Break on Through to the Other Side

Jim Morrison could not have phrased this sentiment better.  On Tuesday everyone in the Higher Ed and Student Affairs program had to turn in a monster of a paper for our most challenging professor.  We also presented to the class, which was less stressful but still added work.  Tuesday was not a good day for me.    I had coached myself to begin work on my paper early with positive, albeit meager, results.  The goal was to finish the paper on Sunday evening, then Monday at 2 pm, then 5 pm, then 8 pm, then midnight, then noon on Tuesday.  By one pm I had finished everything I needed for the presentation and skimmed the paper for errors.  But everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong as I traversed the campus looking for printing.

But finishing that paper and presentation brought on a wave of euphoria that only Coors Light and Buffalo Wild Wings could complement.  Frenchie's Choice, J.T. York, Dandy Woo, Cardmaster Cider and Ms. I Know You Can dined on greasy, saucy food and drank to celebrate finishing our papers.  It was delicious and everyone left happy.  Ms. I Know You Can is a new addition to the blog's cast of characters so she merits a brief introduction.

Ms. I Know You Can works at a local non-profit in Columbus serving as a coach and mentor for disadvantaged youth who want to attend college.  Often she is quiet in class, but when she has something to say her words are poignant and insightful.  She's also very sassy and it's satisfying to hear her opinions on things, as she has a lot to say.

Now that I'm on the other side I'm getting ready for the ACPA National Conference.  ACPA (American College Personnel Association) is one of the national associations of student affairs professionals.  Because their conference is in nearby Kentucky I'm going to Louisville for four days at the end of March to meet my peers in the field, learn from my faculty and others, and reconnect with friends from Seattle University.  I've been told that as a graduate student the conferences are a great way to network, learn and market yourself.  Then, as a professional, it's like a field-wide reunion of people you've worked with and people you've met.  I'm looking forward to learning a lot from the presenters and seeing a larger portion of my field.