Talking Stick - July/August 2009 - 56

snapsHot deidre sMiTh confErEncE housing At A uniVErsity lEVEl Allows mE to EnJoy thE hospitAlity AspEct of A hotEl with studEnt dEVElopmEnt. What’s the first thing you do when you get into the office each morning? I’m usually the first person in the office, so I unlock the front office, turn the copy machine on, and then unlock the conference room. The first thing I do in my office is open my blinds and situate my laptop. What’s the biggest issue you see facing the profession right now? The economy. What makes your campus unique? We’re located in the heart of San Francisco with an abundance of activities in short distance to the university. What resource can’t you live without? Internet and e-mail. What made you decide to work in housing? If you hadn’t chosen housing, what would your job be? I realized my passion for hospitality from working for the summer guest housing program (i.e., conference housing) in college. Conference housing at a university level allows me to enjoy the hospitality aspect of a hotel with student development. In my time at USF I’ve found my enthusiasm for human development. If I didn’t work in student affairs, I would have worked in the hotel industry. After realizing the hotel industry wasn’t for me, I would have gone into the sports industry. When was the last time you awoke to a phone call from work in the middle of the night? Last summer. What do you wish was different about your job? I wish I had more time to work on and complete long-term projects. New social technology like blogging and Facebook: Good or evil? Hmmm. A little of both. I think it limits faceto-face or voice-to-voice interactions, and I believe it increases social anxiety. That being said, I think sites like Facebook have been a good source for students to connect with their university. Best speaker or book you’ve been impressed by? Speaker – Swil Kanim, keynote speaker at the 2004 ACUHO-I Conference Services Workshop in Vancouver. His use of violin music to express himself was beautiful. Book – At this time in my life, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert has been the book that has touched my life. I was surprised to find the book to be insightful. Last meal at a campus dining hall? Lunch today. Name the individuals who made the greatest impact on your career. My supervisor, Golden Venters, has had an enormous impact on my life, both personally and professionally. I am lucky to have a supervisor who exemplifies the USF mission and values. Favorite campus traditions? Earth Day. On Earth Day, Bon Appetit, USF’s contracted dining services vendor, does a wonderful job showcasing the organic foods and environmentally friendly products used on a regular basis in our cafeteria. They have the actual vendors come to USF and sell their products. On Earth Day our cafeteria becomes a mini farmer’s market. DeiDre smitH is the manager of summer housing and marketing publications for the office of residence life at the University of San Francisco in California. Who would you like to see featured in Snapshot? Send your suggestions to camille@acuho-i.org. 5 Talking STick

Talking Stick - July/August 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - July/August 2009