Highest Score aka. Measuring Impact

October 24th, 2012 by cokafor

I’ve been known to play a video game or two.

In the gaming world, as in some other walks of life, you want the highest score, the biggest profits, the most friends/followers.  In this worldview, high numbers equal success.  In certain situations, this is an accurate measure; in others, you’re missing the point.

You have to ask yourself what’s most important for your goals, your organization, your life.  Is it more important to have the highest score or have the most impact?  The two aren’t necessarily interchangeable.  Would you rather have 200 people attend and leave unchanged, or have 30 who care about your message, and leave better for having been there?

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:30 Sec Read – Rise and Fall

February 27th, 2012 by cokafor

The majority of students gauge success on a semester calendar.  This makes sense since you are awarded grades based upon your performance each semester.

Student leaders are called to a different standard.

The organizational calendar is different.  One of the reasons organizations struggle is because they are run as if on the academic calendar.  Thus, they rise and fall each year as leadership changes.  They lack continuity and start anew each academic year, preventing them from building upon previous success and learning from prior mistakes.

Successful student leaders must develop vision.  You are called to have the vision to look past your current semester, even into the next academic year, whether you plan to lead or not.

These are baby steps though.  No ones expecting you to create TPS Reports (+5 for movie reference).  You can show your commitment to the vision by helping the leaders after you pick up where you left off; provide that continuity.

It’s almost March, I hope your vision is clear.

 

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Why I Resolved To Be Ordinary In 2012

January 12th, 2012 by cokafor

People get caught up in the idea of the New Year; the lights, parties, Times Square, the countdown.  In a very real way it’s a magic moment, counting down to a brand new year, and we hope, a brand new you.

But let’s be honest, January 1st is just like December 28th or January 12th; an ordinary day.

It’s difficult to match the energy of making a resolution on NYE and maintaining it on March 1st.  That’s why resolutions often fail.  The process of building new habits is a series of ordinary decisions stretched over equally ordinary days, not a magic moment countdown to a new you.

This is a good thing though.  It teaches you that change is a process and is rarely, if ever, instant.  That transforming your organization, your relationships, your life will feel like an ordinary decision on an ordinary day over and over again…

But on December 31st, 2012, you’ll be able to say you had an extraordinary year.

 

 

 

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Give A Little For Halloween

October 26th, 2011 by cokafor

All Hallow’s Eve is right around the corner!  Huzzah!

Can’t lie, probably my favorite holiday.  As an adult a kid I got to poison myself with ridiculous amounts of candy.  That’s a win!  As an adult, I love the costume parties.

My reasons for liking Halloween are pretty selfish, candy and costume parties, so I have to take the time to highlight some student organizations that took a different approach.

Our BSU Business and Accounting Club decided to give back by visiting the Boys and Girls Club and carving pumpkins with the youngsters! Its always great when students make time to engage with others.  I’m sure the kids loved it!

We’re still needed folks!  There are other ways to give a little before the weekend madness!  This Saturday, you can volunteer for the 12th Annual Senior Community Clean Up Day!  From 8am-1pm they’ll be helping seniors in the Bemidji Area with their yards, raking, etc.  You can register here. I know I’ll be there!

If you can’t make it Saturday, why not explore some other ways to give back on Halloween!

 

If you give back in other ways on Halloween, feel free to share them here!

I’ll leave you with a Halloween joke.

Q.  Do zombies eat popcorn with their fingers?

A.  No, they eat the fingers separately!

 

HA!  Happy Halloween!

 

 

 

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“Sign our Sign-Up Sheet”

September 9th, 2011 by cokafor

Is great to say to potential members, but getting someone to sign their name is easy.

The hard part is turning a name on a sheet into a new member.

Many things are vying for freshman attention: academics, campus programming, finding a job, student organizations, intramurals, finding friends, athletics, residential life, and personal hobbies.  Of that list, academics and finding friends are probably most important and not necessarily in that order.

Where many organizations fail is that they don’t take the time to invest in their new members; to build a relationship with them.  They believe that someone  signing the sheet and attending a meeting is a sign of commitment.   This assumption is not true.

People don’t invest in a signature, they invest and relate to other people, they invest in relationships. Invest in the people you want to stay.  Help them feel comfortable with you and in your organization.

Let’s face reality, though.  At the end of the day, despite your investing, some students will not stay.  Some will leave because of other things, and some will leave because they just don’t care.

 

How many stay and how many return often depends on you finding a place for them in your organization rather than telling them your organization is the place.

 

 

 

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And So It Begins…

August 24th, 2011 by cokafor

Welcome back BSU Beavers!!!

Although some of you may be groaning about classes starting again, I’m very excited about this year and here’s why:

  1. I officially have my job!  (long story)
  2. I’m teaching 2 First Year Experience courses (I plan to be a faculty member, this is great practice)
  3. I have a list of things to blog about.
  4. I love the start of something new!

I won’t make this lengthy, but I want to say again welcome back and we’re glad to have you!

What are you excited about this academic year?

 

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Why Standing Punches Sitting In The Face

April 12th, 2011 by cokafor

Who doesn’t love a good chair?

There’s definitely something to be said about a quality piece of furniture; a chair that lovingly hugs your bottom when you sit in it.  It’s almost poetry.  On the practical side, most of our jobs require that we sit for 7-8 hours of the day and much of our leisure activities are done while sitting.  It would seem that having a comfortable office chair is almost a necessity… right?

modern office chairiLove!

Yesterday, my sister forwarded me a Yahoo! article that talks about what sitting does to the human body. According to this article, sitting for extended periods of time screws up your posture, makes you fatter, and causes lower back pain!  So maybe your chair is more like this:

A chair with spikes and many sharp edgesiHate!

I’m not the guy to tell you that sitting is going to kill you, or that we should never sit.  I do echo the sentiment of the article that physical fitness is about cultivating an active lifestyle, not just exercising regularly.  True to form, since reading this article I’ve created my own standup setup:

make shift stand up desk setup with boxes and empty containersiMawesome

So, in the immortal words of wise man, Ludacris, “Stand Up!”

C.

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Whole foods at BSU?

February 25th, 2011 by Albireo

In our home, we’ve made dietary changes from fast food and processed foods to whole grains, organic foods, local produce, natural unrefined sugars, pastured raised animal meat and products (blue and brown healthy chicken eggs) and are drinking more filtered water. This is not easy, my daughter still craves bagels and sweetened apple juice.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our cafeteria at BSU would entertain the idea of a whole foods restaurant that serves as much local produce as possible, caters to all varieties of diets such as vegan, vegetarian and those with food allergies and sensitivities? There would be a bakery section that would create delicious desserts that are refined sugar and flour free, but not lacking in taste. Grains would be sprouted or soaked before serving and the menu would change according to the season. An aesthetically pleasing environment, that welcomes people of all ages. Wouldn’t it be so nice to enjoy a chicken dinner made with a local pasture or free range chicken and learn information about the farmer who raised the chicken?

I know this idea comes with challenges. Whole foods is an expensive change but one that I hope our university embraces, as they do support and promote students’ personal well-being as part of The Learning Journey (J-Plan). I believe whole foods and catering to all varieties of diets are within our reach.

A class on nutrition is coming up next week as the Healthy BS-U and Beaver Fit Program is well under way. Kendra Cobb will be teaching Methods of Better Nutrition in the Biometrics Classroom #GC141, and asks that all Beaver Fit members bring a notebook with them. This class is from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1st.

Get Fit! Stay Fit for Life!

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Beaver Fit

February 23rd, 2011 by Albireo

I joined the Beaver Fit challenge not only to get my body toned, but I want an overall healthy lifestyle.  The kettelbell class was a real workout! I didn’t make the power yoga because of conflicts with my schedule, but I was in attendance for the Belly Dance class and HOLY COW does shaking your hips, butt, shoulders, and body ever make you sweat! There are parts of my body that hurt that have never hurt before!

Next week we are scheduled for our second body measurements. I don’t feel like I’ve lost anything, I actually feel like I’ve gained weight. I will say this, I drink water like it’s going out of style.

I am enjoying all the activities that Cheryl has planned and look forward to our nutrition class next week. I want a chance to say I am the “Best Dam Beaver!” but if I am not chosen I feel I still win in the long run because after only four weeks I feel better. Here is a video to help you learn belly dancing in your own home.

How to Belly Dance

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Do You Have Winter Insulation?

January 25th, 2011 by abodin

After this past holiday season, like most other college students, I realized I had gained some “winter insulation.” Not happy with these extra pounds I had gained, I decided it was time to make a change. Not a New Year’s Resolution, (because we all know those don’t work), but a lifestyle change. I wanted to be back to the person I was in high school – loving gym class, being active, and having to work really hard to keep my heart rate up – unlike now. I wanted to feel comfortable in my own skin again.

To help me do this, I attended the Health Fair sponsored by HMU on January 12. At this health fair, I signed up for a semester-long exercise program called “Beaver Fit.” Through this program, I will be able to attend fitness and nutrition classes free of charge such as: Rock Climbing, Kettlebell, Belly Dancing, Plyometrics, Weight Lifting, Judo, Yoga, Water Aerobics, Stability Toning, and Methods to Better Nutrition. Along with these classes, I will be getting periodic Body Assessment checks to track my progress. These assessments will chart my height/weight, waist/hip measurements, and skin fold (pretty sweet right?).

To keep me motivated through this program, I will have a support system of about 40 others. We will all be tracking our workouts and will obtain points for each workout session. At the end, prizes will be awarded to the top point holders and someone will be named the “Best Dam Beaver,” the person who made dramatic differences to improve their lifestyle and has put in the most effort to reach their fitness goal.

So my challenge to you is to make your own fitness goal. Grab a friend and just do it. It doesn’t have to be drastic right away. You can slowly work yourself into it. To help you out, I have provided a link to the American Heart Association’s webpage, which provides the top 10 tips for starting a physical activity program.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=528

I will also be posting the progress I make, along with videos of the workouts done in Beaver Fit so you can try them at home. Leave a comment to tell me about your workout strategy.

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