I Wanna Be a Millionaire So Freakin' Bad...!

Last week our speaker was Dr. Barry Morris,Office of Institutional Advancement & Professor Emeritus of Economics, and he spoke to us about the fiscal importance of civic engagement. He brought up the point that if you don't have money to help yourself, how are you supposed to help others? I think this is a very important subject, and Dr. Morris presented it to us in a very enjoyable manner. He gave us a handout titled: How to be a Millionaire Without Winning the Lottery. The handout showed us that if we invest money at a young age, then we can be millionaires by retirement age. Of course, it was a bit more detailed than that, but that was the gist of it.
Dr. Morris also told us about the scholarship program he set up here on campus. If UNA professors teach an extra year after their retirement, then all the money that would be going to pay that professor gets put into a scholarship fund. That professor can then set the parameters and qualifications of the scholarship. I think this is a great idea, and that if I ever become a professor and have this opportunity, I would definitely take part in helping pay for someone's education.
Dr. Morris also left us with the age old saying: "It's better to give than to receive." He told us that civic clubs are built on this premise, and that we should all act on it. He also told us to "Begin with the end in mind..."
I would now like to digress and just mention how hectic this week has already been and will continue to be... It is only Monday (my busiest day most weeks) and it feels like it should be at least Wednesday because of all the things I have had to do. It will be a mad dash to the finish to get everything done on time. This week is going to be crazy with final projects, papers, portfolios, and tests (I wish I could think of a "p" for more alliteration, but as Dr. Mac would say: I'm having a synaptic failure. I am also pretty sure that there is not one that I would feel comfortable using in this context, but I digress... again...). I am wishing everyone, including myself, the best of luck on these final assignments and finals!





and...

Best wishes everyone!

<3 Lesley<3

We Smuggle Jesus in Through the Cookies

Our speaker for this past forum was Dr. Tom Osborne, Professor of History Emeritus and Deacon, Episcopal Church of America. He told us about all of the different organizations and groups  he's involved with in his community. One such group is a prison ministry group called Kairos. This group spans local, national, and international grounds. There is extensive training that goes along with this program, but according to Dr. Osborne, it is well worth it. The ministry focuses on pouring love into the prisoners according to Dr. Osborne as well. They go back for monthly visits and keep up with the prisoners to make sure they are continuing to grow and mature through the program. 

Dr. Osborne also explained to us that Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning "special time" or "God's special time." This makes me think about how much time we have left during this semester. Time is winding down quickly, and I have no clue where it all went. It seems like not too long ago we were just moving in, and now bye-bye to Thanksgiving and hello finals, which are right around the corner...! Ahhhhhgggg!!!! (This is me screaming by the way!) Where has the chronus time gone?! But I digress...

Dr. Osborne also spoke to us about The Help Center, which is an interdenominational center that aids the Shoals. They provide direct assistance with food clothes, prescriptions, and sometimes heat/utilities. It is staffed entirely by volunteers, and they raise money from church members, and there is also an option on the bottom of people's utility bills, in the Florence Area, to pay more money on you utility bill that would go to the Help Center to aid others with their utility bill. Dr. Osborne is the coordinator of chaplains at the Help Center. The chaplains aid people spiritually when they visit. In his experience, about 80% of the people who go to the Help Center come because of the drug abuse and devastation. There is also a sister organization called the Colbert Caring Center. In the end, I would like to leave you with a few of Dr. Osborne's words... "There is a natural human reluctance to service. You won't lose the reluctance, but you will overcome it." We all know this one: "It is better to give than to receive."

Wishing everyone the best of luck this week!

<3 Lesley <3

What do you mean a PDF... Is that some satanic cult?!

Immediate past president of the Florence Rotary Club, John Rusevlyan, was our speaker for this past forum. He also owns the local Weikert Realty firm. Mr. Rusevlyan is involved in various civic clubs such as Kiwanis, Civitan, Optimist, and Lions Club, in addition to his involvement with the Rotary Club. He also explained to us that the first Rotary Club was started in 1905 by Chicago attorney, Paul Harris. This was the world's first service club. The Rotary Club is invaluable because not only does it gather people of all types for service, but it gathers people for fellowship as well. The founder stated that he started the Rotary Club "[to create an] organization where men from different professions could gather for fellowship."
The club also has standards and responsibilities that it must live up to, and they are the following:

•  Sustaining or increasing membership (because if you're not growing or maintaining, then you're dying)
• Participating in service projects
• Supporting the Rotary Foundation financially
• Developing leaders

Individual club members have responsibilities as well: service, recruitment and retention, and attendance. Not only this, but the object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the following as well:

1. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service
2. High ethical standards
3. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life.
4. International understanding

(Side note: I paraphrased on a couple of items on this list.)
The Rotary Club lists financially supporting the Rotary Foundation as one its responsibilities, so here seems like a good place to describe the Rotary Foundation which is a large endowment fund created to improve health, support education, and alleviate poverty. For instance, the Rotary Foundation funded Polio Plus, a movement to eradicate Polio. $1.2 billion was raised, and that allowed 2 billion children under the age of 5 to be vaccinated, thereby, eradicating Polio. Locally, the Rotary Foundation supports Shoals Scholar Dollars, which is a program that pays two years of tuition. Currently this fund is in its infancy, but it supports two years of tuition at Northwest Shoals Community College, if the student graduates fro high school with a 2.5 GPA and with no behavior problems.
In the end, Mr. Rusevlyan left us with this: "The Four-Way Test" of the things we think say or do

1. Is it the Truth?
2. Is it Fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
4. Is it Beneficial?

Beyond that, he also told us to get involved with things such as coaching, mentoring, church, civic groups, or business groups (like the Chamber of Commerce).
So, that's all folks! See ya on the flip side... ;) (Side note: This is for you Emily and our obsession with Bridesmaids)
<3 Lesley <3

Sandy My Darling You Hurt Me Real Bad... Oh Sandy!

This past week, our speaker was supposed to be Ms. Elizabeth Moore, director of Red Cross, but she had to cancel because of disaster relief for hurricane Sandy. For a while, we spoke about what all Red Cross does and the responsibilities of disaster relief. We also shared some of our own interactions and experiences with Red Cross. I also learned something new as well. In certain countries with different religious beliefs, the name changes. For instance, in Muslim dominated countries it is know as the Red Crescent and in Jewish dominated countries, the Red Diamond. Not only that, but Red Cross does more than just disaster relief. They also help with keeping families in touch with military family members if they are in high-risk areas or something that keeps them from communicating regularly. I did not know all of these things before last week, and that just goes to show that you really do learn new things all the time.
We also discussed all the different volunteer opportunities that people have taken part in so far this semester. Many people have done some very interesting things so far. I know personally, that I have enjoyed all of the things that I have done so far. From Lions Lend a Hand, to helping raise money for United Way, to giving candy and books for Halloween, I have had some great opportunities, and I can not wait to do more things for the people of the Shoals area. I wish everyone luck with their future endeavors and civic engagement opportunities.
<3 Best Wishes <3
Lesley

Scorched Trees, Male Models, and Civic Engagement Oh My!

Bradley Dean of Billy Reid was our last speaker for forum. He wears many hats for the Billy Reid company but I wrote down that he is the creative and digital design director. He is a UNA graduate and is very involved in the community. He's involved in many groups and committees that aim to keep the Shoals beautiful and more specifically historically preserved and clean. Mr. Dean had a very inspiring subject, even despite his nervousness and sporadic nature. He basically told us that it is our duty to go out and find out for ourselves what we need to know to get the things done that we want to see done.
Beyond that, Mr. Dean also told us it's OK not to be a leader. All of our lives we are always told to be leaders, but Mr. Dean showed us a video clip that sums up this myth quite well. A leader is just a nut job if he or she does not have any followers, so we should sometimes courageously be a first follower. Because, if not, "there is no movement without a first follower." Not only that, but one can not be a good leader without being knowledgeable; therefore, we should also soak up knowledge from elders and learn how to pitch ideas so that we can change problems where we see them. Mr. Dean did this by experimenting with growing organic cotton, joining the Heritage Preservation Inc., joining the Historical Board, and coming up with new and innovative ideas for First Fridays.
Mr. Dean gave us a lot to think about after speaking to us on Monday. I never quite looked at things the way he did, and he has inspired me to make sure I do things to the best of my ability, and be the change that I want to see.
<3 Best Wishes and Happy Days for all <3
Lesley
XOXOXOXO

If You Want to Meet Somebody, Find a Civic Organization... Don't Go to a Bar!

The speaker for our last forum was Ms. Leslie Tomlinson of The Junior League of the Shoals. Ms. Tomlinson gave us a history of the National Junior League as well as some history on the Junior League of the Shoals. She told us that in 1901, Marry Harriman, a 19-year-old debutante from New York City, formed a service group that would later become the first Junior League. And she also explained how in 1921, the Association of Junior Leagues of America was formed from the 30 active leagues across the nation. This group also later morphed into the Association of Junior Leagues International, it's current title.

On a local level, the Muscle Shoals District Service League was founded in 1934, and they went through the process of converting to a Junior League a few years ago. The service league was best known for their Apple Annie Day fundraiser, and they still participate with it. Not only does the Junior League participate in that, but they also take part in many other fundraisers and civic engagement activities. Ms. Tomlinson let us know that it also provides great networking and social opportunities, as it addresses the most critical needs of the community.

It was great having Ms. Tomlinson as a speaker, but currently we are not able to get involved with the Junior League because of the 24 year-old age limit. I understand that they do not want to have college students use the league just to get volunteer hours for another organization, but I believe that any help is a good help, and that it should not matter how old they are or what they are claiming the hours for. I also know that this is a prestigious group to be a part of, but some of their practices can come off as a bit pretentious, despite Ms. Tomlinson qualifying the group. Now, I don't want to put the Junior League in a bad light because someone may feel like they belong to that group. I however, do not think that it is a good fit for me, and especially not for my present needs.

Wishing everyone a Happy Halloween! =)
<3 Lesley <3

Are You Running for Mayor?

Jackie Hendrix, chairman of the Shoals' Chamber of Commerce, was our last forum speaker. He is a local business owner, but also does a lot for the community. Mr. Hendrix basically informed us that our lives are networking opportunities and that we must do what we can to get our there and put things on our resumes. Now don't get me wrong, he was not telling us to volunteer just so it would look good, but he did say that it is OK to have some selfish drives for motivation. The thing to remember and know is that promoting yourself is not the main reason you are volunteering. He also told us that when we do volunteer with an organization make sure that it is not in name only and that you actually do work. He told us about the 80/20% rule. Which is when 20% of people do 80% of the work. Unfortunately, this holds true for many situations and leaves people burnt out and feeling unappreciated. So we should all pitch in and do our parts if we sign up do volunteer.
Beyond the fact that it's OK to be a little selfish when volunteering, Mr. Hendrix also told us to beware of spreading ourselves too thin. The example he used for this was "Peter's Principle." Basically this principle is the promotion of someone beyond his/her level of competence or up to the level of incompetence, so with this in mind, you can not perform optimally if you are spread too thin. Also just because someone is really good at organizing their own life does not mean that they can automatically organize big events and other large situations. So in the end, be a good citizen and get involved, but don't get so involved that you aren't really helping people at all!
P.S. A few tips to keep in mind about volunteering:

• Socially, it's the responsible thing to do...
• Get involved and be able to network
• It's OK to look for win-win situations
• Ask questions to network and get to know people
• People like it when you remember their names...

Until next time... =)
Lesley <3

"Orange is the new khaki... it matches everything"

Dr. John Lane, a periodontist, came to speak to us last week at forum. And like the others, he came to talk to us about civic responsibility or community service. Unlike the others, Dr. Lane doesn't work for a non-profit organization, but he does volunteer regularly and with many different organizations and events. He also encouraged us to volunteer and be a part of our communities. He also told us that civic responsibility dates back to ancient Rome whose citizens wanted to contribute to Roman society, so this is nothing new but it should also be continued.
Dr. Lane encouraged us to exercise our right to vote. This way, we can take part and be the change that we want to see by electing officials with similar beliefs. Voting is the cornerstone of democracy, and is not utilized nearly enough. According to Dr. Lane's facts, only 25-40% of eligible voters show up to vote. Don't think that your vote doesn't count because it does and it is also our right and responsibility to help take care of this nation and it's needs.
Dr. Lane also encouraged us to volunteer. According to his statistics, approximately 20% of the population volunteers, and the age group that volunteers the most are 34-54 year old people. Graduates from college are also more likely to volunteer than non-graduates. These statistics are somewhat inspiring, but should be better. It is our right and duty as citizens to help those less fortunate than ourselves and take part in something bigger than ourselves. Dr. Lane helped us see that through his presentation for forum.
He also leads by example. He was not up there just spouting out a bunch of facts and not living up to his word. Dr. Lane volunteers and does what he can for his community and takes his rights and duties seriously. He is the president of the Tri-County Dental Society and he helped for the Emergency Dental Clinic where people without dental insurance can get dental services done for $10, so it is not completely free and people do not feel like they are taking a handout. He also volunteers with United Cerebral Palsy and volunteers with many of their fundraising events. Dr. Lane is a true role model and a genuinely good person. He has some high standards to live up to, but also a great person to aspire to be like.
<3 Lesley <3

P.S. My title is not totally random. Dr. Lane said that during his presentation, and I thought it was funny and wanted to incorporate it into my blog somehow... ;)

Whether Rain or Shine...!

Despite the rain and a Civil Wars concert, the show must go on, and it did with Gina Mashburn as our forum speaker. She is the executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters, and she started this tenure in March of this year. Currently, they have two programs set up in schools nearby: Sheffield and Red Bay. These programs are in addition to the community based program, where men and women, who are not students, dedicate their time to children in need of mentor.
Within the program, volunteers go through the application process with three references, a background check and sometimes a home visit, if it is deemed necessary, these precautions are important and help make sure that the children in Big Brothers Big Sisters are being treated fairly and receive the best attention possible. Bigs and littles are matched according to shared interests, so that the relationships won't be strained and that both the volunteer and the child can enjoy their time together. Ms. Mashburn gave a general description of the dynamic of BBBS here by telling us that there are mostly boys in the program. More specifically, the majority of mentees are black boys, while the majority of volunteers are white women. This discrepancy puts the need for more guys to volunteer, but that does not let the ladies of the hook because there are still girls out there without big sisters as well.
Ms. Mashburn was a great speaker and presented the program well; however, as it is, I feel that I would not personally have enough time to thoroughly dedicate to a little sister right now. I do hope, however, that some of my peers, especially the guys, took Ms. Mashburn seriously and decide to volunteer. This program can help so many children that might otherwise be neglected emotionally or even physically. Having the right person come into their lives could be just what these children need.
Best wishes,
=) Lesley!!!<3

Never Underestimate the Power of a Suit

This past forum Emily Baker, the Success by 6 director, came to speak to us about their program here in the Shoals. Success by 6 is a program of United Way, but there are 350 local or state Success by 6 initiatives across the U.S. Some of the initiatives are programs of organizations such as United Way, while others stand alone. The purpose of the Success by 6 program is to promote and support early childhood education. Baker told us that early childhood education is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty. As a child from a middle-class, two-parent household, it was astonishing hearing some of the facts that she relayed to us during forum, and to realize that I took and still take some things for granted.
Here are a few facts that Baker listed for us concerning the failings of early childhood education:

• Nearly 1/2 of America's kindergartners are behind.
• 4th graders without reading skills are not likely to graduate.
• Today 7 out of 10 fourth graders can't read on basic level.

These statistics are sad, but I am encouraged because programs like Success by 6 are available in communities. Baker also explained to us that each program is unique and tailored to the communities' needs that is serves. Therefore, you won't have some generic plan in all Success by 6 programs that ends up not helping everyone and potentially not doing what it set out to do. Baker also described to us the Better Beginnings volunteer program. It saddens me that they only had one volunteer for their program, but it also inspired me to want to help as well. Better Beginnings sounds like a great way to get involved in the community not just now but for the long run as well because of the impact we can have on those children's lives in the various day cares. I would love to play and interact with all of the children whose parents are working hard to provide for them.
Beyond the information about Success by 6 and Better Beginnings, Emily Baker also spoke to us about entering the real world after college, which is where I got the title for this blog. She told us never to underestimate the power of the suit, along with saying the advice, "Don't let lack professionalism be a factor for being passed up for a job." She said in the context that many young people lack experience, which is a main factor in being passed up for a job, so don't let not being professional be another strike against you!
<3 Best wishes for this upcoming week!
Lesley =)

You Cannot NOT Think About What You're Thinking About

So last week we had our first speaker, Kay Parker from The Healing Place, talk to us about working and enjoying a job based on service. She let us know that God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary things, among other very helpful advice as she spoke to us about how she started The Healing Place, a grief counseling center for children and young adults. Parker let us know that grief is heartache and gave us a breakdown on how to deal with it. First, you have to let yourself know that you are stressed so that you can let it go. Then, you should go through the next four steps:

1. Be honest (with yourself)
2. Be expressive (get it out)
3. Be physical (release the tension by actively doing something)
4. Be aware (what you're telling yourself and of what you're thinking)

Not only did she give us this advice, but she also let us know the difference between guilt and shame. I wrote guilt= I did something bad, while shame= I am a bad person. Many of the children within the program at The Healing Place struggle with these things, and the volunteers help them to get over these feelings. It is easy to see how people would like to volunteer at The Healing Place. Like I said before, there are so many options to volunteer here in the Shoals area and The Healing Place seems like a great opportunity! I am keeping it on my radar for now! =)

Better With Age =)

Well, we're back at it again! It's our second year in the program and we are focusing on civic engagement. As I look back to last year, it is hard to believe that I am already a sophomore in college! Where has the time gone? But now is not the time for reminiscing and wishing for times gone by. Now is the time for action, and that action is to be involved and help my community, and it is our responsibility during civic engagement forum to do whatever we can for our community while we're here.
As I mentioned several times last year on my blog, I would like to become a high school English teacher when I graduate, so people might assume that I would dedicate my civic engagement to education or possibly children. But I do not want to limit myself to numerous other opportunities or limit  where I can help out, not that I would not enjoy those activities, but I would like to branch out. Plus, over the summer I did loads of volunteer work at my church by teaching Vacation Bible School, teaching at a Reading and Math Camp, and even assisting with our ACT Prep course. I really did enjoy all of my teaching opportunities this summer and would not take them back for the world. Those experiences definitely lead me to believe that I am heading in the right direction with my career choice! But I would like to take into consideration some of my other hobbies when looking for volunteer opportunities.
Over the course of this semester, I would like to volunteer at a variety of places to get my feet wet and look at all of the possibilities before I declare my platform. There are so many different choices around the Shoals area that could use help. After looking over the Honor's Program page on the school's website, I saw so many opportunities that it made it hard to decide where to volunteer first. But my plan of action for this semester is to volunteer at my top three places on the list, and choose a platform based on what I feel will be most enjoyable and beneficial.
I wish us all success and is this coming semester and hope that we all find what we are good at!
Best wishes,
Lesley <3 =)