The Skyline Newspaper

Three freshmen help clean the roadside. Photo by Jason Hennington

Program Teaches Freshmen How To Lead, Succeed

By Jason Hennington
News Writer

Analyzing strengths and weaknesses, improving leadership skills, leading discussions, solving problems, engaging in hands-on activities, and learning how to work with people—this is the curriculum for the Freshman Leadership Program (FLP).

The FLP program is designed to develop leadership. A maximum of 24 students each year receive a $1,500 scholarship, which is split into $750 per semester. High school seniors, who have just graduated with a high GPA, were involved with extracurricular activities in high school, and were involved with leadership roles are eligible. The new high school graduates are chosen for this scholarship based on the requirements, and two students from the previous year are chosen as sophomore assistants.

Liz Garcia, Dean of Student Life, is the advisor of the program, and has been involved for four years.
"Our hope is to develop their leadership potential," she said.

The class spends the fall semester focusing on team building, defining leadership, and finding individual characteristics and skills.

"I had them define different types of leadership, so we could see the differences and likenesses," Garcia said. "This allowed us to branch out and open different avenues of leadership. We could see what made good and bad leaders."

During the fall semester, Garcia also got a chance to learn what the students wanted to get out of the class themselves.

"Some wanted to better their communication skills. Others wanted to work on public speaking and conflict control," Garcia said.

In an effort to elaborate on the idea of leadership, guest speakers are brought in to give their insight. Dr. Morgan presented the 10 Commandments of Leadership, Kip Sullivan spoke about the Fish Philosophy and Attitude, Tramaine Rausaw conducted the Human Connection Diversity Program, and Ryan Baade worked with the team building.

"It's a good mix of perspectives from the youngest staff member to the president," Garcia said.

"We may all teach the same information but in a different way from a different perspective."
During the spring semester, the class deals with more hands-on training. Students work with recruiters and ambassadors on campus. All students will learn how to be an ambassador, but only 10 will be chosen to be ambassadors the next academic year. Along with recruiters and ambassadors, FLP members will shadow Student
Government Association officers in efforts to expand their leadership learning.

A requirement for FLP is that each student must belong to a campus organization.

"This puts them on the path to a leadership role on campus," said Garcia.

FLP is also active in Relay for Life and other services throughout the community during the spring.

"To be a good leader, we have to serve our community," Garcia said.

The class is involved with at least two community service programs each semester. This semester the class conducted a food drive and a trash pick-up. Next semester will be Relay for Life and an undecided service as of right now.

In May at the end of the class, a graduation ceremony is held for the students. Many of the students have learned how to be leaders and changed their perspective as well.

"It's interesting to see their progress in April or May," Garcia said.

The Freshman Leadership Program applies leadership experiences in real life situations on campus. The structure and personalities are from the Sul Ross community including student, administrative, and faculty organizations.
"I've really enjoyed it, the four and half years I worked, with two years of teaching," Garcia said.

"This is a quiet group, but they really come together when its time to get things done. They are learning and the community benefits."

The program is only open to incoming freshmen but hopes expand leadership on the entire campus.

If you know outstanding, incoming freshmen students for fall 2008, direct them to the online application: www.sulross.edu/pages/4465.asp.

"Bach's Lunch" A Cultural Delight

By Robbie McDaniel
Skyline Reporter

During the Friday, Nov. 9, "Bach's Lunch" performance, gifted local musicians gave stellar performances to an appreciative audience during the lunchtime concert at FAB.

The afternoon began with an interesting demonstration of musical intonation by Steve Bennack. The audience was enlightened with mathematical and musical intonation styles preferred by different cultures.

Musical selections began with Justin Badgerow and Marilyne Dieckert sharing a playful piano duet entitled, "Jeux d'enfants" by Georges Bizet. The lively, fun duo is interpreted as "Playing House" and "The Soap Bubbles."

Marilyne Dieckert followed solo with "Mazurka, op.17, no 4" by Chopin. A pensive love ballad, this piece was somewhat uncharacteristic of the familiar high energy of Chopin. The poignant, tender melody was emotional and transcendent.

"Le colibri" (The hummingbird), a French operatic selection by Ernest Chausson, was sensitively performed by vocal tenor Donald Callen Freed and accompanied by Justin Badgerow on piano.

"Corazone's Moon," a peaceful, reflective tune written by Marilyne Dieckert was finely executed by pianist Badgerow and Michael Lippard on clarinet.

This selection and the next, "Masada Winds," also by Dieckert were written following her observations of the moon and winds in Big Bend's Christmas Mountains.

The latter piece was a piano solo performed by Badgerow and reminiscent of the amazing energy that winds can evoke: from strong and torrential, to playful and wispy and back to violent and dramatic.

Concluding the concert was Ben Stringer with a piano solo entitled "La fille aux cheveux de lin" by Claude Debussy. Stringer downshifted the energy level of the concert with this gentle, almost fragile "pianissimo" selection, closing out the presentation in a musical style which could easily be described as the "music of angels."

The "Bach's Lunch" series is a superior example of the quality musical and dramatic performances offered by SRSU's Fine Arts & Communication Department throughout the year.

The Music Department's Jazz Ensemble will perform tonight at 7:30pm in Marshall Auditorium. For the full calendar of events, visit the Fine Arts & Communication Department in FAB and on the SRSU website.

Freecycle.org: Changing The World One Gift At A Time

By Sharon Collyer
Skyline Reporter

What do you do with a salad spinner you never use, that shag rug you don't want, those roller blades you can't handle, and the pink tuxedo you never wear?

Well, you could throw them away, but then you'd contribute a perfectly good shag rug to our nation's waste management problem. You could donate your items to the local thrift store, but you really want someone special to have the pink tuxedo. You could try selling your unwanted items, but selling a salad spinner is ridiculous…and why do you even have one in the first place?

So, what do you do with those rollerblades that are so last century?

Freecycle them!

The Freecycle Network was started by Deron Beal in Tucson, Arizona, in 2003. At the time, Beal worked for several recycling organizations and was weary of seeing perfectly good items being thrown away – things that could be used by those in need. He spent so much time contacting non-profit groups and delivering free items to wanting recipients that he knew he had to think up an easier way to distribute goods. Thus, Beal set up the first Freecycle email group, which permitted everyone in Tucson to give up and get in.

In four years, the Freecycle concept has spread to 75 countries, where there are now 4,163 local groups representing over four million members. According to the Freecycle website, the Freecycle Network keeps 300 tons…yes, 300 tons…of useful things out of landfills every day. Plus, by generously giving and receiving items with absolutely no strings attached, Freecycle members form a community that strengthens personal ties on a person-to-person basis while promoting environmental sustainability and recycling. The best part is that, as the name implies, the service is absolutely free.

Our Brewster County chapter of Freecycle has 181 members ... that is a lot of giving and receiving. In the last two years, I have given away a wine rack, tools, a TV, a satellite dish, books, fresh veggies, hiking gear, kitchenware and about a zillion other things. Through the donations of other members, I have furnished and decorated my entire house for free. Plus, I also post things that I fancy, hoping that someone out there might just have what I'm looking for. As the song says, I don't always get what I want, but sometimes I get what I need. Like that African mask. Or the orange recliner. Or a rooster. Or…

To access Freecycle and become a member, go to www.freecycle.org, type in Brewster County, and join the site through Yahoo Groups; this will take about five minutes, less if you are already a Yahoo user. Once you have been approved by the moderator, who will help you along with your first few posts, Freecycle is yours anytime. A word of warning: you are not allowed to sell anything. You also aren't allowed to Freecycle yourself, no matter how desperate you are for someone to take you home.

Join today. Be part of a growing community of Brewster County residents and Sul Ross constituents who care about the environment, the cost of living, and each other.Support your local recycling programs, and Happy Freecycling!

Hopper: She'll Show You The $$$

By Madeleine Cantu
Skyline Reporter

It's the first day of class. Perhaps your professor simply goes over the syllabus or even launches into a lecture. Or perhaps she insists that you stand up, say your name, and answer a couple questions in front of the class -- one of which is always "What brought you to Sul Ross?"

Next semester, I ask you to answer this with some real thought. Although the answer will vary on an individual basis, there is one thing that always stays the same and should be taken into account: there is more to Sul Ross than its low cost and appealing (although remote) location.

There are currently forty university projects and programs that have the sole purpose to serve the education of its faculty and, more importantly, its students. Some examples are the Gear Up and Title IV programs and Dr. Ritzi's "Validation of Two GIS-based Habitat Models for Mexican Spotted Owls in the Guadalupe Mountain Range of West Texas and Southern New Mexico," which is a current project.

The purpose of many of these programs and projects is to provide unique opportunities for students-to-be, undergraduate and graduate students in a real-world setting. It's participation is a way to build a resume while still attending classes with hands-on experience, and when compared to a lot of big-city universities, that's something that really puts our university on the map. Sul Ross has a high percentage of graduates who are placed in job positions that are related to their fields of study.

The paperwork and just plain work that goes into making these opportunities available to students is a little daunting but is taken on willingly by Leslie Hopper, the school's Grant Coordinator.

"Currently, Sul Ross has approximately $22 million in externally funded programs and research that is channeled through projects and programs at Sul Ross," she says.

She oversees all of the complicated funding proposals that are much like business proposals, except probably more complex. "My job, in a nutshell, is to help faculty and school administration locate, apply for and administer external funding that enables us to fulfill our educational mission."

The school makes a proposal for whatever interest there might be and then sends it to external sources that in turn give money, resources, and equipment to aid the project or program. These sources can be federal, state, or private.

"Believe it or not, foundations and the state and federal governments are sometimes in the business of giving money away for legitimate research and programs," says Hopper.

"The programs or projects they fund are managed by Sul Ross faculty and/or staff and are occurring on campus."

With special thanks to faculty and staff like Leslie Hopper, Sul Ross can offer exciting opportunities for anyone who is interested and wishes to make the most of the educational experience. In this way, Sul Ross is not simply an "inexpensive university." It truly is the portal through which you can heighten your skills. And that is another reason why you should choose to come to Sul Ross.