What I'm Up To...

• Have not enjoyed the slushy snow...the 60s can't come soon enough!
  
• Had a nice get together with some MSUSA alums last week.
• Met with a financial advisor a friend referred me to to look at the best ways to manage my money.
• Have been learning how to take on my closest coworker's duties, as she will be out a week for surgery starting Tuesday and I will fill in.
• Went through my first performance review today and it was good overall. Supervisor and I generally agreed on strengths and areas for improvement; glad we are on the same page.
• Semi-suspended the apartment search for the moment--was not finding what I wanted and realize the wisdom in holding off at least a couple more months.
• Discovered my profile on the BSU Admissions website...I am literally a poster boy.
  

Over the weekend, I went down to SW MN State for MSUSA's Diversity Conference. I participated in a discussion of the challenges facing students with disabilities as a presenter. It was interesting being there, at a conference for the first time since April, and as a professional "expert" rather than a student.

I feel so adult.

Answers

Question: What kills a seemingly healthy 22 year old with no warning?
Answer: Wilson's Disease.

If you're a reader from Minnesota, you may have noticed a story in the Star Tribune today about my friend and colleague who passed away just after Thanksgiving. Apparently he had a rare disorder that causes copper to build up in the organs, leading to organ failure.

Definitely something I've not heard of before.

Celebrating Our Friend

This morning I attended the services for Jared. It was a packed house...the kid was sure loved by many, many people. It was nice to see so many of the current and former student leaders of MSUSA there. It's often said that the association is like a large fraternity or extended family. And just like a family, people may not always agree but in the end they come together to support one another.

There were plenty of tears and lots of hugs, but also lots of laughter. His sister told a few great stories, and the pastor remarked about having Googled him and coming across the posts from I Don't Hate America. "I'm not sure the meaning of that, but I'm glad you don't" he said, eliciting a chuckle from many of us.

In another funny moment, Jared's father came over to our table during the after-service gathering. Upon learning I was a grad of BSU, he tried to get me to sing the school song and do the school cheer, since he attended BSU as well. One problem--I am a bad Beaver and can't do either from memory. He started singing and the entire table cracked up. As JJ said, we know where Jared got his sense of humor.

I'll close this entry with a quotation of Jared's that I have seen in several places the last few days as folks have reflected on his life. It speaks to his passion for leadership and is really how those of us that are student leaders or who strive to work with students professionally should look at each day. It will also be placed in the sidebar as the first of my new "Quotable Quotes" series.

"I know it sounds corny, but at the end of each day, I ask myself, 'What have I done for students today?' And if I can't answer that question, then I have to put students first the next day."
-Jared Paul Stene 1985-2007

A Sad Evening-RIP

Earlier today, I found out that a friend and longtime colleague during my time in MSUSA had fallen gravely ill.

Tonight, Jared Stene passed away.

He was a great guy, a great student leader, and a friend to so many of us. It's hard to believe he's gone, at age 22, and so unexpectedly. I guess it is a sobering reminder that none of us know how long we have and we must live each day to the fullest, as I have no doubt he did.

Rest in Peace, buddy. You'll be missed.

**Update** See other tributes at:

I Don't Hate America
Blue Man In A Red District
Bluestem Prarie

Attention MSUSA Alums-Visit msusa.net!

If you're an MSUSA alum who happens to read this blog:

We are taking the first steps toward getting organized.

Please go to the**New** MSUSA website and register on the Alumni page. You'll be added to their database and begin to receive updates.

Alumni Database Form

Questions? Contact Kari Winter in the MSUSA Office.

The Weekend, Another Interview Down

Had a good weekend. Went to lunch with JJ on Saturday and talked about a number of things including MSUSA, my job search, and his planning to switch to a Mac. Another convert.

Saturday evening Mom and I went to a middle eastern restaurant which doubled as a shisha bar. We did not have any shisha ourselves, but I now know what a hookah looks like...always wondered what the hell they were when friends referred to them last year.

On the job search front, I had another interview today. This time it was for a help desk position with a nonprofit that works with school districts on their software needs. It is a very different kind of position than I have been going for, but good experience nonetheless. The meeting went well, and the would-be coworkers seem nice. I guess they should be deciding by the end of the week, so it'll be nice to know fairly quickly as opposed to waiting 3 months for a final outcome as I've had to with some of my applications.

Reader Inquiry: What is a "Penny Dinner?'"

Sharon Says: I'm probably showing my ignorance, but exactly what is a 'penny' dinner?

A "Penny Dinner" is the annual fundraising dinner for MSUSA's Penny Fellowship Program. Along with the annual Golf Scramble, it is an opportunity to raise funds for scholarships which are distributed to MnSCU students completing internships in public service or government.

The "Penny" is actually Former Congressman Tim Penny, a board member and state chair of MSUSA during his time as a student at Winona State University. Mr. Penny founded the program with an endowment in 1987.

Penny Dinner

Last night was a little bit of a reunion of sorts. I attended MSUSA's Penny Fellowship dinner. It was nice to get a chance to see so many people that I have not seen for a few months. And, I had a chance to hang out with the BSU folks for a little while as well.

As I sat and visited with my former delegation, I was once again reminded how I miss MSUSA conferences. Sure, they could be long, busy weekends, but there was always that aspect of having fun with friends too...laughing, joking and giving each other grief.

A nice evening indeed.

MSUSA's 40th, Other News

Attended the MSUSA reception last night. It was good to see folks again...some for the first time in over a year...fun to catch up. I was reminded, as always, what an excellent group of students, alums and staff they've got. I put a lot of myself into that organization over the course of five years, did a lot of great things and met great people in the process.

In other news:

• Realized I left a couple of folks out of the list when I redid my links. Should be fixed now.
• Discovered The Apple Blog...check it out.
• In other Apple news, the iPod Hi-Fi is dead. Personally, I found it to be overpriced, bulky and only OK sounding. Obviously, people shared my view or they would have bought it. Declaring it "end of life" is a smart move by the company.

Happy Birthday, MSUSA!

In case you missed my earlier post on this...

This afternoon, The Minnesota State University Student Association marks 40 years of student advocacy with a reception at its office, 23 Empire Drive in Saint Paul.

If you're an alumnus, friend or supporter of MSUSA who's in the Twin Cities today, stop by to help celebrate this milestone.

For more info or directions, call their office at 651-224-1518.

MSUSA to Mark 40 Years of Advocacy

To any readers who may be interested:


The MN State University Student Association began as a collective of student leaders who wanted their voice heard.

Forty years later, MSUSA is one of the strongest statewide student associations in the country.

We invite friends, alumni, and supporters of MSUSA to join us as we celebrate our success of the past and look forward to our future work for state university students.

Hors d'oeuvres will be served.

Date: Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Time: 4:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: MSUSA's office- 23 Empire Drive Saint Paul, MN

Please RSVP by September 12 by calling the MSUSA office at 651.224.1518/877-224-1518 or emailing Development@msusa.net.
www.msusa.net

MnSCU Trustee Rumors

Over the past week there has been quite a bit written on blogs about a potential candidate for the MnSCU Board of Trustees. A sampling:

Taking the Trust out of Trustee
MnSCU Student Trustee Post Becoming Even More Partisan?
NARN - The Patriot - King Banian Interview with Adam Weigold
The Cucking Stool: Manchurian Candidate
The TruthSurfer Blog on Pawlenty and Hellier
Dump Bachmann Reader Comments

My take on this is that if one is being appointed to a seat to represent State University students, he/she ought to have some experience at a state university prior to being appointed. No matter the political stripes, that person shouldn't be a privately educated political operative.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

My Last Conference: See You Later, MSUSAers

Earlier this evening, I returned from my last MSUSA conference as a student. We calculated it today, and in the past five years I have attended:

• 26 Conferences and Board Meetings
• 4 Lobby Days
• 2 Cultural Diversity Conferences
• 3 DC Summits

That's just the "big" stuff. Along the way there have also been things like Internal Affairs meetings, scholarship dinners and a golf scramble.

When I first began going to conferences, I never dreamed this association would become such a huge part of my life. Then in my junior year, Julie asked me about being Campus Rep...even at that point I had been to more conferences than most of the senate and I knew what was going on. She was worried about me being both a Chair and CR, so I took the job on a trial basis...it became permanent soon after and I kept that position for a total of 2.5 years under three different Presidents.

Going into this year I knew I would only be able to do the CR job for fall because of the demands of student teaching this spring. I figured the end of the semester would mark the end of my involvement, until I was convinced by Cody on the way home from Fall Conference that I should run for the At-Large board position that remained vacant. As usual, he had good arguments so I said I'd run if nominated...of course he did so the next day, I went through the election in December and became a board member.

As we had lunch today with a number of others before leaving Marshall, Cody asked me what my favorite memory was. It's hard to pick just one....there are so many things that stand out. Among them:

• Karaoke night in Moorhead, July 2006
• My first experience as a Board Proxy in December 2004...a fish out of water
• Both At-Large Director elections I took part in...ohhh the nerves!
• My parents' nickname for the old Como office...they said it looked from the outside like I was interning in a crack house.
• Early morning drives to St Cloud with Jake for Internal Affairs meetings.
• "Car dancing", also known as me getting my groove on to whatever upbeat music was played on our long drives from Bemidji...in recent times Cody's collection of teen pop.
  
• The Internship experience-- this past summer spent working with our officers and staff was great.
  

I was asked several times this weekend: "Will you miss it?" and "How does it feel that this is your last conference?" In truth I am not sure how it feels...I was in kind of a strange mood, rather melancholy. But I don't think it's hit me yet that I will never again sit at a table in Delegate Assembly or as a Board Member...that the next time I stop by an MSUSA event, it will be as an alumni visitor rather than a participating student.

It has been an amazing experience and I truly believe there is only more good to come from the association. Will I miss the work and the people? Yes. But I do have the advantage of planning to remain in Minnesota for the time being, and you can bet that I will be a supportive alum and stay in touch with folks. I closed my comments at this morning's Board meeting with the same phrase Julie used when she left Bemidji for NYC...

"It's not goodbye, it's see you later"

Brief Update

Many things happening in the last week...some of the major stuff:

1) Finished student teaching
2) Went through the first run of my Student Achievement Day presentation
3) Spent the weekend in the Cities MSUSA Delegate Assembly, which I think went pretty well overall.

It's been a rough couple months...Hopefully April will bring good things.

Weekend of Internal Affairs

Spent this weekend in St Cloud for MSUSA Internal Affairs. I was not really enthused about the long bus ride, but all things considered I think it was a good thing to be there. Although we did not get through everything, I think it was a pretty productive meeting. Now looking ahead to Delegates this weekend...it will be long. And will be my second-to-last conference. Pretty weird to think about...

From DC...

The trip has been good for the most part. The Summit/conference portion went well and I have been enjoying a lazy day today as I have no legislative meetings. Spent some time on "The Hill" this afternoon taking photos and dropped by one House office building.

As is typical, I have been lost a couple of times. I have absolutely NO sense of direction. Eventually find my way, but it takes a while.

Weather is decent, 55 today. Tomorrow forecast at 73.

A Crazy Weekend

I'm finally getting around to blogging about this weekend. It was fun but very busy. Hosting a conference tends to make a person feel very busy. Additionally, there was also the STLF Dilla Days event going on, so between the two it made for long days and late nights on Friday and Saturday.

It's crazy but worth it. I would not trade any of it for anything.

Internship Over, Back in Bemidji

On Friday, I finished my tenure as an intern in the MSUSA office. It was, all things considered, a very good experience...I feel like I got to help the organization in a number of ways, really get into things. I felt like a part of the office...I think it comes from the fact I've worked with these folks a long time and know the organization, so I was no doubt more involved and my opinion sought more than if I had gone and worked in some big office where I didn't know anyone.

Some things I worked on:

• Chronicling files
• Chairing the DC Summit Task Force
  
• Getting bids for things-lots of them
• Setting up computers and troubleshooting technology-becoming the temp IT person, in a way.
• Participating in the hiring process for new staff-reviewed resumes, sat in on some interviews
• Helped with Summer Conference and the Golf Scramble
• Helping with the website move, saving a ton of $$$

At my "Goodbye" lunch (Hardly goodbye, as I am still going to be Campus Rep and the organizer will be in town 24 hours from now) I was asked to sum up my internship in one word. Instead, I gave five--a little bit of everything. I really did do a wide variety of stuff, which I enjoyed because I became more familiar with different facets of the organization.

I was also asked what my favorite part was. I responded that I enjoyed the opportunity to work every day with our officers and staff. They joked that I was kissing up, but it is true...they are a really great group of people, both working hard and having fun, and it is apparent they truly do care about the work they do. Knowing what the association has been through in the past couple of years I am glad to know that it is in a good place. I may have said it in the past, but this is a better, stronger, happier MSUSA .... with our students and staff, great things are to come.

And now, I'm back in Bemidji preparing for my fifth and final year of undergraduate exitement. We'll see what develops!

Berne at the Golf Course

Yes, you read that right. I don't golf, but I did spend the day at a golf course, helping out with MSUSA's Penny Fellowship Golf Scramble. It was a nice day, and luckily the rain stayed away.

And I even won a free iTunes card in the raffle. Fun stuff.