Jordan Carl Hunt

What if you had a gay son?

2012-01-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

I met with a young man who is same-sex attracted and Mormon. The young man spoke in great deal about his struggle to live with both his faith and his sexuality. He said, "Sometimes I just want to move to California and try a different lifestyle." He paused, "But that's not me. I still hold the same values and beliefs-- the ones I was taught in the LDS Church." He said, "I want to get married to a woman and have a family with her. I wish I were attracted to women the way I am attracted to men." I asked, "If you had a gay son, what would you tell him?" He replied, "I would support him and love him. I would want him to be himself."

Every time I have seen families embrace and accept their homosexual family members, nothing bad had happened! The association has always been positive and loving, caring "family" experience has only grown and flourished. They are available to each other for that family support that is so valued in our culture. Families are strengthened not weakened. When families have rejected their homosexual family members it has not turned out well, even when that rejection was done 'lovingly.' You know, love the sinner...hate the sin? I've known homosexuals rejected by their families who looked for acceptance in all the wrong places. Bright, promising lives lost to drugs, disease, and death. I've seen families who reject those they should love, depriving themselves of that valuable relationship. ― Carol Lynn Pearson, No More Goodbyes: Circling the Wagons Around Our Gay Loved Ones

Student Fees

2012-01-21T17:24:00.004-07:00

It's election season here at Utah State, which means the topic of student fee increases comes up. ASUSU created a Facebook group to disseminate information and collect feedback about student fees. Most of the comments are uninformed and extreme.

Student Fee Opinions, USU 2012

This rebuttal comment from Landon Pope is one of the most reasonable arguments I've ever heard.

"USU is Utah's Land, Water and Space Grant institution. The Morrill Land Grant Act which was vetoed in 1859 was first passed in 1862 under Abraham Lincoln. Under this Act, the United States moved away from a system of private schools that taught only men that could pay for their education into a system that would 'educate the masses'. As a land grant institution, Utah State University still has the same charge to teach all people in spite of socio-economic background.

Fee increases are inevitable. Some people will benefit from some fees more than others, but to tell the individual to pay for the services that they use and forget the university's communal well-being is not the answer. The Aggie Blue Bike fee is in part to hire a new coordinator. A rental fee for this small part of the university would not cover the costs, because the bicycle inventory is not large enough as of yet. Many foreign students would lose the opportunity to rent bikes, parking passes would increase, and as a result, apartments closer to campus increase their rent due to a higher demand. Maybe rent wouldn't increase by much, perhaps two dollars per year??? Many programs that need funding that would only receive it on a pay-per-use type of system would be completely unsustainable without the whole organization working together for mutual benefits.

These things should all be taken care of by the student fee board. Students simply do not and should not have the time to discuss them. We give ASUSU reps. a stipend to take care of these things, to examine the statistical data to determine whether a 1 dollar fee increase will create a higher return on the investment or a lower one." Source

Library ($10)
Aggie Blue Bikes ($2.20)
Campus Recreation ($2)
Student Health and Wellness ($3)
Athletics ($6.16)
Aggie Radio ($.75)
Information Technology ($4)
Aggie Recreation Center ($31.50, $75 when ARC is completed)

Total requested increase: $59.61 ($103.11 when the ARC is built)

USU Can Learn From Freshmen via Facebook (Updated)

2012-01-19T23:05:00.000-07:00

--Originally posted on 8/16/2011--
Utah State University can learn from Freshman on Facebook using their newly created group-- "USU Incoming Class 2011".

Questions, like the ones below, are commonplace on the group.

I would like to compliment the A-Team for creating a venue where questions can be answered quickly (and usually pretty accurately). The two above have responses in 3 minutes and 1 minute. The one without listed responses had too many to post-- the conversation continued for quite some time.

Many freshman quickly answer questions they asked earlier or saw previously answered. For clarity, students will tag A-Team in their comment who will usually go though and verify (if needed at all!).

All-in-all, it is a great resource and one of the most successful Facebook groups I have seen (it competes with "X and Y are getting married!").

After seeing common questions freshman have, I think the University can use that data to improve the freshman experience. If nothing else, USU can establish where Freshman struggle the most. Struggles include, but are not limited to, the bookstore, parking, and advising. I know USU looks for ways to improve, I hope it is using this group to answer some of those questions.

--Updated 1/19/2012--

After the first semester, I've been keeping an eye on the group. It is still very active and a great resource for students. However, the posts have changed. Most students are now selling textbooks.

Another common question is about changing your major. Many students are looking at different possibilities.

Although the questions are different, they're still about similar topics-- the USU Bookstore and advising. There have been fewer about parking. The comments and questions ask provide a glimpse of what life is like as a freshman at USU. I think this could be a very proactive tool for A-Team, Admissions, or the University as a whole to reduce confusion and stress on our Freshman. The process will never be perfect, but by learning from those who struggle with it the most, I think we can improve it for everyone.

SNAC in the news

2012-01-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

I am occasionally asked to sit down with journalists to talk about starting USU's student food pantry-- the Student Nutrition Access Center (SNAC). As a college freshman at USU, I (along with countless others) saw the need for a food pantry and I quickly became the poster child. I was okay with that because SNAC quickly became my brain child.

We opened around the same time as the Utah Valley University food pantry, and we got a small mention on TV. During our infancy, For the People (a local radio show) did a segment about the food pantry-- something the commentators didn't feel was necessary. Besides that, we had been mentioned several times in the Utah Statesman. That is... until now.

It was a coincidence that I answered the phone. I was covering the Student Involvement office phones one afternoon when I got a call from the Herald Journal's Kevin Opsahl. He was looking for the person in charge of SNAC and wanted to do an interview about the program. I, excited to tell others about the food pantry, accepted. I got in contact with the current Director, Maddie Milligan, and set up a time that week we could meet with Kevin for the story.

One day last semester at Utah State University, a nontraditional student contacted Jordan Hunt, the executive assistant to the Associated Students of USU.
The woman told the student she was “scared” about her financial situation, being able to put food on the table while going to classes, working and paying the bills for her apartment.
The solution for her was the Student Nutrition Access Center Pantry, known as SNAC, located in the Taggart Student Center, a resource for USU students who don’t have kids.
“She wanted to know if she ran into a hard time ... could she rely on the food pantry,” Hunt said. “So even though she wasn’t using it that day, it was a comfort for her to know that the resource was there.”
Read the full article here

I was delighted to see SNAC getting more coverage in the news. What I didn't realize was the other places it would also publish. It's cool to see SNAC being applauded here in the valley, however a few other papers picked up the story.

The Republic (Columbus, Indiana)
The Daily Universe (BYU, Provo, Utah)
The Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah)

All of the stories are the same (they just republish Kevin's story), but I think it's cool those news stations found the story interesting. They must have found it interested enough to republish it! I don't expect SNAC to make it on national networks, however it makes me happy to see the community embracing the food pantry more and more each year.

Anyway, I was in awe when I found it featured under my "Utah State University" tab on Google News. Even without the news reports, I'm happy to see it taking off under new student volunteers. Though, so long as I'm a student, I will eat their $2 soup on the TSC patio.

Johnny the Bagger

2012-01-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

QUOTE: Engagement

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

“My experience leads me to believe that the main distinction between those who participate fully in their communities and those who withdraw into private life doesn’t rest in the active citizens’ grasp of complex issues, or their innate moral strength. Instead, those who get involved view their place in the world very differently. They have learned specific lessons about approaching social change: that they don’t need to wait for the perfect circumstances, the perfect cause, or the perfect level of knowledge to take a stand; that they can proceed step by step, so that they don’t get overwhelmed before they start. They savor the journey of engagement and draw strength from its challenges. Taking the long view, they come to trust that the fruits of their efforts will ripple outward, in ways they can rarely anticipate.” Paul Rogart Loeb Soul of a Citizen

Founders Equity Equation, Tom Krieglstein

2012-01-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a lot about entrepreneurship the last few months, and I think I might start a small business or non-profit in the near future. Even the books I read that aren't about entrepreneurship make me think of business ideas. I never considered entrepreneurship. I didn't think I could be an entrepreneur. As I near graduation, I am thinking of what I want to do in the world. Through my entrepreneurship class and discussions with friends, I realized I could do something entrepreneurial. My work with SNAC was entrepreneurial, and I learned a lot from my 2 years there.

In my exploration for information about entrepreneurship, I have been thinking who I wanted to work with and what I want to do. However, I never considered how I would split the company. I just assumed it would be 50/50, and I had no reason to think otherwise. I was reading Tom Krieglstien's blog when I saw this:

Idea / Vision – If the idea / vision were a tangible pie that equaled 100, who contributed what amount to the creation and generation of the idea up until this point?
Capital ($) – If the company needs X amount of money (in this case I’m using 100 for X) to get going, who can put in what amount of that total to start?
Unpaid Time – In the beginning, founders exchange a paycheck for equity. If the max unpaid time someone could put in is 100, what amount of unpaid time will each person be able to put into the business in the start-up phase?
Resources – If you listed out the resources (knowledge, skill, connections, etc) that were needed to make the business successful and the max were 100 per person. How close to 100 would each person get?

The Elevator To Success

2012-01-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

ThingsWeForget.blogspot.com

Sinking the Titanic [PICTURE]

2012-01-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

Banker To The Poor [REVIEW]

2012-01-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

via Wikipedia

One of my classes this spring requires we read the autobiography of Muhammad Yunus, Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty. I had some spare time over the break so I decided I would get it finished.

Muhammad Yunus (born 28 June 1940) is a Bangladeshi economist and founder of the Grameen Bank... In 2006, Yunus and Grameen received the Nobel Peace Prize. (via Wikipedia)

The Grameen Bank is a microfinance organization and community development bank started in Bangladesh that makes small loans (known as microcredit or "grameencredit") to the impoverished without requiring collateral. The name Grameen is derived from the word gram which means "rural" or "village" in the Bengali language. The system of this bank is based on the idea that the poor have skills that are under-utilized. A group-based credit approach is applied which utilizes the peer-pressure within the group to ensure the borrowers follow through and use caution in conducting their financial affairs with strict discipline, ensuring repayment eventually and allowing the borrowers to develop good credit standing. The bank also accepts deposits, provides other services, and runs several development-oriented businesses including fabric, telephone and energy companies. Another distinctive feature of the bank's credit program is that the overwhelming majority (98%) of its borrowers are women. (via Wikipedia)

I love the story. I think Yunus is a pioneer and lead a growing movement of for profit organizations with a social mission. I liked the flow of the book as it describes how he founded the organization including struggles and accomplishments. I greatly admire Yunus for asking all the wrong questions and for seeing the bank to where it is today. His accomplishments are succeeded only by his other accomplishments.

Yunus and his volunteers worked tirelessly as volunteers for the World's poor. He saw a need and filled it through an enormously successful model for funding and credit. He made the organization serve more people. He took down politicians and the traditional banking structure. He gave poor people money without any collateral and allowed millions of people to escape the high interest loans from loan sharks. And to top it all off-- people are repaying their loans! 98% repayment! He is a HERO!

Wahoo. Forgive me if I don't jump up and down.

When I heard about this book, I was warned that many people felt like it was unrealistic. I have to agree. Is this book real? I'm sure everything is factual, or at least nearly so. Factual or not, I feel like the book is just a collection of action words that are obscuring what I think is a really cool idea. Even the call to action at the end did little to motivate me. It certainly sparked a few ideas in my head, but at the end I was sick of hearing him preach about how much he's accomplished.

I would encourage anyone who is interested in non-profits, entrepreneurship, or social justice to read it at least once. My opinion may change over the next few months as I read the book again and discuss it in class. I kind of hope my opinion does change after further discussion and reading.

Banker to the Poor was my first Audible audiobook download. I really enjoyed the format and look forward to listening to books in the future.

Leadership Article: Pursuit

2011-12-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

This One Leadership Quality Will Make or Break You

Here’s the thing – pursuit leads to attainment. What you pursue will determine the paths you travel, the people you associate with, the character you develop, and ultimately, what you do or don’t achieve. Having a mindset focused on pursuit is so critical to leadership that lacking this one quality can sentence you to mediocrity or even obsolescence. The manner, method, and motivation behind any pursuit is what sets truly great leaders apart from the masses. If you want to become a great leader, become a great pursuer.

Smart leaders understand it’s not just enough to pursue, but pursuit must be intentional, focused, consistent, aggressive, and unyielding. You must pursue the right things, for the right reasons, and at the right times. Perhaps most of all, the best forms of pursuit enlist others in the chase. Pursuit in its purest form is highly collaborative, very inclusive and easily transferable. Pursuit operates at greatest strength when it leverages velocity and scale.

Read the full article here.

@LeadershipFreak [REVIEW]

2011-12-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

I like little reminders of leadership or social responsibility. Usually, I get leadership lessons from reading Soul of a Citizen, or How To Win Friends and Influence People, but I don't read everyday and the books are usually filled with specific lessons. A few weeks ago, I signed up for Leadership Freak's email update, and so far I like it. Here's a recent (and rather good) lesson about encouraging others.

Encouraging others is incredibly easy.
1.Understand the dreams of others. Leadership begins with understanding and accepting the dreams of others.
2.See the strengths in others rather than persistently working to improve weaknesses. Inordinate desire to improve things may create negativity. Spend more time focused on strengths.
3.Speak hopefully. All great leaders are always realistically optimistic. If you don’t think others can rise up to meet challenges, get out of leadership.
4.Serve others by helping them reach their dreams.
5.When possible, meet a need.

Discouraging others is incredibly easy.
1.Do nothing.
2.Say nothing.
3.Be negative.

Pretty good lesson.

Here's the catch: these come to my email in the morning.

I thought I would love this. Little daily reminders to keep me going strong. I thought it would give me something to think about each day. That's all great. Here's the problem. Every morning, I wake up to a chunk of emails that are junk. I go through and delete all of them in one swoop. It has become habit to include these lessons in that purge. It's not that I don't like the lessons. When I have gone back and actually read them, I've enjoyed them. I almost feel like it's a routine thing. My morning routine isn't such that I sit down for 5 minutes and enjoy them. So, I delete them from my Android as I'm rushing out the door to my first class.

What I have noticed is this: I read them when I'm craving it. I will go through my trash and find them when I'm want a leadership pick-me-up.

All-in-all, the lessons aren't ground breaking, but are good. The value comes in his ability to be concise and consistent.

Do you subscribe to Leadership Freak? (No? Subscribe here!) What other leadership blogs do you follow?

Update: After writing this post, and before it was published, I got a new lesson from Leadership Freak titled "What Do You Pay Attention To". Although the discussion is different, I thought it was a funny coincidence.

@timage: 7 Habits of Highly Influential Students on Your Campus

2011-12-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

Tim Milburn, Director of Campus Life at Northwest Nazarene University (located just outside Boise, ID), has 7 Habits of Highly Influential Students on Your Campus.

1. People gravitate toward them.
2. People listen to and follow their opinions or advice.
3. They have a track record for getting things done.
4. They have a rapport with different student groups.
5. They tend to have a clear idea of where they’re headed (know what they want to accomplish).
6. They are typically ordinary people who find a way to produce extraordinary results.
7. They always lift up others more than themselves (sense of humility).

Find the full article here

I feel like these qualities aren't necessarily innate within the student. The best part about facilitating a group at Aggie BLUE, USU's leadership conference, is seeing students start to see themselves in a different light. They begin to realize they can lift up others, build rapport with others, and develop an idea of where they want to go.

To be a better leader on campus, I would like to work on (all of them, but especially) number 5. I am working on establishing a clear plan of action. I have clear plans of action (for things I want to do on campus), but what about after college? I don't have a post-college plan.

I would like to thank Dannon Loveland who posted this article on G+ and brought it to my attention.

VIDEO: Hilary Clinton's Speech on Human Rights, LGBT Rights

2011-12-07T01:48:00.000-07:00

Full transcript here

Hilary Clinton, photo from Wikipedia

Hilary Clinton, US Secretary of State, gave a speech about LGBT rights in honor of International Human Rights day on Tuesday. Many are calling this the "I Have a Dream" speech of LGBT rights.

I think government support, such as this speech, can only do good things for the many young LGBT men and women in our country and the world.

I would like to mention she didn't bring up gay marriage. Bravo. For me, this isn't about gay marriage. Instead, she brings up the importance of open and fair dialogue, understanding and respect, and fair treatment under the law. I believe once those are achieved, gay marriage will be a much simpler movement. Her speech put the focus on something most can agree on-- LGBT people are just people. I think this speech will be pivotal in a national conversation about the rights of LGBT people.

Here are my favorite quotes (full transcript here):

"[There] are some who say and believe that all gay people are pedophiles, that homosexuality is a disease that can be caught or cured, or that gays recruit others to become gay. Well, these notions are simply not true. They are also unlikely to disappear if those who promote or accept them are dismissed out of hand rather than invited to share their fears and concerns. No one has ever abandoned a belief because he was forced to do so."

"Now, raising this issue, I know, is sensitive for many people and that the obstacles standing in the way of protecting the human rights of LGBT people rest on deeply held personal, political, cultural, and religious beliefs. So I come here before you with respect, understanding, and humility. Even though progress on this front is not easy, we cannot delay acting."

"The lives of gay people are shaped not only by laws, but by the treatment they receive every day from their families, from their neighbors. Eleanor Roosevelt, who did so much to advance human rights worldwide, said that these rights begin in the small places close to home – the streets where people live, the schools they attend, the factories, farms, and offices where they work. These places are your domain. The actions you take, the ideals that you advocate, can determine whether human rights flourish where you are."

Letter to the Editor: Keep your values, accept the LGBTQ Community

2011-12-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

--This is my very first Letter to the Editor, which appeared in The Utah Statesman on December 5, 2011. Each ASUSU Officer is given the opportunity to publish once a year in the "ASUSU View". The names within this article have been changed.

For a 20 year old gayman living in Utah, I have to admit-- when it comes to LGBTQ issues, I’m prettysheltered. I’ve seen The Laramie Project a few times and I have a basicunderstanding of who Harvey Milk is. Other than that, I am pretty clueless(which reminds me, I’ve seen Clueless-- plus 5 points). I’m writing from theperspective of a gay man, but I’m not an expert on the spectrum of colors inthe LGBTQ rainbow.

There are a range of responses whena child comes out, including both negative and positive. An example of anegative reaction from a parent could include calling their child a sinner,promoting reparative therapy (‘curing’ homosexuality), or kicking the child outof the house. Examples of positive reactions could be “I’m disappointed, but Ilove you” or “Great!” or even “I’m going to need some time to deal withthis”. When a parent responds negativelystudies show these children are at more risk for suicide, drug use, alcoholabuse, HIV/AIDS, and homelessness. Every parent is well-meaning, even those whosuggest reparative therapy. However, well-meaning parents with a negativemessage will ultimately damage a very fragile relationship with their child.

Growing up gay in Utahwas not always fun. I realized at a young age that I was different. In the sixthgrade when Regina found out I thought Aaron was cute, I felt like she toldeveryone. My life was toast. It wasn’t a coincidence that I moved the nextsummer. During my high school years, I didn’t date like most people. I went ondates with girls like most boys, yes. And I went on dates with boys later in myteen years. Until I came out of the closet, I didn’t talk about my experiencesdating. I’m lucky—My family was really supportive and accepted me at a veryearly age. I started coming out at 15. I made it Facebook official at 18. Ieven went to my senior prom with a boy. It was a big deal for me.

Despite my family’ssupport, my relationships with men were developmentally disadvantaged. I didn’thave the same amount of time to process and realize my sexual identity becausewhat came natural to me was socially unacceptable. This idea is called “gayage”—gay people’s relationship skills are hindered compared to heterosexualsbecause of pressure to suppress gay thoughts and feelings. LGBTQ youth have fewrole models. Straight children can watch their parents and (usually) see how ahealthy heterosexual couple acts, but gay kids have to learn about relationshipsfrom the media: tv, the internet, etc. and it can cause problems. Clearly thisisn’t the parents fault and parents can teach valuable communication andrelationship skills that will provide a valuable basis for relationships. However,I think children will look for people who are like them. Many men are never atpeace with their sexual orientation. It is not uncommon for gay men to be intheir 20’s or 30’s to finally come out of the closet and just barely begin todevelop healthy dating habits. That is a tragedy. These are our brothers, ouruncles, our fathers, and our friends.

In Utah, I think it is easy to blame the LDS churchand sheltered “Utah Mormons” for the difficulties LGBTQ children in our stateface. That’s folly. Was the way Regina treated me specific to Utah? No. Peopleare bullied all over the nation. I think the difference between 2001 and 2011is the understanding. There is a growing understanding that using the wordfaggot or saying “that’s gay” are not ok. I would like to add “sinner” to that.

Some people believe homosexuality isa sin. That’s fine for them. However, there is a difference between thinkingand believing something and when, where, and how it should be expressed. Thewords I use to describe someone and the values I attach with those wordsinherently reflect what I think about them. When you tell a gay person they area sinner, your values-laden message is laced with negativity, even if itaccompanies an affirmation that god loves them and wants them to repent.Although I mention the impact of a parent’s reaction above, I think a friend’sreaction also affects the person’s self-esteem and identity.

I don’t mean to say this is easy. Peoplewill step on each other’s toes. I think accepting our gay loved ones comes insteps (just as coming out), but the early stages of acceptance are cruicial. Ifonly we can train ourselves to say, “I love you no matter what. Can we talkabout this more? I am going to need some time”.

Perhaps by changing the words we useto describe one another we can create an environment where being gay is okay. Idon’t want anyone to change their beliefs, but I urge you to understand you canlove LGBTQ individuals and accept them as part of society, even if you don’tbelieve that being gay is right for you personally.

I urge Utah State students toconsider the language they are using when they talk to their friends, makejokes, taunt opposing teams, or find out a loved one is gay.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

The window in my office is decorated with snowflakes
Made by President's Cabinet and friends

I love the winter season. It's snowy, there's hot chocolate, and candy canes are always great. President's Cabinet celebrated the holiday season by making snow flakes and decorating a tree for USU's Holiday Lanes (in the TSC, December 5-9, check it out!). All the trees are donated to families in the valley.

President's Cabinet Christmas Tree!

I really like Christmas music, and this year I've really enjoyed Josh Groban. I've listened to this song at least twice a day since the day before Thanksgiving (I broke the Thanksgiving rule!).

Call me the a scrooge, but I think my least favorite part of the entire season is Christmas Day. Don't get me wrong, it's a lot of fun, but I feel like the culmination of the entire season of giving shouldn't be two hours of shredding paper and playing on the new XBox. Although my family stressed a lot about the getting the perfect present and my mom always make sure each kid got the same number of gifts, I am happy we are moving towards a simpler holiday. In the last few years, I have really enjoyed spending mroe time just hanging out with my family. My sister and I take friends caving or hiking or even just time spent hanging out.

What is #OccupyTheSpectrum?

2011-11-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

Absolutely one of my favorite things about Utah State University is our home basketball games.

Most people see the student section performance during the game, which is not a surprise. Like the commentator says, "That's better choreography than the Mormon Tabernacle Choir." Just like MoTab, or any other performance, being an Aggie Basketball fan requires a lot of work.

This year, ASUSU Athletics Vice President J. Ryan Baylis (commonly referred to as RyBay) and HURD President Karson Kalian decided to kick it up a notch. The HURD (USU's Athletics club) organized a 3 day campout modeled after Duke calling it #OccupyTheSpectrum-- obviously playing off the current #OWS (Occupy Wall Street) protests in NYC and around the Nation.

All of this is in preparation for the game this Friday against Brigham Young University. #OccupyTheSpectrum is a way to organize the line for students. The hardcore people who camp out are at the front of the line (seats aren't reserved and are still first-come first-served, but obviously these guys got their first). Everyone who doesn't want to camp out can go day of and wait. Either way, it's going to be fierce to get a seat. Already tonight (Tuesday at 10pm) there are 40 tents set up (tents consist of groups of 6). #OccupyTheSpectrum doesn't even start until Wednesday at noon.

For those who don't get a seat in the Spectrum, they are showing the game in the TSC Lounges.

Aerial view of #OccupyTheSpectrum Day 1 (check-in)

THE SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY
12pm- Wristbands Start Getting Distributed
Sponsors: Fox's Pizza Den

THURSDAY
Thursday- KZNS- our Aggie Salt Lake Radio Station-Live Remote (not sure the times yet)
Thursday evening- Domino’s Pizza
Thursday later evening- 8pm- Texas Roadhouse

FRIDAY
Friday morning- Chick-fil-A

Line forms at 1pm
Doors open at 5:30pm for Students
Tip off at 7pm

CAMPOUT CHECK-IN & RULES

Purpose of the Rules: Two years ago for the BYU game hundreds of students camped out to witness the spectacle that is the spectrum. When the line formed there was mass confusion and 3,000 mostly angry students were turned away. We have set up an organization to try and maintain order before the chaos of the spectrum magic takes over. The rules are meant to benefit people to go to class and work during the day and camp to save their spot at night. If you have problems with a check in let us know we will work with you. We’re not trying to scare anyone away with the rules just promote an organized atmosphere.

CHECK IN:
If you want a spot to camp, you are required to check in. The campsites will be split into 2 sections: Section K and Section F based on the doors to enter. Each group can be assigned up to 6 wristbands. Each member must register and receive their own wristband. You CAN NOT get a wristband for someone else.
After the first registration each group is required to have at least 1 person check in each day at the following times: 9:00 am, 5:00 pm, and 10:00 pm. HOWEVER, EACH PERSON FROM CAMP MUST CHECK IN ONCE PER DAY. If you fail to check in, you will lose your place in line. There will be a 30 minute leeway on both ends of the time slot. If for some reason no one in your group can check in you need to let us know so we can work with you.
We are NOT promoting missing classes. YOU MUST ATTEND YOUR CLASSES.
The last check in will be at 9am Friday. After that no wristbands will be distributed and the line will be first come first serve after that. Wristbands will be checked starting around 4:30pm and then again as you enter the spectrum.

RULES:
-Quiet Hours are from 10:00 pm-8:00 am (This just means not being too loud. This is a city ordinance)
-NO combustible heaters allowed in tents.
-NO alcohol or drugs allowed.
-Keep your campsite clean.
-Camp has to be cleaned up and cleared out by 1:00 pm on Friday.
-You WILL NOT be allowed in line until your campsite is cleared out.
-The line will start at 1:00 pm on Friday, you will line up in order of the number on your wristband.
-Wristbands will be checked starting at 4:45 Friday and then again as you enter the spectrum.
-You must pick which side you want to go on. K or F.
-THERE WILL BE NO SAVED SEATS once inside.
-For the first 30 minutes after we are let in DO NOT LEAVE YOUR SEAT. ANY visibly empty seats will be given to students. The student section will be at capacity so make room.
-Camping out does not mean entrance into the game. You still need to swipe your ID card and be a current student. You are responsible for making sure that your student ID card works. A test scanner will be available to check you ID card.
-If you have a class in the morning before the 9am check in, let us know the night before.
-DOORS WILL OPEN FRIDAY at 5:30pm YOU MUST BE THERE TO GET A SEAT. SO GET THERE AND BE IN LINE!!!! IT will fill up fast and if you aren't there you will not get in!

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There seems to be some confusion about how the whole process works. I assure you, it isn't complicated. If you have questions, write on the #OccupyTheSpectrum Facebook page or Tweet @rybay or @kkalian311 (Karson, HURD President)

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Favorite #OccupyTheSpectrum Tweets/Facebook Posts:

Here's a tweet cloud leading up to and day 1 of the #OccupyTheSpectrum

Click the image

Wikipedia: USU RCDE (Before and After)

2011-11-05T21:56:00.001-06:00

I spent a few hours this afternoon taking my mind off of school to flex my Wikipedia muscles. Although they aren't nearly as impressive as I think they can be, I think I have learned a lot and had a lot of fun in the year I've been contributing.

When I first started, this is what the Utah State University Uintah Basin Regional Campus page looked like:

Before (December 15, 2010)

After my state tour, I went into edit mode and added information to each of the RCDE pages. Here's the Uintah Basin after a few hours of dedicated editing (I had to zoom out to fit everything):

After (November 5, 2011)

It's not quite where I want it to be. I'm working on collecting images and logos for each of the campuses. Once I have those, I will be happy to maintain and add small bits as I find them. I think there is enough of a structure in place and I want to move onto a new project.

The Power of Words [VIDEO]

2011-11-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

I recently started reading "As A Man Thinketh" by James Allen. It's short, less than 100 pages. However, I am excited to see how our thoughts change our world. Maybe it's The Secret, or some other mind-Universe connection, but I keep running into books, videos, quotes, etc about how our thoughts, words, and actions change the world.

Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes,
And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes
The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,
Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills;--
He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
Environment is but his looking-glass.

This week I've been reviewing "How To Win Friends And Influence People".

I shall pass this way but once; any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.

Crowdbooster [REVIEW]

2011-10-31T09:00:00.000-06:00

About a month ago, I opened a Crowdbooster account. It has a nice GUI and has some cool features, but it didn't really do anything for me right off the bat. I forgot about it until today. I rediscovered it while looking at apps that had access to my bit.ly account.

A graph of my followers on Twitter

I looked back at some of the statistics that it generated from my tweets, and I think I am in love. I'm kind of mad that I didn't look back here more often.

It has a lot of great analytics, and delivers good information in a way that is visually appealing.

The graph to the left is my followers since opening my account. The huge jump was the day after I followed every person on the Huntsman School list of students & alumni.

Crowdbooster is kind of like a service I already use, dlvr.it. I use dlvr.it to schedule my tweets. Because I'm such a spazz, I have short moments of brilliance. Because I'm a college student, I'm not always awake/available to Tweet & Facebook non-stop. Instead, when I have a free couple of hours, I schedule my tweets for the upcoming week. I have been a little frustrated with dlvr.it's analytics. They're messy and hard to refine. They give you some raw data, and it's relatively useless especially when it's compared to Crowdbooster.

Graph showing the best time to Tweet. Mine are 9am, 4pm & 5pm

Graph showing Impressions and Retweets

The biggest drawback to Crowdbooster? It doesn't integrate with a personal Facebook account. You can add Facebook pages (for your business, blog, etc), but not for a personal account.

dlvr.it has that capability. dlvr.it also connects with your blog to automatically post to your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

I think I will continue to schedule/post through dlvr.it, but I will definitely keep checking Crowdbooster for the great information it pulls.

What sites do you use to track social media? Please don't say Klout. I find it utterly useless.

Caffe Ibis [INTERVIEW]

2011-10-28T16:43:00.000-06:00

My Fundamentals of Entrepreneuership course requires us to interview an entrepreneur and ask several question. After searching the internet for some time, I wanted to find someone who had a unique business and was making a positive impact on the world around them.

I was lucky enough to interview Sally Sears, CEO, and Randy Wirth, Roastmaster, of Caffe Ibis, which is headquartered here in Logan. I spoke with them for more than an hour about coffee, business, entrepreneurship, social justice, and their family.

CaffeIbis:
A Local Company with a Global Vision

She was from NewYork City; he was from San Francisco. They both moved to Utah State Universitywhere they met and three years later became married. She enjoyed cooking foodsfrom home. Being from the big city, she was exposed to foods from all over the world.He loved nature and wanted to support their family. Together, they would createan organization that delivered earth-friendly products to a variety ofcustomers.

Shortly after moving to Logan, they became frequentcustomers of the Straw Ibis Herb and Grain Company, a small health foods store.The newly wedded couple was looking for an opportunity to stay in Cache Valleyand when their favorite health foods store became available, they purchased it.They imported specialty cooking oils from Italy, sold foods that Sally cooked,and fresh roasted coffee beans. Her father helped them grow their business asan active mentor. He was a successful businessman and would tell Sally whichproducts were making money, which were not, and advice on big businessdecisions. Profit seems to have taken a backseat to social justice. They always maintained a strong sense of responsibility which wasguided by Allen Stokes, whose commitment to the environment was laterrecognized by the naming of the Stokes Nature Center. Whenever they made adecision about the company, they would perform the “Allen Test” by askingthemselves, “What would Allen do?” In the end, they noticed that fresh roasted, organic coffee beans were their best selling product.

The Straw Ibis purchased their coffee beans froma roaster in Southern California who encouraged them to join the SpecialtyCoffee Association of America. When Sally and Randy decided to join theassociation, they knew they wanted to focus on Organic coffee, a relatively newidea in the coffee industry. Organic coffee was typically organic by default,meaning that the farmer didn’t have the ability to buy pesticides orherbicides, and the coffee was usually subpar. However, Randy and Sallysupported a growing movement to improve the quality of organic coffees that arenow among the best in the world.

As a new start-up, they changed the name to Caffe Ibis.Caffe is Italian for coffee. Ibis is a coffee colored bird thatcan be seen in Cache Valley. They started selling coffees throughout theWestern United States. They opened the café on Federal Avenue in Logan, Utah. Despite focusing on their most successful product, Caffe Ibis failed to make a profit for 14 years. After 13 yearsof working full time to keep the family and business afloat, Randy decided hewas going to join as the Head Roastmaster and the company would either sink orswim. Shortly after, the business began to see a profit, and the bottom line grew.

With the larger business came a larger sense ofresponsibility. Their coffee quickly gained other certifications and iscurrently Triple Certified. Their coffee is Organic,Fair Trade, and Smithsonian Shade Grown & Bird Friendly. Each of thesecertification attracts a niche customer group that supports their business. Organicproducts are big among day spas, hotels, river rafting companies, and naturalfood stores. Fair Trade products are purchased by churches because of thesocial justice work Caffe Ibis does. The Smithsonian Bird Friendly products are sold to the Bear River Bird Refuge of their commitment tomigratory birds. Now, 35 years later, Caffe Ibis is growing very quickly.They are seeing a growth in appreciation for Fair Trade and Organic Products.They have noticed higher than expected growth of sales here in Utah, especiallywith the addition of Harmon’s Grocery Stores (a high-quality regional grocerystore).

The largest limitation to their growth at this point ispackaging. Each package is hand filled, weighed, and sealed, which iscontributing to a large portion of their high operating costs and is slowingdown their production time. The company, in an effort to provide betterservice, leases and sells coffee equipment to companies who buy Caffe Ibis coffee.They also train baristas and management on quality control, processes, and sales.

I believe Sally and Randy were successful because theymaintained several principles: social justice, persistence, and niches. When Iasked them why they were able to succeed when others failed, she said it wasbecause they were crazy. She said they always did things the slow way to makesure they weren’t doing it the wrong way. They have always had high regard forthe environment, worked hard for a quality product, and found customers whoneeded a product that was unique.

Update-- (10/31/2011) I received an email from Caffe Ibis with minor corrections. They are not the only Triple Certified Coffee Company. They also stopped selling to the San Diego Zoo in 2008. The article was edited to rectify those errors.

RCDE & Aggie Ice Cream

2011-10-24T12:00:00.000-06:00

As a contributor to Wikipedia, there are different skills that you pick up-- how to edit, using Wiki language, etc. I recently learned WikiMedia: where Wikipedia gets all of its media (pictures mostly but they have video and audio files).

I was adding information to the System section, and I decide we could best represent the different USU campuses with a map.

So, after a couple of weeks of frustration, here it is:

Version 2

Version 1

As easy as that looks, it took me a long time. Mostly because it's hard to be accurate. I finally decided to guess-timate. I think it worked out well. The second version looks MUCH better than the first. It was also much easier to make. I was thinking that I had to build the map from the ground up, and it resulted in an ugly and painful version 1. When I took what others contributed (the base layer for my version 2 map) and just added what I needed, I got a much better looking image.

Other things I'm working on:
World Famous Aggie Ice Cream was missing info, so I added a little blurb.
Utah State University alumni

I will be travelling the state with RCDE to visit some of the Education Centers and Regional Campuses. I'm approaching it as a fact-finding mission. All of the campuses need more information, and I'm hoping to be able to contribute it.

Angie's

2011-10-01T12:41:00.000-06:00

I finally did it-- I cleaned the sink at Angie's.

Post-Cleaning (left to right: Me, Amanda, Dan, Ryan)

Homecoming Week 2011

2011-09-25T12:50:00.000-06:00

Without a doubt, this was my favorite Homecoming Week thus far. The most fun/stressful part of the week was the Mr. USU competition-- a male beauty pageant. I was Mr. GLBTQA (Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Queer, and Ally).

I flexed my fingers and went to a couple of ASL club events-- street painting and deaf joke night. Both of which challenged me to pay attention to people using my eyes instead of my ears. I'm starting to get a hang of how you sign-- now if only I can learn the vocabulary.

Saturday I was up early eating breakfast with several alumni, faculty and staff, and students. I sat next to Val Potter, who works with the Engineering College, and I realized that I worked with him my freshman year-- when I had long curly (and orange) hair. I certainly hope I left a better impression on him this time than the last! Yet another moment when I'm very glad to have cleaned up my look.

After the breakfast, I headed to walk in the parade. I was asked to drive a float for Theta Nu Xi, a diversity sorority on campus. I had never even watched the USU Homecoming Parade, and here I was driving in it!

The Homecoming Leadership Reunion It was a BBQ with Ambassadors, A-Team-ers, and ASUSU Officers. I was surprised at how many alumni showed up and the diversity in age. There was a good mix of people.

The week ended with stargazing and seeing the A on the hill on fire. I was quickly reminded how beautiful Cache Valley is.

COMD 2910

2011-09-20T11:00:00.000-06:00

As a Liberal Arts major, I have to have a language. I picked ASL because I think it has a cool culture and people look really animated when they are signing. I like that you can tell how they are feeling by the look on their face.

In an effort to better understand the deaf culture, I started going to deaf activities. The first of which was Street Painting for Homecoming Week (which is also Deaf Awareness Week!).

It was kind of frustrating to not use my voice. I knew what others were saying, but I had a hard time explaining what I thought. I spent most of the night just nodding my head.

I'm really looking forward to Deaf Joke Night on Thursday!

Who is an Entrepreneur?

2011-09-17T16:00:00.000-06:00

For my Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship course, we had to find articles and collect information about common personality traits, skills, etc. of entrepreneurs. Here's my list:

1. Commitment, determination. Taking yourself seriously.
Entrepreneurs need a dedication to their mission. They have to believe that what they are doing is valuable and worthwhile and take the time necessary to realize that potential value.

2. Leadership
Learning to work in teams, develop ideas, and motivate others to do what you need them to do it is important for entrepreneurs. They must have the ability to make others see a mission and create an environment where that vision is the focus.

3. Opportunity Obsession
Entrepreneurs must keep a keen eye on upcoming opportunities. Actively seeking opportunities keep the business alive.

4. Tolerance of risk, ambiguity and uncertainty
The ability to minimize risk when possible and to accept some level of risk when necessary is key to Entrepreneurs.

5. Creativity, self-reliance and ability to adapt
Entrepreneurs seek new creative opportunities and adapting yourself and your product/service in a way that will push your business forward.

6. Motivation to excel
Entrepreneurs must have a desire to grow, to make money, to network, and to sell. They must be self-motivated and a large appetite for success.

7. Serve a broader purpose in their community
All of us, especially entrepreneurs, must keep in mind the needs of a community.

When Professor Dan Holland walked in, I was taken aback by his attire. Shaved head, piercings, dress jacket, tie and shirt, shorts, and women's shoes wasn't exactly what I was expecting. His lesson was about stereotypes and what we think entrepreneurs have to be.

Sources for my list:

http://www.stanford.edu/class/e140/e140a/content/Characteristics.html

http://huntsmanschool.blogspot.com/2011/09/entrepreneurs-and-how-they-can-benefit_2648.html

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/200730

Viktor Frankl: Why to Believe In Others [VIDEO]

2011-09-08T11:00:00.000-06:00

I showed this video as my first Leadership Lesson with President's Cabinet (P Cab), an ASUSU Committee that I chair. The committee works on initiatives of the President and Administrative Assistant.

The lesson was a little bit of information about engagement and networking. I wish I would have made more of a connection to the video-- I wanted students to understand how engagement can help students find that 'spark' that Frankl talks about. I spent more time focusing on the importance of networking and engagement and less on the 'spark' and engagement. An overarching goal of mine is to use P Cab as a means of engagement-- letting students know about ways they can get involved.

I will be showing the council different leadership ideas throughout the year. We may even have everyone read "How To Win Friends and Influence People"-- a book that I think will serve them quite well.

Aggies Think Care Act

2011-09-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

Aggies Think Care Act was at Day on the Quad asking students to make a sign with a message that they wanted to share. The idea is simple and powerful. After seeing the pictures they posted on Facebook (below), I couldn't help but to share.

Aggies Think Care Act was an initiative of the Utah State University Student Engagement Subcommittee and was modeled and named after the University of Vermont program.

"Aggies Think, Care, Act" emphasizes that each community member is accountable for helping to foster the values of human dignity, equality, respect and safety for everyone.

Information via The Utah Statesman

Civic Engagement Conference

2011-09-05T09:30:00.000-06:00

Myself and Bryce Williams at the
conference (September 2, 2011)

I recently attended the University of Utah Civic Engagement Conference. Dave Buhler, Utah System of Higher Education, was my first break out session. He showed us a publication, "Top Ten Do's and Don'ts of Lobbying" which is a list of what to expect when dealing with Legislators. My favorite one is "Expect a Certain Amount of Chaos". Isn't that the truth! Buhler also spoke about the importance of personal stories when talking with representatives-- something that has contributed to huge success in the fight for gay marriage.

The second session was about Robert Gehrke, Salt Lake Tribune, who spoke about ways to get student issues to news organizations. One thing that really took me by surprise was a comment by an audience member saying that protests at the capital are largely ineffective and fruitless. I'm not too surprised. I have heard of rallies and protests, but nothing that really stood out to me.

I think Kirsten Frank, ASUSU's Executive Vice President will do an amazing job on the Hill this year. She has a lot of experience, hard work, and follow through to ensure that Utah State University will be well represented.

SPCH 3250: Organizational Communication

2011-09-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

Fall semester 2011 has kicked off, and I am very excited for the courses I'm taking. One in particular is for my Organizational Communication Minor. The course, taught by Matthew Sanders, Ph.D., led me to consider a few things. Two of which that stood out to me in particular were:

The way I approach course work
Ways I can improve myself as a leader

The first seems obvious-- professors want students to work harder. Dr. Sanders gave us an essay he wrote and asked us for a free response to that essay. The essay, "Becoming a Learner: Realizing the Opportunity of Education" introduces the idea of a learner, in contrast with a student.

"...college is not about learning how to do specific things; college is about becoming a certain kind of person."

While students passively wait to be taught, learners actively engage in their education to derive an opportunity or benefit. Simply put, "Learners take responsibility for their learning."

Wait, what? I have to pay thousands of dollars just to be responsible for the education I receive?

"When we break the mold of passive student and become a learner, no matter how good or bad some around us may think our educational opportunities and circumstances are, we can increase our successes because we do not wait for someone else to make our education better. We take responsibility for who we are becoming."

The free response essay was actually kind of difficult. I had to think about what he was telling me. It was completely open ended. There was no bubble to fill in, no right answer. As a student, that's difficult. It took me a long time to write the 1 3/4 essay about how it made me feel.

During class, we broke up into smaller groups to discuss the reading. A classmate said something that I will never forget: I have a vision for myself. I think I'm hardworking, honest, and proactive. However, those qualities are not reflected in the assignments I hand in-- rushed, the minimum (even if for an 'A'), and last minute.

I think back on classes that I have enjoyed and classes that I have... less than enjoyed. In each case, I placed a lot of credit for the course on my teacher-- believing that some teachers are good and some teachers are bad. I'm not saying that teachers don't have an impact on the dynamics of a class-- of course they do! However, a couple of learners who sit on the front row can quickly and easily change the dynamics of that class. Learners, not students, seek opportunity. Students will try to drag the class behind. Learners will work with the teacher to push the class forward.

Why does it matter? Why should I be the person on the front row pushing the class forward? Dr. Sanders said it best, most of what you learn in college you will forget. What is important is that you learned and how you learned it. Learners seek out opportunities, explore and challenge, learns for understanding, is internally motivated, seeks challenging situations, sees learning as a opportunity, and learns to learn. Students wait to be directed, listen and follow, learn for the test, are externally motivated, sees learning as an obligation, and learns to do. If you are a learner, someone pushing the class forward, you will find opportunities that wouldn't have been created otherwise.

What does this mean to leaders? If you are not a learner, you'll be stuck in the past. Too often, students think of college as a golden ticket to success. By jumping through hoops for 4 years, you will arrive at Nirvana days after graduation. In the essay, Dr. Sanders writes, "I would complete my Bachelors and Masters degrees... At that point, I knew I would be a hot commodity." That idea of graduation, unfortunately, is incredibly arrogant.

Dr. Sanders stressed that college is a great place to fail. If the educational mistakes I have made were in a employment environment, I would not have a job. Retaking a course is incredibly less expensive than being fired because I told an employer they weren't worthwhile.

--
Much of this post is quoted and paraphrased from "Becoming a Learner: Realizing the Opportunity of Education" by Matthew L. Sanders as well as discussion that occurred in his class.

Limits [IMAGE]

2011-08-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

Click the image

Aggie BLUE 2011

2011-08-26T09:08:00.000-06:00

A good portion of this summer has been dedicated to planning a fall leadership conference called Aggie BLUE (Building Leaders for University Excellence). It has been exciting to see the conference as a participant, facilitator, and finally a chair-- each with different benefits, I am happy to have experienced it all.

Thanks to Chase Choi for the pictures.

Leveraging Social Media to Increase & Quantity Student Engagement [VIDEO]

2011-08-22T08:26:00.000-06:00

Are you a broadcaster, converser, or connector?

via Tom Krieglstein

8 Things I Wish I Knew Before My Freshman Year of College

2011-08-21T13:57:00.001-06:00

via PostSecret, an ongoing community art project where people mail
in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.

Tips for incoming college students:

•One: The Financial Aid Office is not populated with scary people. In fact, they are usually really nice people who will help you when you are freaked out about how you’re going to pay for college. If you are worried about tuition and living expenses, schedule an appointment and talk to them! If you can do this before the semester starts, even better.

•Two: The make-your-own-burrito-bar in the cafeteria isn’t going to do you many favors, health-wise.

•Three: You get out of it what you put in. Truthfully, I didn’t get a whole lot out of my organic chemistry classes, because I didn’t spend enough time studying and really learning the material. On the other hand, I spent so much time and effort studying James Joyce that I gained a new perspective on the boundaries of literature and the human drive to creativity. Find your own James Joyce, and pursue it as far as you can!

•Four: Professors are happy to work with students who show motivation and integrity when the inevitable crisis occurs.

•Five: Study groups only work if you are all committed to actually studying. Having an organic chemistry study group that is mostly dedicated to ordering takeout Thai food and laughing about YouTube videos doesn’t really help when test time rolls around.

•Six: Friends are necessary. There will probably be a point in your first year when you are so overwhelmed and freaked out that you’re ready to pack your stuff up and go home. Talk to your friends, because they’re going through the same things as you are. They will help to keep you grounded.

•Seven: Credit cards are way too easy. If you have one for emergencies, don’t carry it around in your wallet all the time! Leave it in a safe place at home. This article has great tips on student finance: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/08/01/the-new-freshman-15-financial-tips-for-college-students/.

•Eight: Keep it in perspective. While you’re in the midst of it, college can feel like the most stressful, mind-bendingly important thing you will ever do, and you might feel at times like it should be the center of the entire universe. When you start feeling like that, leave your dorm room or the library and go for a walk outside. Look up at the hugeness of the sky, look around at all the other people who are feeling much the same as you are. Yes, college is important. But it’s not the end-all and be-all of your entire life; your failures will teach you just as much as your successes.

These tips via @uheaa and @higheredutah

Original article: http://www.higheredutah.org/8-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-freshman-year-of-college/

Success [POEM]

2011-08-18T09:00:00.001-06:00

Success

"Genius, that power which dazzles mortal eyes,
Is oft but perseverance in disguise.
Continuous effort of itself implies,
In spite of countless falls, the power to rise."
--C.C. Cameron

"I Can Live With Doubt"

2011-07-31T17:00:00.000-06:00

I can live with doubt, and uncertainty, and not knowing. I think it’s much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of certainty about different things. But I’m not absolutely sure of anything, and there are many things I don’t know anything about, such as whether it means anything to ask why we’re here, and what the question might mean. I might think about it a little bit; if I can’t figure it out, then I go onto something else. But I don’t have to know an answer. I don’t feel frightened by not knowing things, by being lost in the mysterious universe without having any purpose, which is the way it really is, as far as I can tell — possibly. It doesn’t frighten me. Richard Feynman

via Tom Krieglstein

Motivation

2011-07-24T18:38:00.000-06:00

Motivation seems to be a recurrent theme in the books that I'm reading right now: How to Win Friends and Soul. Both books are about engagement and relationships. Motivation, in the context of engagement and relationships, is key. How to Win Friends says to "talk in terms of the other person". What is the other person interested in? Usually, they are interested in themselves.

In the following video, it shares some interesting perspectives about motivations. What motivates people?

Soul of a Citizen

2011-07-20T16:05:00.001-06:00

"My experience leads me to believe that the main distinction between those who participate fully in their communities and those who withdraw into private life doesn't rest in the active citizens' grasp of complex issues, or their innate moral strength. Instead, those who get involved view their place in the world very differently. They have learned specific lessons about approaching social change: that they don't need to wait for the perfect circumstances, the perfect cause, or the perfect level of knowledge to take a stand; that they can proceed step by step, so that they don't get overwhelmed before they start. They savor the journey of engagement and draw strength from its challenges. Taking the long view, they come to trust that the fruits of their efforts will ripple outward, in ways they can rarely anticipate." Soul of a Citizen

Photo courtesy of Flickr user
elycefeliz

During this year's Utah Leadership Academy, I was asked by Utah Campus Compact (a state wide coalition of Universities) to sit on a panel and discuss service. After the presentation, UCC was kind enough to send me Soul of a Citizen by Paul Rogat Loeb. I have made it to page 18, and I'll continue as soon as I finish How to Win Friends and Influence People. Just from the beginning, Soul seems like it will be a good read.

Loeb gives a more complete history of Rosa Parks' activism, one that I hadn't heard before, and tells how her actions weren't some one-time grand stand act of courage. She had been trained in activism for many years. Her actions that day, according to Loeb, were carefully executed to make a statement. Only after reading the history of her activism in Soul did I begin to appreciate just who she was as an activist and leader.

ASUSU Legislation

2011-07-18T18:32:00.014-06:00

A lot of my work is intangible-- acting as a representative for the University. However, there are tangible aspects that keep me quite busy. This summer, I have been working on the content for the Legislation Website. Each council writes legislation on various topics (budgets / funding, officer expectations, and student initiatives). Before now, this was spread across a couple servers, several binders, and countless stacks of paper. This summer, my job is to organize legislation in a manner that is user-friendly, effective, and will last.

I'm organizing the content for this website:

To replace this website (which no one really knew existed and hadn't been updated in several years):

Which is not exactly easy. It requires a lot of information for each of those little things. That is, if I can find the information. As you can see, several of the boxes are empty. Information is hand-typed by yours truly. Below is 1/3 of one sheet. There are 20 sheets.

Luckily, I am working with Kayla Harris (who is also adding content) and John Reynolds (who is doing the design work). Between the three of us, we are set to finish at least a couple weeks ahead of my goal (August 15).

The finished product because it will be a website that my position (Administrative Assistant) can keep up to date. The information is easy to organize through and will be much more user friendly. The final website will also house meeting agendas and minutes (which is online... but somewhere else).

So I'm a paper pusher. Being a student body officer isn't always glamorous.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

2011-07-11T08:13:00.004-06:00

It is, perhaps, a genetic trait I obtained from my father, but I like to listen to audiobooks. Using my Android smartphone, I'm able to download and listen to a huge collection of books. My first one is How to Win Friends and Influence People. Having just begun, I must say I am sincerely disappointed I did not start this book earlier in my life.

First part of the book:

Don't criticize, give honest and sincere appreciation, and arouse in the other person an eager want.

The piece that has weighed on my mind most is criticism.

A lot of people call me a perfectionist. I'm not sure I would go that far. I have expectations. Do I always fulfill them? No. Do I get bummed when I don't? Yup. Do I get over it? So far. Do I think perfection can and should be obtained? Nah. I usually have the same expectations for others that I have for myself. Sometimes my personal expectations are unreasonable which leaves expectations of others to be the same. And while just observing my thoughts and my actions in one single day, I deliver a lot of criticism. I'm going to work on that in the coming weeks as I read (and reread) this wonderful book.

Here are some quotes that I have found particularly interesting:

Criticism is futile because it puts a man on the defensive, and usually makes him strive to justify himself. Criticism is dangerous, because it wounds a man's precious pride, hurts his sense of importance, and arouses his resentment.

When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity.

Dr. Dewey says the deepest urge in human nature is ‘the desire to be important.’

Let us praise even the slightest improvement. That inspires the other person to keep on improving.

Building a park in the sky

2011-07-10T09:51:00.001-06:00

A wonderful example of community activism for a very beautiful and unique park in Manhattan.

I remember hearing about this when I was there in 2009. Several locals suggested we visit. I look forward to the next time I can be in NYC to see this.

A future beyond traffic gridlock

2011-07-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

How to Raise a Philanthropist

2011-06-21T18:00:00.021-06:00

When people ask me what I want to be when I grow up, I reply a philanthropist-- to which most ask, "How are you going to do that?". Usually I give a smart remark about how I will just throw a dart at a board and give that organization a couple mil -- voila! Philanthropist.

What they mean to ask is, "How will I amass enough wealth to be a philanthropist?" To answer that, I would like to define philanthropy:

Wikipedia says:

Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity", in the sense of "what it is to be human", the essence of our humanity. In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of life"

Well there you have it. I only have to love humanity and provide a private initiative for public good which focuses on the quality of life. By that definition, I (and many more people) are already philanthropic.

I don't believe a philanthropist is a guy with his name on a few buildings. Philanthropy is knowing a community, the needs of that community, and having the idea (and resources) to fulfill that need.

I think many people find my dream to be naive because they think philanthropy is a old person thing. When all my dreams are spent and I'm just an old fart sitting on a wad of cash just looking to plaster my name all over the place. The Wall Street Journal describes this, saying:

The conversation about the importance of giving can be spontaneous and happen in a casual setting. In the car, for example, a parent might ask the teen what cause they would support if they had extra money to donate. "It's about planting a seed," says Mr. Dungan.

[...]

"Top-down giving"—where the family's philanthropy is often dictated by the older generation and then taken over by the younger one—is taking a back seat with many clients. In many cases, the younger generation is now identifying and exploring causes they feel deeply about and then educating their parents who may then support those causes, she says.

If you want to read a good article about teaching charity, check out How to Raise a Philanthropist in the WSJ. Full Article

If you're interested in the state of giving in the United States, you can check out this report by GivingUSA. It's pretty long so I quickly got bored-- obviously not written for Generation Z.

SOAR

2011-06-07T19:00:00.001-06:00

Every student who attends Utah State must go through orientation-- which introduces them to campus, the rules, and how we run things here.

Because of my involvement with ASUSU, I talk to the students during their lunch break about getting involved. It's very rewarding, and I enjoy doing it a lot. This is my second year doing it, and I love it because I meet a lot of new students.

From Individual pictures

My New Office

2011-05-21T12:00:00.004-06:00

Here's my new office for Admin Ass't for ASUSU.

The best part? Fulfilling my need to organize. I have been cleaning for a while now and I finally got it smelling better. I even took the liberty of organizing old files that were in a box.

My summer checklist is actually going quite well! I am sure I will be at least a few weeks ahead of schedule. More than anything, I'm excited to get comfortable in my own office. After a few more cleanings I might even sit on the couch.

Utah Leadership Academy 2011 (part 2 of 2)

2011-05-15T01:40:00.004-06:00

Day 1
Day 2:
I love conferences-- I do. I learn a lot. However, they start early and end late. Whomever planned ULA had my sleeping schedule in mind because we started at 10am-- the latest I have ever heard of a second day start.

We opened with the third session-- I attended "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained" which focused on goals and capabilities. Headed by Lindsey Field, Snow College, and Ironman competitions as an example, we learned about what it means to push your body past what you ever thought it could do before. Really got me thinking about my goals for the upcoming year.

The conference came together with the screening of "Speaking in Tounges"-- a documentary of dual-immersion schools in the San Fransisco Bay Area. It really brought me to question-- is one language enough? I'm not sure what it had to do with the conference and I didn't really learn anything. If nothing else, I am now mad at my parents for only teaching me English.

I spoke on a panel during session number four. Using my experience with the food pantry, I answered questions about how student leaders can incorporate community service into leadership. I really tried to focus my energy on implementing small individual efforts that give to the community-- rather than something huge and ornate that might detract from the original cause. I made it into a newspaper.

It was around this time that a rumor began to circulate that Utah State University is being considered to host ULA next year. For me, I couldn't be happier-- this is an excellent opportunity. Besides my duties as Administrative Assistant, I am helping plan Aggie BLUE, a leadership conference at Utah State. Planning two in a year is going to be fun and a practical challenge.

The night rounded off with Michelle Branch and a dance.

After Michelle Branch, there was a concert in the Student Center which lasted till midnight. TONS of fun. I got to meet a lot of my fellow #ULA tweeters and even saw a cute boy or two. :)

Day 3
The conference ended with few closing remarks from the different sponsoring organizations. I have to give props to Utah Campus Compact for always supporting leadership in service. I loved having them there.

Utah State was awarded the intercollegiate competition for the 3rd year in a row now. Go Aggies!

The last speaker was comedian and social commentator Preacher Moss--I love him. His humor rode along side a cliff of P.C. but he did it with that silly grin on his face. Even when I was scared, he showed us the root of racism and discrimination. Plus, my stomach and face hurt afterwards. What did I take away-- 3 signs of oppression: Arrogance, Envy, and Inequity.

Random
Here's a TedTalk that I saw during the conference that I liked.

Utah Leadership Academy 2011 (part 1 of 2)

2011-05-14T00:45:00.005-06:00

This year I took part in the 2011 Utah Leadership Academy (ULA) at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC). It was a really great experience, and I learned a lot about myself, leadership, service, and even social networking.

Day 1:

Day one really launched us into conference mode-- to say the least... it delivered. Opening keynote speaker Tom Krieglstein introduced the group to the Dance Floor Theory. I could tell I would enjoy him from the get-go. He's funny, had a good message, and really provided a space for us to create some good ideas to implement at Utah State.

Curt Larsen, Director of Student Life at SLCC, gave a great presentation titled "When Will My LeaderShip Come In". I think it was my favorite session-- it was entirely small group student discussion and really opened my eyes about different keys to leadership. He used his favorite lessons from "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" and allowed groups to discuss questions about who/what a leader is. I really liked the story of Harriet Tubman-- a woman I consider a leader. Despite being oppressed and suffering from seizures, she found something she loved and had the follow through and innate ability to help those around her.

For the second session, I went to the Dance Floor Theory, Part II, which discussed social networks and our online and physical personas. One point I really liked was the idea that there is a 5 year generation gap-- those who are 5 years older than me don't understand the technology I am using. Just as I wont understand the technology that people 5 years younger than me will be using. I'm excited for face recognition software. That's awesome imho.

After the first two sessions, we split up for a service project. I joined the mighty gardening folks of Utah G.A.R.D.E.N.S. to help clean up ~2 acres of gardens. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed meeting different people while I pulled weeds.

After dinner, we played minute to win it. I am proud to announce that after 10 rounds, Utah State University took the Championship for the 3rd year in a row. The conclusion was a heated ice cream feeding that could have only been completed by a true Aggie-- my friend Tyler Draper (who has helped out in the food pantry).

Conference is over, but I'm busy right now and can't update for the entire conference. Will do days 2 & 3 tomorrow night after I get back from Grand Staircase/Escalante.

Part 2

Update:

Here are the slides from the Dance Floor Theory

Dance Floor Theory Student Leadership Training Slides

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