Goodharted Thoughts: BSU BlogFest

Showing posts with label BSU BlogFest. Show all posts

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.

Friday, March 25, 2011

BSU BlogFest - Day Five: The Future

This is my final post of the five-day BSU BlogFest series, where BSU community members share their thoughts on a common topic each day. BSU BlogFest is one of the featured aspects of Social Media Week, hosted by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership. Please check out other bloggers' contributions via the BSU BlogFest web site!

Friday's BlogFest Theme: The Future

Firstly, I have really enjoyed writing these blogs for BSU BlogFest this week, as well as reading many of the other contributors' thoughtful and fun posts. I hope that we can continue this throughout the year perhaps on a weekly basis. Blogging allows for people to reflect and share their ideas in a creative way. It also provides insight into the lives of fellow BSU community members, especially for those of us who may not communicate much with each other outside of the classroom and the workplace. I've definitely appreciated that folks have opened up to the extent they have.

So this final post for the week pertains to "the future." I don't think I'm very good at looking far ahead in time, and that may or may not be a bad thing. I'm kind of limited to being a "one year ahead" sort of guy but no further than that. I suppose that's because I appreciate the idea of leaving many doors open for opportunities that might come my way. Most of my major life decisions have come about purely by chance. I've often initially disregarded an opportunity at first glance but then found that opportunity to be amazing after a second more thorough look. This worldview I hold has something to do with my personality, I'm sure. As a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) aficionado, I can quickly state and explain my type preferences: INFP (Introverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving). The first three are fairly self-explanatory, but as a Perceiving type, I tend to go with the flow and let things happen to a certain extent. I just don't feel the need to control everything. By the way, if you ever want to know your type, just ask - I'm a certified MBTI administrator!

But I'll go out on a limb for this blog post and offer up a general somewhat rambling sense of what I think the future might hold for us.

We are generally part of a global community nowadays because social media and the internet make it so easy to be that way. But I'm a strong believer in the idea of a cyclical life. I think within the next twenty years, we may very well find that the concept of a local community -- a village, as Hillary Rodham Clinton would say -- will dominate again.

As the world becomes a much more complicated and complex place, it's getting more difficult for anyone to make broad, sweeping decisions (other than perhaps in the corporate world). That may sound pessimistic, but I don't intend that to be the case. Where greater numbers of individuals might feel socially isolated (ironically) in a social media kind of world, I think we may find folks will return to focusing on relationships on a local level. Why? Because empathy and human connection flourish best with face-to-face communication. Yes, for argument's sake, video communication is prominent today and that's the next best thing to actual face-to-face contact (such as when family and close friends are hundreds of miles apart). But I think empathy is driven primarily by interactions with people physically and emotionally near to us.

Human (and other) life is sustained through emotional connections. I think over time, many people will realize they'll get that by focusing on those who are directly in front of them. I see beauty in that. I see hope in that.

I leave you with three quotes that I think best drive my admittedly vague but relevant point home:

"To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right." ~Confucius

"There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread, but there are many more dying for a little love." ~Mother Theresa

"If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces but the life behind and within their faces. Here it is love that is the frame we see them in." ~Frederick Buechner

Thursday, March 24, 2011

BSU BlogFest - Day Four: Community

This is my fourth post of the five-day BSU BlogFest series, where BSU community members share their thoughts on a common topic each day. BSU BlogFest is one of the featured aspects of Social Media Week, hosted by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership.

Please check out other bloggers' contributions via the BSU BlogFest web site!

Thursday's BlogFest Theme: Community

So today, I decided I would deviate a bit from the prompting questions provided to us. Today's post begins at my alma mater of Radford University in Virginia, but it ends with Bridgewater State University. Though I've touched on it a little bit already, I really wanted to share in greater depth the community that started my career in Residence Life. That would be the Residence Hall Association.

Before going to college, I was painfully shy and didn't have much confidence in myself. High school was definitely not my cup of tea. The first thing I did when I graduated with my high school diploma was dye my hair bright neon red (like Woody Woodpecker red) since that kind of thing was never allowed in a private school setting. This was my way of showing my "punk" independence. The funny thing is by August when it was time to set off to college for the first time, my hair color faded to pink. Pink hair is an interesting way to start college, I suppose. I had all the first-year student jitters, but I was starting a new life with a blank slate.

I laid low during my first year, but I made a great friendship with a pal Marcus who remains my best friend to this day. He was really outgoing, so his friends became my friends. We ended up being roommates during my sophomore year, and that's when things really took off for me. Little did I know that I would soon finally know what it means to be a part of a community. Marcus was elected president of the hall council where we lived. I didn't run for anything, as that was too overwhelming for me. But mid-year, the vice president position opened up. No one was interested, and Marcus encouraged me to go for it. "What? Speak in front of the five or ten people who attend the weekly meetings? No way!" I said. I always chuckle to myself when I think back to that moment in time. But Marcus was relentless, and he brought me over to meet with the Resident Director. The RD told me if I was interested in the position, it was mine - she could appoint me.

So I took my first step. As the vice president, I helped run programs for the hall council. I also decided to develop a web site for our hall council since I had those abilities. Back in 1998/1999, not many people really knew how to design web sites because it required knowledge of HTML. After I designed the web site, our's was one of only two among the 18 or so hall councils. I really felt like I was making an impact in the community. The Area Coordinator supervising the four halls in our area recommended I design the web site for the RHA, and I was SO excited. I feel giddy just thinking back to that moment. So the RHA created an appointed webmaster position for me.

A strong community helps individuals feel empowered. That's what it did for me. The weekly RHA meetings were definitely a step up from the hall council. They tended to get about fifty hall representatives every week. I wasn't satisfied with just creating the web site at the time. I also pushed for a campus wide contest to design a logo for the RHA, since they never had one. And I spoke up in every RHA meeting. For me, that was a big deal but it helped me develop more confidence in my public speaking abilities. Remember, speaking in front of five people was terrifying for me.

Ultimately, I ended up being the vice president of policies and procedures for the RHA after a highly contested election. I was on top of the world. But then in April 2000, I suddenly faced an illness that required major emergency surgery. That ended up being a life-changing experience. A little bit of it was because it was life-threatening so I respected life a heck of a lot more. But the BIGGER, more important part for me was that all of the RHA Executive Board members stopped in to see me at different times during my week-long hospital stay. The cards and outpouring of support was overwhelming.

RHA E-Board Retreat at Radford

At this point, I truly knew what it was to be part of a community. It's not just about planning programs, going to conferences, or pushing for campus policy changes -- though those are really important things. It's about a sense of belonging. It's about finding purpose and meaning. It's about developing your identity. And it's about giving back to others. The RHA brought me out of my shell and instilled self-confidence. It changed my life. And I knew I wanted to give back. It's because of that community, I was encouraged to go for graduate school in higher education. An assistantship as a resident director paid the way. I will always remember my first RA staff with fondness, and there was a point that I got every one on my staff a simple key chain with a symbol of a hand that represents "Unity." It remains on my key chain to this day.

Fast forward several years to our current academic year at BSU. I am really proud to currently serve this year as one of the co-advisors for BSU's fantastic RHA. They are a wonderful community of student leaders on the executive board and among the general body. They are doing great things this year and creating a bigger name for themselves on the campus and throughout the region. I applaud them, and it's an honor to help advise the same kind of community that made me who I am back in 1999. RHA is something truly special. It's what community means to me.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

BSU Blogfest - Day Three: Leadership

This is my third post of the five-day BSU BlogFest series, where BSU community members share their thoughts on a common topic each day. BSU BlogFest is one of the featured aspects of Social Media Week, hosted by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership.

Please check out other bloggers' contributions via the BSU BlogFest web site!

Wednesday's BlogFest Theme: Leadership

I will be perfectly honest with you about something: you probably will have heard some version of almost everything I write on today's topic of leadership. Frankly, I am willing to bet my walking stick collection on the fact that if you go to a bookstore's self-help section, you'll find every basic leadership concept/cliché known to human-kind in those books. So why bother?

Because knowing leadership concepts and living those concepts are two entirely different things. Gaining experience and learning from that experience is the only sure-fire way to become an effective leader. Granted, it is possible to be a naturally-born leader, but even then it's pure luck -- the first baby to leave the womb in a multiple birth delivery leads (okay, that's an example of my dry witty humor). If you didn't close your browser after the first paragraph, you may have done so by the end of this one.

Assuming you're still reading, I'd like to *cough*preach*cough* share some leadership concepts that I personally find important based upon my experiences. Sure, as I said, you've heard all this before. But it's kind of like listening to Baz Luhrmann's "Sunscreen." It contains insights you likely knew at least subconsciously, but it's beautiful to hear and reflect upon. Don't know that song? After you've read through my blog, you can click on the video for the freakishly good song at the end of this post. Oh, you're welcome. :)

Mike Goodhart's Top Ten Leadership Concepts You May Want to Consider

1. Find your niche or passion, and run with it. If you're struggling to take the lead on something, reflect on what you personally enjoy doing. Chances are if you're good at something, you have a lot to teach other people in that area. Start an intramural sport on campus. Bring your photography skills to an organization. Join the chess club and show off your mad skills.  In the medieval days of 1999, I was good at making web sites when few others did them. As a shy kid, I made a web page for my hall council and ultimately the Residence Hall Association. This is what started the chain of events in my world of leadership to my current role as a resident director.

2. Tread lightly. If you have a blunt firey personality and you're in conflict with others, know that tact and diplomacy might take you farther with them. I've seen too many people's ideas get rejected because they were just too forceful.

3. But be direct, too. If conflict scares you, take a cue from John Mayer's "Say." Say what you need to say. You might find you'll feel better. This is totally more like me. As an introverted sensitive type, I often worry I'll hurt others' feelings or risk hurting my own feelings in the process of confronting someone. But I've had a lot of success where working relationships and friendships have bloomed following a respectful confrontation of a behavior.

4. Take responsibility for your mistakes. If you do something wrong, own up to it. There certainly may be consequences, but you'll find your integrity is intact and people will respect you for it. As a supervisor, there are few things that bother me more than when someone doesn't take responsibility for their actions. And for me personally, when I've made a mistake and immediately went forward to admit I screwed up, I found I could move on with my life much more quickly. Sure, I faced the penalties but my colleagues and supervisors saw that I could be trusted to do the right thing.

5. Learn from your mistakes. So you owned up to the mistake the first time. Don't let it happen again - learn from it.  You will make mistakes in the future, but as long as they're not the same ones, there's a good chance you're growing as a leader. Oh, how I have made MANY mistakes.  But I can proudly claim that I reflected upon each of those mistakes, considered how that mistake came about, and told my brain -- "brain, don't let that happen again."  My employer references can pretty much promise to potential employers that I won't get something wrong twice.

6. Don't be afraid to be goofy. As long as it's appropriate, people can relate to you much more if you can demonstrate a fun sense of humor. I have no problem singing Minnie Riperton's "Loving You" in front of 90 people. Ask the RAs here at BSU about that one. But I'd like to think things like that help people feel comfortable approaching me and getting to know me. This is especially important for me since I am an introvert and tend to be quieter than other leaders.

7. Take the time to recognize other people for what they do well. Others will have a lot more buy-in with a group or task when they know you are aware of their accomplishments and thank them for it. However, not everyone wants public recognition; sometimes they prefer subtle behind-the-scenes appreciation. To be honest, this is an area that can occasionally be a weakness for me. But I recognize that and try to be proactive in turning that weakness into a strength... which leads me to my next point!

8. Practice at what you don't do well. Especially if your weakness is tied to your personality. Try to improve in areas that you lack confidence. It's the only way that you'll truly grow as a leader. I was terrified of public speaking as a first-year college student. But then during my sophomore year, a vice president position opened up in my residence hall council. My roommate (and best friend now for 13 years), who was the hall council president at the time, encouraged me to take it on.  The idea of speaking in front of even ten people scared me. But I decided to take on the challenge.  Later, I ended up on the Residence Hall Association executive board as the webmaster. I made it a point to speak on something every week to the entire RHA general body. That was the only way I would ever improve at public speaking.

9. Actively listen to what others have to say - and don't interrupt. It's really easy to think that you know what a person is talking about, but try to block out your own thoughts and instead truly listen to them - and let them finish their thoughts.  I like to finish my sentences when I speak with someone about a concern that I have. When I see that person nodding their head, demonstrating eye contact, and staying focused, I feel a lot better. Sometimes people just need to vent a little, too!

10. You don't always have to be the leader. Let others take the lead sometimes, too. You just may find that you can learn something about yourself when you watch someone else shine in the spotlight.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

BSU BlogFest - Day Two: Technology

This is my second post of the five-day BSU BlogFest series, where BSU community members share their thoughts on a common topic each day. BSU BlogFest is one of the featured aspects of Social Media Week, hosted by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership.

Please check out other bloggers' contributions via the BSU BlogFest web site!

Tuesday's BlogFest Theme: Technology

Today's question is: "What role does technology play to help or hinder relationships?"

Admittedly, I feel stumped about this question because there are many lenses through which one could view this dilemma.  Experts in political science, psychology, sociology, information technology, and anthropology could sit at a table (or Skype) to discuss this question, and you'd likely find widely different perspectives with no agreed-upon conclusion. So I think it makes the most sense for me to share a few piecemeal thoughts.

1. It's never been easier to stay in touch with friends and family with social media. I figured I would start with the most obvious statement. We have Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Blackberry Messenger, instant messaging (such as AOL), text messaging, and of course lest we forget -- e-mail! I know people whose grandparents utilize some of these applications which goes to show you how easy it is to use social media.

2. Building relationships with people across the world (i.e., networking), including those in positions of power with whom you might not otherwise feel comfortable approaching, is becoming a simpler process.  I recently attended the ResLifeTECH conference at Western New England College that highlighted social media's expansive reach in student affairs (it was an overwhelming but enlightening conference for me). One of the presenters, Jenna Magnuski of Northeastern University, talked about how she was nervous for interviewing at a professional conference, and she used Twitter to express that anxiety. Someone tweeted her back and offered to assist in preparing her. It turned out this person was a vice president of student affairs (or similar position), so she ended up connecting with someone she may not have otherwise felt confident approaching.

3. Cyber-bullying is a problem we can't ignore. There are unfortunately many, many cases of people being bullied through social media channels.  This is true especially for adolescents and young adults who are still developing their identities and self-confidence.  A decade ago, if you were bullied by someone, at least it was only when that person was physically nearby. But nowadays, social media unfortunately gives bullies a lot more power to make life difficult for someone. Victims of cyber-bullying simply cannot get away from bullies because social media is a constant presence. Of course, cyber-bullying has garnered the attention of educators, administrators, parents, and the media, so steps are being taken to address this problem.

4. Social media is ever-changing and in flux; technology that progresses too much for society can lead to something called "future shock." In 2002, when I was in graduate school, I was captivated by a book I picked up on my own called Future Shock, written by Alvin Toffler. It's an "oldie" written in 1970. The author defines future shock as "the shattering stress and disorientation that we induce in individuals by subjecting them to too much change in too short a time." Wow. Alvin Toffler, a sociologist, basically attributes many social problems (i.e., depression, addiction, violence, etc.) to technology that is advancing too quickly for people. His book impacted my worldview significantly, as I infused many of his arguments into the way I think about technology. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by technological advances, including those within social media. There always seems like there is a new web site or way to communicate with each other. And Facebook seems to change its' privacy settings and overall look on at least a monthly basis. We are forced to adapt more quickly to changes, and there is great danger in that psychologically.

5. The infrastructure for social media is not sustainable in its current form. This is definitely my biggest concern about technology and social media. We live in a world of more than six billion people, and that number is rapidly increasing. Because of limited resources on the planet, it is impossible for everyone to have access to social media in the way that many of us do in developed countries. All of the technology built around laptops, iPads, and cell phones requires a lot of materials. In all stages of the consumer process -- building, shipping, and disposal -- there tends to be a lot of waste. So while I love social media, I also harbor fears as a concerned citizen that problems of sustainability must be addressed before we cause too much harm to our planet (and ourselves). Limited resources + many people = conflict. Imagine that on a global scale.

Two things are clear -- technology in the form of social media is here to stay for quite a while, and we should expect social media to dominate our lives. We have to make individual and collective choices as to how we use technology and social media, for better or for worse.

Monday, March 21, 2011

BSU BlogFest - Day One: Learning

This week, I am participating in Bridgewater State University's BlogFest, a five-day blog series focused on a different topic/theme each day. The blogs are written by BSU students, staff, and faculty. As a Resident Director here, I'm excited to also contribute my perspective! BSU BlogFest is one of the featured aspects of Social Media Week, hosted by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership.  Social Media Week aims to initiate conversations via various social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogs. For those interested, follow me on Twitter at @mtgoodha (please know I'm still getting the hang of it).

Please check out other bloggers' contributions via the BSU BlogFest web site!

Monday's BlogFest Theme: Learning

We've been offered a prompting question for each theme just to help exercise our brains, and I can easily work with today's prompt: "What has been a learning experience that has impacted you the most in your life?"

Learning is such a broad concept, but to start this conversation, I think it's important to consider that learning is an individual experience that is affected by many factors such as genetics, the way we're treated as children, personality, teaching and learning styles, and social interactions. We don't all learn the same way, and "teachers" don't all teach the same way, either. I put the word teachers in quotes since they could be in or outside of the classroom. The best form of learning is one that contributes to our personal growth and confidence throughout life. While learning might be a single "ah-hah" moment, I like to think that it's more about a series of moments that reinforce our growth.

For me, my most impactful series of moments of learning revolve around reading and writing. Writing is among the abilities where I feel most confident.  As a relatively quiet introvert, writing plays an integral role in my life.  My "teachers" empowered me with (and reinforced) the ability to read and communicate in the written form.  It's a useful skill that helps counterbalance an adequate speaking ability (certainly, I can speak publicly with some confidence, after much life-long practice - but it's not my strength).

Confidence in reading and writing started for me at an early age when my mother nurtured an appreciation of words. She saw I loved when she read books to me and I'd request it often as a toddler.  She was then purposeful in directing me to read books out loud to her; I enjoyed reading out loud so repetitively that it became fairly annoying!  But, this reinforcement and attention instilled my quickly progressing enthusiasm for vocabulary in the English language. When you love learning about something, you tend to stick with it.

The Alluring Speak & Spell

Remember the movie E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial? Well, it's a prime example of how the media can influence what we learn.  There's a significant scene where E.T. uses a Speak & Spell toy to phone home. Product placement in the movies at its finest. I was three years old when E.T. came out in the theaters in 1982.  So when I got this toy and used it frequently, it reinforced my love for words - and more importantly, spelling the words correctly. It's probably not a coincidence that a little later in life, I'd look forward to and thrive in annual spelling bees in school, eventually making it to the regional levels in the eighth grade. Thirsting for re-living the Speak & Spell experience?

I appreciated it when teachers guided me in the right direction, too. Even in college. I distinctly remember when Dr. Tod Burke, a professor of criminal justice at Radford University where I received my undergraduate education, made it a point in class to everyone on how to properly spell judgment, writing it on the chalkboard. I was among many in the class who spelled it "judgement," but you better believe I remembered the correct spelling after that.

My second grade teacher made a big impact in my development, too. I was learning that it was fun to put words together to create short stories. I think it was Mrs. Capehart who saw how much I enjoyed writing. She encouraged me to keep writing and then would occasionally send me to a kindergarten class to read my stories out loud to my slightly younger peers. I'm so impressed by her creative means of inspiring me in this way.  This was a process that trended throughout my life, where I'd enjoy writing, then appreciate the positive (and critical) feedback from teachers, family, and friends. English classes, especially ones that focused on creative writing, were consistently among my favorites.

We'll return now to my mother, who assisted in expanding my grasp of the written language by taking the time to review my papers that I'd have to do for classes. She'd point out how I could re-word a sentence or where I needed to correct a grammatical mistake. I yearned to know how to properly arrange sentences, where to place a comma, when not to use a semi-colon, etc.  I guarantee I will have re-read this blog posting several times to ensure it's as perfect as I can make it (no guarantee that it is perfect, though).

I firmly believe all of this learning -- and constant practice in writing on a daily basis -- has been exceptionally valuable for me.  Writing a final case study in graduate school, putting together a quality cover letter for a job, and maintaining two blogs are all examples of... well... a lesson learned.