An Aztec Adventure

I took a trip to a place I had never been, with people I had never met, and did an activity I had never tried.

One of the best decisions I have ever made.

This past month, I went on an “Aztec Adventure” and if you’re not familiar with what that is, simply:  it’s an experience of a lifetime.

Organized by SDSU’s Aztec Recreation Center, an Aztec Adventure is an outdoor trip that allows its participants to break away and engulf themselves with nature.

I found myself in Arizona. Canoeing upstream in the Colorado River.

For me the trip was a way to take a break. A way to feel the stresses that had built up from my work and school routine, slowly drift away with every stroke into Arizona’s Black Canyon.

And although I didn’t anticipate it, I met some amazing people in the process.

There were 14 of us.  We battled currents upstream, relaxed in natural hot springs, hiked in pitch black caves, gave each other mud facials and slept under the stars. We  did all of it, together.

These complete strangers became my friends, and now we’re all tied together with these lasting memories of this amazing trip.

I must say to be out in the wild and turn off your phone saying goodbye to email and twitter  for four days was a little nerve racking. But hey, what’s life without a little risk… a little adventure.

Rock the Vote

As several political races begin to heat up, 2011-12 Associated Students Vice President of External Affairs Krista Parker, who will receive her bachelor’s degree in political science this Friday, blogs about the importance of students voting in June and November.

After many visits to local, state and federal legislators’ offices over the past three years at SDSU, I have heard one common message: students don’t vote. After awhile, I really got sick of hearing that and when I took office in May 2011, one of my main initiatives was registering students to vote.

Rock the Vote at SDSU is a campaign that really encompasses the importance of the youth vote. Students have been known not to vote in the past simply because they don’t know why their vote matters. The campaign really focuses on the issues that directly impact students and educates them on the candidates running for office.

With June 5 and Nov. 6 elections quickly approaching, the importance of registering to vote is increasing. It really is easy! Go online to Rockthevote.com, head over to the Associated Students Government Affairs Office in the Alumni Center or visit the San Diego County Registrar of Voters to fill out a form to register (in San Diego, voters must register at least 15 days in advance of an election).

However, the most important part is to make sure and vote. There’s even a polling place on campus to make it easy Note: documents in Portable Document Format (PDF) require Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher to view, download Adobe Acrobat Reader. (7 a.m. to 8 p.m., June 5, Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center)!

So back to the original question: why vote? First, let’s prove those legislators wrong and show that students do vote and, second — and most importantly — this is the perfect way to begin the process of getting your opinions heard!

Commencement Stories

Commencement is finally (almost) here for a number of students.  Nearly 10,000 students have toiled over the last few years to earn their degree and approval to walk in their respective commencement ceremonies.  I was asked to learn some of their stories so we could show the local community — and places farther out —what our graduates have accomplished and where they are headed.

So, to that end, I’ve worked over the last two weeks compiling information on a number of graduates to write short biographies for SDSU News Center. Wow. From working to help stroke victims and kids suffering from cerebral palsy, to fighting against the bullying epidemic in schools, and the sincere hope from many of them to give back to their communities in a number of ways.

And that’s just their character, without even mentioning the intelligence that these students have to be on the Dean’s List continuously, being named Outstanding Graduates for their respective colleges and a number of other honors and accolades.

And these are just a handful of the many who are going on to do great things.

Congratulations to all our graduates!

Celebrating Spring with GreenFest

No matter when you attended San Diego State, in recent years, one of the highlights of the spring semester is the annual festival put on by Associated Students. When I was an undergraduate student, it was called Spring Fiesta and AzFest.

Fast-forward to 2012 and that festival has morphed into GreenFest, a week of events celebrating sustainability — a core value of Associated Students — and Aztec pride. Associated Students has worked hard to green its facilities and promote programs that espouse an eco-friendly lifestyle in recent years, and GreenFest is no exception.

This year’s GreenFest — which takes place April 22 – 28 — will host several events, including:

• Earth Day 5k and Kids’ Fun Run
• E-waste Drive
• SDSU Takes Over the Ballpark
• GreenFest Festival

To learn more about Associated Students’ sustainability efforts, visit as.sdsu.edu/thinkgreen or the GreenFest website, “like” Green Love and GreenFest on Facebook or follow GreenFest on Twitter.

Our basketball season is over … now what?

Did your bracket come crashing down — and your season come screaching to an end — when the Aztecs lost to North Carolina State in the 2nd round of the NCAATournament last week? Are you already itching for next season to start? Are you thinking to yourself ‘Now what? What will I do with my Tuesday and Saturday nights, if not watching college basketball at the Madhouse on the Mesa?’

Well, you’re in luck, because, as I learned a few years ago, life does go on after the basketball season and, at SDSU, there are actually plenty of other things to do outside of Viejas Arena.

For instance, a former United States Ambassador to Israel is on campus today, speaking about the Middle East.  If Peace in the Middle East is a little too political for your taste, the School of Music and Dance is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and has something fun and entertaining going on all the time.

And the Farmer’s Market … ohhhh the Farmer’s Market.

But if you just must get your sports fix, there are still lots of spring sports going on, like baseball, softball, golf and tennis.

I guess the point is, sometimes we take for granted all the activities we have going on right under our noses here on campus. Take a minute and check out the events calendar and try an event you’ve never done before. The upcoming Jazz Ensemble at Smith Recital Hall isn’t the same as The Show. But it’ll be a good show none the less.