It All Leads Somewhere...

Lately, I find myself having these moments of frustration with the students I advise.  The student group, itself, is a challenge because I know there is a stigma held by college students for those who don't drink, or those who choose to be responsible.  The group is called Campus Connections and their goal is to raise awareness for alcohol and drug use.  Belonging to this group immediate targets my students as 'goody-goodies' because they are the ones who are supposed to be the safe ones--the smart student who had the night planned out.  So, that's obstacle number one.

Number two is that they are over-committed to an assortment of other student groups and areas interest, so I feel that Campus Connections sometimes comes last on the list for some students.  We started this semester as a group of 15 students and are now down to about 5 or 6 depending on the week.  We planned a day and time for the meetings, but most students can't even commit to that each week.  Then, the events we run happen too often so the students can't attend enough of them to make an impact on the greater community.

These issues brought us to our last meeting.  I brought up how much of a struggle I was having getting enough Campus Connections members in the office to make a difference.  I told them that I was grateful to have the few of them here regularly, but that we need a plan.  First, I learned that none of them are friends or even bother to connect outside of the meeting times.  Clearly that's an issue because if you aren't connected, you have little desire or drive to hold each other accountable.  Next I learned that last year they weren't asked to do as much, so it's almost as though they've joined a different club this year with how much my boss and I are asking of them.  They want to divide and conquer the projects, but with only about 5 members, it's impossible.  They decided on their own (thank goodness) that it was time to recruit new, committed and excited members who could help be the faces of Campus Connections.

For the first time since I started this advising position, I really felt like the pulled together and made some great breakthroughs on their own.  They recognized and pointed out their own short comings as a group, plus they came up with some ideas as to how to work through the problems.  I was proud of them!

National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week was our biggest project of the semester, occurring from October 17-22.  Campus Connections did a great job of getting out there and spreading the word.  Unfortunately we were rained on during our biggest event: The Kick Off of the Designated Thinker campaign.  As a group, we decided that we really needed something, a saying, that was ours and showed off who we really were as a group.  The students spent a good deal of time thinking about it, and in the end, Designated Thinker was voted on as the favorite.  We launched the campaign with t-shirts, water bottles and sweatbands boasting the phrase Designated Thinker.  The idea behind the words is that the designated thinker is a step up from designated driver, (which most students were at least able to make that connection!).  The designated thinker of the group is the one who watches out for all those you go out with.  S/he stays sober and lets friends know when they've had enough to drink, prevents them from making unsafe decisions, etc.  The goal was to start getting students to be aware of the idea and hopefully practice it when they go out.

I felt that it was a pretty successful kick off.  I was so pleased to let the Campus Connections members know that they had a front page news article in the school paper, (in which I was quoted!)! 

"The focus of the week was really to make students aware of the true campus norms.  We want students to be safe and understand the concept of a Designated Thinker.  It may mean something different to everyone, but either way, that person is the one who looks out for the group and makes sure that each person is making smart, safe decisions.  The goal is not only to reduce underage drinking at USD, but also to reduce the unsafe practices that happen when drinking is involved.  Campus Connections hopes to continue to raise awareness throughout the year, as well as offer a safe space for students to go if they have questions or need someone to talk to."

When I texted the students to let them know, I was amazed at how quickly and how many of them responded.  I'm beginning to think that recognition like this is really the fuel they need to keep the fire burning inside of them.  They signed up for this group because they believed in the cause, now I just need to be patient and learn what they need to continue to fight for it.

GYT and Julian apple pies

I had the opportunity of being a part of the Greater Than Yourself (or Greater Yourself Than, depending on your nametag) retreat this past weekend. There were representatives from IFC, Pan-Hellenic, LiNK, Emerging Leaders and some other UF groups. I was asked very last minute to attend, but looked forward to it because I still felt that I hadn’t made many connections with students. Plus, I was going as the only grad assistant/facilitator, so I thought it would be a good chance for me to get closer with some of the directors from different departments. In doing all of this, I feel like I really grew and developed, plus helped so many students open their eyes to who they are as people and as leaders.
The retreat was broken down into three pieces (following the model of GTY): Expand Yourself (learning your roots and identities), Give Yourself (what are you good at, what can you give to the community?) and Replicate Yourself (GTY project!). The next three paragraphs break down what activities we did to represent the different pieces.

Expand Yourself:
They began by learning just how hard it is to be successful if they were competing against each other instead of communicating. The next day we dove deep into identities, pushing people out of their comfort zones. A few students were crying by the end of our morning activities, but it was easy to see that for the first time these students were dealing with where they came from and the privileges they’ve taken on (or been given). Watching as students learned how being white is a privilege, and/or being male, and then that connection they make with what they can do to make a difference is rewarding. Even just the connection they made with being a USD student is gratifying.

Give Yourself:
They continued to open their minds as they learned different leadership styles and what worked for them versus what was completely opposite. I highly participated in this event and learned quite a bit about my own skills and how they’re limited, helpful, distracting, etc and how I could use that knowledge when working in groups, which I found helpful. I know in this activity I was less observant with how the students reacted and more focused on how I could apply what I learned to my personal things. They also did a lot of reflection on the skills they each had and how that could really help when working in their communities.
This night included the fantastic 'Adan Show' during which the students played Extreme Minute to Win It.  They were so much fun to watch.  Adan came up with some fantastic ideas for them!  The weekend, however, would not have been complete without some amazing Julian apple pies, so 6 pies later, we had some happy, full students.

Replicate Yourself:
On our last day there, we all committed to finding a GTY project. Each student was asked to identify one student they felt they could really help grow into a successful leader. I’m still looking for mine, but I’m excited at the prospect of building a student into a better, more effective leader. The purpose behind this being that it is so important to lift people up ahead of us, not hold them back because we’re afraid of them being better than us. 

The weekend was truly a success in all aspects: not only did I meet 26 new students and got closer with the staff, but those students walked away from that retreat with a new view on leadership. The first night was a bit trying as they tried to figure out what they were doing in Julian , CA, but most of them remained open minded to the experience even if they didn’t quite understand it. I do think a few of them walked out of there with a more open mind. My proof being some of their Facebook comments.