Talking Stick - May/June 2014 - 14

Just in

Fun Facts

PD for Free:
Write This Way

Writing can often seem like a daunting task. Whether it's
writing a report for work or an assignment for school, it requires
a combination of inspiration and skill. It is easy to overlook
the professional development we can take from writing, often
because writing has been such a prescribed part of our lives.
To better understand how writing can be a rich source of
professional development, Camille Perlman, managing editor of
the Talking Stick, shares her thoughts on the subject.
For those interested but not sure where to start, Perlman
offers this: "An outline is a great place to start. You can always
fill in your thoughts in between the bullet points, and before you
know it, the story starts taking shape. For novice writers, don't
be afraid to write. Even the most savvy writers get stuck here and
there or have to write two or three drafts sometimes before they
get into the swing of things and bring the whole story together.
Just jump in and start writing down all that you feel you need
to say about a subject that interests you. You can always go back
and reorganize or refine your word choice. For advanced writers,
be willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone to build
your writing skills. This could be taking on a writing assignment
about a topic that you are not familiar with or taking on a bigger
writing assignment that requires a higher word count."
Finally, "Have fun with it. It can be exciting knowing that
what you write could help someone find a solution to their
problem or it could introduce them to people and issues that they
knew nothing about until they read your story."
James Baumann, director of communications and
marketing for ACUHO-I, says, "the thing that I am most proud
of about ACUHO-I publications is that they - be they books,
magazines, journals, reports, etc. - are created almost entirely
by our volunteer members. Not only do they provide excellent
information, they provide the opportunity for people to contribute
to the body of knowledge and gain the professional development
experience of writing. I love enabling people to do that."
ACUHO-I offers its members a number of ways to contribute
to the body of knowledge within our field and further develop
their professional writing skills. To learn more about these
opportunities, contact James Baumann (james@acuho-i.org) or
Camille Perlman (camille@acuho-i.org).

Drew University students in Madison,
New Jersey, embrace Sloppy Saturday, an
annual event held
the first weekend
in May and hosted
by the Hoyt/Asbury
residence complex,
when they kick back
and enjoy sloppy
foods. There is even
a beer garden for
students of legal
drinking age.

Residents living in Breckinridge
Hall at the University of
Chicago in Illinois celebrate
FunRise on the first day of each
quarter by walking together to
Promontory Point to watch
the sunrise and wave their
hall's flag.

Watch out for
Housing Secret Stalkers at
the University of Central
Missouri in Warrensburg.
When they catch a resident
wearing an "I live on
campus" shirt or carrying
a bag with the tag phrase, they
award them with prizes.

Kate McGartland
Student Development Officer, Leadership & Learning, University
of Toronto Mississauga
[Ed. Note: PD for Free is a recurring column that explores professional
development opportunities for campus housing professionals at little or
no cost. If you have ideas or success stories to share, please contact the
author at kate.kinsella@utoronto.ca or on Twitter at
@KateMcGK.]
14

Talking STick

Students at Washington and Lee
University in Lexington, Virginia, know
they must not pass through the center of
the portico on campus when they walk to
or from the Graham-Lees residence hall.
According to local lore, they will fail their
next exam if they do.
Talking Stick - May/June 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - May/June 2014
