My speech for Sustainability Week

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to speak at the Sustainability Week kickoff event at the Inn on Monday. Here’s the speech that followed President Steger, Mayor Rordam, Sustainable Blacksburg’s Pat Bixler. (Remember, Sustainability Forum is Thursday, October 15th at 5:00 in Commonwealth Ballroom.)

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children,” says a Native American proverb.

Besides the earth, is there anything else we actually borrow? We live in a throwaway society and I can’t see my child wanting my rubber duck from Walmart, which will cost be more to store, than to buy another one again, in ten years. In fact, the packaging alone for the duck is part of the 1,242 pounds that the average American disposes of each year, which is up tenfold in the last 100 years. If we were to keep something like the rubber duck, it would be for sentimental value, because those emotional associations are worth more than any monetary value.

The emotional associations are worth more than the monetary value? How can the $1.99 duck have more sentimental value than the planet where I live?

I spend most days staring down at my iPhone typing an e-mail, losing all visibility of where I am and where I am going. I feel my rubber-soled shoes hit the pavement for the hundredth time of the day, losing all feeling of connectedness with the earth below me. I am reaching for my ham and cheese sandwich in my backpack, the one I think came from Kroger, but really contains meat and cheese that originated thousands of miles away. My point: We’ve lost all connection to what we do and how we do it. We are on this Earth for such a short period of time and we aren’t living in the present with the goal of protecting the future.

Do you desire to positively change the world and leave a legacy? Most of us do, but why aren’t we doing it right now? Maybe it’s because this concept of “changing the world” is perceived as so grandiose that it must be impossible.

Let us break down this abstract concept with the infinite amount of time it would take to do it, into a concrete and finite piece of time. If we break down that phrase from an insurmountable task into tiny little pieces, like the time it takes to change the world, it becomes much more realistic. The way I see it, every action, every second of the day, is an opportunity to change the world.

And during this Sustainability Week, you have opportunities, at just about every hour, to not only learn, but to actively participate in the process. The Open Forum: Campus Sustainability Progress Report is Thursday, Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. in the Commonwealth Ballroom. I urge each of you to find your voice and help us make this school the best it can be.
This is an exciting time at Virginia Tech because each one of you plays an essential role in that process. College isn’t just about sitting in a classroom, but rather tackling real world issues. Yesterday, I was on the Mall in Washington, D.C., staring at the Lumenhaus, Tech’s Solar House entry in the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon contest. It is one of the many examples where Tech students are solving real world problems. This week is about raising awareness, but it’s up to each of you to be aware and conscious in every decision you make here at Tech, so we can solve our problems as well. So take the little actions: Turn off your lights, choose the more eco-friendly product, and you will be part of the change.

Many of us will leave Tech and Blacksburg someday. While we will leave behind the orange and maroon leaves of an autumn tree, the all too familiar Blacksburg rain, and the clearest view to the summer stars, we will not leave a negative impact. Each one of you is here today, because you understand that this moment in time is your moment to be one of the many maroon and orange leaves on a tree, a single rain drop from a spring shower, or the North Star among constellations. When we all contribute our individual actions they add up to a massive, collective effort.

We have all heard the phrase, “Think globally, act locally.” Local leaders like Mayor Ron Rordam and the 1,000 other mayors across the country who have signed the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, have come to see that our individual and collective actions at the community level are both powerful and positive. Tech is also a community like the town of Blacksburg where we can do more to promote sustainability. President Charles Steger signed into action a personalized sustainability plan, known as the Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment, to lead our school and Hokie community for a better future.

Each one of us has an impact like a leaf, a rain drop and a star, and just like those elements of nature, our consequence becomes visible when we look at the big picture: the whole tree, a torrential down pour, or the cluster of stars. This team is among you today, with our occupations, educational background and values aside, each one of us has the exact same opportunity to leave an impact. But why aim for “no impact” when we can all leave a positive one?

I have never been so honored to be part of such a special team of students, administrators and staff, faculty members, elected officials, nonprofit leaders and citizens, because together, this team can raise our ecological intelligence and invent the right future.

http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/14413

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A few weeks prior, I was asked to give a speech at a Sustainability Rally. Below is that speech, which was geared towards a student audience. In addition, some of these words are not mine, but rather the best of the best in their respective fields.

Sustainability Rally Speech

When I was asked to give this speech, I immediately started running in the opposite direction. It wasn’t because I saw a University of Virginia student approaching or a gas-guzzling SUV about to hit me. It’s because I knew I didn’t have the words of wisdom, the words full of passion, and motivational enough to change the behavior of those around me. But as I reflected, I realized it takes more than one person’s words to make change. In fact, it takes more than just words to make change, it takes a commitment and a series of actions from all of those around us to really change the world. Since it takes each of us to do our part for a greener world, each part of my speech will be the words of others. The words of this speech are a combination of a Native American proverb, SGA President Brandon Carroll’s remarks, Environmental Activist Paul Hawken’s Commencement address, and my personal reflection.

Last Friday, Lyndsay from the Environmental Coalition gave me a ring on my cell phone, “Hey Shane, I need you to give a speech on sustainability, but we need passionate, direct, electrifying, unique, and basically all-around amazing.” No Pressure.  Well, here is my attempt at what seems to be the impossible.

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children,” says a Native American Proverb.

To borrow means — to receive with the implied or expressed intention of returning the same or an equivalent.  Interestingly, it also means to return the same with interest. I think we can all agree that

Besides the earth, is there anything else we actually borrow? We live in a throwaway society and I can’t see my child wanting my rubber ducky from Walmart, which will cost be more to store than to buy another one in ten years anyway. In fact, the packaging alone for the duck is one of the 1,242 pounds the average American disposes of each year, which is up ten fold in this century. I guess we keep something like the rubber duck for sentimental value. You know, because its emotional associations are worth more than the monetary value. Hum, emotional associations are worth more than the monetary value? And you wonder why I don’t think the duck has sentimental value, because the earth, has lost its sentimental value as well. Where has our emotional connection or any connection for that matter to the earth gone? You see me walking across campus, but let me tell you what my experience has become. I am staring down at my iphone typing an email, losing all visibility of where I am and where I am going. I feel my rubber-soled shoes hit the pavement for the thousandth time of the day, losing all feeling of connectedness with the earth below me. I am reaching for my sandwich in my backpack, the one that I think came from home, but really has meat from thousands of miles away and bread so processed we might as well call it WONDERfully stale bread. My point: we’ve lost all connection to what we do and how we do it. We are on this earth for such a short period of time and yet, we aren’t living in the present to protect it.

The arctic is melting, sea levels are rising rapidly, hurricanes, droughts, and flooding are the norm, and the greenhouse effect is amplified.

I started to think about the future. I am forty years old and still alone. Yeah, I am still speed dating, because my fast-paced career means more to me than my personal relationships anyway. After a few conversations and constant failure with these women, I bring out the line. “How much does a polar bear weigh?” Enough to break the ice, I respond. It seemed like the best of both worlds: a pick up line and an ice breaker, but she gives me a look of disappointment, because I am just as lame as she had expected. I thought to an even more distant future when I get to share this pickup line with my son and then it hit me. I realized he would express the same look of disappointment as the speed dater, but not because it’s a terrible line, but because he doesn’t know what a polar bear is. His only knowledge comes from pictures on the internet, old coca cola advertisements, and our annual trip to the Smithsonian. Let’s not simplify this to the loss of a pick up line, or even an animal, because in reality, we are losing much more; we are losing our world.

Each of you is going to have to figure out what it means to be a human being on earth at a time when every living system is declining, and the rate of decline is accelerating.  Kind of a mind-boggling situation – but not one peer-reviewed paper published in the last thirty years can refute that statement.

Basically, the earth needs a new operating system, you are the programmers, and we need it within a few decades.

This planet came with a set of operating instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them.  Important rules like — don’t poison the water, soil, or air, and don’t let the earth get overcrowded, and don’t touch the thermostat — have all been broken.  Buckminster Fuller said that spaceship earth was so ingeniously designed that no one has a clue that we are on one, flying through the universe at a million miles per hour, with no need for safety belts, lots of room in coach, and really good food – but all that is changing.

When you leave Virginia Tech, you will find that there is invisible writing on the back of the diploma you will receive, and in case you didn’t bring lemon juice to decode it, I can tell you what it says: YOU ARE BRILLIANT, AND THE EARTH IS HIRING.

The earth couldn’t afford to send any recruiters or limos to your school.  It sent you rain, sunsets, orange and maroon leaves, and that unbelievably cute person you are dating.  Take the hint. And here’s the deal: Forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done.

When asked if I am pessimistic or optimistic about the future, my answer is always the same: If you look at the science about what is happening on earth and aren’t pessimistic, you don’t understand data.  But if you meet the people who are working to restore this earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a pulse. You see, your joining a multitude of caring people.  But, caring isn’t enough, we need to actively care. Actively requires an action; we have to do something to show that we care. No one knows how many groups and organizations are working on the most salient issues of our day:  climate change, poverty, deforestation, peace, water, hunger, conservation, human rights, and more.  This is the largest movement the world has ever seen.

Rather than control, it seeks connection.  Rather than dominance, it strives to disperse concentrations of power.  Like many of you, it works behind the scenes and gets the job done.  Large as it is, no one knows the true size of this movement. It provides hope, support, and meaning to billions of people in the world.  Its clout resides in idea, not in force. It is made up of teachers, children, peasants, businesspeople, rappers, organic farmers, nuns, artists, government workers, fisherfolk, engineers, concerned mothers, poets, doctors without borders, street musicians, the President of the United States of America, the citizens of Blacksburg, and the students of Virginia Tech.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years.  No one would sleep that night, of course.  The world would become religious overnight.  We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God. Instead the stars come out every night, and we watch television.

This extraordinary time when we are globally aware of each other and the multiple dangers that threaten civilization has never happened, not in a thousand years, not in ten thousand years.  Each of us is as complex and beautiful as all the stars in the universe.  We have done great things and we have gone way off course in terms of honoring creation.  Your opportunity lies in the most amazing, challenging, stupefying challenge ever bequested to any generation.  The generations before you failed.  They didn’t stay up all night.  They got distracted and lost sight of the fact that life is a miracle every moment of your existence. Nature beckons you to be on her side.  You couldn’t ask for a better boss.  The most unrealistic person in the world is the cynic, not the dreamer.  Hopefulness only makes sense when it doesn’t make sense to be hopeful.

“We are the world” was sung by some of the best prominent musicians in 1985 to help those in Africa, but don’t the same words apply to sustainability now?

We are the world

We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let’s start giving

There’s a choice we’re making

We’re saving our own lives

It’s true we’ll make a better day

Just you and me

I hope you took something away from these words and if you didn’t then at the very least you can go around campus tomorrow and spread the word that the SGA Vice President is going to be single and alone at forty years old. For those of you that picked up on a few things, but want the sparknotes version, here they are:

The earth’s on a timer and unlike the show 24, there isn’t one person who can do it all. It’s going to take each of you, your talents, knowledge, and your passion to save the world.

I want to thank the Town of Blacksburg for their leadership on sustainability.

As a leading institute in research and technology, Virginia Tech students are leading the way in sustainability. Last spring the Virginia Tech President’s Climate Action Commitment was signed into University policy by President Steger. This year your new Student Government has made sustainability a major platform after hearing feedback from the SGA4you campaign. It is obvious that fighting against climate change has become a priority and source of new energy as Hokies strive to invent the right future. With the Senate to consider comprehensive cap and trade climate legislation this fall, I encourage students to take part and take action in as much of the conversation as possible. The international climate negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark this December will determine if humanity really will make a serious commitment to preserving our planet for future generations, for our kids. As part of Hokie nation, we are all part of this picture and can help America lead the way in curbing the worst effects of global warming that are upon us. We need this clean energy bill and we need it now.

My speech started with me telling you about my intention to take the easy way out and run in the opposite direction. But, we can no longer run in circles around the world and around this problem.

This is your century.  Take ownership and run in the right direction as if your life depends on it, because it might. My question to each of you: “which direction will you choose to go?”

“If better is possible, good is not enough”

These are the closing remarks for the 2009 SGA Debate… http://qik.ly/PNNM

Google gets “it” & maps

Google gets it. Everything they do is built with the customer in mind and a focus on simplicity. They made it easy to create a personal map using existing marks. I’ve been working on creating a map of all Car Free Diet Partners in Arlington to give them some more exposure on CarfreeDiet.com.

View Larger Map

SGA starts programs with new secretary

by Kelsey Heiter, CT news reporter Thursday, September 3, 2009; 11:08 PM

The elected Student Government Association secretary has resigned for personal reasons, according to SGA officers. Morgan Bradley, who was elected on the SGA4You ticket last spring, has left her position. “She was not sure if she could devote everything to SGA,” said Shane McCarty, SGA vice president. “I think that takes a lot of courage for someone to say, ‘I know how important this is to everyone involved, especially the three elected officers.’” Ellen Cupp was recently appointed SGA executive secretary. She was originally slated to work as the secretary for the legislative branch and will continue operating in both roles. “When Morgan resigned, I was asked to take over the role of executive secretary as well,” Cupp said.

SGA President Brandon Carroll said he hopes to make a significant change for the students on campus by introducing innovative planned programs that work closely with the other branches of student government. “We established another branch of SGA called Outreach,” Carroll said. “It is here to support the House and Senate’s effort when writing legislation to get valid data to be a complete, accurate representation of the student body.” Carroll explained that when student government decides to write legislation and speak to university President Charles Steger, the SGA is able to accurately say that these are the decisions of the entire student body shown through accurate survey research. SGA will continue to sponsor programs such as Relay for Life and The Big Event this year. “We are introducing something new this year called ‘iChange,’ where we are really trying to tap into the collective talent of the university to improve student life,” Carroll said. “It is sort of like using the wisdom of the crowds to make Virginia Tech better.”

McCarty said one of the main focuses is on a dining incentive program. “The biggest thing right now that we are focused on, that we have spent the summer working on, is the dining incentive program,” McCarty said. “One of our initiatives during the campaign was to start a dining center plan where students can eat between 3 and 5 p.m. at West End and receive 10 percent off of their meal.” McCarty added that SGA is hoping to start a mini-pilot program in just over a month with housing and dining services in an attempt to reduce congestion during the peak hours. “It is going to be a good opportunity for us to really impact students with our lifestyle platform,” McCarty said. “The idea (is to make a) change that students see everyday, as opposed to those big things that never really have a concrete practical impact on them. So we are very excited to see what students think about it and if they take advantage of it.” Carroll said another focus this year is on sustainability.

“We are doing recycling for The Green Effect game, which is coming up,” Carroll said. “It is also about the little things that we do, like passing out popsicles on the Drillfield, which we are doing September 14, 15 and 16, and President Steger, Provost (Mark) McNamee, and Tom Tillar from Alumni Relations are going to stop by.”

Joey Zakutney, SGA treasurer, said he has many hopes, goals and initiatives for the new semester.

“I would say among the top is to make the students realize that they have a very significant role in creating change on this campus,” Zakutney said. “Knowing that they have the power – if they work with student government, especially through House and Senate getting legislation approved – to really make a difference and really see the changes that they want to see, because I think that way everyone is happy.”

Zakutney said that working with faculty, staff, administration, the student body and the greater community of Blacksburg is important to having an open communication channel.

“There are a number of different opportunities to get involved,” Zakutney said. “There is FLEX, which is a program we developed specifically for freshmen to really come in and get acclimated into how SGA works, but also give them the skills necessary to take up other leadership opportunities on campus if they so choose.”

Other opportunities include Hokies on Fire, Big Event and Relay for Life.

Stephanie Jasinski, executive director of external affairs, said she is currently working with all different types of students on her board.

“I have one person that is assigned to work with the faculty, so they will be sitting in on the faculty senate,” Jasinski said. “We also have two directors that are in charge of student outreach, so they will be working with their own committee to see how they can get quantitative data of what students want, so they are really in charge of collecting people’s names, seeing how they can get involved with not just SGA, but anything on campus.”

Jasinski added that the executive board also has a Tenants Association of Blacksburg, which is working with the town to make sure the students are getting the right leases and they know what they are getting into when they are living off campus.

“We also have Community Initiatives, where we have someone go to the town meetings and meet and make sure that we are listening to the rest of the community when we are making decisions on campus,” Jasinski said.

Source: Collegiate Times

Non-peak dining to save students money

by Kelsey Heiter, news reporter Thursday, September 17, 2009; 11:15 PM

An SGA pilot program offering a dining incentive will give students a 10 percent discount at dining halls between the hours of 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., beginning next week. The pilot program, put together by SGA Vice President Shane McCarty, will run Sept. 21-Sept. 25. Students will only get the discount if they present a coupon, a measure taken to judge interest in the incentive. If the program is implemented as an everyday measure, no coupon will be required. “We spent Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 14 and 15, on the Drillfield passing out 10 percent off coupons for students to be used Monday, Sept. 21 until Friday, Sept. 25,” McCarty said. “Dining and SGA saw an opportunity to reduce congestion during the peak hours of 11:30 a.m. to about 2 p.m. and we want to give incentives to students for changing their eating schedules.”

McCarty hopes students are going to try the program. “We really hope that students do (take advantage) because there have been lots of complaints and concerns about having to wait in line so long,” McCarty said. “We hope that this is kind of a plan that really makes the change that the students are looking for.” Brandon Carroll, SGA president, said that he hopes the program will relieve stress that the dining employees experience during peak hours. “Students are in line longer and employees are more rushed,” Carol said, “so if we can spread out some of that congestion from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. when the dining halls are not making as much money, we can actually increase revenue, decrease congestion, make employees happier, make students get their food faster, save some extra money all around by starting this dining incentive program.” Carroll said the program is designed to see how the dining incentive program is affecting the university.

A successful program could lead to the permanent installation of the incentives. “With this economy, 10 percent is enough to get students to change their eating habits from the regular hours of noon to 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. instead,” Carroll said. “If the program works, it is something we can implement in the school, and if not, we are still testing it out to see how effective it is.” Steve Garnett, unit manager of West End, said that the program has been advertised with table cards and distribution of the coupons throughout the week.

“In my eyes, what SGA is working to accomplish, is to more evenly distribute the flow of traffic through the dining halls by incentivizing the students and general public to come in during slow times, and to alleviate the pressure off of the noon to 2 p.m. rush that the dining halls typically get,” Garnett said. “I hope that overall customer satisfaction is increased and that the flow of traffic is more evenly distributed.”

McCarty said that the dining centers are losing money when students are not accessing the dining halls during the hours of 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

“From 3 to 5 p.m. it is nearly empty in the dining halls, so what we found is that there are all of these fixed costs that dining has to pay, which is the staff, who gets paid hourly wages whether people show up or not,” McCarty said. “The lighting is a fixed cost, the grills, food, all of that stuff is all fixed costs, and the only thing that changes is the food for sale so what we want to do is to help lessen the stress for the dining staff.”

Another big issue, McCarty added, is that a lot of the dining staff are students, and they have expressed concern about how bad traffic is during those peak hours.

“We saw this as an opportunity to meet the students needs by hopefully reducing congestion and then reducing that feeling of stress during those two hours that are non-stop work for them,” McCarty said. “We really see this as being a huge win-win opportunity and hopefully this is something that will continue based on the feedback that is provided during that week.”

McCarty said that SGA is fortunate to work with Housing and Dining Services on the incentive.

“They realize that the student is who we are all serving, and if students want something open later, then that is what they are going to do,” McCarty said. “They care so much.”

Coupons are available in the SGA office in 321 Squires, and tickets are located in selected dining facilities around campus.

“Honestly, the goal with the program is to meet the concerns of the students, which have been that during peak dining hours students are not having the best dining experience that they can have,” McCarty said. “Dining services has worked with us because they see that the student is who they are serving, that is their customer and that is who they care about so, I think we see great potential and hopefully this becoming something bigger than the pilot.”

Source: Collegiate Times

Everything happens for a reason… or does it?

I have lived by the phrase for my entire life. In fact, I used to love the phrase so much, I felt the need to coin a word for it. I use the word synchonocity (not to be confused with synchronicity) as a simple and shorter way of saying “everything happens for a reason.”

The more that has happened to me over the past year at Virginia Tech, the more my perception has changed. I used the phrase as an excuse for a mistake. I used the phrase to rationalize injustices around me. I used the words, because I can. It’s just easier to say “everything happens for a reason” than accept the truth of the situation and reality.

As an upper-middle class, Catholic, white, heterosexual male, it’s easier to dwell on the positive than the negative. The truth: there isn’t much to be negative about. As I reflect back on my life, I really haven’t had the experiences that most people have had. I did what was comfortable, because risk involves loss. I did what was comfortable, because for every decision, I only had something to lose (and never something to gain). I never had to worry about paying my way through college or figuring out how I was going to eat next. Everything was good and the status quo can certainly be a bad thing. I look around at my high school peers and wonder if they realize what they have been given. In college, I have a friend paying his own tuition and housing. I have a friend finding himself as a homosexual male in a heterosexual world. I have a friend that experienced what nobody should ever have to experience. I have these people who have redefined who I am. I could be like my peers from home: the ones who coast through life with ease. But, I refuse to be content. Being content implies satisfaction and that’s not good enough for me. I have privileges that most people only dream of having in their life. The average median income is six figures for families in my county. By the way, Cnn: Money labeled Arlington, VA as the most educated county in the United States a few years back (with over a third of adults containing graduate degrees). The foundation of who Shane McCarty really is can be explained by my parents, locations, and friends. Family dinners involved family discussion on what a particular congressman really felt about the passing of today’s legislative bill. Outings for dinner were with Mayors and influential people. I am lucky to have grown up so fortunate with a strong family and that didn’t happen for a reason.

Back to the point of everything happens for reason. If I still believed the words, then I would probably be like those from home. I would go through life accepting that life is good, but never really feel the need to accomplish anything. Synchronocity is wrong, because I control my own destiny. I made the choice to be the best I can be. I chose to use my privileges to remain a head, so I can do something remarkable to change the world. “Everything happens for a reason” is a cop out. The next time you hear the phrase, ask the person if anything catastrophic has happened to them. If they say yes, then commend them for their positive attitude on life. If they say no, then tell them to use their privileges to make sure that they never have to use the phrase again to rationalize something that happened to somebody else.

Shane says in short: Ask yourself if you believe everything truly happens for a reason. Did you say yes, because you are positive or because you are privileged? Maybe the good things “happen for a reason” and the bad things are just bad…

The Self-Transcendence Search

by Christopher James Joseph Saccoccia

Every day, as we walk down the street, glance away from the computer screen or people-watch at the mall, we witness people in need. Most of us see some sort of struggle in the person’s eyes, words or body language. Now the question becomes, will we help them? Many people will attest to the fact that they witness others in need and know what help would be required. Yet the population tends to remain passive at such times. Why do people not take action when others are in need? What is required for us to take action? While going through a mid-life crisis, becoming educated on self-transcendence and its benefits can help bring a new passion for one’s life.

In 1928, Abraham Maslow, a psychologist created a hierarchy of needs. This pyramid-shaped chart was used to display the physiological needs of all human beings. The pyramid is functions such that human beings need to fulfill the bottom levels before being able to move on to upper level. Our most basic needs are characterized as physiological and include breathing, eating, sleep and homeostasis. Almost all humans make it to the next step, safety. Safety includes security of employment, morality, heath and security. As the economy and job markets tend to decline, we find that more and more people do not have this psychological sense of security; thus, these people cannot proceed to the love/belonging stage. Our need for friendship, family and sexual intimacy make up the need for belonging. The next step, and where many people stop, is esteem. According to Maslow, the need for self-esteem, confidence and respect for and by others is required to achieve esteem. Self-actualization includes removing prejudice and accepting certain facts about the world. The question of attaining self-actualization is somewhat controversial, some argue that only about 2% of people ever achieve a level of Self-actualization (McCarty, 2009). Others make a point of emphasizing self-transcendence is much more easy to attain (Saccoccia, 2009). Unlike Figure 1, Maslow’s published hierarchy of needs concluded with self-actualization.

Maslow's final version, although never popularly accepted

However, in Maslow’s unpublished pyramid, he included the final stage that is included in Figure 1: self-transcendence. Though leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi have attained such a level, the list does not include many more (Saccoccia, 2009). Self-transcendence includes caring for others and attaining intrinsic happiness, which is the internal feeling of satisfaction from seeing positive results of one’s ongoing behavior (Geller, October 2008). Self-transcendence has also come to be known as altruism, which is “self-sacrifice for the benefit of others” (Altruists International, 2009).  Why do people not take action when others are in need? In Dr. E. Geller’s The Courage Factor, he tells the story of a leader in the business industry that is challenged to cope with the various challenges of family, to effectively lead various colleagues, and to appease the expectations of the business manager (Geller & Veazie, 2009). The main character is middle-aged and going through a crisis. He is not exactly sure who he has become and what his purpose in life is. Often, people know what challenges are the most difficult to face (i.e. helping others). When challenged to contemplate why this type of altruism is among our most arduous challenges, many are unable to explain. We all see instances in life where a little effort to actively care would benefit not only others but also ourselves. Dr. Geller argues that this can be highlighted by the difference between moral and physical courage. While many people all have an archetype of physical courage (Batman, Superman, etc.), moral courage is more difficult to recognize and enact. Geller states, “Courage is necessary but not sufficient for actively caring”. “Without (moral) courage most well-intentioned initiatives become another ‘flavor of the month”’ (Geller, September 2008). The reason people do not act is because they lack the moral courage to do so. This goes back to having fulfilled Maslow’s level of esteem and self-actualization, where one has full confidence in oneself to enact such morals. However, the lack of moral courage in oneself prevents us from acting to help others.

What is required for us to take action? We have established that the inability to act when others are in need is due to a lack of moral courage to do what our values say ought to be done. Dr. Geller outlines these requirements as his “Five Actively-Caring Person States” (Geller, October 2008). The states are self-esteem, self-efficacy, personal control, optimism and belongingness. If we can attain these five person states, then attaining self-transcendence can be accomplished. Self-esteem expresses, ”I am valuable” (Geller, October 2008). This person state highlights that people with a higher self-esteem “report fewer negative emotions, and less depression…and they handle life’s stressors with more confidence and competence” (Geller, October 2008). The most important stress that Geller emphasizes it that the higher our self-esteem, the more readily we are to assist for the wellbeing of others.

The second state is self-efficacy, or the “I can do it” state (Geller, October 2008). This emphasizes the importance of people being able to witness their achievements, and the benefits of them. This recognition that a person sees, but does not necessarily receive, is referred to as intrinsic reinforcement (Geller, October 2008). However, Geller also emphasized that this recognition can be felt internally as well as being given externally (awards, praises, applause, etc.) because any type of reinforcement that promotes an individual’s sense of self-efficacy (Saccoccia, 2009).

Following self-efficacy comes personal control, or the feeling that “I’m in control” (Geller, October 2008). A person is more likely to want to help others when they feel like they are in control. It often links to the “locus of control,” which is the perception of internal versus external forces that dictate a person’s life. External beliefs place reliability on luck, fate or chance (Geller, October 2008). Oppositely, internal beliefs blame oneself for any setbacks or gains. Geller argues that one’s perception of “choice” is very much entwined with personal control. By increasing this choice perception, a person feels that they have more control, hence are in a better position to gain the courage to help others.

Optimism is defined in this context to be “I expect the best” (Geller, October 2008). Optimism stresses the important role of a self-fulfilling prophecy, that people who expect good things for themselves will achieve the goals that they have set. Most importantly, this state emphasizes the importance of a good mood. Those in a good mood are more likely to resolve of any kind of crisis they may be in to help others (Geller, October 2008).

The final person state is belongingness. Belongingness is the sense that “we are family” (Geller, October 2008). Awareness that we all are people on the earth and are all part of a family pushes us to care for others. Geller reemphasizes the importance of moral courage here because “the lower the relatedness between and observer and the [person in need], the more courage it takes to intervene” (Geller, 2009). Geller also stresses that belongingness is the most important state in one’s search for self-transcendence. Outcomes of Self-Transcendence People who are able to attain the five person states are able to attain the moral courage required to help others. When asked what they want in life, people reply with a multitude of answers. Looking at one in particular, “to be happy” may be one that many middle aged men who have felt a feeling of losing themselves over the past 10 years. While coping with the results of an unsuccessful search for love, happiness and prosperity, self-transcendence is always a feasible and beneficial option. Altruism defines the satisfaction we feel after helping others. In getting one’s life back on track or dealing with general uncertainty, we cannot only benefit the world by helping others, but also continue to build a happier and healthier future for ourselves.

In Conclusion, Dr. Geller has studied why people decide to look away while witnessing others in need. He believes that the key to this problem is motivation (Saccoccia, 2009). The absence of motivation is what disallows us to have moral courage to help others. However, in coping with a rumble strip in the long road of life, we can get this moral courage by adapting to the five person states. If people are able to attain these states, we can then achieve self-transcendence. After achieving this, we are better able to resolve problems, and regain the happiness that life gives us from helping others.

References Altruists International. (2009). What is altruism? Retrieved March 29, 2009. From http://www.altruists.org/about/altruism Geller, E. (2008, September). The courage and compassion of injury prevention: cultivating an actively-caring culture. Retrieved February 19, 2009. Geller, E. (2008, October). The actively-caring disposition: how can we ready a culture of interdependence? Retrieved February 19, 2009. Geller, E. (2009). Cultivating an actively-caring culture: dispelling myths about people and moving forward. Retrieved March 24, 2009. Geller, E., & Veazie, B. (2009). The courage factor. Virginia Beach: Coastal. McCarty, S. (2009). Life coaching. Retrieved March 23, 2009, from http://shanemccarty.wordpress.com/a-life-coach Saccoccia, C. (2009, March 24). Personal interview with Dr. E. Scott Geller, Alumni distinguished professor. Blacksburg, VA.

The Inaugural Speech

Good evening ladies and gentlemen.

Today marks the beginning of a new era of student government at Virginia Tech. Yet, before we embark upon this journey together, we must pause to recognize the individuals who forged the solid framework which has shaped our experience until now. I will begin by thanking past president, Emily Mashack, for her sound leadership over this past year; in addition, I would like to recognize the tireless efforts of the entire student government association as they worked to better our university; a special thank-you to Chief Justice Dana Gilmore and Associate Justice Erica Swanson for their dedication to the election process and this event; and finally, I would like to acknowledge the United SGA team for all that they have accomplished and we look forward to working with them in the future as work to reinvent Virginia Tech.

Before I begin tonight, I would like to thank each member of our internal team – those members who will not be sworn in with me, but have worked hard enough to earn these positions. First, I want to thank Taris Mullins, our Chief campaign strategist. Simply put, we would not have won this campaign had it not been for Taris’ structure, commitment to our vision, and unequivocal words. Bo Hart, our campaign manager, helped us reach thousands of students with the tactical execution. Harry Rosenbaum, our graphic designer, who redefined those off-yellow and off-blue colors, by making them the colors of passion, change, and commitment to you, the student. Ryan King, our web designer, who became one of the most dependable, selfless people that I know. John Kurlak, our web developer, who spent countless hours helping thousands of you interact on our site. I have played lacrosse and football, helped a start-up company get off of the ground, consulted for the government, but I have never seen a team like this campaign team.

I stand before you today humbled by the trust you have bestowed upon me and my team. As we look towards our future, we envision a student government which understands its role in your lives. Yes, we have our goals, we have our missions, and we have our values, but we recognize that for our vision to be successful, each of you must work with us. We are heralding a new era at Virginia Tech, grounded in the voice of you, the students. As we lead this Hokie community, we intend on making it stronger and more cohesive based upon a collective appreciation of unity through difference.

Virginia Tech has over six hundred organizations focused on different activities and varied ideals and yet only a select few are truly being heard. We hope to defy expectations by moving beyond the conventional bonds and inspiring less vocal organizations to know that we want to hear their opinions as well. Our goal is to reach out to create these lasting partnerships which will continue our progress towards making Virginia Tech a more inclusive community.

One of our commitments for this upcoming year is sustainability. We congratulate the various sustainability-focused groups on campus who remain keenly aware of how much work is still unfinished. However for the general student, we consider these green initiatives something more than a fleeting fancy, but rather a mindset which each Hokie must embrace. A Native American proverb sums this commitment best: “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; rather we borrow it from our children.” This embodies our understanding, influences our focus, and will inspire our goals.

I would now like to invite your treasurer Joey Zakutney to offer a few thoughts

Throughout my freshman year and into the beginning of my sophomore year I felt invisible. I was like many of you and arrived at Virginia Tech, excited about the possibility which college held for me. However, after months of classes and D2 dinners, I was still unsure about my place at Virginia Tech. Everything seemed to move around me at a whirlwind pace, and it was as if I was merely a spectator to the circus of life. I realized that I was unhappy here and began to question whether or not I was meant to attend this university.

As I considered my options, I made a discovery. I could leave Virginia Tech and enroll at some other institution, or, I could take hold of my experience and fashion it into what I wanted it to be. So I made a list of the pros and cons and as I stared down at the paper, it dawned on me. My voice was not being heard. My voice, the singular thing which allowed me to establish my individuality and impact those around me was silent. It was in that moment as I sat in my room that I concluded leaving Virginia Tech was not an option. I determined that my voice, and the voice of the goalie on my intramural soccer team, and that of the girl sitting next to me in chemistry class, they all needed to be heard.

So, today we pledge our commitment to not just hearing your voice, but amplifying it. We want to hear each of you and will listen to your thoughts, opinions, and ideas so that they can influence our vision to reinvent Virginia Tech. We know that in our community there are those who feel underrepresented, unaccounted for, and overlooked, but our hope is to reach out to you and bring every viewpoint into our discussion to make our student government an organization which universally serves you, the students.

I would now like to invite your secretary Morgan Bradley to offer a few thoughts

The saying goes that college will be the best four years of our lives. And yet we are spending hours waiting in line at West End, evenings searching for answers about advising, and afternoons wondering whether or not we can find a group to fit in with. We recognize that your experiences at Virginia Tech will be far more memorable than any class taken in McBryde 100 and we want to have a direct effect on this. We feel that your lifestyle could be enhanced in many ways, by helping you cultivate faculty relationships, or connecting you with people who share your interests, or maybe, just minimizing the time you spend waiting in line for a smoothie. We believe that it is the task of student government to make these differences and we know that we will.

To consider your lifestyle a solely individual experience is limiting your potential. We envision a Hokie community which embraces and embodies our university motto of “Ut Prosim.” Not just in form or fashion, but in daily action and impact. Service to others and the growth which it creates will undoubtedly alter your experience and memory of Virginia Tech. We believe that this is the responsibility of every Hokie. To be more than just a passionate football fan, or a straight-A student, or the weekend socialite, but rather we want to challenge ourselves and our community to actively serve others to better our collective experience.

Finally, we affirm the legacy which the Principles of Community seek to define and hope to embody their virtues in our daily actions. These tenets will serve as the guides for our future and will provide the blueprint for our vision in the months to come.

I would now like to invite your vice-president Shane McCarty to offer a few thoughts

This evening you have heard remarks from my teammates about our plans for next year. However, I would like to focus on you and your role in this leadership process. The four of us are privileged right now and stand here as the elected leaders for this school, and yet we disagree. Yes, we are leaders in title, but the true leaders of this great university are among you today. Leading the student body is not solely our role as, the Student Government Association, but rather the role of every individual student here at Virginia Tech. Over the course of our campaign, we spoke with countless students and the insights which they shared have shaped our goals and plans for the upcoming year.

Our vision was based on one fundamental idea: All of the students at Virginia Tech are leaders. And, we promised, that together, we would work to bring out the best in all of us – the leadership in all of us – to make Virginia Tech the best it can be.

The world has seen our Hokie community as one which has certainly been tested. But we know our potential is far from its full realization, and this is the challenge that we will meet. At the completion of our term, we are certain that new legislation, impactful ideas, and enduring relationships, will occur because of you.

But, more importantly, we want Virginia Tech to become synonymous with an actively caring culture. We envision a landmark institution where Hokies help other Hokies, not for recognition or status, but simply because we care. To make Virginia Tech the best it can be, all of us will need to lead like we know we can. This is our school. These are our friends and mentors. And this is the rich and lasting legacy we can leave if we work together.

I would now like to invite your President Brandon Carroll to offer some final remarks

The time has come to begin reinventing Virginia Tech. We told you during our campaign that no team would work harder for you than us, and that begins now. We can not promise that our vision will be achieved instantly, or in one week, or even in one semester, but we can promise that our vision will based upon you, the students.

We are the Student Government Association of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and our name declares our focus, the student. We will ask for your feedback, your insights, and your ideas, and we will reward your active participation by working together to improve our university. The student is our focus, the student is who we are working for, and at our core we dedicate this year to being all about you, the student.

Thank you for your support and we look forward to what this year holds. Have a wonderful evening.

Do you ever wonder what others think of you?

“What others think about you is none of your business. If having others believe in you and your dream was a requirement for success, most of us would not have accomplished anything. You need to base your decisions on what you really want. Quit worrying about what others think about you. Follow your heart.

When you are 18, you worry about what everyone is thinking about you.

When you are 40, you don’t give a damn.

When you are 60, you realize nobody is thinking about you at all.

People think about themselves, not you. They are too busy worrying about their own lives. All the time you spend thinking about what others think of you, is wasted time. Do the things that will help YOU achieve your goals.”

Jack Canfield, The Success Principles

Hokies agree: it is ‘SGA4You’

Virginia Tech students voted in all four members of the SGA4You ticket during elections last week. Brandon Carroll, SGA president-elect said he contributed SGA4You’s success to actively listening to the student body.

“I think we truly empowered the student body,” Carroll said. “We showed not told that it was all about by letting the students choose our number one platform.”

Shane McCarty, SGA vice president-elect, said SGA4You could not reach out to every student, but it made the effort to hear as many voices as they could.

“We were so excited to see other students spreading our message,” McCarty said. “Seeing students going to our Web site and voting for our number one platform was amazing. We had over 3,000 individual students over the course of one week access our Web site and vote on our platforms.”

McCarty added that the campaign process was all about a team, within themselves and with the students.

“We got student involvement, and that is what we want,” McCarty. “This is a team of the entire student body working with us.”

Joey Zakutney, SGA treasurer elect, said he was elated by the amount of people he had met over the past few weeks campaigning.

“The amount of new friends that we made during the election process was amazing,” Zakutney said. “Our Web site was great, we did a lot of unique things, but what it came down to were people talking and networking with other people about our campaign. All of the organizations on campus really went out of their way to make sure that people on campus were voting for SGA.”

Morgan Bradley, SGA secretary-elect, said she saw how the visibility of SGA4You affected students on campus.

“We wanted to show that we are not just going to be a part of SGA, but we will also be part of the community,” Bradley said.

Carroll said one of the difficulties SGA will face is picking the best executive team.

“It is going to take a lot of work to get together to pick an executive because we cannot do everything that the student body needs us to do,” Carroll said. “We need to pick a really solid group of people for our team.”

McCarty added that students are passionate about applying for executive positions for the fall.

“People have a myriad of different talents and strengths,” McCarty said. “This is all about the student body at Tech. This is not a position for students who want to improve their resume. This is an opportunity to make a significant impact on other people’s lives.”

Zakutney said he is excited to develop a team and work with each individual member.

“At the beginning of this year, I had a lack of understanding of how the executive board positions work together,” Zakutney said. “My hope is that I will learn more about the various positions on the executive board this year. I hope to grasp each part of the new structure in the fall.”

Bradley said she is ready to learn how the new executive board members will contribute.

“I want to get a grasp of each new position on my end,” Bradley said. “It is something new that I am coming into. I am ready and willing to learn how to be the best executive member that I can be.”

McCarty said SGA4You’s ideas for the fall have both their pros and cons.

“There is an opportunity cost,” McCarty said. “If you do one thing, you will have to sacrifice another. Realistically, we have a bunch of great ideas, and we have to figure out what we are going to do and do well.”

Zakutney said SGA4You is going through its big list of ideas and figuring out what it can and can not do.

“The more relationships we develop with the outside organizations, the more we will be able to accomplish and develop,” Zakutney said. “We are not going to pretend like we know what we are doing with each and every aspect with our plan. We are going to reach out to various clubs and organizations and get them to help us, and in turn, we will help them with their missions and goals, but that is going to be the way that we make this the most successful SGA.”

McCarty said the SGA team is working to make itself visible to the students and show them how they can have a voice.

“There are things that we know that we can do,” McCarty said. “For example, meeting on the Drillfield, that is something that we want to do. Having D2 dinners with the students is something that we can do. In terms of the big things we want to get done, we have a vision and a plan for how we are going to get them done. We still have to figure out how everyone fits into this one dynamic idea.”

Bradley thinks that constant interaction with the students will help give them their voice

“If we continue to reach out to the students we already know and reach out to the ones that we do not, we will have continuous interaction with the student body,” Bradley said. “From our actions beyond SGA, the student body will see that our actions do truly correlate with our vision.”

Carroll said he is excited to see where SGA goes in the fall.

“We are excited, elated and so grateful,” Carroll said. “The campaign started with you, ended with you, and now the new year will start with you.”

The SGA inauguration will be this Monday, April 13, at 5:30 pm on the steps of Burruss Hall.

Source: Collegiate Times