What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 02/27/15

in

Geek-and-proud

Greetings! Here's what is going on in my world this week:

** EDIT: Condolences to the family of Leonard Nimoy, who passed away today at the age of 83. You will be missed.

  • Parks and Recreation Series Finale

I watched the finale the day after it aired with my partner (we wanted to watch together) and I was very pleased with how they sent off the series. While it is really hard to ever live up to the high expectations of a series finale, Parks and Recreation definitely went out on top. This entire final season was awesome and should serve as a textbook for other sitcom finales. I foresee this show being one I'll go back to and watch again and again. It cements itself as a classic show that will surely stand the test of time. Thanks for the memories, Parks and Recreation!

  • Avengers: Age of Ultron

Some new little tidbits about the film came out from unexpected places. The official movie poster for Age of Ultron came out, and some awesome nerds discovered some interesting cast listings, such as Anthony Mackie, Idris Elba, and Hayley Atwell (some having been rumored, others thought not to be in the film). I'm particularly excited for Anthony Mackie to be featured in the film in some capacity since I know he is passionate about the role of the Falcon. All of them are awesome actors with equally awesome characters so I'm glad they're all in the movie (they all also add some diversity to the film). We've also gotten some better looks at Vision recently, which also make me happy. I can't wait for this movie!!!

  • House of Cards Season 3

I've been looking forward to this since the end of last season. This Netflix exclusive series is an amazing dramatic political thriller led by the incomparable Kevin Spacey. Having Frank Underwood as the President of the United States only makes the stakes higher and the intrigue more deep. I'm intrigued to see what he does with his new power or if it stifles him and he loses everything he worked so hard to obtain. I'm not sure when I'll get to watch all the episodes so I'll have to do my best to avoid any spoilers! Definitely check out seasons 1 & 2 on Netflix if you haven't already. They're awesome television!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 02/20/15

in , ,

Geek-and-proud

Greetings! Here's what is going on in my world this week:

  • Relationships

I had a thought about this during the week, and I mean relationships in a very broad sense, such as a relationship with an office or an institution rather than personal friendships. The thought came to me during a call with a parent of a student. I got push back on trying to help them in their unique situation and felt that we should have sucked up the cost of the room change we were making for the student and save the relationship with this parent. We can afford it more often than not, this family couldn't in this case. I felt we should have done the right thing (in my opinion) and just defrayed the cost, but that was not supported by my colleagues. It got me frustrated and cemented a feeling I have about serving students and their families and the importance of the relationship we have with them.

I've been going to the Greendrinks meetup events since I moved to Maine in July of last year. They're a fun, social gathering centered around supporting sustainability in the community. I recently joined their executive board and since it is now official (check the contact page at the link above) I thought I'd share the good news. I'm excited to have this experience and help out this great organization in whatever way I can!

I had a call with the one of a kind Tom Krieglstein yesterday about some SAC stuff. It made me think back on my relationship with the site dating back to becoming a writer in the fall of 2013, then becoming an intern in the beginning of 2014, and then a member of the leadership team in the summer of 2014. It's been an awesome time continuing my bond to this amazing group and see how the site has grown just in the short time I've been along for the ride. The podcast (my baby) has seen some good growth itself lately, and it just is inspiring to see my commitment pay off. This year is looking to be a big one for the SAC, so stay tuned for continual awesomeness to come!

Thanks for stopping by!

How Higher Ed Is (Or Should Be) Like a Social Good Company

in , , ,

i-want-change I had an epiphany the other day while talking to my partner regarding a mental connection about higher education and social good companies (like TOMS, Warby Parker, Krochet Kids, FEED, and many others across the country). They share many of the same traits and goals but in some other very important ways, higher education is falling behind these organizations in realizing their place as a social institution meant to benefit the community it serves.

First off, the similarities between the two. Higher education institutions and social good companies both are making money in order to propel their missions. Colleges and universities are funding their endeavor to educate the citizens of tomorrow, while social good companies are selling a product to benefit their chosen cause. All the money (typically) goes toward that end goal. While they have to pay for personnel to fulfill and facilitate their operations, they put their profits to good work rather than just sitting on them. This is generally called a "double bottom line". A lot of major corporations are trending this way, with huge donations to various nonprofits or their transition toward supporting responsibly made products. There is a push toward this in the economy since a lot of people vote with their dollars in terms of buying products that align with their values. They won't buy something that isn't responsibly made and look for items that are sustainable, fair trade, organic, etc. Some companies and higher education institutions will even go as far to include the planet in their impact, abiding by a "triple bottom line". This entails all the possible impact organizations can have; profits, people, and planet. This is an even harder reality to embody but those companies that do are definitely leaving their communities far better than when they found them.

The differences begin in terms of the rates of adoption between social good companies and higher education institutions. A company like Krochet Kids was built recently from the ground up as an entity that kept their global impact in mind. Many colleges and universities have been around for decades (or centuries) with greatly varying missions and traditions. They could not have foreseen the need for globally conscious sustainability measures that are necessary now in the face of climate change. While some institutions have done well adapting, these venerable organizations just aren't as nimble when confronted with the dynamic nature of modern social need.

1534297_669870006388900_1504515885_n

College students are more globally minded and connected than ever before. They understand the needs of their community and want to be engaged in doing social good and changing the world. They are eager to learn how and that is where student affairs professionals can come in. We can offer programs and opportunities to capitalize on this energy to create socially conscious leaders who understand the urgency of the problems facing the world and have the confidence to try to solve them.

Changemakers Logo

This was the original vision behind Rutgers Changemakers. I had the pleasure of working with this initiative when I was studying as a graduate student at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. It was an amazing effort that I was proud and privileged to be a part of with some awesome student affairs colleagues, namely Krista Kohlmann among others.

I will be presenting on Rutgers Changemakers at ACPA 2015 with Krista. Our session is 1PM on Friday, March 6 in the Tampa Convention Center, Room 37. I hope to see some friendly faces there.

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

in ,

978-1-60774-730-7

"...when you put your house in order, you put your affairs and your past in order, too. As a result, you can see quite clearly what you need in life and what you don’t, and what you should and shouldn’t do."

This recent book from Marie Kondo looks at how we can get our entire lives in order by "tidying up". By this, Kondo means going through all of your belongings and critically interrogating if you need them and if they bring you joy. Items that you don't need or items that don't bring you joy must be sold, donated, recycled, or just thrown out. The author outlines a detailed order of how to go about this process and guarantees success and commitment to the tidying you do. She has helped thousands of people get their lives tidied and this has enabled them to become happier and healthier people in several different ways.

What I plugged to in about this book was its undercurrent emphasis on minimalism. It was recommended to me after a conversation on the matter, and I was able to breeze through the book to gain the main points. I don't need to advice personally as I feel as though I already bought into the philosophy behind it. It does give a very thorough outline for others to follow though, which is something I like about it. The book has a simple point to make and if that is all it was, it could just be condensed to a blog post, but it gives you an actionable framework to follow to make your life better right away.

A great quote I enjoy is concerning keeping old papers:

"My basic principle for sorting papers is to throw them all away. My clients are stunned when I say this, but there is nothing more annoying than papers. After all, they will never inspire joy, no matter how carefully you keep them. For this reason, I recommend you dispose of anything that does not fall into one of three categories: currently in use, needed for a limited period of time, or must be kept indefinitely."

I don't like paper to begin with but a few things really do need to be printed and kept. Most of the paper we get and have does not, so we can recycle all that paper and remove the clutter and burden from our lives.

I recommend this book for anyone looking to clear the clutter of their lives. It could be too many clothes, too much paper, or just all the junk we all absentmindedly collect over time. A clear space is a clear mind in my perspective.

"To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose"

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 02/13/15

in

Geek-and-proud

Greetings! Here's what is going on in my world.

This was big news for me this week. I had been hoping the rumors would come to fruition but I honestly didn't expect to have this be confirmed so soon. The details of the deal are interesting and seem to be a good, simple compromise for both sides. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been really consistent in their quality and it will just be awesome to have Spidey in the mix now (as well as his cast of supporting characters).

  • Breaks

This weekend, I'm taking a trip out of town with my partner for Valentine's Day. We aren't going far nor are we doing anything spectacular, but it is a nice chance to get out of the typical day-to-day bubble. Even just going a few hours away for a weekend has a positive impact for my own wellbeing and productivity. I also have ACPA 2015 to look forward to next month and I'm working on trying to get away for breaks at least once month for the rest of the year. I want to visit friends and get out and explore!

  • Minimalism

As I make my way in the adult world, I've been continuing my journey abiding as best I can by the tenets of minimalism. I'm trying to have only what I need since anything more will only weigh me down. This entails me being constantly critical and skeptical of the things I buy and do. I'm always donating, selling, or just consuming everything I have before I go off and get more things to clutter my life. I've been reading a book on this topic (review to come soon) so it has been on my mind quite a bit. I definitely go with the idea that a cluttered space is a cluttered mind. You can clear your mind and be less stressed if you get rid of what you don't need and go forth less burdened.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Was Geeking Out About: January 2015

in

Geek-and-proud

Welcome to this monthly wrap up of my weekly geek outs!

I’m always getting excited about a lot of stuff. Every Friday I share what I’m into and this is an attempt to serve it all up together in one place. Check out everything and hope you find something you like!

Thanks for stopping by!