Goodharted Thoughts: March 2012

Sunday, March 25, 2012

BSU Blog Fest: Day Five - BSU's Future

Firstly, the new Math and Science Center seems to be coming along quite nicely. It's planned to open in the fall this year. It certainly will be a point of pride for BSU to have such a facility. I'm sure it will attract a strong new generation of students to come who will make their marks in the sciences.

Soon enough, the parking garage on the east side of campus will be in full use. Just a couple years ago, it seemed so unlikely that we'd ever see a parking garage on this campus due to its costs and concerns that it wouldn't blend in with the rest of the campus. It's a good example of how things can change so quickly on any college campus. I'm a little concerned about how the parking garage will contribute to traffic problems on the east side of campus, but I've heard rumors that there will eventually be a traffic light installed either near Hooper Street or Great Hill Drive. That should help a lot!

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the upcoming Weygand Hall, the residence hall set to open during the fall of 2013. Planned to be the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold residence hall on our campus (a very high standard for efficiency), Weygand Hall will be the home to brand new living-learning communities. The features of sustainability within the building will be very impressive. And it'll be the new location for the Health Services office. I would imagine that a lot of college campuses will be looking to Weygand Hall as a model for new residence halls on their campuses.

I'm personally super-excited for the new green space that will be added where the north end of the Lower Great Hill Lot currently is. BSU has been a bit lacking in green space, in my opinion, and this should add some scenic beauty to the campus. When I think about the vast lawns at previous institutions I've attended or worked at like Radford University, The Ohio State University, and the University of Idaho, they have a significant place in my heart. Wide open space just offers a sense of calmness where you just want to breathe in the air and smile. I know that a lot of students are concerned about the fact that parking spaces are going to be lost when the grassy plaza is added, but I think it's worth it. Parking is always going to be an issue at any campus, and the fact is that BSU will still have plenty of parking for everyone - just not necessarily where everyone would like it. But alumni tend to remember the positive aspects rather than negative aspects to their alma mater's physical appearance.

Construction and renovation will dominate the campus this summer, but it'll be worth the temporary inconveniences to see a promising and beautiful future of Bridgewater State University.

It's pretty incredible to visit a campus ten years afterward. When I returned to my undergraduate alma mater, Radford University, in Virginia back in October 2011 for my ten-year reunion, the changes on the campus were significant. From little differences like more flowers and benches - to a large facade of a new building for the College of Business, I was kind of awestruck about how the campus had improved since I graduated. I imagine that for many BSU students they'll be equally impressed when they return to the Bridgewater campus ten years from now.

You can follow Mike Goodhart on Twitter at @mtgoodha.

Friday, March 23, 2012

BSU Blog Fest: Day Four - Race and Gender

That photograph, which has been a national point of reference of the late 1950's, is a memorable one. The Little Rock Nine, as they were later called, was a group of nine black students who were integrating into an all-white school. The integration process got off to a rocky start. In particular, one of the Little Rock Nine, a girl wearing a white dress and sunglasses, walked alone to the school. When the Arkansas National Guard barred her from entering the school (essentially a conflict between federal and state governments), this girl - Elizabeth Eckford - was unsure what to do. As some of the white individuals followed and harassed her, one particular teenager - Hazel Bryan - began yelling at Elizabeth, telling her that as a "nigger" she needed to go back home. The book goes into exceptional, gripping detail about those moments.

It was a disgraceful time in the United States. And yet since then, aside from different memoirs written by some of the Little Rock Nine and a couple "documentaries" that skewed much of what really happened, there hasn't been any publicly released resources that tell the tale in full from that fateful day in 1957 to the present time. David Margolick's book does that.

I found his book to be a fascinating read into the lives of Elizabeth and Hazel. It answers a lot of questions, such as, how could Hazel live with herself after screaming such horrible, public statements at a lone, non-threatening black girl? And why did Hazel choose to do such a thing? In depth, one learns about Hazel's poor upbringing and how the socioeconomic status of her family played a role in Hazel's ultimate actions. We also get a sense of what Elizabeth was really thinking throughout her solitary walk among an openly hostile crowd that could have easily turned violent (but thankfully didn't) against her. Additionally, there are answers to the questions about what it was like for Elizabeth to be a black student in an otherwise all-white school for a year (it involved a lot of terrible physical and emotional harasment from students).

Eventually, though not within the first weeks after the incident, Hazel did begin to acknowledge that what she did was wrong. And her life took a turn because of that acknowledgement, where she began to harness her self-blame and do good by mentoring young black teenagers. She ultimately apologized to Elizabeth, and the two ended up becoming close.

Of course, the story isn't that simple. Elizabeth and Hazel had a very difficult journey together, privately and on the public stage. Friendship between these two women caught in such a well-publicized moment in time didn't come easily, nor did it end happily. The book is a statement of how complicated race relations can be. Differences between the Little Rock Nine are pointed out as well; they were certainly not a united front. Despite it being more than fifty years since the Little Rock Nine incident, time has not erased the racial divides. Certainly they have narrowed, but bias, prejudice, and yes - even hate - still exist from all sides of the racial spectrum. One can listen to the recent news about the tragic Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida to see that it still exists.

The book provides some historical snapshots of multiple "characters" surrounding the tensions, including the Central High School principal, the student body president, teachers, the Arkansas governor, NAACP leaders, the other Little Rock Nine students, and family members of Elizabeth and Hazel. It's a fuller picture of the situation that you're unlikely to have known about otherwise. And it's a profile of the lives and families of Elizabeth and Hazel - and there are some unexpected tragedies that occurred decades after 1957. It made me feel sad for so many of the people involved.

The book did have some flaws, in my opinion, though not in regard to the content itself. The book could have used a much better editing process, due to heavily poor punctuation use throughout. This surprised me considering the author is a contributing editor for Vanity Fair magazine. From the beginning of the prologue, I found the improper punctuation use extremely distracting. I wanted to put the book down, though I'm glad I didn't. I imagine I'm among a small percentage of people who would care about or perhaps even notice those errors. Ultimately what's important are Elizabeth and Hazel's stories.

School textbooks don't do justice to this particular history. If you have any interest in knowing more about the Little Rock Nine, I highly recommend this book.

You can follow Mike Goodhart on Twitter at @mtgoodha.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

BSU Blog Fest: Day Three - Lessons Learned

It used to be extremely easy as a college student to obtain one or more credit cards. Credit card companies and banks would flock to college campuses around the country during orientation, residence hall move-in days, and during the first few weeks of classes. These companies would market their credit cards to students in locations of high foot traffic. And on their tables in front of them, one could find free t-shirts and other giveaways if you signed up with them for a credit card. Thankfully in 2009, federal laws changed things so that it would be much more difficult for marketers to push credit cards on young adults, including banning credit card companies from being within 1000 feet of any institution of higher education.

I entered college in August 1997, however - well before these changes went into effect. Unfortunately, I was among many who made poor financial choices as a college student. During my college career, I believe I accumulated four or five credit cards with spending limits well beyond my means of living. In 1999, I really began to rack up debt on my cards after visiting friends in England for three weeks (my best friend who went with me saved up for the trip).

During graduate school, I had a graduate assistantship that paid my tuition and fees and included a stipend. You'd think that I would have budgeted wisely and lived within those means. Instead, I stupidly went to the Financial Aid Office and asked about available student loans. I got a subsidized Stafford loan which gave me a significant amount of money to spend on my education. As a subsidized loan, interest would not accumulate until several months after I graduated with my master's degree. I did use some of the funds for books. But - again, stupidly - I used a lot of those funds for personal use. I'm not sure whether that was illegal (I sure hope not, as I'm posting this in a very public blog), but it was a dumb decision.

Credit cards and loans (including student loans) are very tempting. It will feel like "free money" when you use them, but if you don't pay them off quickly, they can end up hurting you in the long run. It's fine to have a credit card as long as you pay it off every month - or at most, within two or three months perhaps. After that, there are major financial risks especially if that debt accumulates.

Probably sometime around the time I moved to Bridgewater to work here in 2006, my debt finally stopped getting worse. It flattened out, but it didn't really get better, because I still used the credit cards albeit on a more limited basis. Sure, I always paid at least the minimum monthly payments, and I never missed any payments either. But I didn't have a plan to truly reduce my debt.

It wasn't until I had significant, costly mechnical issues with my car in the second half of 2011 that I realized how much financial trouble I was in. I couldn't afford a new car or even a new-to-me used car. You know you have a problem if that happens. Transportation is so important! So in August 2011, I finally smartened up and set up a plan with a debt management company. They cancelled most of my credit cards with the exception of one so that I could still have some credit history, however I can't actually use that card until all of my credit card debt is completely gone. They set up a viable monthly payment plan for the next four and a half years. In turn, they were able to significantly lower all of my credit card interest rates.

It's been tough not using credit cards anymore. I only use a debit card and cash. But it's been a good feeling, too. It forces me to make intelligent financial decisions. I'm even planning on taking an accounting class soon and get some additional knowledge on all of this.

The lesson here for me - and one for anyone else reading this blog, especially if you're a college student - is spend the money that you have. Student loans are certainly acceptable if you must take them. I think the great thing about so many BSU students is they work hard - often in part-time jobs to try to make ends meet. I wish I was more like our students here when I was a college student. It's easy to focus on finances solely in the short term and forget about the long-term consequences. But one should always have a long-term plan.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

BSU Blog Fest: Day Two - Community

I'm excited to participate in Bridgewater State University's second year of Blog Fest, a one-week adventure exploring the thoughts and ideas of several students, faculty members, and staff members in daily, themed blogs. It's a highlighted feature of our Social Media Week, hosted by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership, as the campus community engages in the promotion and education of all that is social media. For this week, I'll use my personal blog, "Goodharted Thoughts," to share my personal experiences, as well as my professional experience as a Resident Director, in the context of BSU's Blog Fest.

Tuesday's BlogFest Theme: Community

When you hear the word "community," what does it mean to you? Do you feel like you are part of a community? I think the vast majority of us can say that we belong to some form of a community, even if it's just our own families. I see two different types of communities in the world: 1) our geographical communities; and 2) our identity-based communities.

Many geographical communities start for us individually with our own families. There's less of a choice involved in the community to which you belong when you're a young child. We learn so much about the way we relate to the people around us as children. And hopefully, the communities we're born into are thriving and loving. Psychologically, I would argue that what community means for us is greatly impacted by those first years of life. The next natural step within geographical communities involves the connections you make with friends in the local neighborhood and elementary school.  It's that first level of independence you reach. These are usually very small inter-sparsed communities that you connect with and/or create. And perhaps that's why, at least for me, aside from a nostalgic feeling, I never had a strong, lasting connection with my neighborhood or my elementary school.  The difficulty with geographical communities, in my opinion, is that they're usually quite temporary (aside from family, of course).

That's why I appreciate identity-based communities that much more. You have a personal stake in them because you made the decision to enter into these communities based on a common interest.  Maybe it's a personal hobby that connects you to others - playing chess, intramural sports, or in my case genealogical research. Perhaps it's a professional realm that sparks your passions - like student affairs, teaching, or law. It could be a religious institution or spiritual group that brings you that sense of belongingness and wholeness.

Ah, but then we start venturing to the idea that some geographical communities (like a local church) merge into identity-based communities. I think those are the strongest type of communities - the ones that form part of your identity and encourage you to stay connected.

So one might ask, is an institution like Bridgewater State University a community? Without a doubt, I'd exclaim, "Yes!" On two levels, it is most definitely a community.

Firstly, people who live in the town of Bridgewater would refer to BSU as a community. And the ways in which we individually act reflect upon the community's reputation as a whole. As a conduct hearing officer, I see cases where students have violated a policy off-campus and ask why they're being held responsible within the university's conduct system if their actions didn't take place on campus. It's because we are all members of this community. As a Resident Director, I understand that this is a place I chose to work at. And it's important to me to do good, positive work - and not just for my own reputation, but for my department's reputation and the university's reputation as a whole.  When student organizations (and professional ones, too) engage in service in the surrounding communities, it creates a larger bond of positivity.  And when one engages in the community, it becomes more than just a geographical community. It becomes that second level of community - an identity-based community, one in which you're more likely to connect with even after you graduate.

This infusion of geographical and identity-based communities, for me, is exemplified so well at The Ohio State University where I was a graduate student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program from 2001 to 2003.  Some of the best communities do a great job putting together symbols of community that are easily carried with you even when you leave their geographical areas.  Ohio State (I'll forgo using the mandatory "the" in front of Ohio State for the remainder of this blog post) is associated with the buckeye. A buckeye is essentially a poisonous nut. Don't read into that too much, though. The point is that as a matter of great pride, I love saying that I am a Buckeye. It's an identity I can take with me wherever I go.

If I see a random stranger, say at Boston Logan airport, with any form of Ohio State gear on, I know that if I chant, "O-H!" I can expect to hear an "I-O!" right back from them (unless they're not a true Buckeye... in which case they'll look at me funny). But for that moment of time when that legendary "O-H! I-O!" is chanted between people, there's an immediate feeling of community. It'll get you to think of about where you came from, what you took with you, and what you can do to continue making an impact in the world.

That Buckeye identity is also exemplified when four get together to spell out OHIO with their bodies. As this video shows, "It's an expression of community for Buckeyes everywhere." Love it!

Consider how you can embrace your community. As one of the Bridgewater State University Bears, in what ways can you contribute? Perhaps it's being a student leader. Maybe it's playing a sport. You could be behind the scenes - literally - for a play. Whatever it is that you do, I think you'll find that engaging in your community and doing positive things will BUILD community. And it'll be something you can look back on whenever you eventually leave this institution and think, "I was not just a part of that community - I helped create it."

You can follow Mike Goodhart on Twitter at @mtgoodha.

Monday, March 19, 2012

BSU Blog Fest: Day One - Why Do I Blog?

Folks start blogs for a variety of reasons. I actually have two blogs that were created for very different purposes. The first, "Take a Goodhart Look at Genealogy," explores the realm of family history and genealogy. I started my first blog post in April of 2009 after I attended my first genealogical conference. Genealogy is a huge personal passion for me. My paternal grandfather researched much of the family's paternal line, and he passed along all of his research to me. I began my own genealogical research in the summer of 2006, and I expanded the research to the rest of my family. Ultimately, I got hooked, attended conferences, met fellow cousins who are also genealogists, and earned a certificate in genealogical research at Boston University. I regret that I haven't updated that blog in nearly a year. It needs some renewed TLC from me at some point!

In June of 2010, I decided that I also wanted a blog that gave me the freedom to express my personal and professional thoughts within a much broader scope than my genealogy blog could offer. That's how my "Goodharted Thoughts" blog took off. I use this blog to inspire, to vent, to educate, or just provide personal life updates. That June, I had walked my first half-marathon. I was so pumped about it that I wanted to make my thoughts public. Facebook and Twitter don't really do justice when one wants to explore topics in great depth, and one can reach a greater audience through blogs.

I find it easy to update my personal blog because I can go in whatever direction I like. I've found that a blog should be consistent in a particular purpose. My genealogy blog is for the sole purpose of discussing genealogy because that's my target audience. But my personal blog is more like an interactive journal; mostly friends and family read it, although I get an occasional reader from outside my immediate social circles - especially when it comes to my "Gut Feelings" topics focused on my intestinal issues. I'm most proud of those particular blog posts because they're meant to educate and bring people together who deal with similar challenges. These posts also cover the hardest topics for me to discuss - and I've received the most feedback from all kinds of people on those blog posts (read my first Gut Feelings post, if you like).

I blog because I enjoy expressing my thoughts in writing. I am a writer at heart. As an introvert, I feel that my opinions are best shared that way. Blogging allows me the flexibility to ponder something as much and for as long as I want, and then to articulate things exactly how I intend. It's my creative outlet - much as writing poetry was for me through high school, college, and graduate school - or my story telling in elementary school days. I actually get a bit of a "high" from blogging.

I've heard some people state they don't really appreciate blogs in general because they're mainly personal soapboxes. To some extent, that can be true. Those blogs are best to read if that blogger is a close friend or family member who you enjoy reading about. But I've seen some excellent examples of blogs that are epicenters for discussion. One of my favorite blogs - one that is purpose-driven, consistently updated, and engaging with community members - is "Marian's Roots and Rambles." Her blog does such a great job discussing the latest news in genealogy and sparking thought-provoking questions.

If you ever decide you want to start blogging, you just need to choose your goals and stick with them. Consider how your blog will look - it doesn't have to be super fancy, as long as it's easy to navigate and accurately reflects your purposes. There are plenty of blog hosting sites and platforms - my personal favorite is (of course) Blogger, but there are others like Wordpress and tumblr. Much of that choice depends on how much control you want over the look and feel of your blog, or how much technical knowledge you have. One of the main advantages of Blogger is that it is associated with Google; therefore, you're likely to see your blog posts higher up in Google search engine results.

A few words of warning, though. Once you start blogging, it's so hard to stop!

You can follow Mike Goodhart on Twitter at @mtgoodha.