Come Home Matt Pandamiglio

My ten-year-old daughter exclaimed "that's a Trinity mug!" as we were watching "Sleepwalk With Me," a film by comedian Mike Birbiglia on Netflix. Based on his own experiences, the film follows Matt Pandamiglio in his journey through family, love, sleep-walking, and stand-up comedy. A quick rewind revealed that my daughter was correct. Matt went to college at Trinity University, and our logo appears multiple times on that mug, a pennant, and on a t-shirt. In one scene he does some stand-up in the campus pub and my daughter said "look, he's in the Tigers' Den!"

Well, he wasn't. In fact, Trinity on film seems to not be in Texas and is most certainly not filled with location shots of our real San Antonio campus. But who cares. In the Rodney Dangerfield film "Back to School," shot mostly on location in Madison, Wisconsin,there is a cut-away to a pool scene at the USC campus pool. We won't nit-pick. This is the biggest little thing since our Mississippi Miracle.

Funny thing is that several months ago I was forwarded an email from University Communications in which someone was asking permission to use the Trinity name and logo in a sleepwalking movie. This sounds exactly like the kind of thing we would say no to because it is so random. But apparently someone on the film project went here -- or dated someone who went here--  or knew of us for some random reason. Or maybe we seemed easy. Director Sharon Jones-Schweitzer followed up with "their people," and sent them the Trinity merchandise featured in the film. Good call Sharon! While we have not yet realized an increase in new student applications, we haven't lost any ground either.

Mike Birbigla is funny. And he has a blog. And he sort of went to Trinity. See where this is going? So if I were Matt/Mike, I would want to do a very special engagement at Trinity University. All faux-alumni-comedians owe it to their fake alma maters, no?

So, I challenge ASR and the Program Board: Go get Matt, er, Mike, and bring him to campus. Maybe he will screen his movie and do his act for us. And I challenge Mike - come home Matt. Sleepwalk With Us!

Happy Holidays from the Tuttles!

Two of my favorite girls in the world at Christmas on Oakmont.

So we put a wrap on another semester. While my two boys are off at college - one studying abroad in Finland from his home base at Southwestern, and the other battling mono during finals at TCU, I am celebrating the bulk of the season with the women in my life. Above, Joelle and Kellyn help host campus guests at the annual Christmas on Oakmont program following Christmas Vespers. Earlier that day, my wife Donna and I participated in the Color Me Rad run in San Antonio. One of my runners, Molly Zumbro, set up a Trinity team and there were a ton of students participating among 7,000 locals. Many students volunteered at the event as well, and some were a little too happy, for my liking, to bomb me with dye packs. Occupational hazard.

We have had a blessed year and were lucky to be moved to a vacant campus house on Oakmont this fall, allowing us to fully participate in Sunday's activities. This is probably the final post for the month, with several new ones in the works for January. Until then, Happy Holidays!

Student Government - What a Mess

ASR meeting on November 19, considering a student proposal.

A veto happy president, complex parliamentary procedures, resolutions to no one, confusion about the role of representation, and more money than they know what to do with. This version of the Association of Student Representatives is a mess. Hallelujah!!

I couldn't be more thrilled with the job ASR is doing this year, and particularly with the leadership of President Joe Moore and Vice President Sean Solis. Over the last several years the group has been engaged in re-writing its constitution and growing the student activity fee. In addition, they took an important stand on the diploma issue and led the way on changes in the campus dining program. This year the big issue is bollards. So it is refreshing that the meetings have been dynamic, engaging, and even respectfully controversial.

As their adviser, I care far more about the process than the outcomes. This is where the learning occurs and I wish them well on the success of  their initiatives. Here are some of the reasons they have made me proud:

- President Moore has unapologetically invoked his veto power on three occasions. This doesn't seem to irk the senators as much as one would think. On November 19, for example, the Senate over-rode his veto. How cool is that? What's more, they are handling this new wrinkle with civility and respect. President Moore has shown his desire to preserve some of the principles that have been important to ASRs of years past. One veto involved the lack of funding for a Black Student Union program and another in favor of t-shirt money for MLK march shirts to come from a non-sweatshop source. If you didn't know better he would almost seem... liberal.

- Sure, President Moore has called out senators for not dressing appropriately, but again, the Senate seems to have a thick skin. They even went along with a hyper-drive parliamentary procedure experiment in which the president was doling out 20-second speaking allotments. Having sat through many loooong and drawn out and repetitive discussions over many Monday nights when good football games were being broadcast, I really appreciate this.

- I love when ASR passes resolutions, though they seem reluctant to do so because the senators and other students sometimes wonder "what's the point?" Well, as a high-level bureaucrat I can say unequivocally the resolutions matter. The administration, believe it or not, craves student input and opinions. That doesn't always mean that the students will get their way. Dr. Coleen Grissom, in her role as Dean of Students, used to say ASR had no power, but lots of influence. That remains true today.But more times than not, the students will get their way because resolutions are well-considered, thoughtful, and reasonable.

- When issues are brought to a vote, senators have often respectfully abstained if the issues were related to organizations in which they participate. Conventional wisdom seems to be that it is proper for senators to debate on these topics, but withhold their votes, which could represent conflicts of interest. I'm not so sure. This is the money question, after all, in representative organizations. Are representatives there to represent? Are they there because voters trust them to vote on their opinion, not simply reflect majority opinions of their constituents? Or are they there to advance their special interests. It  may be situational. An exciting aspect of the larger activity fee is that it may lead to more dynamic elections for those who want to make sure the needs of their interests and groups are advanced, or at least heard. So why not vote on what matters to those elected? Or is that unethical? These are great questions for students to ponder and consider.

- Finally, ASR has money for once. And they are learning not to nit-pick proposals to death. They have proven to be good stewards of the student activity fee, but the coffers are still full. Students can and should tell the program board and others how to spend that money for a rich and vibrant campus life. This is what the students sought with the fee increase.

I think this ASR is mixing it up more than in recent history, and that more voices are being heard. It is complicated and messy and perfect. Just as it should be.

Finished

Leia and Evan, above, reflect the spirit of the Half Marathon Challenge, after finishing the run on Sunday, September 11, 2012, at the Alamodome. Over 75 Trinity runners competed in the half marathon - many for the first time. The Dean of Students Half Marathon Challenge and Kayla Mire Food Drive has taken place for five straight years, coinciding with when the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon series came to San Antonio. Around 20,000 people compete annually.

More and more, the highlights for me are all the attention the Trinity runners receive. Running in our maroon shirts draws lots of attention and the people on the PA systems at the start and finish acknowledge our presence and participation. The runners get lots of encouragement along the way for representing TU as well. We placed second in the city-wide Get Fit Challenge large division group. We have been first and second in that before, but now must find a way to beat Incarnate Word!

I also really appreciate the growing family involvement of the program. We had many parents and some siblings participate and many alumni as well. What a commitment from families who fly in to town to run with their Trinity kiddos! I love that.

This year's program was a little smaller than the past couple of years, but it was as meaningful as ever for me. I love the connections that are formed between the runners and my own connections with them. You get to know people well over ten mile training runs. Students Lucy Cevallos and Morgan Jackson ran the race for all four years while they were enrolled here. Congrats to them!!

We also did what I call "boutique" runs this year, just to mix things up. These included a run at a local park, a "hill-hell-hall-oween" run that was brutally fun, and an iPod Shuffle run where we traded iPods to be inspired by the music other runners listen to. (And yes, we use our own headphones.)

Finally, it is pretty moving to see all the causes and individuals that people run for - whether to fund-raise or memorialize lost loved ones. Our charity, the San Antonio Food Bank is a great fit for our program, and we donated several hundred pounds of food and several hundred dollars from generous donations of our runners and Trinity community members.

The 6th Annual Dean of Students Half Marathon Challenge will be Sunday, November 17, 2013. It's never too early to start training!

Counter InTUitive 10.26.12 - Stop already Trinitonian!!

This is a regular feature to examine the information in the weekly Trinitonian editorial. I love the Trinitonian and the students who run it. Sometimes, however there are more nuances to the issue than they have space for. Besides, electronic media allows for there to be "watchdog" watchdogs. Editorials are rated by "hits," as in blog hits, with one being worst and 5 being best. If they are published on-line I will provide links.Well, that was the idea anyways. The last time I reviewed a Trinitonian article or issue was in April of 2011. Since then, I have lost my will. The Trinitonian has killed it.

I love the Trinitonian. Sure, I do what all good administrators do: I quickly peruse it for damage control first thing Friday mornings. I look at the page-one headlines and turn right to the editorial section. If I am unscathed, I take a little time to enjoy the paper worry-free. Occupational conditioning I guess. So, unless the student newspaper staff really ticks me off, I will likely retire the "Counter InTUitive" series. Seems like I had already.

When I visit other campuses I am most interested in their dorms, their dining services, their student centers, and their campus papers. I always want to see that ours are better. Trinity-lifer conditioning I guess. I don't know that I have seen a better, more professional publication than our Trinitonian. I urge our others to not take this for granted. This week's issue gives us plenty to like:

Creative presentation
One of the first indicator of quality is how linear a story is written or presented. Linear would be a straight news story about the five year anniversary of the Mississippi Miracle. The Trinitonian's coverage is visually alluring and graphically exciting. Alumni were identified and interviewed. Kudos for interviewing the opposing coach from Millsaps.

Fun
The list of top five U.S. President's is about fictionally portrayed characters and properly had Jed Bartlet at the top of the list. This isn't U.S. News and World Report. A campus paper should be fun. Full Halloween coverage including costume reviews adds to it.

Seriousness
Issues in higher education, an obituary on a former professor, and coverage of sexual assault awareness programming are included. One of the best pieces is one by Faith Ozer about Affirmative Action. Clear, unbiased, and it uses a Trinity professor for context. With another graphical timeline this a credible and interesting piece of news.

Topical coverage
This appears to be the election issue, though I suspect, in the words of Yoda - "there is another." The coverage is wide and deep. It includes "Voting for Dummies" and a number of creative and clever stories, including some interesting intern columns, coverage of a political speaker, and a special Sidewalk Symposium which showcases the serious and silly nature of our students. Fraternity and sorority issues are also covered and yet another nice touch is an interview with a Lancer alumnus.

Opinions galore
Two males writing on issues of breast cancer awareness and sexual assault? They say some things sure to generate controversy. The throw-away but thought-provoking piece on - surprise - alcohol, and the safe, but spot-on piece about school spirit/school pride all make for interesting reads.

Faculty everywhere
It is almost like we are on a college campus. Editorials from professors in Communication, Political Science, and an article about East Asian Studies and Don Clark all showcase the intellectual fire power of the Trinity professors.

Sports
Who am I to say, but Aly Mithani seems to have nailed his NBA predictions. How about a follow-up at season's end. The touching story about an O-Rec trip leader saving someone's life probably should have replaced the dull topic of the Skyline Room on page one. It is all rounded out by an equestrian headline with a horseplay pun.

But...
The font in the star burst on page one is too small. The Skyline hours are wrong. AND, the headline about the Congressman acknowledges a second congressional speaker but never explains that in the article. Stop already Trinitonian. You're killing me.

Use it or Lose it

Students at the Tigers' Den. The campus pub, once intended to be open as a regular night spot, closed two years ago, except for special events. The hope is to revive it, in a way, in the newly renovated Skyline Room.

A great number of things here that all seem like good ideas - sometimes don't pan out. It is often an issue of scale. Some examples:

- Last Saturday's leadership conference was nearly cancelled. About 50 students signed up and that translated to about $30 in expenses per student. The sophomore leadership program was cancelled because of minimal interest. That's a shame, as these are good programs.

- A showing of Casablanca ($600) was attended by about 20 students. We could have bought each of those students their own Bogey DVD and thrown in the Maltese Falcon to boot for that money.

- Career Services shut down its Tiger Treks program this fall because only four students signed up. Great idea, but it did require that students miss a full day of class. This isn't new to Career Services. They have had to cajole students into interviews, to job fairs, and to networking events where alumni often out-number students.

- I fear we will lose the Hertz on Demand program, which seems to answer all of the needs of students without cars. Free membership, $10 per hour rates (imagine if shared), no gas and insurance charges, and renters need only be 18 and have a license from anywhere in the world. Why aren't both vehicles constantly checked out, especially when international students report being campus-bound?

- This week we learned that the Tiger Ride Tiger Bucks voucher system is being discontinued for lack of use. That is what happened to the DVD Kiosk in the Coates University Center as well.

This isn't the fault of our students. While there is often a perceived need for various services, it may not warrant the investment in such services. This comes up routinely when students are asking for longer hours in the library and the recreation center. Keeping a building staffed for a half-dozen students does not make economic sense, is hard on workers, and presents security challenges. On the other hand, who knew we couldn't get enough of the Adirondack chairs all over campus?

The issue, then, is really not that students should use services just to keep them. It is that their lack of use makes it impractical to maintain them over time. Sometimes the University may be seen as unwilling to accommodate the requests of students. In fact, at a time when we are vigilant about controlling costs, maintaining certain programs and services is often uneconomical. No one is to blame, but this is the downside - one of the few - of a small place like Trinity. No doubt students are learning this in their Economics and Business courses. Supply and demand: Use it - or lose it.