The Student Affairs Blog

Student Affairs and Campus Crises- A View from New Orleans

When I get in bed at night, I can look out my window and see the Superdome, one of the most recognizable features of the New Orleans skyline. Its brilliant white facade is a point of stark contrast at night against the darkened skyscrapers and blinking rooftop lights. 

I bring up my view of the Superdome because much of what I do at night during my NODA internship is turn over and over in my head the experiences I am having as an outsider in post-Katrina New Orleans. The Superdome, for many outside observers, was the epicenter of Katrina's wrath; a roof over thousands of displaced and battered New Orleanians. My work with new first-year students and parents this summer in orientation programming at Loyola University has become just a part of a larger whole of understanding what happened in this southern pocket of the country nearly four years ago. 

I have talked with people in my office, as well as neighboring campuses, about what it was like to be here in student affairs roles before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina. The narratives that have unfolded in these conversations are tinged with pride for the city and life as a New Orleanian, coupled with a profound sense of loss. One of my supervisors, a near 30-year resident of the city, lost his home, church, and sense of community that can only be built over the course of a lifetime. But still, he came back here because more than 20 years of service to the university had made Loyola his community too, and perhaps the only one he had left here. 

In the wake of disasters, both natural and manmade, student affairs professionals play a major role in response efforts. They coordinate evacuation efforts for domestic and international students, operate command centers for calls from the media and concerned families, coordinate mass counseling and support services for their communities, and in general, provide the glue that keeps our colleges and universities together. Crises are sorted through by student affairs administrators, and often, it is this group of people who become the architects of recovery on campus. 

In my work, I have experienced student and campus crises on a smaller scale. I've made late night calls to parents whose children have been sent to the hospital for injuries and alcohol poisoning, done rounds through darkened halls during storms and power outages, and been part of the conversation about campus grieving when students have passed away. But hearing the stories of New Orleanians who work in student affairs has given me a renewed and profound respect for our work and the caliber of people who take part in it. Because just as the Superdome was pieced together by great community and national efforts after the storm, the colleges and universities of this city been rebuilt and renewed by the hands of dedicated student affairs and faculty colleagues. 

Do you have stories about student affairs colleagues and their work in times of crisis? If so, please leave them in the comments section to continue conversation on this topic.

The One(s) That Got Away

Once you've worked in Student Affairs for a while, you've probably accumulated many stories of former students, and found it particularly gratifying to see what some of your former students have done. Living vicariously is one of the benefits of working in higher education. We revel in our student's successes, and as they grow up and move on, we follow some of their lives and careers, and do our best to maintain our connections.  It's one of the great sources of joy that help make up for low pay, long hours, and endless bureaucracies on the flip side of this particular job-coin.

Working in student affairs isn't all rewards and relationships, though. It can also be heart-wrenching, when things don't work out according to the usual plan. But these moments also teach us about the honor of serving students, the responsibilities we accept along with our jobs, and the trust that our students, parents and institutions place in us. I've found that this is especially true for me when dealing with situations where students aren't able to continue with their schooling, due to accidents, emotional and psychological issues, severe illness and death (of a close friend or family member, or of the student.)

These sorts of stories won't particularly be the feel-good pull-out-of-your-memory-box moments, or the funny stories that you tell friends or relatives at a dinner party. They may be the moments you do your best to push aside, because they tear at you and make you wonder if you can really handle all the drama of college life. You may hide them away, because they leave scars and hurts that aren't easily healed. They may be the moments you never forgive yourself for being a part of. But don't.

Don't do this to yourself, or to your colleagues, or to the profession. It's easy to celebrate moments of success, and to revel in them. But some of the most valuable lessons you are likely to learn about life, about students, and about yourself can be drawn from the well of disappointment, failure and even tragedy. If celebrating student successes is a great benefit of working in this field, then these moments of harder learning are the dues we pay for membership.

In recent posts to my personal  blog I have been dwelling on life, death and purpose. I thought I was done for a while. Then, last Thursday night, I learned from one of my coordinators (Bryan Koval, who also writes for this blog) that one of his RAs, who had just finished two years with us, and was due to go on Study Abroad this fall, was killed in a car accident. She was a beautiful, kind and sweet girl who really had a great impact on others. 

Bryan asked me if there was anything else he should be doing to assist his staff. It was then that my administrative side kicked in and I started going through protocols in my head, so I could make the proper notifications to the VP's office, the main Res Life office, etc. The impersonal nature of such necessities really hits home when you know the student well.  It feels cold, and requires setting aside personal feelings for some other time.

When this feeling hits you, hold it up to the light, examine it, and understand it for what it really is. Taking care of business doesn't make you inhuman, or unfeeling, or cold. It just means that you accept your responsibility  in the process, and understand that your duty to care, and to take care of people, includes taking care of details, setting aside your personal feelings, and being there for others. It's not easy, but it's worth it. It teaches you  humility, shows you your mettle, and reveals the finer details of your character.

So when you think back on the highlights of your career, and reflect on the experiences that molded you, look back not only on  tales of success, and students who went on to do great things. Some of the most telling tales will likely be found when reflecting on what you learned from "the ones that got away."

Career guidance from Michael Jordan

As a Carolina guy, it's hard to go too many days without having Tar Heel basketball invade at least one of my thought processes.  Basketball goes well beyond sport here in Chapel Hill, and we in University Career Services are not immune to those impulses.

Case in point, this past spring my colleague Laura gave a very creative presentation in which she used a NCAA-style bracket to accomplish two objectives with a group of students.  First, she used had them fill out one wing of the bracket with a variety of employable skills, and then had the students consider the skills and have them"compete" until each student had one in the winner's bracket, jump starting a conversation about strengths. Second, she flipped the bracket over to illustrate the process of networking in ever-growing branches of connections.

A different basketball/career correlation sprang into my mind this past weekend as I watched a countdown program on ESPN. The segment I watched focused on Michael Jordan's time as a baseball player.  You may or may not even recall that Jordan played professional baseball briefly after his first NBA retirement.  By many critical reports, his time in baseball was an abject failure.  In fact, there was outright hostility toward his attempt at the sport from many.  But, the best thing for me about his baseball foray wasn't his stat line (clearly!), it was the fact that he walked away from an arena in which he was considered one of, if not the, greatest of all time to pursue something that he always wanted to try. 

Jordan has been quoted as saying, "I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying," and while his attempt at baseball may have been a failure, he should be applauded for pursuing a passion, and that's a great lesson for all of us -- students, staff and faculty.  Better still, sometimes a "failure" is actually a win.  Last week as I was riding the bus to work I was reading the Kvetching Board, a section of the student-run Daily Tar Heel which allows readers to post short, anonymous quips.  The first one in last weeks' paper brought a big smile to my face.  It read:

Thank you for rejecting me, Kenan-Flagler Business School.  I can now pursue the career I didn't have the courage to before.

Have you have any situations that initially felt like failures that lead to other opportunities?  Post your stories in the comment section.  I'd love to hear them.

Gary Alan Miller

Tuesday Tally - How Many Conferences Do You Attend Per Year For Your Student Affairs Job?

If you cannot view this poll click here.

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And here are the results from the last poll.

10 Things You Want Your CSAO To Know...

Some fellow campus activities types and I were chatting at a recent event about the similarities and differences in the "sub specialties" in our field.  We were discussing things that make campus activities work unique and the things that we believe we experience that most of our colleagues probably never see. We were laughing at the influx of catalogs we receive during the summer from companies like Oriental Trading (love to them!) and lamenting the life that comes from the large number of overnight student leadership retreats in the fall if you are someone with a family at home.

So, I wanted to bring all of you in on the conversation.... 

If you had the chance to tell your/any Chief Student Affairs Officer the ten things they need to know about what makes the campus activities profession unique, what would you say?

Online Branding Quick Tip - Is Your School's User Name Available?

Here's a handy tool that can be useful for students, higher ed professionals and student affairs offices alike.  It's namechk.com.  What this convenient little web tool does is allow you to check the availability of "vanity" profile names on more than 50 social media sites at once (not that you intrinsically would want to be involved in that many sites), including facebook, twitter, linkedin, and many others.

Is your office starting a facebook page or maybe you've been thinking about opening a twitter account?  Enter the profile name you hope to use into namechk.com and find out if it's available across a variety of platforms before you begin setting up profiles.  Doing so will help you be consistent with your profile names, thus more effectively branding you or your office.

Gary Alan Miller

Over the Hedge?

As the father of a 3 ½ year old, I have found myself increasingly taking life lessons from children's movies. The 300 or so times I have watched Cars have taught me that if you go fast and turn right hard enough, you'll start going left, and that it's better not to be a “one man show.” Up reminded me to value my family and to never give up on my dreams. Then there's Over the Hedge...

“Spring has arrived and an array of creatures sleeping in a large tree trunk has awakened from their winter hibernation. This group of unusual creatures, porcupines, possums, a squirrel, a skunk, has formed a family with Verne, a tortoise (voice of Garry Shandling), as the head. They discover that a tall hedge has cut their forest in half and their nut and berry trees are gone. Where are they going to get their food for next winter?”-Plot synopsis by the Movie Guy on IMDB.com

This movie offers some simple lessons that can be enjoyed by viewers of any age. But, reading between the lines, it offers a hidden lesson. What can you learn about others, about yourselves, and about how the world works, by taking a peek over the proverbial hedge and seeing how others live, think and interact?

Student Affairs professionals are sometimes rightfully criticized for living inside their bubbles, and understanding a lot about campus life and not enough about “the real world.” We can easily fall into this, if we only seek wisdom from like-minded people who spend their time thinking about the same things we think about, and may approach them from similar perspectives. I try to expand my worldview as much as possible by learning what people in other fields are talking about. Here are a few articles and sites that have offered me new perspectives.

Unsung Innovative Leaders, by Rich Karlgaard on Forbes.com.

“That ability to spot insights and lessons from fields far outside your own is one hallmark of an innovative leader. Of course, leaders have to do more than see the parallels--they have to adapt them to fit their own needs and then convince their teams to put them into practice, time and time again.”

The POST Method: A systematic approach to social strategy, by Josh Bernoff at Forrester.com

“Is your company doing its social strategy backwards? If you started by saying "we should do a blog" or "we should create a page on a social network" or "we should create a community" the answer is probably yes....In any other business endeavor we start by figuring out what we want to accomplish. Social technologies are not magic. They accomplish things, too. It's time to stop doing social because it's cool. It's time to start doing it because it's effective.”

How to Decide in a Time of Confusion by  Kim Girard at BNet.com

 “Even in the most uncertain times, you don’t have to just wing it,” says Hugh Courtney, associate dean of executive programs at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. “There are systematic ways to deal with even the most uncertain environment.”

Leadership: The Bathtub Model, At the Whiteboard Video on Bnet.com

This video is part of the "At the Whiteboard" video series on Bnet. Direct link not available. Go to Bnet.com and then to the Videos section to find this video, as well as ones on "Dodging Landmines: and other workplace communication and team dynamics issues.

Lifehacker.com: Tips and Downloads for Getting Things Done

The best part of this site is the clever uses section, where you can get tips on using everyday objects for simplifying your life. Some xamples include unique uses for binder clips, how to save desk space using magnets, and amplifying your speakerphone with a cereal bowl.

Take a look at these sites and enjoy. If you have a favorite non-Student Affairs site you visit frequently for new perspectives, please consider sharing the URL by posting a comment.

Tuesday Tally - For Your Student Affairs Job, Which Web Tools Do You Use Regularly?

If you cannot view this poll click here.

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And here are the results from the last poll.

Integrating Public Service into the College Experience

Crossposted at Future Majority.

One of my favorite aspects of blogging and working in student affairs is learning about various programs and initiatives that infuse civic engagement and service-learning into the college experience. Dickinson College in Pennsylvania is prepared to announce the implementation of a public service fellowship program which will serve as one of the best examples yet of an institution linking its values with President Obama's call for public service.

From the soon-to-be-released release:

After four years of high school, not all students are ready to continue with higher education. For some, a one-year break from academia, commonly referred to as a "gap year," provides time for students to learn more about themselves and the world. Already common in other countries, the U.S. is now seeing an increase in students seeking time off before matriculation to save money for college; others seek civic engagement or travel. President Obama has called on Americans to participate in our nation’s recovery and renewal by serving in our communities. To support this idea, the federal government’s Web site Serve.gov is an online resource for registering a community program, finding service opportunities and the tools for creating one.

[...]

Students can apply for admission into the Fellowship in their senior year of high school. If accepted, students may defer enrollment until the beginning of the academic year for one, two, three or four years. Students who have engaged in public service for up to four years following high-school graduation receive a $10,000 tuition credit for each year of public service, up to a total of $40,000. Use of credits will be limited to a maximum of $10,000 annually and will be applied to the student's account when matriculated. The Fellowship amount will be in addition to other institutional grants and scholarships for which the student may be eligible. Dickinson grants and scholarships won’t be affected by receipt of the Fellowship unless the student's total gift aid exceeds the student's total cost of attendance. The college will work with students to determine the best timing for using the credits, within the context of other aid.

Students must engage in meaningful public service devoted to improving the human condition and/or the natural environment. A student may opt to join well-established public service programs that offer a wide array of experiences, such as AmeriCorps (which also awards up to $4,725 for college tuition), or the student may pursue an independently designed project with a local, national or international nonprofit organization. In all cases, students must work 30-40 hours a week for 10-12 months (at least 1,200 total hours). The hours may be a traditional 30-40 hour workweek, or a more intensive experience such as disaster relief work that may require 12 to 14 hour days. The public service work may be compensated or uncompensated.

In order to reap the financial benefits of this program, Public Service Fellows must submit an application including an essay stating how they hope to contribute to themselves and society through the work they will be completing. Once the project is complete, the student is then required to submit a reflection essay discussing how the student's experience will impact his or her Dickinson experience. In addition to the financial advantages afforded to them, Public Service Fellows will add to an already impressive Dickinson education. Those students participating in the program will contribute to a reflection ceremony open to the Dickinson community by sharing lessons learned from the public service projects. Furthermore, the campus will give Public Service Fellows priority consideration for campus-based leadership positions, such as resident advisor and campus advisor, further emphasizing the importance of giving back to one's community throughout the Dickinson experience.

Granted, a Dickinson education isn't cheap to start with. The tuition itself is almost $40,000 a year, and the bill only increases after other fees are added. But as noted above, students can work in public service for up to four years, netting $40,000. While students can only spend up to $10,000 yearly, all of this money is on top of any additional financial aid the school offers (receiving the fellowship does not impact other scholarship and grant opportunities).

One way to add to the program might be to incorporate an academic piece. For instance, instead of limiting students to writing two essays, perhaps those deciding to matriculate at Dickinson any given year would be required to register for a seminar to further explore their experiences, more intensely investigating themes they observed or felt while serving. This would then improve the quality of the on-campus discussion led by fellows.

In 2008, many of the Democratic presidential candidates offered similar proposals on their platforms, but nothing was this beneficial to students. This initiative provides Dickinson with a way to accentuate the importance of civic engagement among its students, while making its valued education more accessible to students predisposed with the ability to work hard and develop strong reflective skills. Those fellows admitted will be offered opportunity after opportunity to learn how to contribute to the greater good, while following in the footsteps of Dickinson College's founder, Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. In a public address in 1787, Rush urged every citizen to become an engaged public servant. Now, some 222 years later, with another American leader issuing the same call, Dickinson College is doing its best to lead it.

Are there any similar programs at your institutions?

Tweet...tweet.... anyone out there?

Here on campus we are recovering nicely from a busy orientation season and are starting to reflect on our successes, failures and ideas for the future.  One of the biggest new things we tried this year was use of Twitter for orientation in a few different ways.

First, we set up a Twitter account that we used as a staff communication tool.  This was a closed account where only our orientation leaders and department staff could "follow" and we just used it for quick and simple communication, announcements, reminders, etc.  Next, we set up an "Off2BSC" account that was posted for freshmen, transfers and their family members to keep up to date on the orientation program and issues that are important during the transition.

We had a great outcome from this work and ended up with a good number of "followers" on the public account after very little publicity.  We're on top of the world with a great success and came up with a bunch of new ways to use Twitter for our office's functions.  I even recruited a student for one of our programs by Tweeting about it!  Congrats to us, right?  But...

I had the "opportunity" to be with the groups of students as they were doing their final course registration steps with their advisors so I used it to ask them about Twitter.  Group after group of 20 people came through that room and no more than 1 student in any group even had a Twitter account.  

So, what next?  Are students on your campus interested in Twitter or is no one out there going to hear our "Tweets?"

Student Affairs and Faculty Divided Literally by a River

Though many goals overlap, cooperation between Student Affairs and Faculty on campuses is a real challenge and an ongoing SA Blog debate.

A recent trip to Pasco-Hernando Community College's West Campus not only had the normal friction between the two groups, but the campus was also set up in a way that had the two groups literally divided by a river.

Spatial layout of a campus can play a major role in either hurting or promoting cooperation. At my Alma Mater, the student activities office was tucked far away in a corner of the campus and it was a real challenge to either make faculty aware we existed or how to find us.

What's the layout like on your campus? Does it help or hurt your cooperation with Faculty?

John Legend Incorporates Student Development Theory in Commencement Address

If you've not had the chance to watch/read singer/songwriter John Legend's commencement address at the University of Pennsylvania, you should.  Legend uses cognitive development theory to describe his own experience in college and to sound a call for more truth-finding in our society.  Just a disclaimer:  Legend expresses some political opinions in the speech, so if you're not willing to read those, you might not want to keep reading.

When I walked onto this campus, I felt like I had traveled to another world, a world that was bigger, busier and, yes, more challenging than the one I was leaving behind.

Before coming to Penn, like they said, I grew up in Springfield, Ohio, and much of my education had come from my parents, my Christian elementary school and the Pentecostal Church we attended on a regular basis.

With my grandmother by my side, I learned to play gospel piano, and I absolutely loved singing in the church choir. So, as you might imagine, I heard a lot of sermons. A lot of sermons. Some of them were rousing and inspiring. Some were the perfect cure for insomnia. And almost all of them were very, very long. I'm going to try not to do that today. Sometimes I just wanted them to wake me up when it was time for me to sing.

But it gave me a sense-it gave me a strong sense of morality, a belief that there was a right and there was a wrong. It gave me a sense that there were two sides to this journey we call life. Good versus evil. Dark versus light. Heaven versus Hell. You're either with us, or you're with the terrorists. Clear choices. Perfect opposites.

Like many people, I found comfort in that clarity. There's a certain confidence that comes with being sure about the way the world works. It's all written in an infallible book, and there's nothing left to discuss. Mission accomplished.

Dualism anyone?  Legend continues:

But when I stepped off that first plane ride to Penn and then became a freshman here, things got a little confusing. The lines became more blurry with each new person I met, each new class I took, each new concept I learned. That comforting dichotomy of right and wrong was replaced by what professors here would call inquiry, methodology and praxis, or in layperson's terms, a never-ending series of questions, discussions, analyses and options.

Legend's plea -- that one should use the privilege of a college education to better pursue the "truth," confronting deception and obfuscation however it may appear -- is particularly relevant.  In a technological world that enables us (and our students) to reinforce our opinions by tuning in to the media of our choice, it is now more difficult for our college degrees to get any exercise.  We're told what to think in bullet points, and we're expected to accept it, even though there remains much gray area to be explored.  Developing and using that internal voice -- what some might call "self-authoring" -- is at the heart of Legend's message and, political views aside, I believe he linked it well with our current events.

I found Legend's speech intriguing enough to post here because it fit so well with student development theory and was one of the more explicit references to it I've seen in pop culture since I've been in student affairs. 

You can check out more of Legend's speech here.  The video of the entire address is below.

Any thoughts?  What are the best, more explicit examples of student development theory in popular culture that you've seen?

Healthy Lifestyles in Student Affairs

As student affairs administrators, we face formidable challenges to living a healthy lifestyle. For instance, with the prevalence of live-on entry level positions in our field, it can take more work than usual to live anything but a sedentary and gluttonous life, especially if one lives on a smaller campus.

The food that is most readily available tends to be ultra-processed. The supply of Otis Spunkmeyer muffins, Pop Tarts, and potato chips is inexhaustible, while ripe fruits and fresh vegetables make occasional cameos. Sandwich lines appear to be a decent choice, until the sodium content is analyzed – bread, lunch meat, and cheese usually add up to over half of one’s sodium allowance for the day. Sodium is also a problem with many dishes in many all-you-care-to-eat facilities.

The notion of exercise in our field is ironic. We have better access than many people to a fitness facility, but the nature of our jobs, especially for those in residence life, makes scheduling this time into our schedule appear to be impossible. The weight room and gym are usually crowded at your only available times throughout the day, and while you might want to take care of your body, standing around and waiting for equipment to become available is frustrating.

While many of us don’t want to intentionally endanger our health, there are, of course, other forces coming into play. As I just mentioned, the notion that we are already too busy makes many appearances in excuses for not going to the gym (I speak from experience here). It also can lead to increased consumption of the aforementioned processed foods. Put simply, after a long day of work, your couch’s value skyrockets. Inversely, the idea of making a fresh, nutritious meal in the kitchen has never been so repulsive. At this point, sodium-laden TV dinners make an appearance, or, if one is particularly motivated, he or she may visit their fast food joint of choice for a low-thought, high-everything else meal.

If you’re reading this and don’t recognize yourself in the preceding paragraphs, or do but don’t care, then you may stop reading here if you wish (I don’t want to come off as preachy – some people are happy with where they are). If you do wish to change some things about your wellness routine (or just create one), I have thought of a few ways to begin. Disclaimer: I’m not an expert, and I want to make sure I’m not perceived to be one.

• Examine your thought process:  Yes, we like to help people.  It's noble.  And sometimes we like to think of it as selfless.  But when it gets to the point that it's harmful, it's a problem, and it can limit our effectiveness.  We help the best when we feel good and have added credibility.  So frame your efforts as a way to help students.  By taking steps to improve your quality of life, you'll be role modeling excellent role modeling skills!
• Gather support among colleagues:  Even taking a few steps can require support (challenge and support!).  Find some colleagues -- those who you trust and those who you might want to get to know better -- and explore whether or not they might be interested in joining you.  In attempting to avoid conventional office fare -- M&Ms, baked goods, etc. -- an ally or two to assist you in resisting the peer pressure to binge can not only be helpful, but it can also create opportunities for establishing better relationships.
• Take advantage of on-campus resources:  Yes, the gym might be the go-to place for too many people, why not be different?  Instead of walking the track every day, make that your rain location, and walk outside.  Is your campus hilly?  Find a hill to run or walk, or find a set of stairs for a good cardio workout.  And start slow -- identify two days a week which could contain a good time to exercise.  If it doesn't work out, don't just quit, but go back to the drawing board.  Try it again.  For nutrition, campus health centers are usually an overlooked resource.  Many have staff members prepared and ready to assist you in changing your dietary routine.
• Plan a program:  Find a few students who might be interested in encouraging positive wellness habits on campus and invite them to help you plan a large-scale program on campus to raise awareness.  Farmers Markets in appropriate climates, for example, can bring the campus and community together, while encouraging sustainability and wellness simultaneously.
• Eat fish for dinner:  In my own effort to eat better, I have discovered fish as a good compromise meal.  Fish delivers you the protein found in most red meats, but contains a quarter of the sodium and far fewer levels of cholesterol, saturated fat, and calories.  The compromise comes into play in the preparation.  Most fish can be baked for 20 minutes.  Pair the fish with some rice and your vegetable of choice, and voila!  A substantive and healthy meal.  (One should be careful to avoid overconsuming too much seafood due to the possibility of mercury poisoning.  Also, be sure to check the nutrition facts prior to purchasing the fish; I'm not talking about fish sticks here.)

Again, this isn't the be-all, end-all of exercise/nutrition programs, but I felt it was an important topic to broach among student affairs practitioners.  Many of us (including myself) are so absorbed in our work and helping others that we neglect ourselves.  Do you have any tips to add?

An Optimistic Summer Read - "Always Looking Up" by Michael J Fox

For those of you looking for a quick and inspirational summer read, I recommend Michael J Fox's (2009) Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist.

I entered a graduate school program for Student Affairs and Higher Education because I wanted to ignite students with the passion to create change, just as my mentors did for me while at Allegheny College. I wanted to work with students to help them put their dreams into action, and to believe in the power of their imagination.  As I reflected on my own journey, I realized that few have doubted my knowledge and abilities, and those that did were supportive while I worked to prove their initial assumptions false.  While reading Fox's work, I realized that I was not treating the students I work alongside with the same respect and optimistic lens as did the mentors that encouraged me throughout my undergraduate career. Perhaps this is the reason that my sense of purpose was lacking, and my soul was not as fulfilled as I longed for it to be during my first year of graduate studies. I did not believe enough in the student’s ability. While I spent my time doubting my students, my own internal hope starved.

Fox (2009) frequently mentions the power of perspective; this is a lesson I carry with me, and I will implement it into my practice with students come fall.  Fox mentions how quickly one can turn a pessimistic thought into an optimistic one simply by viewing the situation from a different angle. This seems like such a simple concept, but it is beneficial to remind yourself of this valuable concept on occasion. Fox reminds his readers that they choose their attitudes and optimism is a choice. His simple and applicable advice inspired me to begin envisioning a productive and fulfilling second year of graduate school, and continue on to make positive change throughout my life. I realized that I lost much of my hope, inspiration, and optimism in transition. Like Fox, I needed to learn to cope with transitioning to a new phase of life. Fox discusses his transition from a healthy and active lifestyle to life as a Parkinson’s patient. His book chronicles his journey through this difficult diagnosis.

Although I am far from the trials and tribulations of Parkinson’s disease, transitioning to graduate school was a journey I initially was not prepared to navigate. I excelled in the classroom, developed relationships, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but once I paused, I recognized a change in how I viewed the world and my place in it. Fortunately, Fox allowed me to regain my optimistic vision and commitment to truly be the change I desire to see. Ironically, I needed someone in constant motion to remind me to pause. Parkinson’s patients have a difficult time starting and stopping any motion. For me however, this summer is crucial because it allowed me to stop moving and reflect. Myself, and many others who are passionate about creating change, often do not take the time to simply pause. I needed someone in constant motion to remind me to pause, slow down, and reflect on where my optimistic views were hiding, and why my visionary imagination was diminishing.  Thanks to Fox's simplistic and realistic advice, I have reclaimed my optimisim and am inspired with undying hope and optimisim for what is to come!

Being memorable to the zombies of orientation

In the past week I had the pleasure of delivering four presentations to newly-admitted students and their parents. Okay... it was mostly their parents. Each session was attended by approximately 25 people, and the highest student headcount in any of my sessions was three. But, all four sessions were great, and the parents asked all the right questions and even played along with our quiz-show style presentation format. Parents can be great reinforcers of our message, even if one worries somewhat about the filtering process. So, I was thrilled to have such an attentive and interested audience.

At the conclusion of my fourth presentation I staffed an information table among a market place of university services. It was the end of the orientation program, and 90 percent of those wandering down the isles had the affected gate of a student zombie. But, those few dozen students that coerced themselves into one more conversation with yet another staffer (me) had a familiar refrain:

"I'll think about career stuff later."

The parents, who were equally worn down from the program's pace and volume, dutifully took each of my handouts and said something akin to, "my daughter says she'll think about career stuff later, but I'll make sure she gets these."

Of course we must recognize that orientation is a time of excitement and is the next step in a big transition in the lives of these students. Orientation programs are also a time of "brain saturation," in which the attendees are usually given more information than they can possibly process. So, the best one can hope for is for students and parents to remember who you are and why you exist. But, over the years I've learned it's best to not expect them to remember the specifics -- there's just too much to take in.

So, we hope. We hope we made a good impression and seemed friendly and approachable. We hope students remember that handout, now crumpled at the bottom of their book bag, picked up from the info table. We hope parents utter our name during that tear-filled phone conversation in the second semester when their student is entirely frustrated.

We hope we've planted enough seeds so they remember that we exist not only for resumes and career fairs, but also for support and encouragement. For exploration and excitement. For conversation and collaboration. We hope.

Gary Alan Miller