It's the Holiday season, and thus a time to give thanks. I've been thinking a lot lately about how lucky I am to have the good friends I do. There was a time in my life not too many years ago when I had few, if any...I know I've blogged about that before.
In short, I hope everyone in my life realizes how thankful I am for them.
Ok, well, not really Santa, but here's what I got for Christmas:
To all out there celebrating. We had a relaxing and laid back day here at the Christiansen household.
It's hard to believe. I'm sitting here, after being home two days, and it still doesn't feel like the semester is over. this fall passed by so quickly.
I think I'll miss English Methods most. Of all the possible 8 am classes to have, that was the best. What a group...laughter permeating every day. It makes me a tad sad to know that it's my last methods class, and very likely my last class with Mark.
Time does fly. I can only wonder what next semester will bring.
This afternoon. Have the Environmental take home to finish yet, which may take significant time this evening and tomorrow AM. Due tomorrow at noon. Hopefully I'll get it emailed by the deadline...
Of the get together for Julie G., taken by Julie A. Quite possibly the first time I've been in pictures on someone else's blog.
See them here.
The first, a very nice service celebrating the life of Sadie's grandma, who along with the rest of that family has always been very good to me. She'll be missed.
The second, a celebration of the completion of Julie's time in Bemidji. A good time with good people. I need to get out more. See ya later, Julie...
He shows up at the reading day midnight breakfast...and makes it a family affair as his wife joins him.
He actively works the room, introducing himself to many students who might not otherwise get the chance to meet or work with him.
And he actually sits down for a game of spoons with one group, generating a round of applause from nearby tables, as he jokes as if he's simply another player sitting down for a hand.
Yet another sign that BSU's administrators are a cut or two above the "norm."
Ticking things off the to-do list.
Been very busy the last two days. The Methods class liked my presentation. I still need to get my essays in order for the portfolio, my goal is to turn that in Friday morning. Not gonna mess with the wiki too much, for now. I realized that this was my last class with Mark. Kind of sad, I will miss them.
Sent off most of my Christmas cards this morning. Still have about a dozen to do. People think I'm crazy for taking time to do them, but I like letting people know they are in my thoughts at least once per year. Also attended the Senate party this afternoon before studying for and taking my Urban Politics test, which I should have done well enough on to keep an A.
Next up...Content Area Reading. From looking at the study guide, we've covered very little of the material for this test, As we've spent most of our time for the last month on teaching presentations. As such I feel completely unprepared, and after talking to a classmate today know I am not the only one. It should be interesting.
In other news, it's official...I filed the form so the University knows I'm double majoring.
Oh, and we all get a free meal tonight! Yeah!!
I'm sitting here in the lab. There are students using the whiteboards in the back for a penmanship test. That's right...they are being evaluated and graded on the quality of their handwriting...size. shape, alignment.
One more reason I'd tank as an El Ed major.
Yeah, it's here. Finished the Lit Crit paper early this morning (about 1 am). Not sure if the paper makes any sense, but that's what I said about the last one, and got an A, so who knows.
Things to do this week:
Took pledges for Lakeland Public TV from 6-9 tonight. I think the camera flashed our faces 4 or 5 times. Did anyone see?
Who am I kidding. I'm a college kid, as are a great number of my readers. College kids watch MTV, not PBS. Red Green is pretty funny though.
In Methods yesterday, Mark mentioned he was blogging again. So, as I was doing my daily reading, and sure enough, after what appears to be a two year hiatus, he's back at it. I have to wonder if perhaps all the talk about them from his blogaholic students like me had a part in prompting him to give it another shot.
Check out this CrustyProfessor--he's a man with lots of interesting insights and wisdom to offer. Now, if we only had audio clips of some of the exchanges we all have in his classes...those are priceless.
Long weekend...MSUSA in St. Cloud. Had a good time despite the fact that December conference is always rough on account of the fact it is so close to the end of the semester, and I have a shit load of work to do.
I think everyone had fun, and no one told me afterwords they're never going back. There were a few dramatic moments as usual, a fairly long General Assembly meeting, Internal Affairs, and as an added bonus (or maybe added pressure?) filling in at the Board stuff. It's always interesting to do those kinds of "extra" things. Overall I quite enjoy it, although it is a very different, slightly nervous feeling being the one at "the" table. I know there were probably some people irked by one particular stance we took, "but sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do"
Every month I come back from these things with a myriad of thoughts in my mind. I am frustrated by some things, energized by others. Overall, the organization never ceases to facscinate me. The people, the dynamics, the good, bad and in-between.
We were talking afterwords today as we ate lunch before returning to Bemidji, and I think Nicole summed it up pretty well: as crazy as these conferences can be, and as much as I may complain about the little things, I still love them. Why else would I keep going back after 3.5 years? I think some of it stems from the fact that at one never knows what will happen next.
MSUSA...a great advocacy group, but also part social org, soap opera and suspense novel. How could anyone not love it?
Well, after dreading its inevitable arrival for the past week, winter has arrived in a big way.
Yesterday, freezing rain and glare ice made for a long trip back to Bemidji. Today, as half the town shut down, BSU stayed open, albeit with far fewer students and professors around than usual. Tonight, 4-6 inches of snow expected. Yuck.
Surprisingly though, all the people coming in for the Dining vendor interviews are planning to be here as scheduled tomorrow. Lucky thing, as I'm sure any reschedule would have been a mess. It will be an interesting day.
Got up late and spent most of the afternoon reading RFP proposal responses. Only got through about section two in each. Imagine the biggest three-ring binder you've ever seen full of material. Multiply that by three, and that's how much I have to read by next Monday. I had hoped to avoid lugging stuff home over the Thanksgiving break but it doesn't look like that's going to happen.
This evening, ate pizza while watching part of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Have never read those books, or seen the movies in their entirety. Will have to remedy that one of these days.
Well, don't have to "caress" winter quite yet...the ground is still bare. But it IS rather cold and nasty...
Ok, the picture is from Google Images, but by this time tomorrow the cars in B-Town could look like this. The season's first winter storm is upon us. God I hate winter--I hate the snow, the ice and the cold. So why the heck do I live in Bemidji, people ask? Well, I didn't exactly come here for the climate.
Perhaps I need to follow a friend's advice earlier today:
"Winter's gonna feel bad if you keep knockin on it. Love it. Caress it."
Somehow I don't see that happening. (Nice try though Brad.)
A couple of interesting articles, that prove blogging is for all ages.
From CNN:
Senior Citizen bloggers defy stereotypes
From BBC:
US youths use internet to create
(found on Morgan's Log)
So, election results bring the wrath of God? Well, according to Pat Robertson, the residents of Dover, PA better watch out, Because He will not be pleased with a recent vote to oust members of the school board in a controversy over intelligent design...so displeased that he will bring disaster upon the city.
Is it just me, or does controversy follow that guy every time he opens his mouth?
Last night's Senate meeting brought great news...
After more than three years of asking, pleading, and begging...public computer access is FINALLY returning to the student union! Starting spring semester, laptops will be available for checkout, and they are planning for wireless access to be available in most of the building.
New Union Director + Old Promises + A Motivated Student With an Idea (and a desire to sell people on it fast)= Results!
Oh, and I saw Steph this morning in the variety store for the first time all semester. Could another string of great days be starting?
It's 2:15, my committee meeting was supposed to start at 2...
Why am I the only one here??
Yesterday I went back to BHS and finished off my practicum. And for a couple of hours, I took off my Berne the College Student hat and became Mr. Christiansen the English teacher. The lesson with the ninth graders went well, and there's more about it on the Methods wiki.
I'm sitting here commenting on blogs and I just realized the "words" used for word verification aren't really words at all.
So, why call it "Word Verification"?
A question only an English major would ask...
Spent the weekend in the cities at MSUSA Fall Conference. It was an odd feeling being in the audience and not being a delegate.
Unfortunately the Board election did not go my way. While I'm happy for the winners, I am certainly a bit bummed that neither Nicole or I got a seat. I didn't even care which of us, I just wanted one of us in there. Oh well, there is always Spring. I will say that I did receive a lot of compliments, which reminds me that there are people there who value me even if I did not win.
We also had a little bit of fun. Mom did a Halloween themed dessert social for our group on Friday, and everyone had a good time...scared the hell out of Julie more than once, it was great :) It was nice to have the chance to introduce the 'rents to more of the Senate crew, plus we were joined by Brandon and Brent and Derek, which made for a good time.
Oh, and the pic above is of some of the group "crashing" a wedding in costume...apparently they were a hit.
So I couldn't resist this quiz....
You are Scooter.
You are a loyal, hardworking person, better known
as a doormat.
SPECIAL TALENTS:
Going for stuff.
LEAST FAVORITE MOVIE:
"Go For Broke!"
QUOTE:
"15 seconds to showtime."
LAST BOOK READ:
"300 New Ways to Get Your Uncle to Get You a
Better Job "
NEVER LEAVES HOME WITHOUT:
Coffee, clipboard, and Very Special Guest Stars.
What Muppet are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Not sure what's worse...that I'm apparently a doormat or that I've never heard of this muppet.
A sure sign of things to come. I finally had to break down and switch the clothes in my closet. The warm weather polos are now in a tote under the bed, replaced by sweaters and long sleeve shirts.
Ugh. I hate the onset of cold weather.
Well, yet another few days have passed without a blog update. This has actually been one of very few times thus far in the semester when I can say I've had a stretch of very good days.
Tuesday I returned to classes and the office with stories from Monday at the high school, which almost made up for the lackluster response to my Methods paper. I don't know what it is this term, but some of my writing is not at its usual level. I'm definitely in a personal writing slump. But the day redeemed itself again when I realized we had all the conference arrangements done in record-early time.
Wednesday's Senate meeting was a riot. I've said it before and I'll say it again...BSU administrators are the best in the system. The Pres. and a VP came and stayed for the ENTIRE MEETING. They'll do this occasionally, and it's great. At most schools, the Pres. rarely shows up to Senate meetings, let alone stays the entire time and seems to enjoy it.
Yesterday continued my streak of good days. I found out I was reelected to Senate. #1 with 150 votes of 401 cast. Pretty good percentage on a ballot with 24 people. It is nice to know that students recognize the work I do. The results made the day doubly awesome because I also got my Lit Crit paper back that had worried me so much...and I got an A!!
Finally, today I think I did well on my Urban Politics test. And when I went up to turn it in, Beech says "I like your new scooter. It looks like Xzibit pimped your ride or something." It was funny, and I wish more people would've heard...that guy cracks me up.
We had the day off yesterday, and aside from going to the bank and grocery store, it was fairly unproductive.
Today I've just vegged out. Maybe I needed "Fall Break" to recharge.
Last year, I posted about meeting Nicole after reading her posts on CAL Dialogue. Just yesterday, the same thing happened with someone on Facebook.
You see, there's this thing with Facebook. Anybody can add anyone else to their list of friends. I have all kinds of people on my list, from good friends and colkleagues I see every day to those who I've met only a few times. Of course, there are a couple who it took me a moment to "place"...as in I know I know them from somewhere...but where?
Yesterday, I received an email. "BW has added you as a friend." Of course I clicked confirm and noticed he was a Maple resident, so that's how we were connected.
Last night, following hall council, I checked my mail before finishing my Lit Crit paper...which I'm not very happy with by the way. As I did so, a guy approached me and was asking some questions about Senate. I KNEW I had seen him before, and I've likely talked to him, but I am terrible with names and it takes me a few encounters to recognize a face.
Me: "Remind me of your name again?"
Guy: "BW"
Me: "Ohh...from Facebook!"
It was quite funny...maybe you had to be there.
Could it be that wiki use at BSU is catching on beyond Morgan's courses?
Case in point: Liberal Education Task Force
Kudos to this group for an attempt to use technology in their work.
Yesterday my parents visted after the Senate retreat, and we went to dinner. It was very nice and somewhat unexpected...I had found out late Friday night. Generally they don't get the chance to visit together because of work schedules.
Today, I slept late and just finished shredding the pile of old mail they brought. Now, I think I ought to do a little template updating, read, and get crackin on that Lit Crit paper. Exciting.
Today I spent the afternoon observing a ninth grade English class at BHS as part of my Methods practicum. It was fairly enjoyable, since when I teach, I want high schoolers. Of course, a lot of kids were wondering who I was. After my introduction came the quote of the day from one of the boys in the class:
Student (to teacher): "That's my new buddy." (directed at me).
Teacher: "How come?"
Student: "Because he's got a pimp cane!"
So there ya have it folks, I'm the class pimp.
Saw the following quote linked on a couple of other blogs:
"walking through the union is like driving on the interstate.
you have to keep up with traffic and cut people off. there are people with trailers (briefcases/backpacks on wheels). if you miss your exit, you're screwed."
-From Truth
Darn right. Try riding through at peak lunch hour on an electric scooter!
Sunday, when I last blogged, it had been a fabulous fall weekend. Yesterday, while on a conference call, I listened to people in southern MN rave about it being 85 and sunny. Today...wind, rain and 40s. Tomorrow and Thursday... snow forecasted.
It's October in Minnesota.
A pretty low key weekend for me, as I am not a big game or party freak. I did enjoy being at the carnival, and watching people get plates of whipped cream in the face at Senate's "Pie" throwing booth. It was an absolutely beautiful October Saturday, which was great.
Today I did absolutely nothing, which to some would sound like a great day, but I am having way to many of them recently. Especially weekends...I have no motivation.
It's time to change that.
September is over...which is good. This has seemed like an especially crazy and somewhat stressful first month of school. Adjusting to this Semester's pace has been more difficult than usual. Sleep has been in short supply...I think my internal clock must be goofy.
On the plus side...the scooter is ordered and on its way. Here's hoping sooner than later. I'm gonna guess two weeks.
Oh, and Facebook is addictive.
So, I'm trying to join this thing called the Facebook that everybody is on now, and it keeps telling me to enter a vaild email address...which I've done. Why does it not like my BSU email?
Any tips out there?
This has been a busy week. For the last several days, we have been involved in a big recruitment drive to bring up the Senate numbers, so I've done some tabling, class presentations, made a flyer, etc. Today we got 7 applications, which I believe must be a record for a single day...at least that I can recall.
In these past few weeks, as I've given my "pitch" to students telling them what a great opportiunity Senate is, it's gotten me thinking;It's brought back memories. Memories of my last-second decision to try for that MVHS Student Council seat. Memories of MASC's 2001 Summer Seminar, and the year that followed...the year that began my "career" in student government. And of course, so many memories of the last 3 years, and the beginnings of more, at BSU. All of the experiences I've had as a student leader have come about because of a series of choices that, at least in the early stages involved big risk and leaps of faith...when one has never been involved, the first steps are always the hardest. There have been good times and bad, and a great deal of work mixed in with the fun. Through it all, the decisions I have made to get involved...and stay involved, in things which I am passionate about, have impacted my life in the best ways possible.
Yesterday evening, while visiting with a friend, I was reminded of some of the other great things students are doing on campuses and in communities that those of us doing "official" business in the belly of the beast lose sight of on occasion. He is attempting to get a chapter of an organization focusing on community service and leadership development going on campus. After hearing the story and checking out the website, I am impressed by the concept, and think we will see good things from that group.
Leadership opportunities abound for students. Sure, not all people want to be in student government, but should be able to find at least one thing to be involved with. If we all did that, the idea of "student apathy" would go the way of the dodo.
Getting involved...it's the best choice a student can make.
I spent the weekend in Moorhead with Nolan and Nicole attending the MSUSA conference for the month, hosted by the MSUM Senate. They always put on a good meeting, and I think most of them are quite fond of us BSU Beavers...after all, their fearless leader is "a Dragon by academic year, Beaver by summer session" as I believe he put it in reference to his recent summer stay in B-Town.
Of course, the weekend started off with one of those beloved icebreaker activities everyone does at different leadership things. Actually, this one wasn't too bad. At least I didn't think so, because an ice breaker without strenuous physical activity is a good thing in my book. The evening was capped off with a nice dinner and an early bedtime, which made the 7 am wake up call on Saturday a bit easier to take.
Upon awaking Saturday, we spent the better part of two hours listening to a training followed by the always envigorating Board reports, and our second crack at General Assembly, which was cut short and continued this morning. While it made for a longer day today, the early out did allow Nicole and I time to enjoy a delicious meal along with two great campus organizers and a colleague from Metro. A steak dinner-not something I get on a regular basis, and a departure from the usual fast food fare. Yumm...well worth it.
This morning brought the usual routine of discussions and a continued Board meeting. It also brought something else that has become synonymous with Sunday mornings at MSUSA meetings...a bit of drama and an unexpected twist. Every year we hope for smooth sailing, and we never seem to get it...not since December 2003 at least. I'm told I came in at an odd time...the organization hasn't always been in flux. Oh well, it makes things interesting.
Suffice it to say that big changes are in store once again. We're evolving, as the State Chair put it. Meanwhile, I continue to do my work with the full confidence that said evolution is for the best.
My English Methods Wiki...papers and such from the methods class I'm currently in.
Elements of E-Rhetoric...I'm not in it, but some cool people are, and it looks like they're doing some interesting things. Pay them a visit.
Actually, it started last night. The recruits we had expected to show up at the Senate meeting did not. Even the girl who called less than a half hour before to confirm the location was nowhere to be found. Recruitment is incredibly frustrating at times.
This morning, I overslept...was 20 minutes late to English Methods. Of course today had to be the day the clinical experiences director came in to get information so he can set up the practicums. Luckily, he caught up with me later in the Ed Lab.
Finally, I learned that the folks at MeritCare have not received the information I need from my doctor, which I requested a week ago! So, hopefully I'll reach the office in the morning so they can get it done and fax it, and the people up here can order the thing so it gets here before I'm too much older.
Long, tiring and frustrating...that sums today up.
Did the Senate "Class Rap" at two evening classes. Seemed like there might be a couple people interested in one class. Also put in a plug at Maple Hall Council tonight and one person asked for an application. The big question is: How many of these interested people will show up on Wednesday?
Is anyone out there interested in academic issues on the BSU campus? If so, I need you!! Two weeks into the semester and I have been unable to pull together an Academic Affairs meeting. Granted, we only have like 5 senators and all the committee chairs are in the same position I am, but it's frustrating. I can not live up to my title as Chair if there is no committee in existence TO chair.
I've never liked having to be a "one man show." Add to that the fact that I myself am new to the position. Sure, I have areas I know we should focus on, but I can't get anywhere by myself. I need members to provide some direction. I am a capable chair and leader, but without a team to back me up, what good is that?
On the plus side, I think that after three years of being bugged about Senate by me, one friend has FINALLY decided to join.
The BSUSA Student Senate needs a few good men and women to serve the student body. If that's you, Apply!!
Well, in celebration of my one year blogiversary, I decided it was time for a new template. So, after much tweaking, welcome to the new Berne's World. What do you think?
Went to MeritCare this morning and put in the order for my new scooter, a viper blue Pride Victory. It's not a Cadillac, as Torin asked, but it is quite nice, and extremely functional.
I was then told it will take 4-8 weeks to arrive...lots of papers to process and insurance crap to do, plus the scooter has to be ordered. Luckily, they are letting me use their rental scooter free of charge until my new one arrives. Most of you who have seen me on campus lately know that my current scooter is essentially non functional and I have spent almost as much time pushing it as I have riding it for the last 2 weeks. I'm excited for the new one to come in.
This brings up another interesting thought. I am routinely asked if the scooter I have is mine or BSU's. This question perplexes me to no end, especially when it comes from staff. Why would anyone think that the University would provide that? Granted it would be nice, but also way beyond any responsibility they have. I will give major kudos though...maintenence has changed my tires, and IT regularly adds air to wheelchair tires. Very nice of them.
Yes, it is time. After almost 9 years, my trusty Pride Sundancer, also referred to as simply "the scooter", or sometimes the BerneMobile, is dying. The motor (third in those 9 years) has no "oomph" left.
It's been a long time coming. I realized over the summer that it's days were numbered. We decided the time was right for a new one rather than sinking another $3-400 in another motor. After all, the scooter has lasted me almost twice as long as we thought it would, and let's face facts, it's been 9 years of HARD use: Rain, snow or shine, every day.
So, I'm pleased to say that assuming all goes well in the next few days, and everything gets approved, I will soon become the proud owner of:
A Pride Victory, hopefully in blue.
In a testament to how quickly things get organized in today's wired world, Check out Katrina Help Wiki.
(via Morgan's Log)
Also, a bit of a Public Service Announcement to my BSU readers...If you want to get involved with upcoming relief projects, come to the Crying Wolf Room of HMU at 2 pm Friday, or contact the union staff.
The Web Team Blog and the Student Services Blog have died. Actually they were dead a long time ago, I just never deleted them.
The Senate Weblog is still alive, and I'm hoping it'll make a comeback.
I've enabled verification to stop the spam comments on recent posts. The extra step won't take that long...
Class wise, the first week of school was fairly routine. My classes all seem like they will be fine. I always begin the year with a certain degree of nervousness, but I know it is largely unwarranted.
First Senate meeting was this Wednesday. I was happy to receive conformation as Academic Affairs Chair and MSUSA Campus Rep, but I was more shocked than ever by the low number of people in the room. Just like last year, we lost people, but the surplus of empty seats this time around surprised even a seasoned veteran like me. With membership hovering around ten, we need more people, as quickly as possible. About 2o applications were handed out at the club and org fair yesterday, and it will be interesting to see how many are actually turned in. If experience is any indicator, I'm guessing 5-10.
Finally, just like everyone else, I've been watching a fair amount of news coverage this week. I am shocked by photos of utter devastaion and chaos left by the hurricane in New Orleans and beyond. It is barely comprehendable.
Is great! We've got new computers in the Ed Lab (where I am right now) and they are loaded with Firefox, which of course I already use on my PC...but finally, a browser that supports Blogger Compose mode fully on a Mac. About time.
Everybody seems to be starting new blogs...
A Teacher in Transition
Perhaps I ought to group all the teacher blogs on my sidebar under one heading? Hmmm...a thought
I've done some updating to my sidebar. Check out the new additions:
Teaching and life:
Suspension of Ego
Head First
Matt in the Middle
An adventure in the Peace Corps:
What's Jake Doing?
Some Others::
Veracidad
Broadcasting Life
Illusions, Delusions...
Wikis:
English Methods
Berne's Experimental PB Wiki
Arrived back in Bemidji this afternoon to begin another school year. Classes start on Tuesday. I have discovered the summer passes very quickly when most of it is spent taking classes. It is also hard to believe I am now a Senior. Granted, I'll probably be here an extra year, but still...the three years I've been in college so far have flown by.
Moving in was so easy, since I've been here all summer and my room is all organized. The building is full again, and activity has resumed. And here I sit, preparing for a fourth year certain to pass just as quickly as the first three.
Was pretty uneventful. I hung out, did a little shopping etc. Had a nice lunch with Julie on Thursday. I also went to the dentist, which, in contrast, is not an activity I enjoy. We did find my sister a truck, which is good news, and made me nearly as happy as it made her, seeing as it was kind of the "mission" for the last couple of weeks.
Yeah, I haven't updated much this week, but that doesn't mean I haven't been glued to the computer. I've been helping my sister search for a new vehicle and have become all too familiar with CarSoup, KeepitLocal, and the Kelley Blue Book. Takes longer than one realizes when given specific parameters and a tight budget.
Hopefully, we'll find one soon.
On Sunday night, I talked to my sister online and she told me she was heading to Duluth again on Tuesday to do some more work on her bedroom in the house she'll be moving into this fall with some friends from UMD. Six girls in one house...imagine that. So, after getting back home Monday, I decided to go up there with her.
It was actually a really nice couple of days. She gave me a tour of her house, and a "driving tour" of the campus and the town. We shopped around and found her a small stereo and desk chair for her room. Also ate at a couple favorite haunts... Erbert and Gerberts and Grandmas.
What was the most interesting though was just the fact that we actually spent time together, and as we talked about college, and friends, and jobs, I realized we aren't kids anymore. We're more on the "same page" at this point in our lives. She's no longer the little brat I constantly sparred with.
It was great.
Our Minnesota Governor might actually have come up with an idea that...wait for it...makes sense!
Governor Proposes Performace Pay For Politicians.
Seems more than fair. After all, I don't get paid if my job duties aren't fulfilled on time, so why should they?
Teacher Reprimanded for Licking Wounds
Any teacher who is caught licking his/her students has got to have some serious issues. Eeeww.
Upper 80s/ Low 90s and humid + no air conditioning= ICK.
Last night was terrible. Up till 3. Glad to see it cooling down for a couple days.
Once again, over a week between updates. I'm slacking. I imagine the blogging will pick up as the pace of life picks up, which won't be long. It's hard to believe that next week will already be August, but I'm admittedly ready for the school year...to go back to a regular schedule of classes, Senate, MSUSA and the other things I usually do.
Finished up with classes this week by taking my last Health and Drugs exam and posting a review of the film Blow. Online learning was an interesting experience. I'd taken some classes before with an online component (obviously Weblogs and TWWT), but taking a class through D2L was new. It worked well for me in this instance, but I would not choose to do it as a regular thing.
Worked a full day in the lab today. Saw all of two people, and that was in the last half hour. Watched Mean Girls in addition to Blow, and it was pretty funny.
No, I am not talking about the New U program at WSU that my colleagues down there love so much (NOT!), but rather the MSUSA conference this past weekend. As always an interesting and good time was had by the BSU crew.
We departed Bemidji Friday around 6:15 am AKA the crack of freaking dawn. It was to be a long but fun ride down, and I found myself laughing hysterically on several occasions. I was happy to see that the weekend got off to a promising start. We arrived in Winona and after dropping off Billy at the Rev Fund meeting, Tessa, Nicole and I headed to Kmart for a few essentials. We then got back to campus and spent a good 25 minutes looking for the correct building, and after some craziness that involved driving on sidewalks (oops!), we determined that we had passed the building 2-3 times without realizing it.
Internal Affairs that afternoon was painless, and then we headed over to check into the dorms...yes, we stayed in the sixth floor of a dormitory with no air con in 95 degree heat. It was crazy! But, alas we survived. We then sat through two hours of board meeting before heading to supper at Erbert and Gerbert's...good subs, and capped off the evening at a bar/restaurant across the street, where I had two beverages, and Nicole figured she'd annonce it to the whole world seeing as I just recently turned 21 and it is a "new thing" for me. LOL.
Saturday brought a day of quite productive brainstorming. We attempted to figure out what projects and campaigns the association will undertake over the next year or so. A couple were pretty hotly debated and it will be interesting to see how they turn out. MSUSA is running quite differently than it used to and it will certainly be an interesting year, with a lot of firsts. We also went to see Wedding Crashers, which was rather funny, and the movie theatre was a perfect escape from the heat.
Oh, and during Saturday's discussion I learned that the State Chair reads my blog...now I know a lot of people read this blog, but it was the first time someone from MSUSA has told me they do. Wonder where he came across it?
So, I'm channel surfing and come upon MTV's The Andy Milonakis Show... WTF?
It looks to me like some stupid teenager, and if I didn't know better I'd think hat he was mentally delayed. Come on...that's supposed to be funny? What the hell?
A couple weeks back, I spent some time perusing the Wikis listed on my sidebar, as well as the English Methods Wiki for the course I will take this fall. I came upon Melissa Bartlett's page entitled TheBookOfMark. I was reminded of the portfolio she did for Writing for Secondary Teachers, which was an earlier version of the quote log. Some of these quotes impart wisdom, others are just plain hilarious
I've copied and pasted it below in case the wiki disappears before this blog...too priceless to lose.
--------------------------------------
Mark Christensen Quote Log
5 March 1996 – Present
“Being a poet is a habit of attention.”
“In poetry you control where the line ends.”
“. . . control (influence/affect) your future self.”
“Use something you’ve overheard by someone else.”
“How much of you is your body?"
“Increased consciousness of the stuff you identify with equals increased consciousness of your identity.”
“How you see the world is your choice.”
“You can’t describe an object without describing you, in a way.”
“How much of ourselves do we give other people?”
“Poetry equals the tension between living internally and materially in things.”
“There is no reason for us to settle for boredom.”
“Stuckness is pessimistic.”
“Sometimes it’s really hard to be the one who watches.”
“Remember a person who hasn’t been as lucky as I am. . . a profound difference of perception.”
“Try to merge with –23 degree weather.”
“Eliminate vision to heighten it.”
“Being a writer is a state of mind.”
“I like it when something just pops out.”
‘Writer’s mode is ‘you are free to choose.’”
“Be quiet as strangely as you can.”
“Why are you doing that?!?”
“Just let one strike you.”
“I wonder how you see light.”
“Let them fall out – think about that for awhile.”
“Try to get yourself out of yourself.”
“What does it feel like to write a poem?
“. . . pushing yourself over the edge to make sure you’re still there.”
“I want to be in your brain now.”
“Searching for the right word to match the proverbial image. . . “
--- “Most people who are taught writing are taught in building blocks.”
“The only thing linear is time.”
“It’s not enough to be a ‘conventional’ good writer.”
“Don’t write things you don’t want me to know.”
“High school students are intellectually competent.”
“In your teaching lives you’re going to have to live with the fact that no one else will ever know what you’re doing . . it’s just one long set of stories that will die along with you.”
“We use writing to get business done.”
“Writing is a means of thinking.”
“When did I ever have the balls to show anybody else this crap?”
“Teaching writing is the greatest gift you can give someone.”
“Writing’s reward is in the doing of it.”
“Society’s lost the sense of doing something for it’s own end.”
“Life isn’t for schooling, schooling is for life.”
“Learning is the natural human condition.”
“Great teachers use their own demons productively.”
“Great teachers commonly relish their environments.”
“There is nothing more intimate than a person’s language.”
“Be open to find out stuff about students as they choose to reveal it.”
"They may progress, but it may be in spite of you."
“I know that there will be oddballs like you.”
“You are weirdos as far as the rest of the world goes.”
“Surface features are not to be ignored, but he does think that they are tinkerable. To tinker means, something already exists and you adjust. When you're done adjusting, and you have opportunity to adjust, uh, you've cleaned, polished that surface, and so that isn't any longer an issue, and then you think about quality. Quality has to do with details that evoke response, sense of purpose, the sense of the presence of the author, the nature of arguments, propositions, speculations, wonderings, uses of emotional appeals. These matters constitute the makings of quality. Surface features tell you how close to the final edit you are.”
"When people are talking about great literature, they are insisting that it is old."
“My main concern is what writing does to and for the psyche.”
“I don’t think it’s particularly good. . . I wouldn’t say that if you weren’t pushing me.”
“Sometimes I know I need to start one when my head starts feeling flat.”
“One tactic I used is that mine was always available – if they wanted to read it, they could.” –journaling
“Lots of writing gets done for purposes of façade.”
“Why, some poetry has to be read out loud because it is a performance and looking at it visually makes no difference.”
“You can’t embrace the poem if you can’t see it.”
“A lot of writing is performance.”
“I sound educated but I also sound foreign – not part of the group.”
“Our language, individually, gives us strengths and also separations. Membership and exclusion.”
“Assume the position.”
“Making the most of your moment. I’m all for that.”
“Carpe Diem is the argument that the guy uses on the girl in the backseat. It isn’t an argument that is always appropriate.”
“Now that I got you to open up a little.”
“You filthy minded critter.”
Fall Semester, 2004 – Methods
“Searching for meaning makes our lives meaningful.”
“If teaching was predictable I would have quit a long time ago.”
“Tell her to just fuck off.”
"There is no one right way to teach."
"Everytime is the best time to restart."
"If teaching were predictable I would have quit a long time ago."
"The best thing we can do for ourselves is to have a sense of mission."
"Teaching is like jumping off a diving board -- you just go at it."
------------------------------------------
Pretty good, huh. Unfortunately for me, I think I inspired the quote in red with this less than stellar piece. His and the class' feedback did however help me to become a better writer.
Ahh...memories.
Jobs calls family of stabbing victim
Kids dying over iPods...now that's sad. What is this world coming to when people are willing to kill for some popular gadget?
Mr. Cruise has done it again. This time he says he believes in aliens.
Crazy man.
(link courtesy of Froyd)
For causing the first ever government shutdown in state history.
Citizens of Minnesota, we should be proud. (Or how about NOT)
Yes, it's hard to believe. The month has flown by. I've somehow managed to keep myself occupied, or at least feeling busy, even though I know I really haven't been that busy.
Went to a tuition hearing yesterday in Fergus Falls. Saw some MSUSA colleagues and heard some good testimony. The short of it is that school is getting expensive.
The dining service RFP is coming along, and I will welcome the break from reading drafts weekly. Soon we'll be waiting to see what bids come in. A break from weekly RFP reading means I should have time to review the 77 pages worth of MSUSA policy and procedure to be reviewed in July. Sounds fun, eh?
Tonight was the last night at the Calling Center. Part of me will miss it each week. Some days it got old repeating the same survey or pitch all night, but overall it was a decent job to have and good experience. In addition, my coworkers were great and I think we all had fun.
I tend to agree with Froyd's post...Tom Cruise has gone off the deep end. He needs to be taking the pills that he and his Church of Scientology so despise. I mean, whigging out on Oprah and attacking Lauer on Today...the guy needs to chill.
I too, know people on these psychiatric drugs that Cruise belives are so bunk, and they work. Shut up, Tom.
What have I been up to? Not much exciting. Worked a bunch of hours in the lab last week. Still working the Calling Center...raising money is tougher than surveys. Been doing a lot of reading of RFP stuff and Res Life studies...not most people's idea of fun, but I don't mind it.
Life in Maple is still quiet. They finally fixed our mail mixups, which is good. Maintenance work is being done around us, and summer is finally here, which means the heat is on, but I'm surviving. It's the stuffiness more than the heat.
And that's all for now.
I finally got around to renting this documentary, and watched it this afternoon as I sat in the empty computer lab. I had decided I better see it earlier this year after reading a post about it on Amy's blog, and being good-naturedly teased by Julie for my diet peppered with food court cheeseburgers and fast food eaten during conference weekends. "Berne, you need to watch "Super Size Me," she regularly quipped.
I can not imagine eating McDonald's three times a day for a month. The idea is just gross...I mean, sure I like the occasional Quarter Pounder, but man after a month, this guy was a wreck. It was shocking to see how quickly that kind of diet can adversly impact a person. I won't stop eating fast food entirely (not that I do much anyway), but it did make me want to run out and stock my fridge with fruits and veggies.
Apparently, the director has a new show on FX, 30 Days. Might be worth the watch...an interesting look at different aspects of society.
I've updated my "Blogs I Read" list...any that have gone dormant or moved have been pulled from the list.
If those who were taken off want to be back on, all they must do is start blogging again.
Blogs on announced "hiatus" stay put for now.
It appears it has been quite some time since I have updated. Perhaps the compulsion to blog is not as strong at the moment. Summer life is quieter and less eventful. And quiet it is in a building with only 2 others...it's very strange to sit with an open door and hear absolutely nothing in the hallways.
More frequent updating is on the horizon...
Well, I'm back in Bemidji again after my week and a half respite. All in all, I had a pretty good visit home:
And now...back to the routine...well, the summer version of the routine anyhow.
Yeah, it's my birthday. Low key day with dinner at Red Lobster.
Happy Birthday to Me...
Happy Birthday to Me...
Well, I got the calling center job. But, neither they nor the Ed Dept need me until Summer Session starts...
So...I'm going home until Memorial Day.
Everyone needs a break.
I was randomly exploring the websites on my sidebar the other day, and came across an interesting article linked in the E-Rhetoric section of Morgan's Wiki...
Why I F**king Hate Weblogs
A tongue-in-cheek examination of bloggers and blogging. Worth reading, for the humor value if nothing else.
Yes, I discovered yesterday that Maple will be without hot water for 2 weeks...fun. And did anyone in Res Life think to tell me? Nope. Thank goodness the ARHD is still here and knew what was going on. So for now, it's showers in Pine. As my mother said last night, it's like camping...hahaha right.
All the more reason to try and get out of dodge for a bit later this week.
At least the weather is warming a little...
It's 38 degrees at almost 10 am on MAY 15!! And my room is FREEZING!!!
It's too cold!!!
(and to think I was giving B & D grief for complaining about yesterday's weather, LOL)
When someone includes a memory of a Cake Fight, that took place two years ago in your conference hotel room, using a cake your mom baked, in her commencement address...
Priceless memories... 
And as you can see, Julie won that fight.
It's hard to believe, but my 3rd year at BSU has come to a close. It seemed to fly by very quickly. I survived all my classes and the most recent round of finals, and now I settle in for another summer in Bemidji.
Commencement was yesterday...congrats to all the graduates!! Lots of friends and acquaintences in that ceremony. It is kind of weird...it seems as though the majority of the people I've come to know here and interact with on a regular basis are older than I am. Needless to say I've seen quite a few come and go in my time here.
I know most of these people will keep in touch, but I'll miss the day to day things...probably more so with Senate people than anyone else. Getting "Fired" on a daily basis, laughed at for a crazy quote, being teased for my crazy sayings that apparently no one has heard of, or hearing "Hey Bernicus!" as I am shaken from my momentary slumber in one of the lovely orange recliners in the office. And we musn't forget ex-Senators who ask you where your hat is as soon as the temp drops below 50.
I hope they know how how much the little things have meant to me.
Nicole IMed me this link....it's pretty funny:
Hunorous Look at Government Warning Signs
The two finals today went alright. Weren't much fun, but I think I did OK and am glad they are over with. WooHoo!
So, yeah, we are in the midst of the fun we call Finals Week. I suppose it's not THAT bad, but the very mention of the word Final is usually enough to raise the ol' stress level a notch anyway.
Yesterday was the presentation of our Pedagogy unit, which went pretty well. That was the painless part. The real work was the written stuff...spent a few hours on that over the weekend and it all came together, which was good.
Today was low key, a meeting with a prof, finishing a write-up, and Senate's dinner at Q's. It's always a good time...nice to be able to interact with administration in a non business setting on occasion, and we laughed our heads off. Had study group tonight for Dev Rdg tomorrow.
Tomorrow will be rough. Dev Rdg and American Lit II...back to back. Not sure how ready I am for either...we shall see.
Bought dinner for Julie and Jake tonight at Green Mill. Hadn't been there since it's been in town. Quite good. Good food, good company and a lot of laughs. Those two crack me up. Enough said.
Was a good one. Kind words, pizza, and really funny awards from Nicole. Kory came up, which was fitting seeing as he's been to most of our meetings latey. I think he likes us. Kind of a strange feeling...always is. Hard to believe three years have passed, Senate wise and in general. Time flies.
Last night about 9:30 I decided to go over and visit the Senate team at Relay For Life. I had intended on hanging out for a bit, walking a few laps, and letting everyone ride my scooter around the track.
Well, I ended up staying all night. It was a fun night to say the least. Best part had to be Josh winning the beauty pageant. The pictures from the evening will be worth a thousand words when I post them on the website.
Overall, the last MSUSA conference of the year was a good one, even though some of the usual drama ensued. I am very proud of everyone from our group...we spoke our minds and stood our ground. The supposed diversity amendment, which would have further singled out underrepresented groups and done absolutely nothing to actually improve diversity in a positive way, was defeated. And, thanks to Robert's Rules of Order, a budget was passed...the immature walkout of two other campuses didn't work. We are strong, we stand our ground, and we will not be bullied by strong-arm tactics.
It was also sort of a bittersweet event...the last conference the current Senate group will have together before the big graduation/internship/student teaching turnover. Only about 2 weeks left...it hasn't hit me full force yet but I know it's coming and that's tough.
Results are in. Unfortunately, my hopes of becoming Senate President next year will not be realiz ed. It was a hard fought campaign and I gave it the best shot I could. Things just didn't go my direction. It's hard, but it's life.
I could be depressed. I could be bitter. But that's not me. I do Senate because I have a love for serving students and the university and I care about the organization. I do the job because of the job, not the title. There is nothing bad about being Student Services Chair and Campus Rep (obviously I will reapply for the positions I now hold). Granted, things haven't worked out perfectly but at the end of the day I can still play a significant role, and continue the work I am doing.
On the bright side, we had a total of 406 votes cast. That may not seem like much, but it's way more votes than in any election we've had since I've been here. That is something for all of us to be proud of. So even if I did lose, (70 votes or so margin, so not a blowout by any means) I still find reason to be happy.
And I go on. ("old resillient Berne," says Jake)
First day of balloting over. I think quite a few people voted, which is good. I noticed quite a few voting when I did tonight at Walnut. Hopefully the turnout will be as good or better tomorrow, and it will bode well.
Fingers crossed...
And went to see what that thing called Homestarrunner was all about. LOL it is pretty funny, and will make the list of Websites I Visit.
As will Google, which has become my preferred seach engine recently.
A busy week with the campaign for President of Senate in full swing. Talking to a lot of people, handing out fliers etc. The debate Thursday went well...I felt good about it, and I've been getting positive responses from the people I've talked to. It will all come down to who actually votes Monday and Tuesday. It will be a close race, I expect. But whatever happens, life will go on and I will continue to do what I've done the past three years...serve students.
Results are starting to come in from the other schools as well. Moorhead, Winona, and Mankato have completed their elections. So far, it looks like a variety of people. Should make for an interesting year at the MSUSA level. By the time we have the conference next week, we should know everyone's results...have the full picture of next year's leadership.
Today was a good day, sort of low key. Put in my application for SOAR, and saw Amy on the way over to the office. She seemed in good spirits and happy to be back to teaching. Even after such a terrible event, she's back at it and putting the kids first. Hallmark of a good teacher.
Tonight, went to the Hall of Fame Dinner for the Ed Department. It was nice. Had fun with our table full of student workers. Also saw Julie, who was quite surprised when I congratulated her on TFA...wondered how I could possibly know when she hadn't told anyone...the magic of a blog post.
Occasionally, I find funny stuff on blogs that I simply must share. Recently, I was reading the blog of Froyd, and came across:
A link to a website entitled: Reasons Why I love The Tender Crisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch. Actually, I've heard the sandwich, heavily promoted by Burger Sling, isn't all that great.
But, the commercial is so dumb it's funny.
And...
What blogs are.
Well, it occurs to me that it's been a week since I last blogged. The last week has been a tough one, personally and professionally. It's a long story but things have improved, and now I'm looking forward to getting through the debate and election next week. Whatever happens, I'll be there to continue serving BSU students, in some way or another.
Mom was here over the weekend. Helped me make a few campaign posters and we went shopping for supplies. She was impressed with the grocery store in town, and told me not to buy groceries at Wal-Mart anymore. It was nice of her to visit.
Can't believe the semester is flying by so fast. Don't think I'm ready for the end.
Yet another long and busy weekend was had at MSUSA Delegate Assembly. For the most part, things seemed to go well. People had fun...we laughed, we joked, we had stories to tell. It was also really nice to have some along that aren't usual conference goers...I think Nolan and Gregg both enjoyed most of it which was good.
Friday morning started off with Jake's lame attempt at an April fools joke on me. As always, he called my cell when they were coming over here to get me. He said "There's been a mishap. We are in Akeley and will be there in a half hour to get you." The Achilles heel of this joke: I had said we were leaving at 8, this was 8:10...and Akeley is at least a 45 minute drive from Bemidji. Nice try, Jakeus :) We got down there and did committees and platforms...committees were quick, but a couple of the platforms took a long time.
Saturday was filled with Board meeting, and Delegates debate on platforms. Delegates was not too painless. Of course with me, Jake, Nicole, and Chris sitting, there were bound to be some funny moments. It was tough to keep a straight face at times, with Jake next to me whispering jokes, whistling, singing and the like. He went so far as to make a song out of one word..."yeah". Naturally, I had to counter with rhythmic "nos". The board meeting went pretty late, and then Melissa (former Senator) came by to visit. It was nice to see her. She sounds busy but happy at William Mitchell, and is heading to Egypt this summer. Sounds exotic huh?
Sunday started out well. The bylaw changes that we worked on in Internal Affairs passed, and the budget discussion seemed to start off ok...I was in a good mood, and optimistic enough to tell Brent that things seemed to be in good shape when he asked...he'd stopped by to see us. I genuinely thought that it was going to end better than last year, when Mankato and St Cloud had staged the now infamous walkout. I thought we were to a point where the organization was moving forward, putting the past behind us and finally reaching some consensus on the future.
Apparently, I was too optimistic. At about 4 the shit hit the fan and we deadlocked on the budget. Then, we recessed into the board meeting and a new rabbit came out of the hat...a proposed new article from St C and Metro which, as I understand it, will put quotas on the Board, Officers, and Facilitators based upon race and gender. I'm all for increased diversity, but this freaks me out...it's extreme, IF it's even legal. At any rate, the amendment was tabled, and the budget not passed...which means a special IA meeting and more Delegates work at Southwest in a couple of weeks.
The organization seems to take 3 steps forward, one back. We've done GREAT things this year...DC Summit...Tuition Freeze. Yet, we are still dealing with this internal strife that seems like it won't end. If it's not one thing, it's another, and it is very frustrating.
Now to wait and see what happens in Marshall.
The title "Crazy Week" shows twice, but there's only record of one post inside Blogger...weird
This week has been nuts...my stress level has been pretty high...it always seems to rachet up a notch about this time of year, for a variety of reasons, and I feel more thankful than ever to be surrounded by people who support me and help me put everything in perspective.
Conference this weekend. It will be long, but I am optimistic. Hopefully there won't be too much dissent on the Article changes. I guess we shall see.
Time to pack....
It occurs to me that I only update this thing a couple times a week. Maybe I'm finally beyond the compulsion...the feeling that I absolutely NEED to blog every day, and that's a good thing.
Had a good rest of the week. As usual, the logistics for the conference have proven more interesting than I thought they'd be. Just when we thought everything was settled, there's more to work out. I'm not surprised, why would I be...it happens every time. Thank goodness for Jake, who's help allows me to maintain my sanity. He tells me not to worry...I like to think I don't worry as much as he says I do, but I know he's right. It really does take the trio...myself, Julie and Jake to pull things together each month, and we always do.
Easter today. Went to dinner with Sadie, her mother and grandparents...very nice of them to invite me along. Mom called to say hello this afternoon...guess she and Dad skipped the candy this year.
Tonight, the usual: TV and homework.
Hard to believe, but we just got back from DC and it's already time for Delegate Assembly. For some reason the MSUSA schedule for March and April is sort of crunched...April conference is just 3 weeks after Delegates. Kinda crazy. We figured out who's going tonight at the meeting very quickly, which was good. Tomorrow comes the fun part...figuring out vehicle and travel requests, and doing the expense report from DC. Sounds exciting, huh?
I also made my announcement tonight...stating for the record that I intend to seek the Senate Presidency. Anyone who's been around already knew about my plans, but it was time to make things public...we haven't set election dates, but I'm pretty sure it has to be within the next 3 or 4 weeks. Julie and Jake are leaving big shoes to fill...they truly are the best overall team that I have worked with in the 4 years (including high school) I've been doing student government stuff. It's a tough job, but Nolan and I are committed to serving the students and University to the best of our ability and to ensuring a strong future for the Student Association. I look forward to the possibiliity.
Well, it's been 11 days since I last blogged. I had intended to write a lengthy post today about my trip to DC and the rest of spring break, but something far more important is on my mind tonight.
I returned to Maple this afternoon and signed into Messenger as usual. Sadie asked if I had seen the news, which prompted me to turn on the TV and discover that there had been a shooting at Red Lake High School. This, the second high school shooting in recent years in Minnesota hits far too close to home for reasons that extend beyond the geographic closeness of Bemidji and Red Lake...
Someone I know works inside that school. Amy, a friend from Writing Methods class who is one of the most passionate future teachers I've ever seen, is currently doing her student teaching internship there. She is known and loved not only by the English Ed majors but also by some of my other friends, Julie in particular. As of yet, there's been no word from her.
I've sat here for the last couple of hours, watching TV, checking websites, and chatting on Messenger, just stunned...trying to make sense of something out of which very little sense can possibly be made. And all the while, I think of Amy...her passion and dedication to those kids, in that rough and tough school, and how much she should be admired for it.
And now this senseless violence befalls the place and students she cares about so much. It's just horrible. All we can do now is hope and pray that she's safe, and that they can find some answers to this unfathomable tragedy.
That's right, the day is finally here. It's been a crazy week getting ready, and now it's just about 6 am and we leave for the cities in half an hour. Then, a 24 hour bus ride. Long, but it surely will be well worth it. It will definitely be an interesting week.
I went shopping today...that's right...shopping. Those who know me probably know that it's not something I do much of. But, I figured I'd get a few items of new clothing in advance of the DC Summit. After all, you need to look good if you're going to be meeting people from all over the country, not to mention people on Capitol Hill.
Nicole was nice enough to offer to take me around, so we headed to Target, Kmart, Herberger's and JC Penney. I went nuts, and ended up buying way too much, but most of it was on sale. Here's what I ended up with:
All that for about $170, not bad huh? It really pays to shop the sales...and I guess going shopping with Nicole helped...I would never have found half the stuff she did. Had I been left to my own devices, I likely would have paid much more. She certainly has an eye for good deals.
Does it take to screw in a light bulb? Find out here...it's pretty funny. Notice Bemidji...I knew we were in the sticks, but no electricity? Ha!
Apparently, 76 percent of Americans still do not know what blogs are. Somehow, I have a feeling that number is going to decrease dramatically in the next couple of years. So many people are using them now, it'd be hard for people not to run across one somewhere.
Someone found this during break in class last night, and I find it quite funny. I also saw it linked on another blog today.
It's been a busy week. Lots to do, little time or motivtion. I haven't blogged forever, which is crazy.
I feel like I am getting the cold that's been going around, which really sucks. I have a midterm tomorrow which I still need to study for. I have lots of work to do, and a trip to prepare for. I need to get a haircut and go shopping.
I can't afford to get sick!!
Went to St Cloud with Jake for another IA meeting. This one was about 3.5 hours, and we actually got out of there on time...amazing for an MSUSA meeting. Had 6 of 7 campuses...Mankato opted not to attend, and instead sent an email stating that they were happy with the changes discussed two weeks ago, and trusted the rest of us to finish the job. Hopefully they sing the same tune when they see the revised draft of the Bylaws.
And they should. I wouldn't say too many of today's changes were particularly huge...most of those had already been hashed out. But I think we closed some gaps, and did it fairly efficiently. One thing I will say is THANK GOD we did today's meeting "live"...some had fought for ITV at the last meeting, and after sitting through an ITV meeting for the Rev Fund yesterday, I can say that an IA meeting via ITV would have been horrible. There is a lot to be said for sitting around a table together, especially for something like this...going through documents and designing changes that are huge for the organization.
In general, this experience thus far has been pretty cool. A year ago, campuses were at each other constantly, the big school small school mentality was raging, Board, delegation and staff morale were low, and the issues with the ex-ED were just beginning to hit the fan. The organization was a mess. If anyone would have told me then that we'd be sitting today together, trying to work things out, and that progress was actually being made, I probably would not have believed it....
Fast forward to today: new leaders, new staff, new ideas, and perhaps the best campaign the organization has ever run. And we sit together, not as 7 parts regularly bickering, but as a whole, working toward a common goal to improve things for everyone's benefit. We've all made compromises, and we've gained in return. We've been able to put aside our differences and reach some consensus for the first time I can recall.
It's really something to be proud of.
Apparently, your morning cup of joe is more than a drink...it's an academic subject.
Coffee a popular topic on college campuses
On TechRhet today was a post directing us to check out the definition of blog on Urban Dictionary. Here are a couple of other words I found.
blogalicious
(adj.)1. The state of being in which one finds joy in updating one's blog.2. A blog or blog entry that one finds highly enjoyable.
"I'm feeling particularly blogalicious today!"
"That is one blogalicious entry there!"
Source: Rann, Oct 4, 2004
blogariffic
For those that have a blog, it must have subject matter. Subject matter that is of particular interest shall be deemed as "blogarrific."
#1) Did you guys see the picture of that 3-headed frog? Now that's what I call a blogariffic amphibian.
#2) That whole request for another $80 billion is going to be quite blogariffic.
Source: MikeyP, Jan 25, 2005
Turns out 10 percent for the purpose of elections was 330 votes. We got exactly 330. Wild, huh?
Today was day one of the annual spring elections that continue tomorrow. We're also doing the referendum on smoking in the residence halls, for which we need to register a 10 percent turnout of the student body...actually of those students who are taking classes on campus. That means we need to get about 400 people to vote.
Sounds easy, right?? NOT. Getting people to vote is like pulling teeth sometimes. Many students are willing to come vote if you ask, some are even eager to do so. However, too often our efforts are met with "I don't care" or "Yeah, I did it"...when it's clear they haven't and they are just brushing us off. Body language and tone of voice say a lot. In the worst cases, students just walk by, staring straight ahead, and don't even bother to acknowledge we exist. All we can do is laugh it off, but it's really rather rude. Granted, they may not wish to vote, and the elections are usually far from competitive, but the least a person could do is offer a simple "No" when asked if they want to vote. We are not invisible!
Who knows if we'll get the numbers we need. I guess we just have to be thankful for those that we ARE able to convince to vote. Hey, Nicole even met Erin, who she's only known in blog form up to this point, and I saw an acquaintence I thought transferred after last year, which was kind of funny.
We shall see what tomorrow brings.
Shortest Maple Hall Council meeting of the year.
And a quote from our hall director in reference to the cards being used for an upcoming hall Bingo game...
"They're really old, and they smell like your Grandma"
As you can see, I've changed my template. Actually, it's basically the same with a new color scheme. The old one was getting boring. Change is good, at least for a while.
Toward the end of our discussion last night, we got to talking about the use of blogs at BSU, and a big question: When, if ever, will we have them attached in some way to the University? (eg offer something like UThink).
The desire to blog is certainly here, not only personally but in an academic sense. As Morgan points out, it is a teaching tool that can be used widely if it's organized and implemented in the right way. We've already got the test cases (Weblogs and Wikis etc) lets give it a shot.
I'll go a step further...we're a fairly small school looking for ways to grow. The University knows it has to attract students, and students are becoming more tech savvy all the time...if we can show them that there is space for student weblogs, wikis, and websites exists, combined with courses that are using the new technology (WW, Elements of E-Rhetoric, TWWT, etc) , it might encourage them to take a closer look at our programs.
Well, the presentation for TWWT last night went well. We were so nervous to get up in front of the group of Grad students as the only three undergrads in the class. There was good discussion, which we wanted. All in all, a good experience.
We received word today that State Sen Carrie Ruud, who had been against the tuition freeze as recently as last week, has decided to support it, based in part on what she heard at Friday's Town Meeting.
See also:
Nicole's Freeze blog
Julie's thoughts
We still have many battles to fight, but this is a major victory for us. To anyone who has questioned whether students/student leaders have the ability to make things happen...this is proof that we DO have a voice.
So, this morning I decided to email the author of that article where I was misquoted the other day. Text Follows:
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[Author]
I saw some WSU colleagues at a meeting over the weekend who mentioned that they were surprised to see my name pop up on the CyberIndee independent news website. I was fairly surprised to hear about it, so I checked when I got home, and sure enough, my name was in a story about Rally Day. You appeared to be the author of the story.
I think it is prudent to inform you that the quote you attributed to me is incorrect..."One speaker, Berne Christiansen of Bemidji State, told the crowd: "We students have taken on more than our fair share of the burden of balancing the state's budget, and we need some relief." "Those are not my words. In fact, I never addressed the crowd during the Rally. I don't know how my name became attached, and I am sure it was an honest mistake. As a journalism student I am certain you are aware of the need to be diligent and correct when quoting others in the media.
On a positive note, I am happy to see that you are paying attention to the Tuition Freeze Campaign, which is perhaps the biggest project MSUSA has undertaken.
Have a great day!
-------
His Response:
Mr. Christiansen ~ I am sorry about the mistake, i asked a friend about who a particular speaker was, and they said your name. i will try to be more careful about this in the future. Thanks for letting me know.
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Lets hope they double check quotes from now on. I am really curious to know who this friend is, because it must be someone I know, and for anyone I know to mistake me for someone else is, well, funny.
Found this article linked on Michelle's blog...
Free Expression Can Be Costly When Bloggers Bad-Mouth Jobs
The debate continues. Should an employer be allowed to fire you because of what you say about them on your own website, on your own time, when you don't even name them...or yourself? I think not.
On Friday, several of us attended a Town Meeting put on by some Republican State Senators. Higher Ed, and the Tuition Freeze were major topics of conversation, and an article with quotes from Jake, Chris, and Jordan appeared in the Pioneer this morning:
Lawmakers urged to support tuition freeze, fund programs that help rural health care
While I was at IA today, the Winona people, including both the State and Vice Chair, mentioned to me that my name had shown up on an independent WSU student news website:
The following blurb appeared in the CyberIndee:
Tuition rally draws 2,000 students
ST. PAUL, Minn., Feb. 9, 2004 -- Almost 2,000 college students, including 31 from Winona State, marched on the State Capital to rally for a tuition freeze. One speaker, Berne Christiansen of Bemidji State, told the crowd: "We students have taken on more than our fair share of the burden of balancing the state's budget, and we need some relief." Students have faced 13 to 15 percent tuition hikes two years running to make up for state cutbacks in funding the colleges.
State Rep. Bud Nornes, R-Fergus Falls, chair of the House higher-ed committee, told the students that legilators are working with what resources are available and putting them to use. After rallying on the Capitol steps for an hour, the students went inside the rotunda and continued for another hour, making sure that the legislators were aware of their presence.
Great quote huh? One problem, I NEVER SAID IT. In fact, I did not even speak during the rally!! What's up with that?
Journalistic integrity at its finest.
Jake and I Spent today in St. Cloud at an MSUSA Internal Affairs Committee meeting. It was actually really productive, better than I thought. All of the schools seemed to be agreeing on things for once. Basically, our job is to put together a revised set of Articles of Operation/Bylaws to present to the Delegate Assembly in April. It's a lot of work, we're pretty much looking at revamping the structure of the organization.
It was actually, dare I say, fun. When going through something like this, its interesting to find out some of the history behind why things are the way they are, and realize that you are really impacting the future...assuming all the proposals eventually pass. We're looking at big changes to committees and board. And it was a really relaxed atmosphere, which was nice.
But alas, the fun has just begun...we go back in two weeks.
I was doing my usual reading today, and clicked on Lindsi's blog. It has been replaced with a single post explaining that her blog is gone...the second blog on my "Blogs I Read" list to disappear within the last month. Maybe it's just me, but I could never dump my blog. I guess if you stop having fun blogging its not worth it.
Rest in Peace, Lindsi's Blog.
Well, it's about 36 hours away now I guess. We're involved in the final push to have two full buses on Wednesday. Several worked hard tabling in the Union today, and I spent a couple hours with Kory in Walnut this evening. It's gonna be a good event.
As I was reading friends' blogs this afternoon, I happened upon an entry in Torin's titled "Stuck in the Student Senate" Apparently, he has become interested and involved by trying to restart Century College's French Club.
Why does his new involvement in CC Senate prove my instincts? Well, I told him years ago that he belonged in student government. At the time, I was on the Student Council at Mounds View, and ran the Open Forums once a month during lunches. He came into those just about every time we had them, and we'd discuss issues. Now, there are several reasons he could have showed up at these all the time:
A. The principal and I were cool and he wanted to hang out with us.
B. He wanted a free cookie or two
C. He cared about the school and wanted to make some kind of diffence by letting himself be heard.
Alright, I admit that it was probably a combination of all three. But mostly I think he cared. Some people have a certain "quality." You can just tell they belong in leadership. Now he says he's a Senate junkie...but I think junkie status isn't truly achieved until a few of the conditions on this list are met (putting Century in place of BSU, of course)
It's good to know my instincts are right.
Apparently the College Republicans at Marquette University decided the best way to support our troops was to sponsor a program called "Adopt a Sniper"
And they thought this was gonna fly?
University shuts down student fundraiser for sniper group
Not even out of prison yet, and Martha already has a new job. Wait...TWO new jobs. First, they announce a talk show. And now...
Martha Stewart to host new 'Apprentice'
Sounds silly to me, but people will watch almost anything.
Lobby Day is one week away, and preparations for it are going fantasic....Nicole is an absolute rock star and everyone else is working really hard to make it a success. I am very pleased.
First, we get the administration to sponsor a second bus. Then, we get appointments with both local legislators secured. Then, we find there is enough money in the budget to buy some food for brealfast and lunch for participants. And tonight came word that Aramak will donate $5 in Beaver Bucks to each person as an incentive to participate...something I figured was a long shot at best.
Add to that more good news...
That the Student Centeredness focus groups are going well, and what I've heard so far also reaffirms that Student Services is doing the right things...
And that Julie and Michelle were able to add some money within our FY 2006 Budget request under salaries to make web coordinator a real, paid job...something I've long advocated. (Because not many people will ever be willing to do the website for free like I have)....
It's a happy day! So happy in fact that I bought pizza for the people that had stayed late in the office to work on posters. I was happy and hungry, which is sometimes a good thing.
"Summer homework dispute heats up"
Lets all hope this family heeds the AG's advice and ends the stupidity.
Another reaction has popped up to a blog review I did. This time I was doing an assignment for Ayleen and Aspen's TWWT workshop on blogs as a writing medium.
My review on the wiki (near the bottom of the page...taadaa)
The blogger's reaction
This is the second time one of my reviews has been commented on...Remember this?
It is fun to have critiques recognized, and in general, people seem to react positively knowing they are being read and take comments well. It's fun.
Is competition the future of our public schools? Since when do they have to be like privates and recruit kids? Apparently, more school districts, including the one I came from, are focusing more on marketing in the age of school choice.
District uses video to sell itself to students
An infomercial? I hope it's better than typical infomercials, because I'm getting a vision of a principal hawking our schools like used cars.
Is this the future of our public schools in Minnesota? Low on funds, schools being closed, enrollment declining and fighting for more students? Is it destined to become a struggle for survival of the fittest? I expect a University to have to market itself, but not a K-12 district. I guess it indicates major change in the way this state views education.
Move over Fall, Winter and Spring...educators and students across Minnesota are bracing for the next "season," and it's got nothing to do with our climate.
Test season brings stress to students
An article of interest to teachers, current and aspiring.
In his comment to my last post, Torin says he wants an award for updating his blog so consistently...hahaha.
Well, can't give him an award, but how about a CHAIR CHRISTIANSEN **GOLD STAR** for the day...LOL....Stars can apply to anyone, not just Senators.
I've come to realize that the time I spend checking blogs for updates, commenting, reading, and writing on my blogs now can be measured in hours per day...not minutes.
Maybe it's time to start using a daily digest. I saw another blogger using Kinja...might be worth looking into. At least then I'd know who'd updated without checking all the blogs I read every day.
| 1985 by Bowling for Soup |
 You took the bitter with the sweet in 2004 - and kept laughing. |
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