Johnson Interview

Born and raised in Northwest Iowa, Brandon Johnson is no stranger to education.  From an early age Brandon was always one to step up and be involved.  He attended Alta High School in Alta, Iowa where he was heavily involved in sports, 4H, Future Farmers of America, and community service. 

After graduating high school in 1999, Brandon earned his Bachelor’s in Arts in Communication from Buena Vista University.  At Buena Vista, Brandon was a year letter winner in football and very involved in leadership organization and multicultural group activities.  Brandon was a first generation college student and went on from there to earn his Master of Arts in Education from the University of Saint Mary. He will be receiving his Doctorate in Educational Leadership in spring 2012.

Besides attending college, Brandon has worked in higher education for over seven years.  He began his career as an admission representative and eventually moved up to the Director of Enrollment Management at the University of Saint Mary.  He has been the Director of Undergraduate Admission at Avila for nine months and plans to remain in private higher education for the rest of his career.

Brandon currently resides in Kansas with his wife, Sarah, nine-month old son, Bode, and Labradoodle (baby girl), Reese.  I interviewed Brandon and learned more about his career, interests and the “Sweet Hog of Mine” song...

Me: What have you learned most in all your years of recruiting?

Brandon: I think that you have to always put the student first regardless of pressure or needs of the institution and never forget about the student their success.

Me: Why do you love what you do?

Brandon: I love what I do because every day, every student is a new challenge and a new opportunity- working with students and families is pretty much the most rewarding thing. I know first-hand the difference private education can make it someone’s life, which is why I’m really passionate about private/Christian based education. It changed my life.

Me: Did you have a teacher or coach that was an inspirational mentor to you?

Brandon: Coach Osterberger. He told me that if you come here and just go to class and play football, you’re wasting your time. There’s more to it than that- community service, challenging yourself, and exposing yourself to new points of view.

Me: What, in your opinion, are the keys to success?

Brandon: Attitude and effort.  Those are the two things in life you actually control.

Me: Do you have a favorite quote or motto?

Brandon: The Serenity Prayer:

        “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the     
          things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”

This prayer means a lot to me.  My father battled addiction his entire life but never lost his passion to be the best person he could be and leaving a positive impact on as many lives as possible.

Me: What book could you read over and over again?

Brandon:  “Oh, the Places you’ll Go,” by Dr. Seuss. It was read at our wedding and I now read it to Bode.

Me: When you think about high school memories, what sticks out in your mind?
Brandon: (Ponders for a moment then chuckles) singing “Sweet Hog of Mine.”

Me: (Attempting to hold back laughter) this is a song?

Brandon: Yes.  A trio of us sang it for our high school musical at the state fair.

Me: (Laughing) Very nice. If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Brandon: The ability to warp so I could go visit family and friends more regularly.

Me: What’s something on your bucket list?

Brandon: Attend a Michigan – Norte Dame football game at the “Big House” in Ann Arbor. Over 100,000 fans in one place at one time…I would definitely use my warp super power to get out of the parking lot after the game though.

Me: What do you do for fun, hobbies?

Brandon: A variety of activities from golf to walking to shooting hoops, pretty much anything attached to sports.

Me: If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be?

Brandon: My brother Blake; his personality and outlook on life is amazing, he lives each day to the fullest and is determine to enjoy life.

Me: What’s in your CD player in your car right now?

Brandon: (Laughs) Oh no... It is called the “Mentor Leader” by Tony Dungy.

Me: I had a feeling your answer wouldn’t be music. What is that?

Brandon: It’s a leadership style that is built around the mentorship program, investing in people personally and professionally and empowering them. It’s just a style I truly believe in and continue to try to learn more about as I grow in my profession.

Me: What is the best advice you could give for college students?

Brandon: Step out of your comfort zone

A New You

January is often considered a time for new beginnings and new resolutions for the upcoming year.  But many resolutions soon fade once February hits.  The great thing about spring is the chance for spring cleaning and creating the new you.  As you are packing away your coats and boots to trade for flip flops and shorts, you may soon realize that you can no longer fit into last year’s pair.  Here are some suggestions to become a healthier you inside and out for this spring.

1.       Clean out the fridge.  Throw out all that expired and moldy cheese and replace it with raw fruits, veggies and lean meat.  If you are not getting enough of these power foods you may want to invest in a good multivitamin.

2.       Exercise at least three times a week.  There is no excuse for this one.  If you have a gym membership, join a fitness class to help keep you accountable.   Sometimes it is easier to suffer through a workout when you know you are not alone. If you do not have a membership, there are plenty of workout videos with diet plans available for purchase for as little as ten dollars at Wal-Mart or Target. 

3.       Get outside.  It is a known fact that sunlight improves your outlook.  Along with some vitamin D you will also receive serotonin from the sun which cues your brain to be happy.

4.       Get organized.  A great way to eliminate stress from your life while cleaning is to get organized.  Take advantage of your cell phone’s planner and buy a small filing cabinet for your bills, homework, etc.  Knowing where things are will not only save you time but also create confidence.

5.       Try something new.  Have you always wanted to take ball room dance or belly dancing lessons?  Do it!  Mix up your workout; it does not have to be boring. 

Vickie Jeffries is a personal trainer at the YMCA.  The Y focuses not only on physical health, but a healthy mind and spirit as well. Jeffries has created a spring cleaning chart to help educate others on how to be disciplined and healthy.  Some of her suggestions to help a busy person to be active are simple things like walking the dog, doing yard work and taking the stairs.  When it comes to diet, Jeffries stresses the importance of cutting out sugar and caffeine and eating power foods like raw fruits and veggies.

Molly Wichman, a 2005 Avila grad and now the operations manager for 24 Hour Fitness, shared with me the importance of spring renewal.  Molly recommends the following goals for those wishing to change their body and outlook.  Wichman suggestions for fitness efficiency are setting a schedule and sticking to it, finding a workout partner to make it more fun, downloading fun, upbeat music to your ipod to keep motivation up, registering for an event like a 5k to give yourself fitness goals, and rewarding yourself for meeting your goals.

Judy Schmoeger, the owner of Anytime Fitness, suggested that people eat five fruits a day to help during their spring cleanse, especially since spring offers a lot of fruit that is in season.  She also suggests that students get outside, relax, and take a walk.  The days are now longer and there is much more time to take advantage of the outdoors.

It is your life and your body.  With a little determination and discipline we can all better ourselves to become a healthier person inside and out.  You only have one body; take care of it.

Art Outside the Classroom

Some high school students go to great lengths to be accepted into their dream university.  Perhaps you wrote an inspiring letter of intent or had a professor write a prestigious letter of recommendation for you.  But did you probably did not go to such great lengths to have a grand piano placed on a sandbar. According to an article on msn.com, this is what 16 year old Nicholas Harrington did.

Harrington had mysteriously left the piano on Biscayne Bay in Miami to evoke a feeling of mystery and magic. He told the Associated Press quote:

“I wanted to create a whimsical, surreal experience. It’s out of the everyday for the boater.”

This whole idea of Harrington’s was to gain him recognition and hopefully earn him a spot at his dream arts school at Manhattan’s Cooper Union College.  When the piano was first dropped off it remained a mystery or perhaps a prank as many came forward claiming the idea to be theirs.  Harrington had recorded himself placing the piano on the beach and had hoped it would be viewed by others as an artistic movement from a creative student.  He has hoped to remain anonymous aside from including pictures of the endeavor on his college application, but once others started claiming his idea, he had to speak up.

Harrington is the son of J. Mark Harrington who is a production designer for the show “Burn Notice.”  Coming from an artistic family, Harrington’s artistic scheme had been approved by his parents after the piano had been trashed during a holiday party.  Over winter break, Harrington, his brother Andrew, and their two cousins hoisted the instrument aboard their boat and left it on the most elevated part of the sand bank.

The piano had remained unnoticed for about a week until a local, Suzanne Beard, drove her boat over to capture images of birds resting on a grand piano on the shore.  Her pictures soon popped up on National Geographic and as you can imagine, the rumors sprung up.

I asked a couple local artists for their opinion of whether they find Harrington’s stunt art or not.
Philip Lucas, a professional photographer, who has a Master in Arts from Pittsburg State University believes this is art. Lucas says quote:

“The piano itself took on a sculptural quality, perched on the sandbar like a monument to something left for us to interpret. Very cool! I wish they could have left it there! I don't know what the intentions were of who put it there - but to some extent it doesn't matter. Art is in the eye of the beholder!”

Kansas City Photographer Adrianne O’Kane also finds this art, but is of the opinion that anything can be made into art if the person is truly an artist. Adrianne says quote:

“I would have to say yes it is art. But almost anything or pretty much everything can be considered art. The world is one of God's pieces of art, but it's not in a frame. Art is very subjective.”

Hopefully after all this Harrington will be accepted to his school of choice.  I guess this just goes to prove that creativity cannot only be harnessed by a paint brush, video, or design. True creativity can easily run off the paper if the artist can think outside the classroom.

Beef. It's Not For Dinner.

Taco Bell has always been the college student’s best friend.  They are open late, fast, and best of all, they offer great tasting Mexican food for cheap!  Perhaps, like me, while you’re gauging down that tasty mexi-melt you have also wondered how Taco Bell can afford to sell all this tasty food for so cheap.  Or maybe you’re the person who would rather not think about it or know where this “meat” came from in the first place.

According to a recent article on msn.com, an Alabama law firm, Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles took also wondered how this was possible.  The firm took it upon themselves to have Taco Bell’s beef tested to see just if this meat was as real as the Taco Bell advertisers had claimed it to be.

Taco Bell’s advertisements claim that their meat is 88% USDA inspected beef with the remaining percent containing oats, water and spices to help hold a moist consistency and flavor enhancer.  However, the findings of the Alabama law firm revealed a much different statistic.  The Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles law firm found after testing the beef product that it only contained 35% beef.  That is quite a difference.  The firm gave no details on who performed the test or any other information but it was enough evidence to sue Taco Bell for false advertising.

Whether the accusation is true or not, this could mean big trouble for Taco Bell’s brand and they immediately fought back.  Along with Taco Bell executives making public statements of false claims, they launched a new series of high dollar advertisements to fight back and reclaim their identity.

Taco Bell claims they are not really worried about their business being affected.  After all, they serve 35 million customers a week.  Is this recent discovery really that shocking? Or are you one of those “Don’t ask, don’t tell” me what I’m eating? It is cheap and tasty and that is all some people need to know.  I asked a few Avila students what their thoughts were and if this recent knowledge would deter them from future dining experiences.  Avila student Josh Parisse said quote:

“Since hearing about the Taco Bell fiasco I find my gag reflex kicking in each and every time I pass by a local Taco Bell chain.  I can’t imagine eating there anytime soon.”

Avila student Bailey Carr feels similar.  She has always tried to maintain a healthy diet but also was a Taco Bell fan.  Carr said quote:

“I used to eat at Taco Bell a lot but now I don’t eat there at all. I stopped going there for a while because I was trying to be healthy, but after the recent news this sealed the deal for me, I’m not going back.”

Alli Stamer, another Avila student did not seem too surprised with the Taco Bell findings although she is still on the fence with whether or not she will dine at T Bell again. Stamer said quote:

“It will make me think twice before I eat there again.”

Will other college students follow their lead?  If so, Taco Bell will need to do some serious brand building to keep their business alive.  Only time will tell for Taco Bell.

Bye Bye Birdie

Perhaps we do not need to worry about the sky falling just yet, but what about the birds in it?  While the confetti was falling over Time Square on New Year’s Eve, the birds were falling over Arkansas.  According to an article on CCN.com, approximately 5,000 birds fell from the sky and died an hour before the new year officially began.  This was odd for many reasons.  The two primary birds found dead were Red Wing Blackbirds and Starlings. It is unknown why so many birds would have died all at once and also why they were even out and about so late at night, a habit not common with this species. 

Keith Stephens, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, examined some of the birds to try and solve this mystery.  After examining them he found that while their major organs were unharmed, there were blood clots and severe trauma to their breast tissue.  It is hard to say whether this trauma was a result of hitting the ground so hard or something that occurred before hand.  There had been a storm earlier on which could have caused the stress, and according to orthinologist, Karen Rowe, this is actually not that uncommon.  A lightning strike, fireworks or hail could cause significant harm or stress to a group of birds like this.

In Louisiana 500 red winged black birds also feel dead from the sky recently.  As of now there is no known trauma or explanation for the incident with these birds.  There have been several more theories, such as this was a government move in order to cut down on a bird population that is spreading too quickly.  Whatever the cause, many people around the world have panicked with blogs and rants about the end of the world being near. 

Tim Smith with the Missouri Department of Conservation does not share this fear.  Smith believes that it is very normal for these birds to die in mass amounts periodically throughout the year, especially in the winter.  The birds flock together and eat together, making any sort of catastrophe that occurs harming most of the birds.  Tim believes these birds were spooked by fireworks on New Year’s Eve which caused them to run into trees and other objects thus knocking them out of the sky and to their death below.
Smith also mentioned a smaller bird death that happened in Missouri shortly after which was at first thought to be connected to the Arkansas incident.  The Missouri bird deaths were later discovered to have been caused by a run in with an eighteen wheeler. Smith says quote:
                “I would resist the temptation to make more of it than an interesting, but unfortunate, natural
                event.”

It may be “raining birds” and it could even be “fowl play.”  We may never know for sure, but either way it’s tragic to say “Bye Bye Birdie.”

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/03/arkansas.falling.birds/index.html