Posting from the new Blogger iPhone app

Let's see how this goes! I'm posting from the brand new (and long awaited) Blogger iPhone app!

Now I have mobile access to post relevant and groundbreaking material at all times: Check out this picture of my cat!

I have no idea how the photo will look when it posts because it merely appears as an attachment - that's one inconvenience so far. And since I'm someone who is rather anal about having a standard image width (475px) for consistency, uploading without control over the placement is making me cringe.

Overall a very functional app, but if I'm going to post photos, I'll still need a "real" computer to satisfy my need for standard image width and image alt tags.

Our secular student group goes public in the school paper

I really love having my name in the paper, it's such a boost during this otherwise stressful week! There's just something about having your name in print (actual print, not blog print) that makes you feel special, validated, and important. Yay!

Yesterday, during the executive board meeting for the Secular Society, we were interviewed by Mathew Davoli for a BG News profile of our student org. The full version of the story is online: "Secular organization aims for equality"

I'm really pleased with how the article turned out! I'm always afraid what I say will be taken out of context, and since this was the first article about our organization, I was a little anxious. Overall, I think our organization comes across as very rational and inclusive - which is a great way to be received by the student body overall!

So far things are going swimmingly, and our first general assembly meeting is tomorrow night. I'm still waiting for something to happen - I usually read about more controversy surrounding groups of non-believers on college campuses, so I'm remaining weary. Who is going to make the first snide comment? Who is going to tell me I'm going to hell, or that they'll pray for me? It remains to be seen, and I like it that way!

Checklist for helping a sexual assault survivor

This is an updated checklist for helping a sexual assault survivor that I designed in an attempt to simplify the order and importance of questions that should be addressed when helping or meeting with a sexual assault survivor. It is not a traditional flow chart or hierarchy - where preceding steps must be completed before continuing on. It is essentially a checklist, where dichotomous "Yes/No" questions are asked. If the answer is "Yes" the next step is listed on the left, and if the answer to the question is "No," the next step is found to the right.

Feel free to copy this format! The feedback I have gotten so far has been very positive. I think it is an easily readable guide that might come in handy when dealing with a difficult situation.

Click on the image to open a larger, high-resolution copy!

My 30-second commercial

If I was going to provide an overview of who I am, where I'm going, and what I'm good at in 30 seconds - it would go a little something like this:

Hi, my name is Eric Teske. I will be graduating in May with a degree in College Student Personnel. While attending Bowling Green State University, I worked as an intern for the Department of Recreation and Wellness in the Wellness Connection office. This role allowed me to serve as an advisor to undergraduate student organizations, coordinate large prevention programs, and organize health education outreach initiatives for the campus and surrounding community.

My experience at Bowling Green has given me the tools to plan, implement, and evaluate innovative student programs. With a focus on student development, I have a firm understanding of the challenge and support students require to learn and grow in a university setting. I am also proficient in the use of technology for marketing and assessment.

My career goal is to work at an institution of higher education as a health educator and eventually become a director of health promotion services. I possess excellent written and oral communication skills, with experience facilitating presentations for small groups and large audiences. I am a culturally competent and creative self-starter with a reputation for paying attention to details.

I think the "30-second commercial" activity is a great way to get into the resume / cover letter / interview mindset, and a great way to practice using expressive, precise language. Remember, like a good cover letter, your personal commercial should change based on your audience, and should be specific enough to include goals relevant to the position for which you are applying.

Playing beer pong with water doesn't make it an educational activity [comic]

I received an email asking if our office would be willing to provide handouts for an alcohol awareness event during Homecoming. I was told the event would have water pong and flip-cup with soda instead of beer, "to go along the whole safe way to having fun." Oh, is that not a good idea?