Crashing for a Year

The Student Council has just completed their 4th Community Crash event. These events originated out of a mistake the Student Council made due to some assumptions on our part that opened an outpouring of debate that may very well be the first outright Scholar 360 debate ever. From that experience it was identified that a more appropriate avenue should be opened to address current diversity concerns within a safe environment. The Community Crash was born. Our first event went beautifully, the movie was perfect, the discussion that followed was rich with heartfelt concern and genuine openness. It was very clear however that we had only begun to touch the surface of the many concerns regarding diversity that we face during our Forest Institute journey.

We decided that the Community Crash would continue each term and the movie selection would be based on the current needs of the student body. At first we simply based the selection on our own perceptions of this need. However, by the third event, we were receiving topic recommendations from students.

Our most recent event held tonight was a continuation of those events in the past. There begins with some hesitation as the discussion is initiated. Slowly the discussion starts to roll and before long everyone is desperately waiting their turn to participate. Along the course of the discussion it is typical to feel some tension which rises and falls from input to input. Some participate much, others very little. But in the end we all leave with a better sense of the world around us. It certainly has proven to me to be a most valuable experience each term.

Spring Term Begins...Good Time for a Battlefield Visit

With Spring term now upon us many changes are certainly expected. These changes certainly will come in the form of new classes, new course assignments, and new clients (for those in practicum). I look forward to all these as they will each be enriching and most beneficial. However, one change that I have looked forward to since Labor Day 2007 is of course the Spring season. The warmer weather, the flowers, the trees full of bright green leaves, the dark thick grass, and of course all the new baby wild animals flourishing our undeveloped areas. I have discovered a very unique place to enjoy the wonderful changing seasons that can be had here in SW Missouri, a National Battlefield known as Wilson's Creek.




My family purchased an annual pass to the park last fall when we learned that we could see amazing foliage during that season. Our most recent visit proved to be just as enjoyable. The trees are filling, the animals are everywhere, and the wild grass can be seen all around. The history and legacy of this area amazes me and our kids love to watch the movie at the visitors center each time we stop in at the park. The park itself is very extensive and provides walking, biking, and horseback riding trails as well as a driving trail that circles the entire park. The park is located just about 4-5 miles from the academic campus of the school and is well worth the visit.

Kid's Night at Texas Roadhouse

Although my duties and tasks as a graduate student bring me much fun and joy, it is the joy I find being a husband and father that make my life truly worth while. Within this role I am often seeking ways to unite and strengthen my family. The other day my daughter brought home a flyer from school that stated that Texas Roadhouse was sponsoring the school by donating to the school some of the sales of a single night. What a fun and delicious night it turned out to be. Best of all, it was a night of family fun!

From clowns making balloon animals to a Texas Sized Armadillo playing games, this night was made for kids. On top of this they also had face painting and build-your-own sundays for the kids. My wonderful wife and I along with a friend from school all got to sit back, enjoy some perfectly cooked steak, and watch our children have the times of their lives... Texas Style.

While we were there we learned that Tuesday night is always "Kid's Night" at Texas Roadhouse and with a nearby location to the school, it certainly may be a valuable resource for other family based Forest Students like myself...... a love for steak and fun is a requirement though!

Spring Break "1984"

What to do when school is out for an entire week and you are spending it in Springfield, Missouri? Why not spend it 1984 style? Yes, 1984 is not only a year from the decade of "pop music" but its also a nostalgic arcade in downtown Springfield.

For a single $5 bill one can play all the arcade games they wish for an entire night. Yes, if nostalgic game playing is what you are craving, 1984 is the place for you.

I am not sure if it was the fun of watching my oldest daughter and my best friend smile and laugh as they concentrated so closely in their attempt to master the fine tuned moves of a joystick and buttons. It may have also been the fact that I got to play Xevious all I wanted without dropping a single quarter. Regardless, I had such a blast!

1984 is crammed with around 50 arcade games along with a handful of pinball games and a nice little snack bar. Not a bad place to spend an evening when hanging out in Springfield with nothing to do.

To learn more about 1984 check out their website: www.1984arcade.com

How I Got Through Finals: Party Keg...of Root Beer

I am happy to say that finals are final. This term has been the most stressful yet but the funny thing is I say that at the end of each term. Welcome to graduate school...... you know what I mean?

So, I have decided to share my secret to getting through finals Winter 2008. The bottom line is that it was all about the beer.... root beer of course. There are not too many places one can score the 5 liter party keg of Virgil's Root Beer but our local Price Cutter Plus grocery store keeps these bad boys in stock. For a crisp $20 a person can walk in, shoulder this keg, and walk out without even being carded, regardless of your age. That is a sweet deal!

All jokes aside though, this brew has kept me up and alert at some extreme times of these most recent nights. Between having exams to study for as well as a term paper to complete, time was not on my side. The ability to stay awake through the wee small hours of the morning made all the difference. So with that I will embark on my Spring break by extending a big 5 liter thanks to Virgil and sending everyone else a happy "see you next term".

A Year of Change

I recently gathered many Student Council photos from the past year to put together some photos to be displayed at St. Michael's Educational Sports Bar & Grille. St. Michael's is our student hang out and the place where we hold our monthly meetings. I know it may sound weird to hold Student Council meetings at a bar but some how it works.... it works very well. The atmosphere is so conducive to getting new perspectives out on the table and to having everyone relaxed during the meeting. With this said I should note that during our meeting we are not partaking of items from the bar but just from the kitchen :)

The owners of St. Michael's were very excited about having Forest call this place our hang out that they even offered to put up any memorabilia that we brought them. So at our last meeting we gave them some of our official t-shirts and these photos. Hence, I needed to gather the photos.

While I was doing this I realized how many changes our Council has been involved with this year. In some strange form of synchronicity it was also the year the name of the school officially changed along with a new logo. It was simply a year of change for Forest Institute. It has certainly been an honor to be involved in these changes. With change comes many expectations, I certainly am hopeful of the impact these many changes will have on the future at Forest Institute.

Supply & Demand at Spring 2008 Registration

Since arriving at the Forest Institute campus back in the summer of 2006 I have registered a total of 6 times. Each time I have arrived to the campus around 8:45 am, usually just before a 9:00 am class, and dropped off my registration with no problem. This registration was different, much different......

I was told by Phillip Raleigh, the guy with all the info, that registration was taking on an all new form. There were many courses that had not only been capped but also sought after by more than the cap, many more. I knew I was going to have to arrive early.... of course early is a subjective measurement.


I arrived at 7:00am and was very surprised at the number of cars already in the parking lot. Once the doors opened I found myself in line behind around 15 other students. As we waited for registration to begin at 8:00am people continued to slowly file into line behind us. By the time I had finished my registration there was a line like I had never seen. Registration certainly did take on another form. Some how we have become a school with limited, yet highly sought after resources, especially including our courses.