Life as an Advisor

So I realize that I've been highly absent in recent weeks. I wish my life was more exciting, but it's been mostly work related lately (and I feel like that stuff is too boring to post). But maybe it's not. Maybe everyone wants to hear some of our daily battles; such as how Akon has decided to catch a flight from Sierra Leone (with three connections) and land in Charlotte at 8 pm the day of the concert when he's supposed to go on stage at 9:30 pm (not sure how that's gonna work out) or how my student called me at 10:45 pm (I didn't answer) last night to tell me how she thinks she wants to cancel her Sunday event because two of her friends don't think they're gonna go (which must mean that the rest of the student body won't go...right?) or how I went to a meeting this morning to meet with Physical Plant to see if we could drive stakes into the ground at one of our biggest events of the year Saturday to hold up construction fencing around the band's stage to keep students from jumping onto it (as they have at the last two concerts we've held). Fun times, you're jealous right?!

But, it's not all ridiculous. I've only been here for almost two years (can't believe it's almost been that long), but things are really starting to feel like an old hat and students look at you now like you've been here forever now.  I had a warm fuzzy moment yesterday in fact...this time every year student orgs have to propose their budgets for next academic year to the ATC (Activities Tax Council) and present it to the council. Our boss advises that group and sits in on all of the sessions. Yesterday, he came in to the office and was just beaming. He wanted Jason and I to know that several people had talked about what great help we'd been to their organizations throughout the year. And, at one point, someone suggested to a group that if they were going to try to do some of the things they were proposing, that they should make sure they had advisors like us to help them with the process. :) 

When I got here, the thing that really surprised me was that the student activities office didn't really work closely with that many organizations other than the Union Board. Since they've added my position, I think our office has really had the time to branch out and help more of our organizations. Yay for progress. 

Oh in other good news, we had 145 applicants for the Orientation Team next year! I know that doesn't seem exciting, but it is to me. It's a small school, that's a lot of people.

This has been the most random post ever. Sorry. 

Oh, funny story of the day: One of my students who graduated last year is visiting for Frolics (that big event I mentioned above) and we're catching up this afternoon. But, I ran into him downstairs just a few minutes ago. What does he ask me...not hey how's it going? How's the new board? Nope... "Can I use your computer to print out my taxes?" Guess life as an advisor doesn't end after they graduate.