Honors Forum II Recap Vid

Final Wrap Up; Dr. Vince Brewton

"Without initiative, leaders are simply workers in leadership positions."

 

 - Bo Bennett

 

 

"It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership."

 

- Nelson Mandela

 

 

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way."

 

- John C. Maxwell

 

 

 

Leadership

       Yikes what a semester. They say that freshman year is the toughest one to get through, but I definitely felt the pressures of college education this semester--especially the being lazy one. But we've made it and heard from Dr. Brewton about leadership for our last forum.

       Being a leader is either intimidated or unappealing to an introvert, and I'm a pretty big intrivert. I f college is teaching me anything, though, its that a person doesn't get very far--or at least probably won't get as far as they want to--if they have a idea but don't step up to get it done.

       Sometimes its easier to be a leader just because you can see what needs to happen, what needs to happen, ans how to do it, but a leadership position usually means putting yourself n a uncomfortable spot or a tough spot. As honors students, we are probably going to be the ones with the clearest picture of the solution to a problem but its just the task of actually leading that might get us.

       The wholeservant-leader mindset is an interesting concept. Having a platform of passion also ties into this. Volunteerism is a big responsibikity but many hands make little work--if everyine steps us and does their part, it is not so daunting a task.

       As students in an Alabama college, face the challenge of standing out from the rest of the crowd and stepping up to the plate and being a leader is one of the best ways to do it.

Office of Institutional Advancement; Dr. Barry Morris, Professor Emeritus of Economics

"The most meaningful engine of change, powerful enough to confront corporate power, may be not so much environmental quality, as the economic development and growth associated with the effort to improve it."

 

- Barry Commoner

"Economy does not lie in sparing money, but in spending it wisely."

 

- Thomas Huxley

 

 

"There can be economy only where there is efficiency."

 

- Benjamin Disraeli

 

 

Economics

 

 

       I could tell that Dr. Morris fully believed in everything that he said. The first indicator of this was that he took his passion, economics, and incorporated it into everything that he talked about. Who would have known that economics had so much to do with volunteerism?

 

       You can tell that he picked the right profession when he stopped in the middle of his presentation and said to us "I'm just looking out at you all and thinking of the things that you will go through." That was encouraging and intimidating at the same time. It seems as if he really care a lot for the success and growth if a group of students that he didn't even know which is a trait that I think a great professor should have.

 

       He also told us that "this university will prepare you for anything you will be doing after graduation." This really stood out to me because I recently have been struggling a lot with the consideration of just how hard it is going to be to compete with other law students from other, higher-caliber places. It really worries me but the longer I attend UNA, the more secure I feel in my education.

 

      My favorite Dr. Morris quote is "almost the best thing that can happen to you is to be underestimated." Going back to what I said above, I have used this strategy before and is it an effective one, or at least it gets entertaining results. I have used this strategy in karate classes, Mock Trial competitions, and even at job interviews. It makes others think that they don't have to work as hard, which outs you at an advantage and gives you confidence, sort of like knowing a secret.

 

       I particularly like the phrase he said "the place where you live is not defined by someone else, it is defined by you." I felt like this was a great speaker with which to end the this semester's forum simply because of that quote; it really put a polished perspective on why we should volunteer and how important it is.

 

Episcopal Church of America; Professor of History Emeritus and Deacon, Dr. Tom Osborne

"I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy."

 

- Rabindranath Tagore

 

 

"When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves."

 

- Buddha

 

 

"Grief can take care if itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with."

 

- Mark Twain

 

 

Joy

       I don't think that I fully understand Dr. Osborne's definition of joy. I know that there is a difference between joy, happiness, and fulfillment, but Dr. Osborne seems to do the work he does out of reluctant obligation. The only solution that I can think of is that he does what he does reluctantly out of obligation, but then finds joy after-the-fact...? He said at one point that there is a natural reluctance to serves, but, "just like an actor with stage fright, you can overcome it." This doesn't help me understand the joy part. I don't know. Maybe I just didn't listen well enough.

       Dr. Osborne ended his lecture by saying "the ultimate reason for engagement in society is not the specific help you're going to give; its the acquiring of joy." I'm still befuddled by Dr. Osborne's correlation between joy and reluctance but I did love what he said right before this statement: "the most effective healer is the wounded." Someone who has "been there" is so helpful to those in the same situation.

      The thing that stuck out the most to me about Dr. Osborne was his voice; it was a mixture of John Malkovich and Kevin Spacey. It really caught my attention for some reason.

       Kairos was interesting to hear about. First of all, I think that it is interesting that the Greek had two words for time and that kairos is, from what I understood, the time of epiphany. I think that it would be interesting to do this type of service but I think that if I went into a prison, I would be too distracted in the observation of the behaviors and psychological aspects of the prisoners and would not be much help. I think kairos is a fascinating program.

Florence Rotary Club; President John Rusevlyan

"Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change."

 

- Stephen Hawking

 

 

 

"Adapt yourself to the things among which your lot has been cast and love sincerely the fellow creatures with whom destiny has ordained that you shall live."

 

- Marcus Aurelius

 

 

"A true champion can adapt to anything."

 

- Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

 

 

Adaptation

 

       Dr. John Rusevlyan spoke about adaptation and "being good." His Four Way Test sounds like something my dad has taught me: to follow my morals, whatever I decide them to be and if what I do is what I fully and truly believe to be good and that I do my utmost to stick to the standard that I put in place for myself, then I should be okay.

 

       Adaptation is fundamental to success. No matter how much the American society values individualism, we all must adapt to something in some way or another at some point in of lives; if not, then it is a constant recurrence in each of our everyday lives. I think that an open-mind can be valuable for just about every situation. Understanding several perspectives of the same thing takes wisdom, patience, and tolerance. It can be difficult but it is valuable.

 

      The hard thing about sticking to one's own morals and keeping an open mind is that it can be hard to balance the two sometimes. This is one of the points in life in which one must adapt. It can be difficult and adaptation is often the harder choice, but sometimes it is necessary.

 

       Dr. Rusevlyan also spoke about networking. There's that word again! My sister is only a couple of years older than I am and has just had a baby :) but her hubby is about to be sent off to serve, so she is going stir crazy in her house watching the baby and is in a town that is new to her. She called me the other day telling me about how she didn't know anyone and that she couldn't think of anything else to do at home so I suggested volunteering.

 

       On a side note, the UNA Model United Nations did well in Atlanta last weekend and we're hoping to attend another conference soon and win some more awards!!

 

Red Cross

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

- Margaret Mead

 

 

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

- Edmund Burke

 

 

"One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something."

 

- Henry David Thoreau

 

 

Volunteerism

       I realize that there is a lot that I didn't know about the Red Cross. I didn't even know that they had more than one symbol. I'm glad to know that such a helpful organization is conscious of the various needs of different groups and that they are not blind to the values of everyone they help.

       After this forum, I researched a bit into this organization just because I was a little embarrassed by how little I knew. Some basic facts are that it was founded by Clara Barton, it is celebrated in March every year (thanks to FDR), and it supplies about 45% of the nation's blood supply.

      We talked about severl things that the Red Cross teaches its volunteers, but here are a few of them: babysitter training. CPR, AED (automated external defibrillator)  awareness, how to make an emergency kit, swimming safety, and even flu education. A goal of the Red Cross is having one person per American household trained in CPR and first aid.

      This forum also reiterated the fact that volunteerism can be very difficult to maintain and balance and that it is a necessary and lovely thing in the community, but it is not an easy thing and that we have to keep up that motivation and perspective.

Billy Reid, Inc; Creative director Bradley Dean

"In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it."

 

- Marianne Williamson

 

 

"Every successful individual knows that his or her achievement depends on a community of persons working together."

 

- Paul Ryan

 

 

 

"For too long in this society, we have celebrated unrestrained individualism over common community."

 

- Joe Biden

 

 

Community

 

 

      I think that Mr. Dean had a very good grasp on what a community is and the role that an individual of that community plays. He also conveyed his ideas through personal experience, which fortified what he was saying. Like Mr. Tomlinson said, "working in a community is a good way to get to know that community."

 

      I very much enjoyed the "First Follower" video. It really demonstrates that the leaders and those who take chare of everything are not the only ones that make a difference; often, a leader cannot achieve success without their followers, which only come after there is a First Follower.

 

       Mr. Dean also expained to us how a young person can make a difference. First he told us to "make change in the community where you live and work." Next, he tols us about how he became involved with the Heritage Preservation and Historical Board through a project he was doing and questions he had. He pointed out that it is difficult to rise above the elders of a community think is the correct pattern. The opinions of the elders in a community are valuabke, but Mr. Dean tols us that we must learn how to pith an idea in a way that the elders will listen an possible act upon this idea.

 

       I agree with and appreciate that statement that Mr Dean said that "there is a lot to be said about a strong community."

 

Junior League of the Shoals; Ms. Leslie Tomlinson

"Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth."

 

- Marcus Aurelius

 

 

"You must look within for value, but must look beyond for perspective."

 

- Denis Waitley

 

 

"A little perspective, like a little humor, goes a long way."

 

- Allen Klein

 

 

Perspective

       "With age comes perspective." I really admired the way in which Ms. Tomlinson presented her lecture. She had a very distinct before-and-after situation with easy-to-follow transition in between. During the first part of her lecture, she spoke about the limited perspective of the Junior Leagues with which she was associated and then how she made her own contribution in helping to widen that perspective and improve their system.

       She said that purpose of the Junior Leagues is "exclusively educational and charitable." In order to include More volunteers, she backed up, found out what her perspective was by setting some goals, and did what she could to reach those goals. One goal she set was to help bring to light the needs of the volunteers. A second goal was to make the Leagues more open and transparent as well as mobile.

       She ended by letting us know about various local events associated with the Junior Leagues and how they have impacted our community. I've never really noticed anyone wearing red tights the first week of November before I heard about Apple Annie Day from Ms. Tomlinson.

       I'm glad to have had the opportunity to gain this new perspective on what Junior Leagues are and what they do!

Mr. Jackie Hendrix; Chair, Shoals Chamber of Commerce & Owner, Party Pros, Inc

"Instead of telling the world what you're eating for breakfast, you can use social networking to do something that's meaningful."

 

- Edward Norton

 

 

"Best results are often achieved well before you need a job, by consistently networking so that when you find yourself job-hunting you have a large network to work with."

 

- Erik Qualman

 

 

"It's all about people. It's about networking and being nice to people and not burning any bridges. Your book is going to impress, but in the end it is people that are going to hire you."

 

- Mike Davidson

 

 

Networking

 

       Florence, Alabama is a great town in which to practice networking. The longer I attend UNA and the more I get to know different people related to different areas that interest me, the more I realize that they are interconnected. Networking is an extremely valuable skill and/or resource that is not required for success, but it does speed up the process and enables you to discover opportunities you may have not otherwise have known about.

 

       A business professor of mine said not too long ago that "in order to be successful in the commercial realm, one either has to be an extrovert, or an introvert that is good at pretending to be an extrovert." The technology of today is concentrating more and more on the idea of interconnection and easy communication. Success today is based upon who can acquired the most information that quickest and networking can be key in this process.

 

       There are several professors at UNA that will help you find opportunities if you are willing to look and work for them. All of the professors seem very dedicated and interested in whatever they are teaching, but the thing that I greatly appreciate about UNA professors is that many of them work so hard to help students in any way that they can, whether its on their own time or not; the thing is, you have to be willing to do your part so its helpful as well as challenging.

 

       I used the name technique that Jackie Hendrix demonstrated to us during Forum at a Model United Nations conference in Atlanta. I can remember the features of a person to an almost supernatural extent but when it comes to names, I always forget to remind myself to remember their names. That is one drawback in networking: you meet so many people that sometimes it is hard to keep up with all of them and how you know them. I heard about a greatly helpful tip in a lecture once that, whenever you receive a business card, don't immediately throw it away but write something on the back of it to remember why you received it in the first place so that you have it available as a resource later. I've practiced this ever since.

       I enjoyed the way in which Mr. Hendrix was able to relate to us and give us helpful tips and encouragement. I actually wasn't aware that the Chamber of Commerce was operated by volunteers.

 

Community Volunteer; John Lane D.M.D

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily."
 

- Zig Ziglar

 

 

"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it."
 

- Raymond Chandler

 

 

"We talk on principal, but act on motivation."
 

- Walter Savage Landor

Motivation

       "We might not act on what we proclaim, but we will most certainly will live what we believe." John Lane was a very likable guy. You can tell that he is really passionate about everything he does, even if he doesn't fully express it. I thought is was clever of him to research the history of volunteerism. I had never thought of the origins of it but it makes sense that it began with the Romans along with the origins of democracy.

       Mr. Lane reiterated for me the fact that I am constantly hearing in these forums this semester: the more you are involved with the community, the more connected you are and it is a substantially effective networking tool. I loved what he said about Billy Reid.

       My best friend, Hannah is a Fashion and Theatre major and when she was in high school she would walk by Billy Reid clothing store downtown and practically drool. She would talk about how great it would be to intern for him. When I told her the story that Mr. Lane told us she loved it.

       Mr. Lane also spoke about Camp McDowell and that same friend, Hannah has been there as well as her little brother Silas. My heart gushed when I heard about the addition they are making, Bethany Village. I really love what they're doing and that the section is name has biblical significance. I also have great respect for Mr. Lane and his family for sponsering it.

    Motivation is something that a lot of college students struggle with but it can be an amazing thing when you find it and put it to good use. Mr. Lane has a lot of motivation for what he does and it was refreshing to hear him speak about it.



Big Brothers Big Sisters; Executive Director Gina Mashburn

"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."

 

- Martin Luther King Jr.

 

 

 

"You see, we are here, as far as I can tell, to help each other; our brothers, our sisters, our friends, our enemies. That is to help each other and not hurt each other."

 

- Stevie Ray Vaughen

 

 

 

There's only one race - it's human. We are all brothers and sisters.

- Jack Kemp

 

 

Siblings

 

       I have never been as close to anyone as I have to my sisters. I'm sure that they have been the biggest influences on my life. We were always together when we were little. Now we each live in a different states but we still turn to each constantly for advice, to tell a funny story , or just to bounce ideas off of each other whenever we need help thinking something through. I couldn't imagine my life with my sisters. I simply cannot comprehend it.

 

       Big Brothers Big Sisters is definitely a possibility for me if the volunteering at CASA doesn't work out for some reason. I would love the opportunity to give a child in need the chance to experience something even remotely close to relationship that my sisters and I have. I feel like if I could be that for a child, I could make a real difference.

 

       I loved the story the Mrs. Mashburn told about the little boy that had to wait for a Big Brother, so he went and told a football player to apply for the program, I thought that it was precious! It makes sense that there are more female volunteers for BBBS than male simply because girls are more drawn to this instinctively and there are more females on the planet than males, but Inever thought about how this would impact volunteer programs.

 

      I think that BBBS and CASA wirk very closely every now and then; or they could if they coordinated with each other. I have been keeoing BBBS in mind while volunteering at CASA. I wonder if it will be helpful whenever I;m old enough to be an advocate when at CASA when I'm old enough. We'll just have to wait and see!

 

      I admire the level of organization within BBBS, the careful comsideration that goes into chosing each volunteer, and I am very supportive of what they are doing!

 

 

Success by Six; Emily Baker

"Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army."

 

- Edward Everett

 

 

"He who opens a school door, closes a prison."

- Victor Hugo

 

 

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

 

- Nelson Mandela

 

"A human being is not attaining his full heights until he is educated."

 

- Horace Mann

 

 

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."

 

- William Butler Yeats

 

 

Education

 

 

       "If a child is not ready for first grade, then they will never catch up," "there are 10,000 children living in poverty in the tri-county area," "half of kindergarten students [in America]," "seven out of ten 4th graders can't read at a basic level" -- This forum was a real eye-opener for me. I had no idea that the children of America were struggling to such an extreme extent; especially so close to home... literally.

 

         Success by Six is a great program centered around a solid platform with three sharp points: education, income, and health. It has a goal that is incredibly valuable in every community in that it is aiming directly at providing the help for children that they may not find elsewhere or may not know that they need. United Way is tackling this issue from several solid angles; they are proving resources for children and giving advice to those closest to the children that will help them out. I particularly liked the idea of sending text messages to teen mothers to give them tips to help them raise their child.

 

      That said, I'm not sure if I would want to volunteer for Success by Six, but I am behind what they are doing one hundred percent. I have a lot of respect for Ms. Baker having found the perfect position for her and so ealry after graduating. It sounds like she started looking early, began to build experience, and worked super hard for something like she has as soon as she knew want she wanted to do.

 

       This is a huge issue everywhere in America, but, as we all know, Alabama isn't exactly at the top of the list for education, and the best way to tackle this problem is through programs like Success by Six that are aimed at the young'uns. It not only benefits the community, but also the children. I'm sure that it isnt fun to struggle in school so early on, live in a low-income family, and be unaware of how to stay healthy at such a young age.

      Success by Six is a great program and I can't wait to see the impact it makes on our community!

      

The Healing Place; Kay Parker

"Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it."

- Tori Amos


"Healing yourself is connected with healing others."

- Yoko Ono

  

 
"The only work that will ultimately bring any good to any of us is the work of contributing to the healing of the world."

- Marianne Williamson

 

Healing

 

 

       Kay Parker was someone that I just wanted to go up and hug after class rather than shake her hand. Though she wasn't as strong of a speaker as many of our past speakers, she made up for it with a radiance of caring for others. I can't think of anyone I know with a disposition that would be more suited to work somewhere like the Healing Place.

 

       Thinking about "what [I] would do, even if [I] were not being paid for it" made me think of the discussion we had in my Business Law class that I had just a few hours before this forum; we talked about how we would have to either try and balance what we want to do and what we could do to make the most money, or choose one or the other. Mrs. Parker told us several times that she didn't feel like she was working whenever she helps out at the Healing Place and is very thankful to have found a way to live her passion.

       I would volunteer at the Healing Place just to be immersed in the loving atmosphere, but it also seems like a place to help those who may not receive help elsewhere just because others would not view their struggles as a significant problem. It really seems like they will work with you and your schedule if you want to help out, which is one of the major problems I'm having with finding volunteer work.

       I really appreciated when Mrs. Parker walked us through a way to deal with emotional stress. I had never thought that actually voicing your worries to yourself was such a dire step in the process. She also reinforced what my dad has always taught me: physical release of stress is absolutely crucial in dealing with it. We have a punching bag in our basement and we'll go for a run if we're feeling angry, upset, or stressed. There have been so many times that I have been really upset and I'll go for a run and when I come back I feel like I have put everything to peace or can't even remember why I was upset in the first place.

       I am glad that Mrs. Parker was able to turn her dream into reality and have such great success with it. I hope that I will be able to do the same thing and I'm glad that she shared with us. I'm definitely adding the Healing Place to my list of possible volunteer opportunities!

 

 

 

Civic Engagement Platform

"To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.

- Tony Robbins

"Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing."

- Rollo May

 

 

"Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible - the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family."

- Virginia Satir

 

 

 

"There is no pleasure to me without communication: there is not so much as a sprightly thought comes into my mind that it does not grieve me to have produced alone, and that I have no one to tell it to."

 

- Michel de Montaigne

Communication

 

       Its year two for the UNA Honors Forum and the time has come for us to begin blogging again! I really appreciate that we are able to express our thoughts and responses to the speaker for each in these blogs and this ties into what I've decided to establish as my platform for my Civic Engagement.

 

       I believe that every able person has some sort of obligation to give back to the community through volunteerism because the most efficient community is one within which everyone works together to improve themselves and those around them. Since our first forum meeting I have put a lot of thought into what platform I could establish that I am really passionate about and the more I think about it, the more that I realize that it all circles back to helping others to communicate.

 

       My major is French, which reflects I think that communication is the single most valuable thing in this entire world. Whether is be through language, the spoken word, pictures, gestures, or facial expressions, communication is what brings us all together and is a very empowering thing. In a day and age in which there are millions of forms of communication, there are still countless individuals who struggle with expressing themselves or just telling others what they need to hear. They are many things that can be done to help others to communicate; such as counseling, translating, or just listening and helping others to express to those around them what is in their minds.

 

       A great opportunity that I found on the UNA Honors Program Civic Engagement page was Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). I would like to pursue a career in International Law, so any court-related experience would help me out immensely and this entire program is devoted to help abused and neglected children to make someone aware of their situation that can find a solution.

 

       I'm looking forward to this semester and learning more about the value of Civic Engagement and how to get involved!