So, what do you do all summer?

I'm pretty psyched about summer this year, for reasons ranging from the hope that New England will see sunny days sometime in the next century to my intense need to get my life back on a regular, normal, 9 to 5 schedule. I'm posting for the first time since we have successfully completed our Orientation programs and we get a little time to breathe.

"So, what do you do all summer?" I know that my list is pretty long. I could bore you with details of a ton of projects, but instead I want to celebrate the discretionary approach to work that we get to use during the summer. During the year, campus activities life is consistently responding to the needs of others. Whether it's students, faculty, administrators, or the needs relating to a looming deadline or a pressing event, we get very used to living "in the moment" to address whatever is breathing down our necks.

During the summer, we get to decide what gets done. I love the joy that comes from a "to-do list" that tackles projects that have been pestering me for months. I also love that I get to pick what those projects will be!

I know that there's but a short six weeks left until we are back to the regular way of life, but I'm going to settle in, hope that our office's AC is working, and enjoy the fact that I'm once again in the driver's seat of my own life.

Certificates are Anti-Green

Why do we feel obligated to give a certificate for 'accomplishments'? Do students frame and hang them in their future offices? How many trees have died on account of our "Outstanding Work" certificates? I'm done with certificates - I'm looking for a new way to High Five people ... anyone? anyone?

How many student leaders does it take to change a lightbulb?

Have you ever seen the student affairs version of this? I think we need to write one for student leaders.

So, how many student leaders does it take to change a lightbulb?

sorority members: 65. Because that is chapter total and we all need to be together to clap, sing and make matching t-shirts.
academic club leaders: 0. Our advisor will tell us how to change a lightbulb and do it all for us.

Other ideas? Happy almost Friday...

Which Spring "Fest" is best?

College students of America, I have a question.

What possesses you to stand on sidewalks with obvious containers of booze in large herds of 300 of your closest friends, leave trash all over your front lawn, and then spend the next three days talking about how embarrassed you are about the behavior of other students?

Faculty members of America, I have another question.

You email half of the campus calling for a reduction in organized Springfest events to curb the off campus drinking issues. Do you honestly think that a Springfest Drive In Movie is what prompts off campus celebrations?

We all know that whether we sponsor a Drive In Movie, a Carnival or nothing at all... the last Saturday in April is going to bring some partying on our campus. It's the last hurrah before finals kick in and if there is good weather, it's time to drink if the "right" people are living off campus that year. What I am struggling with is what there is to do when the entire campus is in an uproar about how "crazy" Springfest was and it has nothing to do with anything organized by program committee. They work their butts off to sponsor some great stuff, and I have yet to hear anything positive about the fact they got 1700 students in the Athletics center for a comedian or filled up the athletic field with fun stuff for a carnival.

My question is this though - what do you do if you are the VP when half the campus is calling for the elimination of this "event?"

In the "You've never heard it all" category...

After a fantastic presentation by Michael Miller on Saturday one of my students came up to me very upset. Please understand that the UMass Boston student would be upset if I said the sky is blue so this shouldn't have surprised me. The student (we'll call her an angry, postmodern gal) felt "devalued" (the true term she used) because Michael's presentation ended about 2:40 and the whole workshop had 3 pm as an end time.

Never have I gotten complaints from students about ending early on a Saturday of training. She said she'd like to speak with me about this at another time. I think my calendar might just be booked from now until forever!

Devalued...unbelievable!

Blog Launch

Well, the four authors invited on this site have shared enough bizarre observations, anecdotes and unbelievable experiences in a day of work that we figured it was worth writing about.

Through this blog, we hope to create a forum where we can share insights from what happens behind the scenes on four college campuses where we try to manage "campus life." All of us are involved in roles where people depend on us to develop good experiences for college students when they are not sitting in class....but that's just not as easy or as "fun" as it may look.

Keep tuned in and be sure to post comments so we know if anyone is reading this!!!