Welcome to the Girls Room!!

Miracle and I did our final project for Honors Forum II together.  This link will bring you to our How to Guide on Volunteering.  

You're only 6 Steps away from being a Volunteer. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PUPYKESQ43o

'Tis Better to Give than to Receive

In the spirit of Christmas... Here's a picture from Elf (the best Christmas movie ever!!). 

And a Christmas-y inspirational quote: 

"It is better to give than to receive!"

Today's speaker was Dr. Barry Morris from the Office of Institutional Advancement, Professor Emeritus of Economics, and a member of the City Council.  He spoke to our class about fiscal responsibility and its importance in our lives and our civic engagement.  We all know that it's better to give than to receive, but you can't give until you have something to give.That's where fiscal responsibility comes in.  Getting your personal finances in order allows you to have the gift of serving others!

So this is what I learned:
-Don't put money where it will be depreciated, invest it somewhere so that it will grow.  For example, don't buy that fancy new $25,000 car- instead get it a nice wax to clean it up.  Instead of those $475 monthly payments for 60 months you'd have with that value depreciating car, invest your money for 60 months in an S&P index fund and end up with $2,146,000 by the time you retire at 65 years old.  So that fancy $25k car is really >$2million.  So to be a millionaire, you do not have to win the lottery!  Don't you just love logic?!
-Invest in the stock market!  Sure, the stock market fluctuates, but over 40 years you will have an increased return from when you started. This is shown in the very technical clip art here:

-Budgets are great!  And ALWAYS save a percent of your money.
-Don't buy things you don't need.
-Debt is great... if it's for a house.  "Not for pretzels and beer" according to Dr. Morris.

One thing that I really appreciated was Dr. Morris's enthusiasm about UNA.  He was excited for us and our future opportunities and experiences we will have in our college career.  UNA is definitely underestimated, but Dr. Morris pointed out that being underestimated is a blessing.  No one sees you as a threat and then (BAM!)  you're super awesome and they're unprepared.  He also said that students at UNA are lucky to be here!  (And we are!)  We have real professors that actually care about us, not a random grad student teaching 100 students in a lecture hall.  And UNA is super awesome in every possible way. Just a little rant from me to you :)

Have a wonderful week and good luck studying through finals!!

I only came here for two reasons...

Our last speaker was Dr. Tom Osbourne, a former history professor at UNA and a deacon in the Episcopal Church.  He told our class about his work with the Kairos and the Help Place, but he also talked about service work in general.  He pointed out the natural human reluctance to get involved with service work and why this reluctance is so common.

People say no for two reasons: Failure and time.

1. They are afraid of failure:  Being afraid of failure is never a good excuse.  You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.  And you don't loose anything for trying.  If failure does come, so does experience and a lesson learned.  So it's always a win-win situation to try, and a win-win situation is never a failure.  So failure only exists if you don't try.

2. They don't want to take the time:  Time is a very understandable reason to be hesitant to serve.  There are only 24 hours in a day, and they are packed with school, homework, work, extracurricular activities, the occasional fun event, and the even more occasional sleep.  So fitting in a long-term commitment to service work can sound overwhelming and even impossible at first.  But this problem can also be solved with two words: Time Management. I live by those two words with the help of my best friend (aka agenda).  And if a long-term commitment still won't work, volunteer a for a few different events throughout the year. There's always the fear of over-commitment, too.  One thing of which I know very well!  So if you HAVE TO say "No" every once and a while, it's okay.  I promise!

In short:

Don't be afraid to fail.

Time management can be achieved with your new best friend, the agenda.

Go volunteer!

Have some initiative!

Today's speaker was John Rusvlyan, the Immediate Past President of the Rotary Club. Their local cause is called Shoals Scholar Dollars.  In this program, they pay 2 years of college at NW Shoals to students who would not be able to pay for college without it who have at least a 2.5 GPA and have at least a 95% attendance.  I think this is a really awesome cause!  This is a cause that is much needed, and it's awesome that his group took the initiative to do this!

"Successful is the man who does today what you were planning to do tomorrow." 

Initiative.  That's what gets things done.  If everyone took the initiative to fix one thing in their community, we would never have an excuse to complain.  We would never have anything to complain about at all because we'd be doing something about it.  What a productive world that would be!  Everyone has ideas that can improve their community, so just go and make something happen.  Go figure it out today and keep working on it until you succeed and make a difference. 

Nike says it the best: "Just do it!" This doesn't apply to only civic engagement and community service; it goes with school work (and not procrastinating), organizations and clubs (planning that super cool event), and everywhere else there is a need.  So find a need and fix it... Today!

Platform Progress

This past Monday night, our speaker was MIA.  So rather than summarizing someone's words and inspiring you, I will take this opportunity to explain the service work I have done in the Shoals area so far and what my platform is shaping into.

1-Lions Lend a Hand:  I talked about this in an older post, so I won't bore you with details.  But this was volunteering at a historical site, which fits with my current platform of education.

2- United Way: UNA had their first United Way fundraiser of the year... Step Show! So I volunteered to help do the donation collection and count the money.  We made well over $1000 in collection buckets alone- which is absolutely fantastic! And I also got to see some of the show, which was wonderful (as always).  This does not really fit my platform, but United Way is such a great organization that helps in so many ways and I really enjoyed volunteering here.

3- Reverse Trick or Treating:  This was an event put on by one of my fellow Honors classmate, Jacob Ezell.  Around Halloween time, a group of 30ish UNA students went to Mitchell-Hollingsworth Nursing Home to talk and visit with the residence.  I really enjoyed myself there too!  I loved listening to all of the great stories that the residence told us, and we could tell that they really enjoyed the company too.  I definitely want to go back and volunteer at a nursing home, so I am thinking about working this in my platform somehow.

4- Gift Wrap with BBBS: This hasn't happened yet, but I did mention it in an earlier post, so this will just be a quick update.  We're getting several Honors Student Organization members to help wrap gifts at the mall around finals time. I love Christmas!! The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear, but the 2nd best way is to wrap presents.  So this is going to be so much fun! Can't wait!

So my volunteer work is kinda all over the place and not necessarily sticking to my platform.  But I have a crazy new idea for a platform that I am working on with the lovely Alyson Berry, another one of my Honors classmates.  Hopefully it will combine the awesomeness of Christmas, nursing homes, and singing- I'm sure you'll hear about this sometime in the future, but I think it will combine many things that I enjoy and hopefully make for a solid platform in time for next semester.  We shall see!

Siege the Day!

Just wanted to share a quick reflection on the Alabama Renaissance Faire that I went to with a couple friends this past Saturday...

The Alabama Renaissance Faire is an annual event in Florence, Alabama put on by Downtown Florence Unlimited and Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts.  This community event is free and caters to all ages.  The faire takes place in Wilson Park (aka “Fountain on the Green”), 217 E. Tuscaloosa Street.  This year’s faire takes place Saturday, October 27^th at 10am-6pm and Sunday, October 28^th at 12pm-6pm.  The faire has many vendors selling weaponry, armor, jewelry, crowns, and other items from the Renaissance period.  There is also a full food court, complete with fried pickles and turkey legs.  There are several musicians and acts that perform throughout the day.  Jousting, weaving, role plays, belly dancing, glass harmonicas, and trained pigs only name a few performances that attendees may watch.  Many people dress up in Renaissance attire and speak in old English, adding to the Italian Renaissance-feel of the event.  Events are organized to begin and end the fair.  On Saturday, there is an opening ceremony followed by a parade of those who choose to dress up in Renaissance-themed clothing.  On Sunday there is a Coronation Ceremony where the current King and Queen lose the crowns and the new Monarch(s) take over the fair.

Hear ye, hear ye! If ye haven't attended the faire before, I bid you don't forgo another faire.  Your presence is requested in Florenzo this very same time in a year yonder.  I attended this year’s fair on Saturday afternoon with several friends, and ‘twas most splendid!  We all really enjoyed ourselves! The Renaissance Faire transformed Florence into a mini medieval experience.  The weaponry and craftwork being sold, the turkey legs being eaten, and the medieval background music all added to the exciting renaissance atmosphere.  But my favorite part of the event was the participation of people attending the faire.  I really enjoyed all of the costumes people were wearing.  From fairies to Jack Sparrows to knights and queens, the creativity did not stop at outfits; many people took on the character of medieval times by speaking in old English and acting like their character.  One woman was dressed as a beggar and actually acted like a beggar, crawling to people and asking for money.  It was very entertaining; I felt like I was thrown back in time.  The vendors and craftsmen at the fair were awesome.  There were tents with pottery and wood carvings and medieval games that craftsmen recreated.  There was also a whole weaponry tent that was complete with axes, clubs, mace, and crossbows; all of which you could touch and take some very fun photos with.  Other great photo ops were everywhere, including Torok the troll, a person dressed as a purple monster-like creature, who could also be depiction of Grendle.  Some performances were really neat as well.  A man was playing the “glass harmonica,” which was actually a table full of glasses with water in them, and he made some pretty cool music with it.  Another performance we went to was more or less a terrible dog show, but it was done in old English with Renaissance humor so it was hilarious.  I would recommend this fair to anyone who wants something to do on a weekend in Florence.  It is well worth the admission price, and it is a great experience.  It is very possible to spend a whole day at the fair.  I plan on going again next year, and I am thinking about going in costume and really being a part of the whole experience. (I’ll just have to work on my Olde English first!)  Fare thee well ‘til next year!

Be a Follower

This week's speaker was Bradley Dean, creative designer/ photographer/ wearer-of-many-hats at Billy Reid, Inc. in downtown Florence and also a UNA Grad!  Mr. Dean talked to our class about the need for civic engagement for ourselves and our community.  Florence is a city that is growing, so it needs so direction for the future.  And who is better to give a city the direction to grow than the people who live there!  Get involved and get civically engaged to make your community reach its highest potential.  There's a lot to be said about a strong community working together towards growth.  And in a growing community, there is so much opportunity.  Mr. Dean showed us this video, and I think it illustrates what he was saying beautifully.

Leadership is over glorified.  There can always be a crazy person to do something, but without anyone joining, it remains a crazy person doing something.  It's not a movement.  There is no movement without the first follower.  The person who courageously follows the lone nut is the beginning of a movement, the beginning of something amazing.  So don't be so worried about being a leader everywhere.  Follow someone doing something you enjoy.  Without the follower, there's no movement.  So be part of a movement- Be a follower.

Serving and Socializing Sounds Super!

Tonight's speaker was Leslie Tomlesson, a member of the Junior League of the Shoals.  The Junior League is a women's only organization with over 155,000 members in 293 different communities across the globe.  Their motto is "Women buildings better communities."  They promote volunteerism, develop the potential of women, improve communities through effective action and leadership, and address the most critical needs of community.  On top of all of that, the Junior League also acts as a social outlet for its members.

Unfortunately, no one in our class is eligible to join or volunteer with this organization.  Requirements are being female, attending weekly meetings, volunteering for 60 hours a year, and being at least 24 years old.  This age requirement excludes myself and all of my fellow classmates.  However, Ms. Leslie made a good point about volunteering in general: you have to go somewhere you love. This organization sounds great- they do tons of service and have fun doing it.  The social aspect of this group is definitely appealing.  Why not have fun with your volunteering?  Organizations take up a lot of time, and you want to make sure you're enjoying every minute you spend with it. 

I have found a place that I absolutely LOVE volunteering with back home, and that is the Georgia Aquarium.  However, I'm still trying to find an outlet to volunteer at in Florence.  I'm starting to loose hope on this Turtle Rescue Center because I think I just called a 174895764397604th time only to hear about a voice message system that has not been set up yet for the 174895764397604th time.  They really should do something about that, or maybe they just don't exist anymore... That would be so unfortunate!  Who will save all of the turtles in the Shoals?!  Though I haven't seen any sad, stranded turtles around- maybe this turtle rescue place is just really awesome and way too busy helping turtles to answer the phone.  The world may never know. Anyways, still volunteering at a bunch of random places.  I'm sure I will find some place that I end up loving, but it just might take some time or 174895764397605 phone calls. 

Life's a Network

This week's speaker was Jackie Hendrix, the Chairman of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce and yet another UNA Grad.  He gave us a little advice to use when deciding where to volunteer.  He told us to go somewhere we have a connection with and are interested in, some place we can network.  What's the point in volunteering?  Well, something needs to be done, so be the one to do it, and do it well.  But it's not bad to volunteer for your own benefit as well.  It's okay to want to add it on your resume or use it for potential networking towards your future.

When volunteering, be aware of the 80/20 Rule:  80% of the work is done by 20% of the people.  So be part of that 20% that does the work.  Get involved, don't just be there.  I see this 80/20 rule in affect so often; I even see it in some of the organizations on campus of which I'm involved.  But getting involved will allow for you to take advantage of the networking and all of the other benefits from volunteering. 

Just one concern that I had was the attitude towards the idea of volunteering. I don't volunteer for my resume or for networking or whatever else I can get from it.  I volunteer because I know I can be a help for others, and in return, I have tons of fun.  All of those other benefits are great, but they just shouldn't be the main focus for serving others in the community.  Volunteering should coincide with something I am interested in and passionate about, and that will probably overlap some with my future goals because my future goals are also what I'm interested in.  But the focus of volunteering should not be to get ahead in life; it should be to give with a servant's heart.  I am blessed with time and talents and resources, and I need to use some of these gifts with others in my community.

Confession: Volunteering for things gets me in trouble because I can't say no.  Sometimes it's hard to say "No," and for me it's ALL THE TIME that it's hard to say "No."  I feel like I can help, and I should help; and if I don't help, then I'm being a selfish person.  But I'm trying to learn that there needs to be a balance.  I tend to volunteer for everything, no constraints, just something looks interesting and I join.  But maybe I need to be a little more focused and volunteer where I can network, like Mr. Hendrix was saying.  Maybe thinking about myself a little isn't selfish.  Going crazy with volunteering can be stressful and, at times, overwhelming, so if I focus my volunteering and activities and school all to one goal it will be a little more under control and I will be able to do a better job with what I sign up for.  Life's a network. I need to start weaving myself into it instead of perusing all of the options.

Just an Ordinary Citizen with Extraordinary Character

Our last speaker was Dr. John Lane, a periodontist in Florence and an ordinary citizen making a difference in our community.  Dr. Lane was one of the best speakers we have had in Honors Forum.  He's a normal, working family man raising his 4 children, but he also goes out of his way to volunteer and give back.

Dr. Lane volunteers where his life leads him.  As a periodontist, he volunteers his time and talents at a local $10 clinic for those who can not afford regular check-ups. He also is very involved with United Cerebral Palsy because of his past experience with them.  One of his children passed away from this disease, but while he was alive, Dr. Lane's family took advantage of this organization and the programs they offered.  When his son passed away, his family went to The Healing Place.  Him and his family went here to deal with their grief.  Just as they were blessed by this organization, Dr. Lane's family gives back the blessing through their volunteering.  

This ordinary citizen is really rather extraordinary because of his great character.  But how does he volunteer with so many different groups and give so generously?  He said that he manages his time and money wisely with the help of Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover."  This book teaches how to live debt-free and give generously.  As a college student, this is very important to learn.  If you use your resources (time/ talents/ money) wisely, you can have surplus to bless others with.  One quote Dr. Lane left us with was...

"You may not live what you profess, but you undoubtedly live what you believe"

Live your life to it's greatest potential and stand up for what you believe in.  So am I doing enough?  Well, there is no limit to volunteering!  Talents can be used anywhere.  And as for my question of where to volunteer... life will lead me.

Being a Role Model

Gina Mashburn from Big Brothers, Big Sisters spoke to our class this past Monday.  She is a UNA Grad (RLR!), who majored in sociology and had minors in art and Spanish.  Just a quick side note: I LOVE seeing all of these UNA Grads everywhere!  Makes me super proud to be a Lion!  And now we can get back to our topic of civic engagement...  BBBS is a wonderful organization. 

BBBS makes it their goal to help children who need an additional adult role model in their life by pairing them up with a "Sister" or "Brother."  These "Siblings"  are there to give encouragement and guidance and be a friend.  The best thing about BBBS is how detailed and meticulous they are when pairing children with their Sibling.  They are matched based on talents and interests, and the Sibling can choose the age and race they would like to work with.  Then potential siblings have to fill in an application, send in personal references, check criminal records, and go to an interview.  The Sibling must also have a license and insurance on their car, and in some cases have a home visit.  Additionally, BBBS will not accept anyone who is anticipating a big life change, such as a move.  This process to accept someone in the program takes 3 weeks minimum, and in many cases it takes longer.  BBBS is very thorough with this because they care so much about these children that need a Sibling, and they want to make sure the match will be beneficial to the child.  This organization seems to work hard and keep quality in their program, which I really appreciate. Unfortunately, there is a major lack of Brothers.  Male role models are in high demand at BBBS, so if you are a boy and this interests you, sign up to help!! But of course, they will accept applications for Sisters too!

While I love what this organization stands for, I do not think I can make the commitment for it.  Not only is it a big time commitment, but it's also an emotional commitment to a child that needs a role model.  If I was a role model, I would want to give my all, and I just don't think I can do that right now.  That being said, I would still love to help this organization in some way.  They will be having a gift wrapping station at the mall starting the day after Thanksgiving, and I am planning on helping with that.  I love wrapping presents, and I can sign up to work with a bunch of Honors Program people, which sounds like oodles of fun!  I already can't wait!!

A Successful Future

The Honors Program's philanthropy is Success by 6 of Northwest Alabama, so I was very happy when the Director, Emily Baker came to speak to our class!  Emily is a recent grad from UNA (ROAR LIONS!) and got her job at Success by 6 a month before she graduated, which is AMAZING!!  How did she manage that?  She got involved. She added to her resume.  She made connections.  Which is exactly what I am trying to do, and adding civic engagement will definitely help with this and my overall college experience.

There are 350 Success by 6 locations across the US.  They are focused on early literacy, prevention, and community education.  They are affiliated with United Way of the Shoals.  I think this organization will work nicely with my platform of Education.  They give away books and visit preschools, and they are working on adding new programs in the future. They believe that children will someday solve world problems, and we should be there to help and encourage them while they are young.  Early childhood education decreases poverty and makes a foundation of learning for children.  Volunteering at Success by 6 is volunteering for a successful future.

Forget Perfect!

"Somebody should do this... Somebody should do that... Well, guess what?  You're SOMEBODY!"

Our last speaker was Kay Parker, the 2007 Shoals Woman of the Year.  She spoke to my class about the Healing Place.  At The Healing Place, you have the opportunity to help broken families, talk with people, and play with children.  Their goal is to heal people's grief and pain by acknowledging it.

The 4 Ways to Feel Better according to the Healing Place:

1) Be honest- talk about it with someone who will not judge you

2) Be expressive- shout, cry, draw...

3) Be physical- exercise, hit/ throw something

4) Be aware- positive self-talk

FORGET PERFECT.  It doesn't exist!!

After hearing about this organization, I am conflicted on my Statement of Purpose from my last post.  I said I wanted to volunteer with education, but there are so many awesome places to volunteer and I can't choose!  The Healing Place sounds like a great organization to work with, and it would definitely take me out of my comfort zone, but I'm not sure I'd be a good fit for the organization.  But I do know that wherever I volunteer, I will have unlimited opportunities to help the Shoals community!

Long Time, No Blog

Long time, no blog!  But it's that time of year again... the most wonderful time of year! Drum roll, please.... Honors Forum II!!  All of the sophomores (now officially upperclassmen!) in the Honors Program go to this class every Monday night to talk about Civic Engagement.  As a requirement in the Honors Program, each person in our class is expected to do 10-15 hours of Civic Engagement (aka Community Service) each semester.  So this blog post will be giving a quick low-down on my community service plans.

I know this is going to sound cheesy, but I absolutely love volunteering!  It just gives me a super happy feeling inside.  I will volunteer to do almost anything.  Just a week ago I volunteered for Lions Lend a Hand, where a group from Honors Student Organization went to a historical site and cleaned/ painted/ weeded/ etc. the property.  It was definitely an experience to say the least.  We practically drove to Timbuktu, met some very interesting people, worked at the crick (more commonly known as the creek), and rang the "supper bell" for lunch.  It was tons of fun!  My favorite part was hearing all of the interesting stories about the property.  All of the history and culture behind it was so cool, and it was great to be a part of a project that will help future visitors learn about the history around them.

This summer I had another awesome opportunity to volunteer.  This was by far the coolest volunteer work I have ever done!  I volunteered at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, GA.  I mostly worked touch tanks and gave tours.  I can give any tours at the aquarium: gallery tours, behind-the-scenes tours, and overnight tours.  To do this, there were lots of training classes and studying hours, and I learned tons of really cool information about all things fishy and environmental.  As a marine biology major, learning about fishy/ environmental things was incredibly fun and a fantastic way to spend my summer!  I got to share my passion and excitement for marine biology with guests at the aquarium, and it was an amazing experience.

Now you're probably wondering why I told you two random volunteering stories...Well, these stories have something in common.  They all have to do with education, my favorite part about volunteering!  Education is the most important thing I can volunteer for.  Where would we be if we weren't educated?  Everyone likes learning, it just has to be about the right thing.  Just as I enjoyed the historical stories at Lions Lend a Hand and the fun fish facts at the aquarium, others have their own topics that interest them.  And whatever that topic may be, I want to be a part of it.  Whether it's working behind the scenes to set up for an educational event or being part of an educational program, I will be somehow enriching someone's educational experience and expanding their knowledge.  I am very excited about this theme for my volunteer hours, as I believe it holds endless possibilities to where I can volunteer and make an impact.  While I'm working on my own history here at UNA, I want to help others with their own.  So here's the new goal: Be a part of others' histories.  Make an impact through education.