We are calling charity’s to get in touch. We are offering our exchange program as a  tool for research and generation of new ways and strategies within the creative industry but also the social layers of life and environment.

Contribute to Saharawis empowerment through product design.

Two years ago we invited Danielle Smith of Sandblast arts charity (http://www.sandblast-arts.org/) to visit us and launch a brief. This was part of our ‘export London’ mission. We are offering our program as a research and aid platform for non developed regions and sectors. This is coming from the belief in culture as a reviver and a generator.

A year later Florie (one of our students working on this brief) together with Sandblast arts traveled to the Sahara desert where the Saharawis refugees camps are…

more from Florie Salno and the Saharawis project outcome please visit http://floriesalnot-saharawis.blogspot.com/2009/04/personal-outcomes.html

‘To design a way to empower the Saharawis to produce some objects by utilizing the resources available in the camps.

The two aims:

-To enable the Saharawis to express themselves, their culture and identity which have been threatened by years of conflict with Morroco.

-Enable the Sahrarwis to generate an income.

For this project, I have developed:

-A technique to recycle plastic bottles

-Some tools

-Some samples of possible outcomes

Then, I gave shape to it by organising a workshop in the Saharawi refugee camp of Dakhla (Algerian desert), in April 2009.’

Sandblas arts (http://www.sandblast-arts.org/)

Sandblast believes freedom of cultural expression is a fundamental human right. Culture and identity lie at the heart of the Saharawi struggle. Both are threatened by the realities of generations of Saharawis forced to grow up in exile and the repressive policies of the Moroccan occupation in Western Sahara. Sandblast’s focus on the arts echos the peaceful and creative way in which the Saharawis express their resistance.

Video documentary of Greek and Turkish Cypriots releasing flying lanterns over the border in Cyprus-encouraging bi-communication between the two ethnic peoples.

Saurabh Gupta describes his project using Gond art as the basis for creating textiles and wallpapers for his MA Graphic Design at London Metropolitan University

I hate it when students flunk. It’s bad on my nerves. I always feel like there is something more I should have done, something more I should have said. I agonize over placing the fat, honkin’ F on that record, especially with students who have at least warmed their seat all semester. But one must get what one earns, even if I lose a little sleep over it.

With one exception. Plagiarists. Don’t feel like doing footnotes? I’m going to flunk you, and not even bat an eye. Want to just copy material in from books, or cut and paste from websites? Flunky flunky! I just don’t tolerate theft of other people’s ideas and hard work, just because you are too frickin’ lazy to do your own.

With the citations thing, I give my kids a gentle second chance. Either I flip through the papers as they hand them in, and hand it back if there are no citations (or at least try to); or if they are emailed, I will send an email noting that I clearly have the wrong draft, and would they kindly email me the correct one, the one with citations? Because if that is not enough of a hint to correct the issue, they deserve to flunk for outright stupidity. We have enough thick-headed academics in the world, and I am sure if a couple professors had flunked their butts when they were being thick, instead of just passing them off to the next poor fool, we’d have a lot less of them.

There is nothing I consider more EPIC FAIL than failing to cite sources in a writing assignment, especially in upper-level courses, where it should be practically second nature. And I have one policy for EPIC FAIL: an F on your transcript.

Rentaro Nishimura, an alumnus of the MA Product Design course at The Cass (The Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design) was a key part of a team who created an extraordinary cardboard pavilion for a banquet to celebrate the new term at the University of Cambridge.

First and Third-year architecture students at the University of Cambridge under tutors Tom Emerson and Max Beckenbauer designed and constructed the pavilion as part of their study of ‘bricolage’ – the art of making do with whatever resources are at hand. Following a one-day workshop on paper folding techniques led by Rentaro, the third years set about designing the structure to house 80 people, while first years designed the furniture. The idea was developed in two weeks and built in just three day in Fellows Garden at King’s College, University of Cambridge- without the use of a single computer and in time for a celebratory banquet.

The spectacular project has recently featured in the Architectural Review and Icon Magazine. Rentaro, who also teaches at The Cass, won several awards while he was a student including the Metropolitan Works Best In Show, the Guy Beggs Prize and his work was selected to be shown at 100% Design as part of LIGHTEN UP. Since graduating he has worked as a designer on his own and as part of the WC Franck collective.

See the full story and images of the ‘Cardboard Banquet’ at the Architectural Review.

Location Fellows Garden, Kings College, Cambridge
Cardboard supplier SCA Packaging
Workshop Rentaro Nishimura
Tutors Tom Emerson, Ingrid Schröder, Max Beckenbauer
Studio 2 Michael Anderson, Matthew Atkins, Benjamin Barfield-Marks, Luke Bushnell-Wye, Luke Clare,
Alice Colverd, Matteo Mastrandrea, Alexander Mclean,
Sophie Palmer, James Pockson, Katherine Spence, Amy Till,Josh Wedlake, Richard Worth, Shuchen Xiang

our view over london east side… rainbow every day.

Yan’s freshly 3D printed pavilion, just came out of our met works laser sintering machine…

Ah, we have come to a momentous occasion: my twenty-fifth clue for those who have none. Seriously, kids need to have academic advisors and be required to see them regularly; and those advisors should start listening to the “problems” and offering clues. But then, you can lead the horse to water, but even holding its face under that water can’t force it to imbibe.

Hint: Lack of planing on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part, nor qualify you for an extension.

My assignments not only have a due date, they have a due time. It used to be noon. When I first started teaching, this was just fine. Noon on the day of the assignment due date was pretty standard for my college, allowing professors some flexibility in taking assignments and office hour time to assess those assignments. I could happily spend the rest of the afternoon grading, and plan that time effectively. No problem.

Then it started being a problem. Noon deadlines started meaning you were still receiving assignments at one, then two, then three pm. Then the emails began really rolling. In a hyper-connected world, why can’t a student email you their assignment at four? After all, they have so many other classes, and jobs, and kids, and stuff, and its just one paper, right? I was handing out so many zeros that the department chair, then the dean got on my ass. I had to do something.

So I shifted the due time to 5. Then 6. Then midnight.

But it never ends. If I can wait until midnight, why not 1 am?

Tricking them by saying the due time is noon, but accepting papers through midnight, only works once. Not just once per class; in this day of internet and Twitter, I mean once. And even then, you have the stragglers who just can’t seem to understand the definition of “deadline.” As in, if you cross the line, you are dead.

Corollary: if you are going to be traveling the day or two before something is due, black those days out. You will not have time to complete the assignment on those days. If time appears, bonus for you, but the more common experience is one of flight, train, and bus delays, security delays, taxi delays, traffic delays. Also, you have no assurance of internet connection when you arrive at your destination. Seriously. Finish up before you leave.

From Ortonville, MI, Sarah is pursuing a major in IDS International Studies, an additional major in Economics, and a minor in French. In her last year at MSU, Sarah is trying her best to reconnect and spend time with old friends. She further reflected, “I have been much more involved in [MSU] activities than I have ever been. It’s a refreshing experience that I wish I had done earlier.”

Through volunteering with the Honors College, Sarah said that she was able to meet many intersting people. “I love the fact that the HC is full of different majors and people from different backgrounds, but yet we all have one common goal, to actually make a difference somewhere.”

Next year she is hoping to get an assistanceship to teach English in France. “I will not stay in Michigan, although it breaks my heart to leave it. However, I’m excited for this opportunity to go abroad and work in a foreign setting.” Eventually, she would like to work as a study abroad coordinator.

To all other Honors College Seniors she wishes, “A wonderful last year and good luck for the future!!”

Chengjie hails from Shanghai, China and is majoring in Finance at Michigan State. She says she’s looking forward to taking the course GOLF in Business next semester. Chengjie likes the flexibility of the Honors College, especially since it allows her to take as many economics courses as she wants.

In the near future she says, “I will finish my last semester at MSU. My parents will come to attend my graduation ceremony. We have planned to travel all the famous cities and states in the United States. Then I will probably go back to Shanghai-my hometown to take my first level CFA test.”

Her eventual plans include becoming a CFA, a charter holder and a great financial analyst. She also wants to learn two more languages, Spanish and Japanese.

Major: English Language and Literature & Spanish

Hometown(s): New Baltimore, Michigan and Port Albert, Ontario, Canada

Life is special at MSU here in East Lansing, but more special than that is being an MSU student outside of Michigan. I have studied abroad three times: two weeks in Québec, Canada as freshman, six weeks in London, England on an English Literature program, and sixteen weeks in Valencia, Spain studying Spanish language, literature, history, and culture. Being a Spartan is not so much about being an East Lansingite as being a world citizen. Learning is not conducive to four years in and out of Berkey or Bessey Halls.
I love being in the Honors College because I did not have to take ISS, IAH, whatever classes. Heck, I don’t even know what they really are because I never had to worry about them. I had more leeway with fulfilling my natural science requirement, and I very much preferred my Honors Nutrition class to whatever ISS would have put me through.
Next year, I plan to begin graduate school for a masters/Phd in English Renaissance Literature. I will likely be leaving the state if I do not choose the University of Michigan or Michigan State as my best grad school options. It is sad, but Michigan is not where the academic growth is, and if there isn’t enough funding here for the sciences, there is next to nothing for the arts and humanities.
My ultimate plans are to live happily ever. Yes…well, that is defined by earning a doctorate in English Renaissance Literature and working at a good university hopefully located in a more bustling atmosphere than an Alaskan community college.
I would say that I love the Honors College for many reasons, but two of the highest are that one: they left me alone when I just wanted to do my studies and didn’t make me take cutesty freshman honors classes, and two: the Honors College always had my back on study abroad scholarships – they have supported me greatly.

The Digital Forming module at london met MA design suite is set to research and develop MA projects using the digital manufacturing center facilities.

Two rooms with 3D scanning and 3D printing technologies are available for the  MA design suite students to play, any time…

3D scanning and STL fixing for production is an essential part of the process.

Live from the MA Design Suite studios, commercial road London ..:-D

When I was in college, which really wasn’t that long ago, and you missed a class, you provided your excuse to the professor- and then went and got notes from your classmates. Going and asking the professor for their notes was not done. At the time, I didn’t know why- it was just not done.

Now I have the answer.

You see, a professor’s lecture is under copyright. It is propriety to them. Taking the notes of a professor for a missed lecture is like going over to Bill Gates and asking him to provide you the full code of the current Windows operating system, and all the business memos included with it. Or asking for the full and correct formula for Coke.

It is also basically asking a professor to take notes during their own lecture.

Some professors actually write out the whole lecture, and it works like an article they have written or any other work they have done. Other professors write notes, and are talking extemp. Included in either of those notes are notes on the notes, information that may or may not be actually offered in a lecture, notes about questions that may or may not be asked. Things may be crossed out, updated, notated, and even in code. They are not in a state intended to hand out to the public.

So here’s a hint to folks prepping to miss a class: get a buddy. Ask that buddy for a copy of their notes.

Or come to class.

Hometown: Rockford, Mich.

Nicholas is majoring in Lyman Briggs Human Biology. He is especially excited about this semester as it is his first without a Friday class. What he loves most about the Honors College is that it allows him to, “[get] out of boring required classes to take interesting ones.” His plans for next year include medical school and he is planning to stay in Michigan to get his D.O.* at MSU. Eventually, he would like to finish med school and become a physician. When asked if he had anything else he wanted to add, he said, “I like Dave Matthews Band a lot.”

*Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Flora, Indiana

“I am planning to attend grad school at MSU next year. My hope is to work towards a dual major in MHRLR* with a concentration in athletic administration. I do think I will settle in Michigan eventually. I am not sure what life will bring, but I am open to anything! My eventual plans are to work within sports administration for a Division I University helping with student-athlete development and community service/outreach programs.”

Kelly is majoring in supply chain management and says that being able to compete for the MSU varsity gymnastics team made her time at MSU particularly special. When asked about the impact the Honors College has had on her education, she said that she loves the flexibility afforded by the Honors College in exploring challenging courses in areas that she is interested.

“To the Honors College Staff and especially Sandra Dean Hewitt … thank you so much for an amazing experience here at Michigan State University!”

*Master of Human Resources and Labor Relations

Hometown: Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.

Elizabeth is majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science – Public Policy & Political Science, Secondary Education Certification, and is pursuing teaching minors in History and Sociology. Special experiences at MSU include meeting her best friends on the Honors Floor of Bryan Hall. One aspect of the Honors College that she loves is that she finds it to be a “great community of like-minded people”.

Next year, she will be student teaching in the metro-Detroit area. Eventually, she wants to teach Social Studies in a middle or high school. She isn’t quite sure yet, adding, “I might even go to grad school. We’ll see!”

Major: Global and Area Studies – Gender and Global Change

Hometown: Mt. Pleasant and Jackson, Mich.

“This year I look forward to completing two graduate classes and an independent internship with my weaving professor… and also winter break when I can catch up on my favorite TV shows I am sacrificing for Graduate School applications!

I love the flexibility that [The Honors College] allows my degree – that I can sign up and have room for classes that look interesting! I also love the environment of the Honors College – the advisors/mentors, the support for student organizations, and the resources and programs to help enhance our undergraduate experiences have all been indelible components of my HC experience these past few years.

Next year I will be doing one of three things: Teach For America, an Internship (with the CDC or NIH), or Graduate School for an MHP – Epidemiology. Eventually, my goal is to get an MPH, and then a PhD in Epidemiology – hopefully investigating infectious diseases – e.g. malaria and TB.”

Here’s another story told by a student named Kendall.  She’s leading in multiple ways this fall.  Please pray for her!

My name is Kendall Hiedeman, and I’m a third-year psychology and sociology double major.  One of the things that I am doing with GCCF this year is leading a bible study on south campus with my roommate, Nikki.  This year we’re studying Mark.  Although Nikki and I went inviting for our bible study at the beginning of the year, we did not know many people living on south campus who’d be interested in attending a bible study and we had no idea if any of the people we’d invited had any real interest in attending, so we were pretty nervous about how well our bible study would go.  But God really showed us that we didn’t have any reason to worry about people coming to our bible study, and blessed us with lots of first-years and a really great group of regulars.
One of the hardest things for me about leading bible study — that I discovered last year as I led, also on south campus — is that it’s harder to get things out of bible study yourself when you’re the one leading.  This year, however, I’ve seen that complete change for me.  Even though I’ve already studied the passage in leadership meetings and in individual prep time, the people in my bible study ask questions that I’ve never thought of before and have answers that I never could’ve thought of on my own.  I have been learning so much from our bible study, even though I’m the one leading.  For example, we were studying the passage in Mark 3 where Jesus heals a man with a shriveled hand on the sabbath in the synagogue, and — although I’d studied this passage my first year at Grinnell and in leadership meetings and on my own beforehand — I’d never really realized just how awesome it is that Jesus becomes “angry and deeply distressed at [the Pharisee's] hardness of heart” (Mark 3:5).  How cool is it that Jesus is so passionate about healing people that he gets angry when people have any hesitations about him doing so?  We’ve also just had some really great group prayer time at the end of our bible studies, and have had people finding some really awesome connections between the passages we’ve been studying and their own lives.  God has really been reminding me of something that I think I forgot through the course of my first year leading last year — how he can use studying the bible in community to teach people more about Him.

Another thing that I am doing with GCCF this year is leading the worship team.  I’ve been playing the piano for the worship team since about the middle of my second semester at Grinnell.  This is my first time ever being on a worship team, and this semester has been my first time ever leading a worship team.  Benjamin Hering led last year and let me “practice” leading last year, but we lost two veteran singers and our bass player last year, so this year has been a completely different experience — and I didn’t realize it would be so different until I started doing it!  Community Worship has also relocated to Forum South Lounge, so was another big adjustment that we had to get used to.  There has been a lot of craziness and stress trying to get adjusted to a new space, a less-experienced worship team, and to being the leader — I had no idea that worship team leaders had to make so many decisions all the time, theologically and relationally and otherwise — and I was really nervous about worship team for the first few weeks.  But, God is really great about meeting us exactly where we need to be met, and He used conversations with other leaders, GCCF members, and previous worship team members as well as words of affirmations from our guest speakers to show me that people were being blessed through our music, and that we were working together really well as a team.  God has helped me to recognize the things that I need to do to help the members of the worship team build confidence and cohesiveness, and He’s given me great words of affirmation to speak to the members of the worship team and great opportunities to speak them.  God’s really been growing the members of worship team into great leaders of worship and has, I believe, really been using our music to bless the people who attend Community Worship.

Hint: If you are already on a professor’s shit list, and you know it, it is a bad idea to ask for extensions or “rule bending” of any kind. That kind of crap just pisses your professor off and makes you BLOG FODDER.

Ever have a student you just want to throttle, because they are so self-centered and thick-headed that you wonder how they managed to get through the admissions process to get into your college?

When I was young, one of the great lessons I learned is of you piss somebody off, the best course of action is to not annoy them further. In the world of college, if you already have crossed a line with a professor, your best course of action is to toe the line of course policy. Come to all the classes. Turn in all the work. Turn it in on time. If the professor provides you with something like an extension, despite your previous run-in, turn that work in quickly, by the new deadline set, and for the love of All Things Holy, make sure you turn in high-quality, spectacular work, to show respect for your professional and beneficent professor. Because if you don’t, and you were already on the Metaphorical Smack List, you will get moved up to the Report Student to Advisor and Department Chair List. Oh, and you’ll likely flunk that crappily done assignment you turned in late.

I think in my next syllabus, I am going to include a Late Work Policy. If you forget to bring the essay I kindly allowed you to do at home instead of having to complete in class without any books or notes, you may turn it in by midnight for a Five-Point penalty. Each day that passes thereafter will be another Five Points. Be aware that your points may run to the negative. (So if you have an essay worth 25 points, and you turn in a C-level essay a week late, that would be 19 – 35, or a -16, to be added into your exam score.)

Seriously. The rise in this kind of shit is getting so annoying, it is making me cuss on my blog in frustration.

I was waiting for it, not so patiently.  The other AmeriCorps instructors were talking about it while I was left hoping for it.  I have a wonderful class full of bright students who are committed to learning English.  I enjoy them very much, but I could not ignore the fact that our class lacked a certain amount of cohesion.  They laughed when we played games, but their jokes were mostly made within their group of friends, and no one liked to be partnered with people they didn’t know.  I went into each class hoping that one of the activities I had planned would bond them together.

One night, the tone of our classroom changed.  I looked around and there was a smile on every students face.  Laughter filled the room as the game of “Guess Who” became more competitive.  My students were engaging in friendly banter as they reminded each other of the rules.  I sat back and took in the scene, and that’s when I heard it; “English only please”.  Wait a minute . . . that’s what I say, but those words had not come from my mouth.  One of my Spanish-speaking students was reminding her friends that they need to speak English in class.  Multiple students repeated those words that night.  They finally understood that not everyone in the class spoke Spanish, and in doing so, they were leaving out their classmates.  I beamed as the game brought them closer together.  The teams were working collectively to form questions and the self-appointed leaders were making sure everyone on the team got a chance to speak up.  The most reserved student in the class was laughing and eager for a turn to ask a question!  By the end of the game some of the students had tears in their eyes from laughing so hard, and the new friendships were evident as students I had not seen interact before hugged each other.  The moment I had been waiting for had finally occurred; my class was bonding.  It took a few weeks, but it came naturally and was completely worth the wait.

- Courtney Pergal, AmeriCorps Instructor

Hint: Turn in all work you have, when you have it, and if at all possible, on time. Late work is extremely annoying to professors. We have to manage our time just like you do, and having work roll in late means we have to come up with new blocks of time to grade it.

I have had a huge number of make-up midterms this semester- more than I have had in ten years’ teaching put together. Midterms are a quarter of the final grade, you would think they would be taken seriously.

Not only have there been a mass of make-ups, but make-ups to the make-ups. I put together the make-up exam online, and had another group of students who failed to finish it by the deadline. I made the mistake of allowing students to do their essay at home- its two weeks later, and I am still waiting for some of them. We won’t be making that mistake again.

Then I have The Incredibly Unlucky Student. The student’s situation is a bit comical in and of itself. Either this student is an ace at getting away with shit, or they have the worst luck to ever hit a student in the history of the planet- but not bad enough to keep them from being a pain in the ass.

This is the second semester I have had Lucky, so I have the drill down now. Lucky appears in class, oh, maybe the third week of a semester, in time to be counted present in the federal paperwork. Lucky claims to have been sick, vaguely, and can even produce a doctor’s note if you so desire. Lucky then comes in late for the next week or two, straggling in and disrupting classmates. Lucky is coming from another class or from work, and does have quite enough time in-between to get here on time. Lucky is not stupid, and has had some education; they seem familiar with basic history and geography, in a world where most students aren’t. I have a vague suspicion that this is why Lucky is here- big fish in a little pond. Then the absences start again. Last semester, Lucky was in and out of doctors because of a mysterious condition that could have been serious, but turned out was totally not. Lucky was happy to produce doctor’s notes, which are notoriously vague. There were trips to emergency rooms, days in bed from dizziness and nausea, doctor’s appointments, and just “I felt too bad to come.” This semester, we have the lovely H1N1 to blame absences on and get vague doctor’s notes for.** So Lucky has, of course, had the flu for a week and a half. And then the morning of the exam, lo and behold, Lucky was in a car accident. They presented a doctor’s note about a shoulder injury, it was a little difficult to make out, other than “excused from school and work.”

So I bundled Lucky with the other third of the class who didn’t show up, bit the bullet, and put up an online make-up exam with a week to complete it. The day before it was due, our college’s computer systems were down for about 3 hours. Of course, they went down while Lucky was taking the midterm. And did Lucky contact me right away, or immediately after the systems came up, or even the next morning? Um, no. Lucky emailed## me the day after the exam was due to complain that they did not get a chance to finish the midterm.

The solution this student sees for this? Lucky wants me to just use the score on their final for their midterm as well. They see this as “fair.”

Ok, stop laughing. This student is serious. After all, they go on and on about what a good student they are, even though their attendance is poor, and how hard they worked. Hey, they passed last semester, right?

But wait- I look in my records, and realize not only do I not have the make-up exam they are taking online, I don’t have the essay, either. The one they were supposed to bring with them to the exam, remember? That should have been printed out in the car when Lucky was in the accident. Emailing it to me should have done immediately, or at the very least after I informed Lucky of the make-up exam when they showed up (late) for the next class.

The online midterm situation was easy. I reopened it, and emailed Lucky that I did so. I am sure Lucky will be whining Monday morning that they didn’t check their email, so I also let the whole class know that Monday at midnight is it- exams are done. If Lucky bothers to come to class, I can at least warn them in person, and email be damned. If not, Lucky can just take their ass to the dean and complain. With the latest update to our servers, I can actually see what work has been done on the midterm, so I’ll grade what I have and call it done.

I’m tired of waiting for students to decide to do their work.

** I wish I could insist a doctor sign a doctor’s note, or that it appear on actual letterhead, or something- I suspect a lot of these “notes” are just a word processor and a scribble.

## I seriously considered posting the email, but most of it a rant about how life is so unfair and why, and there was just too much personal information. When I cut it all out, it wasn’t all that coherent.

Midterms are upon us, and with it the usual whining about studying, cramming, and poor time management. This is moment when those students who complain about having lives, jobs, and kids get particularly annoying, especially to their fellow students.

One of my little darlings actually shared these complaints on our discussion board, and has been getting a plethora of advice on how to study. By far my favorite has been the one entitled “How to Eat An Elephant!”

So I share with you the wisdom of that note, because it is sound studying advice: don’t try to eat an elephant whole. You have to cut it up into smaller pieces, and consume it over at least several days. You should be studying all along, not just trying to cram things in before the exam. A review is no time to learn the material, it is a time to refresh things in your mind that you have already learned. The elephant should already be skinned, deboned, and ready for the barbecue.

Otherwise, you just get indigestion. And a dislocated jaw.

I met Josh Little on October 24th, 2007.  He was one of thousands.  I don’t remember many of them.  But I remember Josh.

It was my first travel season with American University, and my very first time visiting schools in Delaware.  It was pouring rain.  It was freezing.  And I was late to my first  visit to what would become one of my all-time favorite high schools – Wilmington Friends.   I met the Director of College Counseling, Kathleen Martin, who would later become not only a professional ally but also a good friend, and she offered me a towel and a cup of coffee.  Then, we got to talking, and she mentioned that she had a student who was going to be applying early decision to American.  His name was Josh Little.

Kathleen explained that this young man was exceptional – outgoing and friendly, the kind of kid who lights up a room when he enters it and is friends with one and all.  He was a leader in the school and in the community.  He was also a gay African-American teenager whose parents refused to  accept his sexuality.  And he was in love with American.

Josh couldn’t come to my visit because of scheduling conflict, but he did stop by to meet me before class.  His smile was bright and wide.  He was adorable in a little brother sort of way, and seemed like the kind of kid who would help old ladies with their groceries and would volunteer to shovel snow for the single mom during winter.  And he was in love with American University.

They say that first impressions are the most important impressions.  It was my first travel season with AU, and I was finding it difficult to sell a $50,000/year university.  As much as I was enjoying working for a school with a more prestigious reputation than Albright College that was in an easier city to talk about than Reading, PA, I had not yet refined my messaging, nor had I developed my own relationship with the product I was promoting.  Josh Little was the first person I’d met since joining the AU admissions team who was truly head over heels for this institution.  He and I only spoke for a few minutes, but during that time, I felt as though we had switched roles – I was the prospective student and he was the AU mouth piece.  Listening to him talk about AU, standing in the presence of his enthusiasm, I was sold.  On AU.  On Josh.

I applied ED to the College of William and Mary.  It was the only school I’d ever considered, the only place I wanted to be.  I applied without ever formally setting foot on the campus, driven by blind faith and a feeling that I belonged there.  The day that I was accepted to my dream school was easily the happiest day of my life, a moment that was trumped four years later when I received my diploma.  When I look back on my first meeting with Josh Little, I realize that I saw myself in him.  He felt about AU the way that I’d felt about W&M.  And that’s a powerful feeling.  At that moment, I knew that I would do whatever it took to admit Josh to his dream school.

And it took a lot.  Josh’s 2.6 weighted GPA  made him inadmissible, even as an ED minority student.  I spoke to Kathleen on the phone several times, gathering as much information about Josh as I could, preparing the case that I would pitch to my boss, the director of admissions.  I spoke to Josh and had him send me a heartfelt statement of interest.  Anything, EVERYTHING I could do to get this kid in.

On November 25th, 2007, I went to dinner with my boyfriend, Kevin, who also happens to be my co-worker.  We’d only been dating a month at the time, and were still trying to figure out how to balance the intricacies of our working relationship with those of our personal relationship.  We started talking about early decision file review and one thing led to another.  Pretty soon, I was telling him about Josh Little.  I made my case for Josh’s admission to AU, almost as if I were presenting a legal argument in a courtroom.  Kevin wasn’t buying it, representing AU’s interests in our mock trial. Kevin was concerned about Josh’s ability to survive at AU, especially if his transcript was any indicator of his academic potential.  Kevin is very good about not getting emotionally involved with his files.  I, however, am a girl and can’t help it.  Kevin was adamant that Josh not be admitted.  I was convinced that he should be.  Today, I laugh and say that the first fight Kevin and I ever had was over Josh Little.

On November 26th, 2007, a little over a month after I’d met Josh at Wimington Friends, I walked into my boss’s office at 8:00am and made my case for Josh’s admission to her.  I threw everything I had at her, pleading with her to allow me to give Josh the chance to prove himself.  She was skeptical.  I was persistent.  “There is an exception to every rule,” I told her.  “Josh is my exception.  He can do this.  I believe in him.”

An hour later, I wrote this in Josh’s file:

“Students like Josh don’t come around every day.  Yes, his numbers are low, but I am certain, having met with him, that he would thrive in an environment like the one here at AU.  I would be devastated personally and professionally if this were the end of the line for Josh.  He wants AU so badly and I want it to happen for him.  Admit – KFS 11/26/07″

When it was all said and done, a colleague of mine asked me why was it so important to me to fight for Josh.  I told her that I sometimes imagine one of the W&M admission counselors going to his boss about me.  I didn’t have the numbers.  I shouldn’t have been admitted.  But they accepted me.  There must have been a reason.  Maybe that reason was because someone fought for me.  And because that person fought for me, I had the chance to fight for Josh.

I saw Josh Little on campus yesterday.  I was on my way to a meeting and he was heading back to his dorm after class.  He’s a sophomore now, still smiling that bright smile.  Whenever I think that this job doesn’t matter, whenever I am convinced that we have little to no affect on the students we admit, that we’re only here to do the heavy lifting and that this college admissions thing is all a business built on numbers, not names and faces, I think of Josh.  If I can make a difference in just one student’s life, then all of this is worth it.

L,
K