The joys of working with people that are stuck in tradition

I strongly believe and have a passion for student involvement! If you really want to get something out of it, you really have to put something into it. Some of my best experiences at BYU-Idaho come from me being involved in student activities. There was so much going on and everyone knew about it. Coming here to DSC was like a day and night difference. The spirit is different, campus isn’t alive, there doesn’t seem to be much going on, and the more I talked to people the less aware they are about student activities. Sometimes I wonder if my vision is too big, if my dreams are too high. Talking to the Vice President of Student Services, sure made me feel like that. I can see where he’s coming from that he just purchased a new program (that’s been sitting on his desk for the past three months) that would organize campus online and I come to him with an idea that I’m actually doing something about; but why throw it all on me, when I’m the one coming to him with an organizational idea that is actually being praised by all involved in the program areas that will actually be involved. I felt like a missionary all over again, at someone’s door being completely disrespected and unheard. My intentions are to improve the college and programs, assisting in the growth here. He said I was completely overstepping my boundaries and selfishly coming up with something that would improve my program, and he was appalled that I would come into “his area” and blindside him with my ideas. I’m still trying to see where exactly he was coming from. He said that he doesn’t just go to the English department and re-vamp their programs and he doesn’t tell the army where they should aim their cannons. If this man would just take a step back and see how much of a good thing this could be for the college. So I asked him what I could have done better and after his outrageous scenarios, came to the conclusion that I didn’t go through the proper channels. He said it seemed like a great idea and if only I would have talked to him first…but he did want me to know that he isn’t power hungry. Pretty sure that’s why I stopped by his office in the first place…to talk to him about an idea.

That was last week's update with my new project of attempting to get campus on the same page. I met with the vice president again last Thursday, and after another long discussion with him, not only did he prove to be the worst listener in the world, but I am now on the marketing and webpage committees on campus. Let's hope more progress can be made now.