On Being a History Major in Student Affairs

Reflecting back to my recent interviews, I found myself conceptualizing myself as being someone who, due in large part to my history major at the University of Delaware, needs to have some context to things to be able to fully understand and appreciate them. It could be current events and their historical precedence, or it could be an initiative from a supervisor and wanting some further explanation behind why we are doing something besides "because I said so" or "because that's how we've always done it". I need something more than that. What I need to hear contextually as a proud history major working in student affairs is a logical context preceding our actions. I need to hear that a new effort is backed up by theory, data, or exceptional practices from colleagues and fellow higher education institutions. We should never be making decisions, in student affairs or otherwise, on whims or emotions or simply personal anecdotes. We need to pull from more credible bases.

A history professor I had in college once told me that the study of our past is captured well by the metaphor of "a turtle on a fencepost". This means to say that the turtle could not have possibly gotten up on that fencepost on its own. Someone had to do something to put it there. Pretty much every major thing happening in the world today is like that turtle. It was caused by the actions of someone or something. It is crucial for us to understand these phenomena and causes, as to not repeat the mistakes of the past.

While this contextual philosophy of mine was garnered from a very macro perspective, I see it being highly applicable to the work I do on a micro level every day. We need to learn from the past to improve for the future. We need to build upon the successes we've had, avoid making the mistakes again we've made before, and work to continuously improve to better serve our students.

I don't think I wasted my undergraduate degree coming into student affairs. I think it has made me a better professional.

Movie Review Monday: Equilibrium

Hey there!

This week's film is the 2002 sci-fi action movie, Equilibrium, starring Christian Bale, Taye Diggs, and Emily Watson.

I was turned onto this film years ago, which was also years after this movie came out. It is a hidden gem to be sure, a movie that had the unfortunate circumstance to live in the shadow of the more popular Matrix films of the early 2000s. The premise of the movie is that Christian Bale is a 'cleric' named John Prestion in the dystopic, futuristic, fascist society where emotions are outlawed. Bale must enforce these laws with brutal efficiency. He eventually becomes sympathetic to the resistance cause trying to overthrow the regime and starts to work both sides. Bale does well here playing someone who allows his emotions to come through and then becomes sort of addicted to feeling after not feeling anything for his entire life, questioning everything he has ever known. All the other actors in the film are people you've seen in other things before and do a fine job supporting Bale's protagonist in his journey. Sean Bean has a small role in the beginning of the film which is a fun sight now after his successful stint on Game of Thrones.

The sci-fi elements are pretty light and the action is solid. The drama of it all helps anchor the movie and prevent it from going into any hokey territory. It takes itself seriously and rightfully so. The tragedy of a whole society no longer feeling, no longer caring for one another, and most of all not being able to appreciate art or music, is given its due here. The message that feelings are important is a simple but important one. If we lose our humanity in the quest for peace, is it really worth it?

Overall, the plot is straightforward and simple enough, and the whole thing is a fun ride with some good twists and turns. So if you're looking for a good popcorn movie to watch, Equilibrium is definitely for you.

Check it out streaming now on Netflix and be sure to check out all my other movie reviews for more great stuff to watch.

Have an awesome day!

Stories from the Frontlines of a Job Search

Greetings friends!

I wanted to consolidate for you all a series of posts I did for The Student Affairs Collective about my job search story. It started all the way back in February with Episode I and wrapped up recently with Episode IV and my acceptance of a job offer a few weeks ago.

Check out the whole story linked below with each episode. Thanks to everyone who helped make this job search success possible, I am eternally grateful! I'm giving all the good vibes out to those still searching.

• Episode I
• Episode II
• Episode III
• Episode IV

Thanks for stopping by!

Romantic Comedies & The "Flawless Rescue Stud"

I just read this editorial article over at Nerdist.com about an unfortunate phenomenon in romantic comedies of late where their male characters, referred to as "Flawless Rescue Studs", are creating unrealistic and harmful portrayals of romantic relationships. The basic premise, which is elaborated on in the article, showcases the trend of male characters "saving" the women characters in these movies and rescuing the women who have basically been made incapable of solving anything themselves without a man around. It has a lot of important connections and connotations for feminism and masculinity and how they're represented in media so I recommend giving it a read. Lets support more original, creative, and realistic representations of people and their relationships. Check out my movie reviews for some great examples of this streaming now on Netflix.

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 06/20/14

Hey there! Welcome to another week of geek! Here's what I've been into lately:

• #SAChat Meetup

I had the privilege to be able to go to this great hang in NYC put on by my former internship, Swift Kick, who runs The Student Affairs Collective and facilitates #SAChat on Twitter. A nice crowd of professionals from around the area came to mingle and I had a lot of fun. Folks knew about me and knew about the blog so it was quite flattering and inspiring to keep this whole thing going! Also, be sure to connect at the title link to never miss any of the upcoming meetups that are sure to happen across the country.

• Game of Thrones

I'm finally catching up on this show since I have time and I'm almost finished this past season that just wrapped up. I'm not as much into fantasy as sci-fi but this show has such a rich narrative with a great ensemble of characters, it keeps me coming back for more. I'm excited to see how this season ends so no spoilers!

• Grounds for Sculpture

My partner and I went here this past week as we're both moving away from the area soon, so we wanted to check it out before we left. I really enjoyed it, since it was a serene park with amazing sculptures around that made it feel like you were walking into a painting. I really appreciate that something like this exists for families and the community to enjoy. There should be more places like this! If you're in Jersey sometime this summer, do yourself a favor and check it out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Thoughts on Friendship

So this post is just something I thought about during a recent train ride, about how people have come in and out of my life for all of my years. They've come in and out for various reasons, some due to a context ending like a job I've had or perhaps just growing apart from each other. I'll also be vulnerable and authentic here and admit that I'm an awkward, eccentric, quirky, shy nerd who has struggled for most of his life with making friends and keeping them when I have them. Social obligations, and small talk elude me at times, so I wholly think that has something to do with my current state of not really having anyone actively in my life, that isn't family, who I've known for more than a couple years.

I write this post hoping in the future to find some peace of mind and clarity for why people came into my life, what they gave me and what I possibly gave them. What I can continually improve upon to keep the people important to me in my life. Most importantly, however, it is to just simply say thank you.

I am eternally grateful for all of the people who have been a part of my life, big or small, friends, lovers, coworkers, or classmates. Our connections meant something to me and they still do. I've learned about who I am, what I'm capable of, and grown from mistakes in my interactions with you all. Perhaps those mistakes are even why we aren't close anymore. Nevertheless, I care about your well being and success, which I thankfully can keep brief tabs on via social media. I am happy that I can do this, since it is all I need to know that you are well enough. I miss a lot of you and I hope we'll cross paths again some day.

I know I'm deluding myself thinking all of my friends will read this, but as I plan for the next phase of my life, I can't help but look back and reflect. What I find is that I may not be the most sociable, popular person, but the connections I do make with people, however brief, are deeper and more meaningful, and I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Here's to all my friends, past and present. I look forward to hopefully seeing you again soon and I look forward to all the people who I haven't met yet who will make an impact on my life.

Movie Review Monday: Star Trek - Generations

The film this week is the seventh iteration in the Star Trek film franchise; Star Trek: Generations (1994), starring two Enterprise captains, William Shatner as Captain Kirk and Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. I'm going to just start off by saying I wasn't a huge fan of this film. I'm trying to watch, at least, all of the Star Trek films, having just wrapped up The Next Generation's (TNG) TV run recently. I've seen a few of The Original Series' (TOS) films also, having enjoyed Wrath of Khan especially. I had high hopes for this movie but it fell apart quickly for me. There were many sub-plot threads that seemed needless, the stakes weren't that high, the action was lackluster, and it just overall seemed like an overinflated episode of the show. If this movie was a typical episode of the show, shortened down and focused, it would be great, but with a roughly two-hour run time, it just was a bit of a bore.

Star Trek at its best is when it is able to have stories about ethics, morality, loyalty, values, friendship, and diversity. This movie had none of the above. It does seem that all of the Star Trek movies I've seen tend to just default to sci-fi action movies, which can be fun, but never really capture what makes the television show so special and beloved, and that's saying a lot from a diehard Star Wars fan.

This is a rare negative review so I recommend you pass on Star Trek: Generations. Just go watch Star Trek Into Darkness on Netflix if you want a better Trek flick that's streaming right now.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 06/13/14

Good day to you! Here is what I've been geeking out about this week (mostly with my lovely partner)!

• Orange is the New Black, Season 2

This newest season of the Netflix Original gem just premiered this past Friday but my partner and I decided to watch it together so we were finally able to start with the first few episodes this week. I just love how good of quality this show is since it is essentially just a web series. It will surely pave the way for other amazing original content to make its way online, like the slate of Marvel shows coming to Netflix, which I am very pumped for!

• Edge of Tomorrow

I saw this movie last night with some friends after warming to it after initially not really giving it any thought. This sci-fi action film stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, who both are great in this movie. It is essentially Groundhog Day meets Halo, with Cruise repeating the same day over and over where he is part of a botched military invasion that is trying to repel an alien threat. The movie has fantastic action sequences, is funny, and has some great personal moments that explore human nature and how someone would react to having this happen to them. I will say that I did not like the ending at all. It doesn't ruin the experience and after seeing how the book, All You Need is Kill, which this movie is based upon, ended, I can't say I would have wanted that ending either. Perhaps there was a conclusion somewhere in the middle that would have been more satisfactory. Nevertheless, I'm glad I saw this gem of the summer movie season that I feel like got easily written off by most people.

• Arrested Development

My partner just starting watching this classic TV comedy at mine and others' behest. While we haven't been sitting down to watch every episode with each other, I've been re-watching a few with her and I am still chuckling at this great show. If you haven't watched it yet, please binge through the series. It is a short watch and you'll be thankful for it. Plus, you'll probably get those references your friends make and you don't understand.

As always, thanks for stopping by! All the best and have an awesome day!

Hack Your Life & Make The Most of the Next 30 Days

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnfBXjWm7hc] I was just talking about this video and sentiment the other day, in the context of my personal wellness journey. While I'm not quite where I want to be (I need to get a more consistent workout routine), I'm much better than I was a few years ago, mostly with better eating habits.

A major way I changed some of my bad habits was by undertaking several "30-Day Challenges", which are detailed in the short, engaging, fun video above. Whether you want to start going to the gym or stop drinking soda, write every day or stay off social media, doing something for 30 days is just about the right time to form a habit and pattern in your life. At the very least you'll sort of do a cleanse if you don't imbibe in junk food for a month, for example, and you can sort of ween yourself back in so you don't feel like you're depriving yourself.

Making small, incremental, sustainable changes in our lives is how we're able to become more healthy, productive, and positive. A line I like to say is that you can't get fit in a week, but you also can't get unfit in a week. Change takes time so get out there and start working on your goals, whatever they may be, since, like the video says:

"The next thirty days are going to pass, whether you like it or not. So why not think about something you have always wanted to try, and give it a shot, for the next thirty days."

Book Review: American Nerd

The 2009 book, American Nerd: The Story of My People, written by Benjamin Nugent, is an exploration of the history behind the word "nerd" intermixed with stories from Nugent's past. It reads like a long blog post or magazine article on the subject, covering the wide breadth of the issue of bias toward nerds. I just finished reading it and I found it to be a light, engaging read on the subject, a tad different from my previous review of Nerds by David Anderegg. Anderegg is an academic and Ph.D, while Nugent is a writer, which definitely benefits the latter in the feel of the book. They cover very similar territory but where American Nerd differs is in the personal stories and a more thorough delving into the history, where Nerds goes more into why the bias against nerds is bad by extrapolating about what it means for our future.

I found Nugent's anecdotal stories from his past to be spot on of my own experience with fellow young nerds back in the day. The reasons why people are "nerdy" are highly complex and diverse. It might be an escape or it might be a bonding mechanism, both of which can take varying shapes. Nugent also gives a nice overview of different aspects of nerd culture for those who may be unaware, which I appreciate since it allows for this book to lean towards a wider audience.

This book is great for simply existing and expanding the conversation of the issues facing the geek/nerd community. I'm excited to keep engaging in the literature behind the debate so that I can be the best informed I can be. I definitely recommend this book as a great place to start for anyone interested.

Check back soon for another review! Thanks for stopping by!