The world's most frightening high ropes course

I have found the world's most frightening high ropes course. It's located at the Zephyr Baptist Encampment in Sandia, TX. I was there for a leadership retreat with students from Texas A&M Corpus Christi last weekend.

What? You thought I was there for a Baptist Choir convention? Not so much.

It's not that the course is the highest I've ever seen. It's not that it's dangerous or rickety. It's not that it dangles precipitously over cliffs or ocean rocks.

There were dozens of enormous VULTURES sitting on it. Talk about intimidating! This was just too priceless not to capture on film. How much fun would it be to be nervously inching across a narrow beam four stories up and have a vulture staring at you?

Thanks to the students from TAMU-CC and to their advisor Kimberly Duncan for a great day!

New Recruitment Boot Camp website launched

We launched our new entirely-revamped website for Recruitment Boot Camp this week. I think it looks outstanding, and it's much easier to navigate and find the version of Recruitment Boot Camp that's right for your campus, chapter, or national organization. Check it out at www.RecruitorDie.com, and please encourage others to check it out.

Although we are no longer the only kids on the block offering a program on fraternity and sorority recruitment, I continue to believe that RBC is the most in-depth recruitment workshop out there. For those needing a significant cultural change, RBC is the right choice.

In any case, click HERE to check out the new site. Let us know what you think.

The "No Information" Desk

Have you ever noticed that the staff at the information desk in your student center never have an answer to the simplest question? Every student center or student union in the country has an "information desk" staffed by bored students. And, inevitably, the students working there are completely clueless. About everything. Except their iPods.

Maybe this is a harsh judgment. But, as a person who is frequently lost on America's college campuses, I think I have a unique and authoritative perspective on this phenomenon.

This afternoon, I arrived at Mississippi State University in Starkville. It's a lovely place with friendly people. I find my way to their beautiful, brand new Colvard Student Union. I am almost to my destination: the office of my good friend, Heidie Lindsey, in room 314. I enter the building, wind my way past the food court, and see the information desk where a young man sits, earphones in, reading a book.

"Excuse me," I begin, trying desperately to get his attention. "I need to find Room 314. Are we on the first or second floor right now?"

This qualifies as information, right?

"Huh?"

"What floor are we on right now? The first or the second?"

"I don't know. We're on the main floor," he says. Annoyed that I've interrupted Kanye. At this point, I'm questioning the wisdom of the legislators who voted to expand federal work study funds.

"Well, if you were me," I said, "would you walk up those stairs one level or two to find the student affairs office?"

"Student Affairs?" he asks. Again, with the look.

"Um, Greek Life, Programming Board, student organizations?" I beg.

"Do you mean Student Involvement?"

"Yeah, Student Involvement."

"It's upstairs."

I have to tell you, this is typical. A week or so ago, I walked into the Student Center at St. Cloud State University, and asked the friendly young woman at info desk where I should go for the student leadership conference. She had no idea. It was on a floor above them.

How funny that the absolute last place you should go for answers at any college or university is the information desk in the student center. I guess they do other things: sell tickets, process paperwork, collect parking tickets, pass out cue sticks for the pool tables. I'm not entirely sure.

But we certainly need a better name than "Information Desk."

How about "Random Desk." They fulfill random needs and requests, and give you random looks when you ask questions. I like that. Make the change.

Blogging from NACA, or "Of Mice and Men"

The final day of NACA in St. Louis. A few random tidbits:

• Um, this conference is too damn long.

• Hooray! Two contracts for Kelly and Becca on site and another dozen "strong interests." This is very good news.

• Mike McGee is a poet. Normally, I wouldn't get that excited about poets at NACA. Most of the poets I've seen at NACA conferences are angry and yelling, and I don't relate to them much. But, Mike is hysterical and his poems were really funny and relevant to a broader audience, I thought. He made poetry cool for me, and that hasn't ever happened before. Check him out here. He has a podcast, too. Mike was so good that both Isaiah and I loved him and wanted to meet him after his showcase. Hire him to your campus. He rocks.

• So, how much do you love this picture with Remy, Emile and Isaiah? Isaiah SO did not want to be in this picture, but I made him.

Off to Mississippi, Georgia and Texas this weekend!

Fraternity men in pumps

Loved this story. Fraternity men at Cal State Sacramento participate in an annual event to raise awareness of sexual assault. It's called "Walk a Mile In Her Shoes." The men put on high heels and march across campus, carrying signs with statistics about sexual assault. The event, sponsored by the campus women's center, will enjoy its third year this May.

Although the event is aimed at all men on campus, the majority of participants were fraternity men. The Greek community made participation in the event a part of their Greek Week. 100 men participated last year, walking in two shifts. It's a fun event with a silly side that helps to raise awareness about sexual assault and domestic violence. Men also get to see how much pain a walk across campus in heels can be.

You can read the whole story here in the student newspaper, The State Hornet. I stole the photo from the Facebook album by Sac State student Nicki Croly (thanks, Nicki!).

What a creative and fun event. Easy to reproduce on any campus, and a great way for fraternity men to dispel some stereotypes by sponsoring an important awareness-raiser with the women's center.

Blogging from NACA, Day Three

OK, I know you're dying to hear about Lance Bass at NACA. But first...

• Kelly and Becca did great at their showcase. They were funny and touching, and I think we'll have some interest tonight in the exhibit hall. You go, girls!

• Lance Bass. Well, I can report that he seems very sweet, very normal, and a little dorky. Not even a little bit hot, I have to report. (That picture to the right was not taken here.) Several people were commenting afterwards (not me, heavens no) that he's got quite a bit more "junk in the trunk" than they were expecting, even with baggy jeans on. People can be so cruel! But, guess when you're pushing 30 and not doing high energy dance videos anymore, you start having the same body as everyone else. I have to grade him pretty low on the content of his speech – I don't think he really thought about what he was going to say before he walked to the mic because it was a disorganized mess. No highly redeeming message, and no dish about Justin. He did pretty clearly state that all the other members of N*Sync were patiently waiting to do another album until Justin finally told them all that he "wasn't feeling it." I have to say that I was expecting a few interesting inside stories, but there weren't any. Did enjoy the story about how he got an anal probe during cosmonaut training – and when it made him cry, they said, "Well, now we know you're not gay!" Stupid Russians! Oh well, I wish him well, but not sure if Lance's performance is going to get many of those $25,000 bookings. I'll let you know what kind of co-op buying action he gets.

• The crowd went nuts for an act called "Black Violin." Basically two big Black dudes playing violin while a hip-hop DJ is spinning in the background. I didn't get it, but the students loved it.

• Funny thing from last night. Mentalist Craig Karges did his showcase. Did a ton of mind reading which had the crowd gasping, "How did he do that?" Called random people out of the audience and knew their birthdays, their phone numbers, and more. Pretty cool stuff. Then, as he's leaving the stage, he says, "Come see me in booth 503, or maybe it's 508." The dude can read minds, but isn't sure of his booth number? That cracked me up.

• An observation. An artist can be up talking, reciting a poem, telling a joke, playing a beautiful song, and students who are talking at normal voice volume in the audience. When did this sort of behavior become OK? I finally had to turn around and tell these women behind me to pipe down! The performers pay thousands of dollars for a 15 minute shot on the stage, and these kids can't shut up. Ugh, pisses me off.

• I'm looking forward to seeing Finesse Mitchell tonight in his showcase. He was so funny in his three seasons on Saturday Night Live, even though none of the students seem to know who he is. Mitch Fatel and the drag troupe, Kinsey Sicks, are tonight also. Should be a fun night of shows.

Blogging from NACA, day two

• Isaiah was "super excited" to meet Mike Super, an illusionist who he saw on some show called "Phenomenon." I'd never heard of it. Anyway, Mike was very sweet and acted like we were long-time BFF's (I've spoken to him once, probably six years ago). But the kid was excited and Mike scored me some "cool dad points."

• Saw a showcase by a musician who blew my mind: Anthony David. He's represented by Red Entertainment Agency. Absolutely fantastic... check him out.

• We've seen a lot of comedians, most of whom haven't been all that fantastic. But this one, Jasper Redd, was a complete riot. Check him out on his MySpace page.

• This creepy guy came up to our booth and wanted one of Kelly and Becca's "I'm Sexually Empowered!" t-shirts. It was a priceless moment. On one hand, they wanted to be nice. On the other hand, they were afraid he'd actually put it on. So, they did the good line: "Well, they are for the students, but if we have any extra, we'll get one to you." He was very sad. I giggled.

• I got my picture taken with human-sized versions of Remy and Emile, the rat brothers from the movie Ratatouille. I was so excited. When I get the pic, I'll post it. But seriously, I totally geeked out and lost all the cool dad points Mike Super had earned me.

• I paid $3.75 for a bottle of Diet Pepsi. I hate hotel prices. Fuckers.

• Best line of the day... spoken by comedian Will Marfori who has cerebral palsy: "If you are not familiar with cerebral palsy, let's just say I'm the only Olympian in my family. Yeah, I got silver. Don't be impressed, I lost in archery to a blind kid."

Tomorrow is the showcase for Kelly and Becca. Wish us luck.

Blogging from NACA, day one

I'm at the NACA national convention in St. Louis. Very busy, but here are some random thoughts:

• I haven't been to this conference in years, but the grizzled veterans are still here. Craig Karges looks fantastic, but some of the other magicians are hitting the plastic surgeon. CAMPUSPEAK so does not "fit in" the NACA associate member veterans clique, but that's cool. They're nice, but a very tight group in a very competitive industry. Trust is hard here.

• The first night of exhibiting feels like a JC Penney white sale. Mobs of kids grabbing every free thing they can get their hands on. Gave out tons of junk last night.

• Kelly and Becca are here with me. They did a great job last night of drawing students in, getting them excited. Their sexual empowerment t-shirts were a huge hit. We gave away hundreds. I hope we'll get a ton of bookings Monday and Tuesday. I'm feeling optimistic.

• The wildcard: Kelly and Becca are showcasing Monday morning, right after gay boy bander Lance Bass. The students are so STOKED about Lance Bass. He's the big buzz of this conference, for sure. Kelly and Becca being right after Lance and right before the former member of Run D.M.C. could be good news. Keeping my fingers crossed. There's a chance all the women in the audience will flee the showcase room to get in line to meet Lance in the exhibit hall. If so, that will hurt us. You never know at this conference.

• I wonder what Lance Bass will have to say that's worth his $25,000 fee? Yes, $25,000. We'll see. Frankly, I hope he dishes on what an asshole Justin Timberlake is. That would be worth my money.

• My son is here with me. Doesn't seem to be getting into the fun of NACA very much, but hopefully he'll relax and start enjoying it more. His big comment last night: "Does Lance Bass know he's named after two fish?" I didn't know that a "lance" was a fish, but according to Isaiah it is. I've never met anyone with two fish in his name.

• Brooke from Coleman Productions brought her 9 week old pug, Max, with her to the conference and had it at the booth last night. It's really cute. Maybe next year, I'll bring a whole basket of golden retriever puppies – can't let Coleman get the advantage on me in the puppy marketing.

• Really nice students from Elon and Bowling Green last night. Lots of Greeks... I had forgotten how many Greeks are involved with their program boards.

• We have a "mentalist" in the booth next to us. (Not as cute as his DVD cover photo, I have to say, but that's marketing...). But, still, he did this little trick with a dollar bill that blew my mind. I'm such a sucker for that magic stuff.

• The hotel is a mob scene. The line at Starbucks is 40 students long. Rooms are small, and no hot water today. This is the hotel where MGCA will be in 2009 and beyond. It's a pretty nice hotel, but it's definitely going to feel different than the Hyatt O'Hare, I'll promise you that.

That's it for now. More fun ahead.

Is it time for guns on campus?

Is it time for concealed weapons on campus? I thought my opinion on this was absolute: concealed handguns on a campus is a terrible idea. But, after Virginia Tech, and now Northern Illinois University, I'm not so sure. I think it's time to have an honest "what if" discussion.

I have some baggage on this issue. My fear of guns goes way back to an incident in high school. Frank was a junior, and his locker was next to mine. No one knew that almost every day, Frank would beat the crap out of his younger brother, Tim. One afternoon, Tim ended the abuse with one of their father's shotguns. I decided then that the presence of guns facilitates tragedy, and the fewer of them we have, the better. I've carried that opinion almost 25 years. I've always been a fan of gun control, and I've always felt that gun proponents are scary people.

But then Columbine happened five miles from my home. In October, I stood at the memorial for the victims at Virginia Tech. Someone opened fire at a mall this Christmas shopping season. We find ourselves in a sad age when sad, depressed and angry people can commit suicide, take others with them, and become national news celebrities.

The pervasiveness of these horrifying incidents is making me feel less secure. Like many parents, I worry about a shooting at my son's school. I feel a little tiny bit vulnerable going to a conference, a crowded movie theatre, or any large store. I really, really hate that fear.

A few months ago, we had another shooting rampage here in Colorado. A gunman took out two young people at a missionary center in the Denver metro area, then headed south to a megachurch near Colorado Springs. A young woman – a rent-a-cop – took down the assailant in the parking lot. Had she not been there, armed, that bastard could have killed dozens.

That incident resonated with me. As much as I hate to think about guns on campus, I can't help thinking: what if even just one of those students in the Northern Illinois lecture hall had been in possession of a legally-licensed handgun? Would that young man or woman have shot back at the assailant? While I don't relish the idea of a lecture hall turning into the O.K. Corral, I wonder if fewer lives might have been lost? I don't know. But, I feel that it MIGHT have ended differently.

This "what if" flies in the face of some long-held beliefs of mine, and as I sit here typing, I'm not sure how I feel. Maybe some of you are wrestling with this idea today, also. Banning guns on campus hasn't prevented these tragedies. Would allowing them change the equation?

According to an article in today's USA Today, some states are passing laws overruling campus "no guns" policies. In many states, campuses can no longer prohibit anyone from carrying a legal, licensed concealed weapon in classrooms, student unions, or residence halls. There is a non-profit organization – Students for Concealed Carry on Campus – whose platform is becoming less fringe.

Does the presence of these concealed weapons make us more vulnerable, or safer? If I were a programmer on a campus, I think I would be holding forums on this question, exploring the opinions of my student body, faculty, and staff. You can bet that Second Amendment proponents are going to be pushing this in your legislature, and more members of the public are going to be supporting these measures.

We're afraid. We're looking for answers. And while the prevalence of guns scare us, the idea of a gunman shooting indiscriminately until he reaches the final bullet for himself scares me even more. And, we haven't even begun the era of suicide bombers in this country yet. I worry that's coming soon.

I always say that we can choose to live by hope, or by fear. I hate living by fear – fear of crazy, angry people with guns and suicidal intentions. The peace-loving side of me wants to buy the world a Coke, you know? But if you aren't a little scared, then you aren't paying attention. I am becoming more open to the hope that good people with guns can be an antidote. I'm not there yet, and I'm sure I'll never feel entirely comfortable about it, but I'm opening up to the idea.

At NIU today, there is tragedy, grief and mourning. For the rest of us, a question. After the candlelight vigils, the Facebook groups, the black ribbons, what are we going to do?

Dancing to the "Catholic Version"

Something you might not know about the speaking business – many of us have to have a "Catholic version" of our programs. I was thinking about this today because the archbishop of San Antonio is raising hell about Hillary Clinton's scheduled appearance at St. Mary's University in San Antonio.

St. Mary's is a Catholic school. Jose Gomez, the archbishop, is unhappy about Clinton because of some of her stances – defending a woman's right to choose, gay rights, and more. So, Gomez is throwing some political weight around.

If you are going to speak at a Catholic school, you have to walk a fine line. The students and the professionals who work at these schools are desperate for educational and awareness-raising programs on vital topics surrounding health, sexuality, and diversity. But, they have to be careful not to piss off the higher-ups.

The Church, and therefore the college's high-level administrators, don't want you validating contraception, abortion, homosexuality, transgender, or premarital sex. They know full well that many of their students are directly struggling with these issues, but they aren't going to pay for an outsider to come in and say or do anything that contradicts the Church's teachings.

It's a tremendously difficult job for those student affairs professionals who are dancing a line of their own – keeping their bosses satisfied while trying to provide potentially life-saving information to their students. The stress it can cause a well-intentioned staff is off the charts.

However, take my word for it... it's difficult to give a decent HIV prevention program without talking about sex, homosexuality, or other behaviors outside the list of Catholic-endorsed activities.

Let me give you an example of what I mean by "doing the Catholic version." I couldn't say something like, "When you have sex, you should always use protection." At a public institution, a sentence like that would be taken as common sense and wouldn't register an ounce of controversy. At a Catholic school, it could cause big problems. I would have to say something like, "I know that some of you have friends who are making decisions to have sex before marriage, so I think it's important for you to know a few things so that you can give them the best advice relative to the decisions they make." I could briefly mention a condom as a less preferable option to abstinence, if I did it carefully. But, I damn well better not actually bring one out of my pocket as an illustration.

The students knew I was doing "the Catholic version." They would literally snicker at me as I did the verbal dancing. Sometimes, I felt like such a sellout. As a speaker, you do the Catholic version, dance as close to the line as you dare, and hope the students corner you after the program and ask about the stuff they really want to know.

Different schools had different levels of intensity. There is the Catholic school who recently called our offices and announced to us that they wouldn't hire a speaker if he was gay. It so happened that the speaker they were asking about was straight, but it still made me very, very angry. Then there was the school where a nun walked up to me after a program and chastised me for not talking more graphically about blow jobs. "They're doing the blow jobs," she told me. "You really need to talk more honestly about the blow jobs."

The blow jobs. True story, I swear. That nun was the Dean of Students, and I'm quite sure, a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

For those of us who speak, it can be an ethical struggle. On one hand, the necessity of having a "Catholic version" makes me angry. Coming from a family that abandoned the Catholic Church (on both sides) more than a generation ago, it can feel kind of personal. My ego rants, "I can't escape the oppression!" But then, a voice inside my head calms me down. These students need good information – and sometimes, our "Catholic version" is the most honest presentation they are going to receive. Why should I, as a speaker, penalize students because I don't like or agree with the Pope?

In the years I was doing HIV prevention education, I visited dozens of Catholic schools. I did some good work at schools like Canisius, the University of Dayton, St. Mary's, the University of Dallas, St. Leo, Loyola Marymount, Tulane, and more. The emails I got from students there were some of the most touching I ever received.

In fairness – the Catholics had some messed up guidelines, but at least they were trying, and they gave me the chance to dance the line. I never once got invited to the likes of Baylor, Brigham Young, or Liberty University. The Baptists and the Mormons wouldn't let me within 50 miles of their campuses. No dancing with the Baptists.

So, it looks like Hillary is going to have to find her "Catholic version" and do some dancing in San Antonio. I wish her luck. Perhaps the dance comes more easily to a politician than it does to a hot-headed educator like me.

Niche advising

Many student organizations have one advisor -- one person who they turn to (or don't) for advice and assistance. But, why not have several advisors, each helping with a specific function of your organization? I call it "niche advising."

Perhaps you have an accountant or small business owner who can be your financial advisor, helping you with your financial management and conducting an annual audit of your books prior to officer transition. Maybe you have an event planning advisor who helps with all those details surrounding your big occasions: contracts, budgeting, inviting guests and alumni. What about an advisor whose specific role is assisting with your community service or recruitment efforts? What about someone in the media department who can advise you on public relations? If you are a fraternity or sorority leader, maybe you could recruit an alum who specifically helps with ritual or member education.

Look for advisors of different genders, professional experience, age, and talents. Build a whole team. Your organization will benefit tremendously from a variety of perspectives, and how can that be a bad thing? Perhaps you have a "primary advisor" who makes sure that your organization is doing what it needs to do, but then let these niche advisors make a unique contribution.

As someone who has served in a variety of advisor capacities, I will assure you that advising is a lot more fun when you can dig your teeth into something and really see the fruits of your labor. I would much rather work with one organization officer or chairperson closely than advise and entire group that never calls me.

If you have an advisor who is causing you problems, niche advising is a great antidote. Tell your advisor that you would like to find him/her a bit more help, and that you would like to find some niche advisors on specific areas of priority. Diffuse the negative impact of a poor advisor by recruiting others who can help you. By keeping these new advisors focused on specific areas, you can help to avoid a power struggle with your main advisor.

As you identify the areas of growth and improvement for your organization, think about recruiting some advising help to the two or three biggest priorities. If you are really needing to improve your organization's academic performance, for example, approach your study skills center on campus and ask if they have a staff member who can provide some intense advising to your group for the next 6 months.

(And by the way, that picture is of a "wall niche." I had no idea what kind of image to put with this post, so I got a little random.)

Time to remove a slacking officer?

Your organization elected new officers in November or December. It's now mid-February, and you might have an officer who isn't meeting expectations. This is very typical, and it requires action. An officer who isn't attending meetings, isn't contributing, or isn't fulfilling their job duties either needs to get in shape, or be gone.

As an organization president or chairperson, you have an obligation to make sure everyone on the team is doing their assigned role. Officers who are simply place holders do nothing to move your organization forward. Even if this person is your friend, you need to confront it, fix it, or give someone else the opportunity to lead.

Imagine that you're the boss, and you had an employee with a one-year contract. How long would you wait before confronting poor performance? If it's been a couple of months since your new officer transition, then it's time to do a quick performance review. This can be one of the tougher parts of your job, but it is necessary.

As a first step, schedule a discussion with your advisor. Bring up your concerns and ask for advice on how to proceed. Perhaps your advisor will be willing to help with a conversation to the slack officer. Maybe your advisor knows something about the student's situation that you do not.

Often, leaders aren't performing because they aren't sure what they are supposed to be doing. There's a chance that one good conversation with some goal and deadline setting could solve the problem.

If you have an officer who simply has checked out, doesn't want to do his/her job, is causing problems for others, or who suddenly has dropped your organization from his/her list of priorities, then you might have to act to remove this person from office. Sometimes, you can simply give them a way to exit gracefully. If you can do this in a way that helps him or her save face, it's the way to go. Low drama is a good, good thing.

If they want to argue with you, then you have a more complicated problem. In this case, set concrete short term expectations and give him/her a chance to get it together. If they fail to achieve these benchmarks, then it's time to get the rest of your leadership team involved.

Another idea: perhaps it would be a good idea for your executive council or committee to do some sort of group evaluation. Allow each officer to give a "grade" to his/her fellow officers in some anonymous way, and then share the results in one-on-one meetings with each. Make sure that you, as president or chair, are also being evaluated. Again, work with your advisor to make this happen. Your advisor might even have some evaluation instruments to save you some time in this sort of process.

In any case, by March, you need to make sure your team is operating at its highest productivity. People tend to lose interest and energy as their terms are winding up, so if you aren't getting their best effort this early in the term, it's unlikely to improve. You need to move on it immediately. Time will not fix the problem.

Make the most of the Greek regional conferences

Headed to Hartford, Chicago, or Atlanta? The spring Greek regional conferences can be both exciting and overwhelming. I've been to each of these conferences dozens of times, and they provide a tremendous networking and learning opportunity for the council and chapter leaders selected to attend and represent their universities.

If you're going to one of these conferences, this blog posting is for you. It's important to get a few things in your mind before you make the trip.

First, remember that you are likely going to your Greek regional conference on the funds paid by the men and/or women of your council. A trip to your regional conference is not a prize you have won. It's not a perk – it is a business trip. While you're sure to have some fun, your constituents are counting on you to learn some things that will benefit them when you get home. If you sleep through a session, emphasize the fun over the learning, or fail to take the educational opportunity seriously, you are wasting THEIR money.

You will meet some students whose Greek communities blow yours away, and others who shock you with how far their heads are up their asses. This is normal. Many students return from these conferences jealous of some Greek communities and thankful they aren't members of others. Remember that the goal of these conferences is to help Greek communities of all levels improve. Learn from those ahead of you, and help boost those who are struggling.

You don't want to be the last one to the showers each morning. Imagine how quickly the hot water goes in the hotel when four people in every room are taking showers. I usually shower the night before I go to bed so I know I'll get warm water. If you are jumping in the shower 10 minutes before the morning keynote, you're going to get a nice cold start to your day.

When you get to the conference sit down with the conference book, and divide out the sessions among your delegation. It's so much better to plan out your breakout attendance in advance. If you're looking in your book and making decisions at the last minute, all of your first choices will fill up and close.

Take that conference book and write your name and cell phone number on the front of it. If you lay it down somewhere and forget it, it will find its way back to you.

Take 20 minutes before the conference starts and find where all the breakout rooms are.

If you are on the sixth floor or lower, find out where the stairs are. Trust me. You'll spend half your conference waiting for the elevators if you don't. I usually call the hotel a couple of days prior to my arrival and request a low floor for this purpose.

Tell your friends back at campus to leave you the hell alone for the weekend. The time you spend furiously texting friends back home or logging on to check your Facebook account is an opportunity wasted.

Hurry to your breakout of choice. I mean it, hurry! Get in, get a seat. When you go to a breakout session, spend those precious minutes before the speaker begins talking to other students in the audience.

It's a good idea to seek out schools similar to yours. Tell them your problems, and let them share theirs. In your first couple of breakout sessions, identify leaders from campuses that share some of your issues and challenges. Then find time with them at meals and during break times to talk. Also, make sure to get their contact information so you can stay in touch after the conference.

Some of the conferences put the award applications out for display. You're really missing out if you don't find an hour during your visit to browse those applications and pick out all the great ideas found in them. I've literally seen people with their camera phones taking pictures so they can capture some of the ideas found in the applications from other schools.

Do not clump up with other men or women from your campus at sessions or meals. This is such a waste! Sit with strangers, or brothers/sisters from other schools. Stick your neck out, meet new people, ask lots of questions.

Use the opportunity to bond a bit with your advisor. Your advisor can get a lot out of this conference as well, networking with other professionals, so ask what his or her goals are for the meeting, too. Remember that any negative behavior by anyone in your delegation will reflect negatively on him or her as well.

Whenever you find yourself beginning sentences with, "At my campus, we..." stop yourself. You should spend more time asking questions and less time selling your own campus.

If a speaker or a presenter impresses you, track him or her down after the session and get some one-on-one time with them. As a speaker, I'll tell you, we love that. Don't be shy. Ask for our card, too.

Visit the exhibitors. Even if you aren't personally interested in their services, visit their table and learn about what they do. Thank them for the investment in the conference. You would not believe how much the conferences charge exhibitors for those tables, so please stop and say hello. The vendors won't bite you.

If you see a member of the conference committee, thank him or her for their good work.

"Obama Girl" too apathetic to actually VOTE

Have you heard of "Obama Girl?" A young, attractive woman cooing about how Obama is the cutest candidate in a video called "I Have a Crush on Obama." It was a major Internet hit with several follow ups. Watch it here.

One definite primary vote for the Illinois senator, right?

Well, turns out, Amber Lee Ettinger didn't vote for Obama. The aspiring New York City model didn't vote for Obama, or anyone else. Couldn't make it to her registered polling place across the river in New Jersey. She said she was simply too sick after returning from a party trip to Phoenix for the Superbowl. She was able, however, to make it to a political results viewing party sponsored by a Vodka company in New York City on the evening of Super Tuesday.

Is she a misunderstood, well-meaning model inadvertently reinforcing stereotypes about apathetic young voters? Or, a future Playboy bunny doing all she can to make her impact on the national political scene? Who knows? But, this much I know – Obama could have the field to himself if he had been able to mobilize the bimbo vote.

Word is, Amber was lip-syncing on the video. I'm hoping the young woman with the actual talent made her vote count.

Thanks for getting up on a Saturday morning

I need to vent. For the last four weeks, I've spent my Saturdays in various corners of the U.S. at day long leadership conferences or retreats.

Inevitably, the hard working professionals (who have busted their asses preparing for these days of leadership training) welcome their students at 10 a.m. with the words, "Thanks for getting up on a Saturday morning. I really appreciate it. I know it's asking a lot."

No, it's not asking a lot. Not really.

We need to stop perpetuating a norm that we know is counterproductive. When did sleeping until noon become an inalienable right for college students? Why do we apologize to students for asking them to wake up at a reasonable time for an activity that is for THEIR benefit?

There are many victims in this world. An organization officer waking up at 9 a.m. is not one of them.

They sure aren't apologizing for staying up until 2 a.m. the night before. Just once, I'd love to hear a student say, "No, dear advisor, please accept my apology for showing up with bloodshot eyes and ratty hair to the leadership conference you've worked so hard planning all month. I really felt the need to get trashed last night, and I'm dragging ass this morning. I know that doesn't make you feel very appreciated. I'd like to thank you for giving up your Saturday for our benefit when I know you aren't paid anything extra for doing it."

Wouldn't that be nice?

If we were starting these conferences at 6:00 in the morning, then I'd understand the need to congratulate people on getting up, dressing nicely, and being awake and alert. That's early for anyone. But 10 a.m.? C'mon, people. If we're supposed to be preparing these young men and women for the real world, shouldn't convening for a 10 a.m. meeting be a reasonable expectation? Hey, I don't love early Saturday morning commitments, but when I have one, I take it easy the night before and make sure I'm awake and prepared the next morning. It's a mark of maturity that we need to start expecting from our students.

Do ministers apologize to their congregations for getting up on Sunday morning? Do professors apologize for their early morning classes? Does the foreman at the factory apologize to his workers and pass out donuts asking for forgiveness? No, no, and definitely, no.

Students don't apologize when they call us at 11 p.m. with a crisis, do they? They don't bat an eye to schedule one of their meetings at 9 p.m. when we want to be home, in bed, watching The Sarah Conner Chronicles (my favorite new show, by the way). So, why are we apologizing to them for asking them to be awake when Starbucks has been open for FIVE HOURS?

OK, rant over. But, I'm taking this Saturday off to sleep in.

Are Greek letters a plus or a minus on a resume?

I got this question last week when I was hanging with the fraternity men at Millersville University. Does fraternity or sorority membership help you or hurt you with a potential employer? I thought it was a really great question.

Clearly, I'm biased. I've been intimately involved with my fraternity for two decades, and I work with Greeks on a daily basis. I'm about as rah-rah Greek as you could ever hope for on the other side of the interview table. That said, however, when I'm hiring, I don't take a romantic view of fraternity membership. Your affiliation does not score you immediate points. I want to know what you did with it, why it mattered to you, and how it made you smarter.

For some people who have only a negative (read: "party") image of fraternity life, that line on your resume is probably going to be a negative, at least initially. Let's be honest. They see your affiliation and immediately associate you with whatever stereotype they have.

Don't be afraid to challenge the stereotype your interviewer might have. Tell him or her what that membership did to make you a stronger leader, a more capable manager, or a better team player.

I definitely don't think that you should lean entirely on fraternity membership as your sole campus involvement. As pro-Greek as I am, I find it somewhat boring when an applicant lists 10 officer positions in her sorority, but no other memberships on campus. That doesn't demonstrate a well-rounded approach to college life, in my book. Show me that you did something other than hang out at the chapter house or the Greek Life office for four years. Someone who was treasurer of their chapter and a member of the track team and a member of the student ambassadors? That's cool.

Just list your highest office held in your fraternity. You don't need to list every damn committee you worked on. Bor-ing.

When I ask you about your term as president of your chapter, have an interesting story to share. Tell me about your biggest challenge, the member who was difficult to work with, how you changed a mindset among your members. Don't make it sound like it was all fun and good times. Tell me about what you would have done differently if you had to do it again. Show me that you got your ass kicked and came out the other side better. That's interesting.

Don't list a bunch of terms that are meaningless to someone who wasn't Greek. Don't say you were a "Rho Chi" for example. What the hell is a Rho Chi? If you're a Lambda Chi Alpha chapter president, don't say you were the "High Alpha." No one outside of LXA knows what that is (or cares). Just say you were president. Make it more basic and understandable.

If all of your references are fraternity alumni, that's not going to help you either. One is fine. Three is not. Again, show a wider range.

Your affiliation will be a strength if you play it that way. Sitting there on your resume, it doesn't do much. Know how to work it, and don't rely entirely on it.