builds the culture on campus. Even if not everyone is participating as a human or zombie there is something about this "always on" type of engagement that builds excitement.

101 Health and Wellness Tips for College Students

In the spirit of finals around the corner and student leaders usually struggling with balance in life, here's an article on staying healthy while in college. While 101 is a lot to digest at one time, here are my favorites with personal commentary at the end in italics:

3. Eat breakfast. Start your day off right with a good meal when you get up. Whether you're rolling out of bed at noon or up at the crack of dawn for class, make sure you start your day with a balanced, healthy meal. (I'm amazed at how many students skip this meal.)

22. Walk to class. While taking public transportation might be quicker, walking will give you a chance to stretch your legs, burn some calories and relax before your next class. (Also if you have the option of stairs over an elevator, take the stairs, the burned calories add up over time.)

33. Avoid all nighters. While you may feel like you need to study all night to do well you might be doing yourself a disservice. Not getting enough sleep can impair your ability to do well, regardless of how much you've studied, so make sure you get at least a little sleep before your big test. (Somehow this became a pride thing to say how many all nighters you've pulled off.)

45. Wash your hands. Studies have shown that simple hand washing can help prevent a large number of illnesses. So wash your hands, especially any time you'll be touching your nose, mouth or eyes or if you've been around others who are sick. (Can't agree with this one more. Just do it.)

47. Don't go to class. If you're sick, don't force yourself to go to class. It will only make you feel worse and infect other students. Email your professors that you're ill and stay home and rest. (I wish it were this easy, some professors don't care, or don't believe you.)

75. Realize you don't have to please everyone. There is no way that you can make everyone happy all the time. Concentrate on making yourself happy first and you'll cut out lots of stress and hassle from your life. (Student leaders are notorious for making sure everyone else is taken care of first before they think about themselves. Go ahead and be selfish.)

92. Avoid walking to class in flip flops. While they may keep your feet cool and look good with your summer wardrobe, few flip flops provide the support needed for your feet. If you are walking long distances, it's best to leave the sandals at home and avoid the arch pain and pinching associated with them. (But I just bought a pair of Pomelo leather flip flops...)

How (not) to lull your students to sleep within the first 10 minutes of class.

I just got off the phone with my friend Maya, who got me thinking about the mind-numbingly boring classes that I've had to sit through (and sleep through) in college. After telling me an all too familiar tale of a teacher, a PowerPoint presentation, and a class full of blank stares, she said:

"Imagine walking into the classroom one day with all the desks cleared out and cups of tea for everyone."

So I did, and I got very excited--first of all because I love tea, and second of all because I started thinking about what influence we, as student leaders, can have inside the classroom. How about we try to influence the professor and not the students for a change and see what happens?

Here are some fairly non-intrusive ideas off the top of my head:

- Do at-your-desk yoga in the middle of class.
- Start a student blog or forum.
- Have students take turns bringing in snacks for the whole class.
- Have people make name tags including a fun fact about each student.
- Play music in the classroom.
- Switch up the seating (moving the desks into a circle is my personal favorite)
- Pick a random day on which everyone has to wear the same color.
- Hold the class off campus (like in a park, a cafe, or an amusement park).
- Have people decorate the classroom (with movable decorations).
- Put tablecloths on each desk.
- Teach from the other end of the classroom (just for the heck of it).
- Bring a beach ball and throw it around during class.
- Have the class shout something every time someone says a particular word.
- Have the class plan a lesson that the professor has to teach.

Okay, so all this won't necessarily make the lecture more interesting, but it will give students something to bond over, talk to their friends about, and remember about college. Plus you can open a professor's eyes to new, unchartered pedagogical grounds.

College (and what admissions FORGET to tell you)

One students take on the first year of college. Oh the pains joys. See anything familiar?