the third union place…

I previously wrote about some of my thoughts on Ray Oldenburg’s “The Great Good Place” in July here, and wanted to develop some more thoughts on how the student union can serve as a community third place based on some of Oldenburg’s later chapters.

So, as Great Good continues, the author moves into exploring specific famous third places of the past, like the English Pub, French Cafe, American Tavern, and coffeehouses of various sizes, shapes, and nationalities.  In a section on the English coffeehouse, we explore the concept that the English gained knowledge of and explore through conversation the news of the community and the world, and that the coffeehouse was the end all be all of this service.  Up until the mid-19th century, the coffeehouse was a daily stop for English men to gather, hear the news, discuss, and argue.

Give me the news!

Oldenburg credits the development of home mail delivery, the daily newspaper, coffeehouse owners going for bad business policy, and other factors as the downfall of the coffeehouse.  A quote stood out to me from this section, included from a foreign visitor observing English coffeehouse culture and life, stating “…workmen habitually begin the day [we are talking everyday] by going to coffee rooms in order to read the daily news.”

In a sense, this is sort of what we hope for in thinking about how our unions can function for our campus and our student community.  It’s why we have services that draw students to our buildings (food, post office boxes, printing services) and its why we have unique and pleasurable spaces to relax, connect, and study.  We want to draw the student community in in order to introduce them to new opportunities and the greater involvement picture of campus life, and in the perfect union world, they are exposed to new ideas and perspectives that provide them more context on their academic work and help to craft a more open and understanding student.

Look at all the things you can look at, experience, taste, enjoy! *Neither I or ACUI endorse installing a candy room in your Union. This would cause both gastrointestinal bloat and administrative bloat.*

This transitions well into a later chapter, titled A Hostile Habitat, which explores why modern urban environments and designs are so hostile to these third places, where the community should be able to gather together at their local.

Oldenburg contends that “the modern urban environment accommodates people as players of unifunctional roles… it reduces people… allowing them little opportunity to be human beings.”  Wow, that is harsh.  Borrowing from architectural critic Wolf Von Eckardt, who you know you can get behind 100% because his first name is WOLF (*Does not apply to Wolf Blitzer), Oldenburg explains “what ails us… is not that we are incapable of living a satisfactory and creative life in harmony with ourselves, but that our habitat does not offer sufficient opportunities.  It hems us in.  It isolates us.”

West Wing Walk and Talks are bifunctional, so they are not allowed.  Be sad about that.

But, that’s supposed to be the beauty of the college union – the fact that there are a lot of functionalities crammed into one building, so that students, even if they aren’t that over-involved student leader, are in the building often, and hopefully in a vibrant and active atmosphere that we have fostered, are exposed to new learning opportunities and experiences.  The union fails if it is unifunctional, but multifunctional will take on a different look on each campus (a rural campus union will serve a very different role than an urban campus union), each era of student culture (game rooms and smoking lounges may not be the highest priority anymore), and will need the commitment of the community to ensure it stays updated and functioning to the highest degrees for our multifaceted campuses.

When it comes to our buildings, we have to ask each and every constituent to consider “Does this place offer sufficient opportunities to explore, grow, and live?” and if the answer is no, we may need to go back to the drawing board to better understand what our spaces need beyond just the basic architectural and engineering requirements.  I’m not advocating for over the top everything to please every constituency, but we really have to understand how the environment influences the user, because if our whole mission is based around exploration, we need spaces that encourage that, rather than hemming us in.  That’s what works.  That’s a lot more important than mosaics of your mascot or Starbucks on every floor.

But, uh, your SGA does not need this in their office.

I think I’ve got one more blog post that can come from this book, so stay tuned for that.  It’s about space.  Not Neil DeGrasse Tyson space, but like, TLC’s Trading Spaces space.

the union place…

I’ve been blogging a lot based on current books I’m reading and how they relate back to the student affairs or college union experience, and if that isn’t your cup of tea… my bad, but…

I don’t know when I’ll get back to writing funny things or things completely unrelated to college unions, urbanism, and other such things as such… such.

So, my current read while riding the T is The Great Good Place, by Ray Oldenburg (my at home read is 1Q84, a book larger than Mongo by Haruki Murakami).

Spoilers.

I’m not even half done with The Great Good Place, and yet, I am compelled to blog about a couple of passages already because it has been overall a great read.  Oldenburg explores the concept of the ‘third place’ in this book, the place that is not our home, and not our work, but another place, where we go to relax, gather with folks familiar and new, and essentially shoot the shit with.  The third place, in history, is the basis of community and is a cornerstone of informed and well-debated views and opinions.  Even though Oldenburg often oversimplifies societal problems, the third place and its decline in recent decades has increased the disconnection within our communities that we so often see today (want an example of overgeneralization – I just got done with some thirty pages of an ode to the 1950’s Leave it to Beaver soda fountain).  Think- complaining about people only staring at their phones at dinner rather than talking with friends and having good conversation – ON STEROIDS! OH NOOOOES!

Which one is your local?

So, you are probably asking yourself… omg, Joel is advocating for a pub in every Union (ok, maybe I am), but what I really want to examine is how our unions can potentially serve as this third place for our campuses, our student, staff, faculty, and local communities.

I found the ‘third place’ concept through this article, written by Loren Rullman and Jan van den Kieboom, where they indicated a third place often has the following characteristics:

…they are typically free or inexpensive to use; food is commonly available; they are easily accessible and proximate to first and second places; one can expect to see regular users; the ambiance is welcoming, comfortable, and playful; rules are few and neutralizing to hierarchy and status; and conversation is the primary sustaining activity.

A couple of passages and thoughts popped out to me when considering the union’s role as campus and community third place, particularly this one in a chapter focused on Main Street USA:

By their definition, a core setting in a neighborhood or community is that place where one is more likely than anywhere else to encounter any given resident of the community… in the common vernacular, [it] is ‘where the action is’

This sounds awfully familiar to how we view our own campus centers and student unions, that they are a hub of activity, drawing students from all areas of campus and academia into a building for a variety of reasons and where they can be exposed to new opportunities and ideas.  Art galleries, events, marketing, post offices, dining, student organization space, finance and ID card offices – they are all likely to find homes in our buildings and are all likely to lure campus community members only to offer them something new once their primary activity has been completed.  It’s where the action is, it’s the hub, the living room, or the heartbeat of campus.

What’s your hub?

So, now that we have a basis for understanding unions as a third place for our campus community, what happens in those third places that benefit our students?  In another area of overgeneralization from Oldenburg, he talks about the negative influence the 24 hour news cycle and television news media has had on the democratic and political participation process in our country.  TV offers a wide breadth of information in an efficient manner, but it does not offer the opportunity that a neighborhood tavern or a union lounge does to immediately “question, protest, sound out, supplement, and form opinion locally and collectively” upon hearing news.

This is something that I think is key for the student union experience, especially in our heritage and founding as debate societies, and especially in the UK context of a student union, an advocating and policy-making body that directly influences the student experience.  The union has to be a place where, with support, views and opinions can be challenged and folks can get out of their comfort zone in a productive way as local, national, and global events play out and become part of the current social landscape.  I’m all for concerts and stuff (and don’t get me wrong, they have their place and I love planning me a good concert), but some of my favorite programming that I have ever done was serving as an emcee on panels talking about What’s Next for places like Libya, after the fall of Ghaddafi, and Fukushima, after the earthquake and tsunami of 2011, and giving tours of 3 Ohio-based panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt while at Wooster.  I sincerely enjoyed the opportunity to continuously engage students who were at the top of their game in topics they cared about, wanted to know more about, and could spend hours talking about.  I don’t really care if we consider ourselves co-curricular or extracurricular in our unions, but we need to challenge, we need to be mindful of current events, and we must help students realize their place and role in what is going on.

The 24 hour news cycle also does not give us the local flavor that a third place can, informing us more “about a school bus accident in a South American country than of the actions of a local city council, which will have a far greater impact upon our lives,” and which we can easily see in issues like local voting rights for college students.

This article popped up in my Twitter feed from another master of the overgeneralization, Jeff Selingo, decrying the fact that the new student union at Miami University features lamps that cost $1035, but offers an interesting perspective into how institutions are funding new construction in different ways.  Granted, any chance most people can get to tack on another #adminbloat hashtag, they’ll take it.

What I found interesting from the article was further down, talking about why we are seeing new unions being constructed nowadays, in the recent financial barren landscape, with more modern, comfortable amenities and services that feature elements more conducive to the millennial student experience rather than the 1950’s malt shop student experience.  Dan Hurley, a spokesman for the American Association of Colleges and Universities, said “With regards to students, those buildings have served as a nucleus of student activities, academic programming, activities, cultural and entertainment activities,” which is backed up by supporting statements from the Miami student body president about its usage and benefit to campus life and experience (granted, how much of the SBP’s statements are scripted… you should read for yourself to decide).

I am not one for unnecessarily raising the bill for students to attend college, and if a union can be renovated or reconstructed to be made a better third place for this generation and the following generations (there is a reason why the field has been screaming FLEXIBILITY these last few years) in a sustainable and cost-effective manner, I’m all for it.  We need third places on campus, for all our constituents, and we in the student union biz are uniquely suited to serve as such.  So, let’s do it then, huh?

Sit down… let’s conversate… wait, how did you just sit in that chair? What the hell? Why? #Riker #dealwithit

Some #SATech Picks for #ACUI14

I did not get around to my usual Wednesday blogpost this week, particularly because the 2014 ACUI International Conference is coming up very quickly, starting Sunday, April 6th down at the Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando.  ACUI being the Association of College Unions International, a professional association focused on building campus community through opportunities of leadership, service, and engagement on campus.

As I finish up presentations, pick out clothes for ACUI’s 100th Anniversary Celebration Gala, and watch the backchannel overflow from NASPA (in Baltimore) and ACPA (in Indianapolis), I started crafting my conference schedule, paying particular attention to technology-based sessions at ACUI 2014.

…oops… wrong Orlando.

Crafting this blog post after Eric Stoller’s #NASPA14 post highlighting his tech picks for that conference, here are some of my picks for this year’s #ACUI14 conference out of the numerous awesome technology and other educational sessions available this year:

Educational Session 1 – 8am Monday:

Schedule Me Wirelessly – Justin Durham, Middle Tennessee State University

Unions are multi-faceted entities, encompassing performance spaces, food and catering, custodial services, and community partnerships.  Getting everything and everyone on schedule can be a tough job, but the tech exists to help you get it done.

Educational Session 2 – 11:30am Monday:

Using Technology to Integrate Building Systems – Bill Cox and Stephen Senkel, Texas A&M University

Fresh off the rebuild and renovation of the Memorial Student Center at Texas A&M, this session should provide valuable insight into how to integrate tech into the renovation conversation, and lessons learned from the process.

Computer Lab Tech Session 2 – 5pm Monday:

Communicating with Students – Mike Makoski, Fitchburg State University, Kim Pho, University of Notre Dame and Casey Van Veen, The College of William and Mary

Having heard Mike Makoski of Fitchburg State speak on how he keeps his student staff engaged and informed via social media, this session should be a good primer on how to create and engage student communities via technology.  The variety of schools represented gives attendees a better chance of finding a connection to their own work.

Educational Session 3 – 12:45pm Monday:

Integrating New Software and Procedures – Neela Patel, Rutgers University and Marcus Williams, The George Washington University

If your office is looking to go from paper to digital processes, that transition can be fraught with obstacles, difficulties, and learning curves.  Learning from two institutions gives attendees a better chance to connect the information in this session to their home institution to better implement new technology in their offices.

Educational Session 4 – 2pm Monday:

Photo and Video Editing 101 – Filip Pongratz, Temple University

ACUI celebrates the best in design and visuals with the Steal This Idea opportunities at international conferences, and this session may offer the opportunity to create eye-catching graphics to folks not in our marketing departments.  Sometimes, conferences allow us to get back to the basics, and these design skills are essential in today’s digital unions.

Educational Session 5 – 9:15am Tuesday:

Using Digital Signage in the Student Union – Mandi Bryson, College of Charleston and Jeff Taylor, The University of Southern Mississippi

Digital signage is quickly replacing bulletin boards and room reservation sheets in our bustling union buildings.  Come learn from two institutions how they implemented digital signage and what change and benefit that brought to their students and community.

Educational Flash Session 7b – 4:45pm Tuesday:

Social Media Assessment – Jennifer Keegin, Binghamton University

We get so drawn into ensuring our content is fresh and engaging, we may forget to look at the data behind all our work.  Plus, how do we show that the social media presence of our unions is helping foster community on our campuses?  Get into the assessment discussion to see if your digital work is paying off.

Computer Lab Tech Session 7 – 2pm Tuesday:

Moving Your Annual Report Online – Steven Wein, University Student Union, California State University, Northridge

Annual reports may be a required part of our jobs, and may just get stacked on a bookshelf to collect dust by those we give it to.  Ensure that your annual report informs and celebrates your union and your story with this session – check out USU’s 2012-13 Annual Report if you need convincing.

Educational Session 8 – 8:30am Wednesday:

Creating a Social Media Strategy – Eric Heilmeier, University of Michigan

Eric has been connecting student development theory and student involvement to social media for years now, and so this session on creating a winning strategy is probably a good choice if you are looking to jump in the deep end or dip your toes into the social media pool.

Video Training for Custodial Staff – Ryan Green, Southern Oregon University

We may be focused on social media strategy or maintaining our digital bulletin boards, but how can we help ensure our staff can do their job as well as possible?  Video training, especially for our hands-on custodial staff members, can help introduce and familiarize staff with the details of their job, so they know how to get things done right away.

Educational Session 10 – 4:15pm Wednesday:

What’s Hot in Technology – Mike Coleman, Tallahassee Community College and Brian Lind, Salisbury University

This session is becoming an annual tradition at ACUI, and is always a solid choice.  Mike Coleman brings the latest and greatest apps and pieces of technology to showcase at this session, some of them unrelated to union work and student affairs, but valuable for every professional on and offline.

 

As I write this, I have a Prezi open in another screen, where I am finishing up one of my presentations, #ACUINext: Digital Community Building, which takes place on Monday at 8am.  Taking a look at the past few years and the MOOC sensation that has washed over higher education, ACUI needs to take a look at where it can go in it’s next 100 years, and commit itself to being a thought leader in not only community building on the residential campus, but in digital spaces as well.

The Internet… it’s all we can talk about.

Also, be sure to download the ACUI App on your digital devices, powered through Guidebook, which offers updates throughout the conference, social media information, maps of the Marriott complex, and more.

Pencil in times for these tech meetings and meetups as well so you can get all the latest ACUI tech info and meet up with your fellow ACUI techies:

Tweet Up: Monday – 730-9pm – http://tweetvite.com/event/acui14

Technology Community of Practice Meeting: Tuesday – 415-515pm

 

Looking forward to seeing everyone there in Orlando, don’t forget to bid high and bid often when you have the chance, and when you see Marsha, give her a big hug.

community standards and public transit…

Wow… I have not posted in a month and a half.  Dang.  I’m sorry.  That’s no good.

I’ll try and get myself started up and rolling again here.

This past weekend, in case you haven’t heard, it snowed in Boston. A lot. It was fun, surreal, scary, ridiculous, and fun.  Here is Eugene and I’s video of the start of the storm on Friday evening (are there better time-lapse snow videos out there… yes… NO! Ours is the best).

The T was shut down into Sunday, and returned to full service on Monday (although I do question whether they maintained that today… which was T-errible).  My thought was that because we, Boston residents all together, had gone through this snowstorm, and we all knew/understood the large task that stood before the City and the MBTA, that Boston residents would be respectful, patient, and understanding in this process of ramping up service again while boarding busses next to 6 ft tall snow piles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was wrong.

People were rude, accusatory, and more unpleasant than usual on Monday while trying to ride the T.  Snapping at fellow passengers, berating drivers, throwing tantrums as full vehicles passed by.  As someone who deeply values respect for community (for 2 reasons: I lived in Japan and fell in love with the culture, and I work in student affairs and I’m a bleeding heart that way), it sucked to see.  Get mad at a driver if they make a wrong turn or if they don’t know how to use a brake pedal appropriately.  But don’t get mad at them for things beyond their control — weather and terrible urban transportation decisions by the management of the MBTA system (all green line trains during rush hour should have 3 cars minimum, and why are we looking to expand the green line when it is already unable to meet current capacity needs).

Also, don’t get mad at fellow passengers.  We all stepped in that puddle at Packards Corner.  We also climbed over that Everest-sized snow pile to board the 1 bus at Hynes.  We all also have those terrible frozen boogers while waiting 20+ minutes for a not-full bus.  Your experience is not unique on the T; it is a community transport system and therefore we experience the highs and lows together.  You are not the only one with those treasonous and anarchical thoughts, just as I know this is not the only blog post on this subject.  So stop acting like you are the Queen of the T.  You are not.  We are all minions, subject to the whims of the system, and we might as well be cordial and helpful to each other as we go through it on a daily basis.

The T is not helping itself either.  They recently unveiled a new campaign, called “Courtesy Critters,” to remind people to utilize basic human decency when riding the T, such as don’t hog seats, don’t talk super loud on your cell phone, and let people off before you throw bows on your way into the train.

 

 

 

 

If you follow me on Twitter, you know I despise these things to begin with, so should a campaign be done, yes, absolutely.  I also like the artwork – hokey photoshop design works really well in this case.

The thing that I don’t get, is how do you honestly expect the average Boston resident, complete with hardened attitude and even harder accent, to listen to something called “Courtesy Critters?”  That is literally child’s play.  I would feel like I’m insulting a 2nd grader’s intelligence if I said “Courtesy Critters” to a 2nd grader.  So, seriously MBTA, you are going to throw a campaign at your ridership that is this childish?  I would rather see a campaign with these guys saying terrible, cuss-filled phrases in a stereotypical Boston accent, than a “Courtesy Critter.”

We know Matt Damon is available since he finally got his spot on Kimmel’s show.