Hixson Blog Post #1

Hixson Blog Post #1       1/18/13

This is where I will be creating my weekly reflection blog post about being a Hixson Peer Mentor.  This reflection will be about different class activities, reaction to text readings, or just an analogy to personal circumstances and how I will use this information as a peer mentor.  I will relate how my insights will apply to my work as a Peer Mentor.  This blog will usually be done on every Friday. 

Class   1/16/13

First off I want to say how humbled I am to have received this award and also being able to be a Peer Mentor. During our first Hixson Peer Mentoring class we got familiar with the history of the Hixson Program.  The Hixson Opportunity Award is a half-tuition grant (estimated value of more than $15,000 over eight semesters) to be used at Iowa State University.  Christina Hixson serves as sole trustee of the Lied Foundation Trust. Through her financial leadership, she has been recognized as an outstanding philanthropist. (Hixson Award Website).  

The readings that I had to read for this week provided me with an overview of students in peer educator roles on university campuses.  I will refer to being a peer mentor or peer educator throughout my blogs.  Both these terms have the same meaning.  A peer educator is a student who has been selected, trained, and designated by a campus authority to offer educational services to their peers. The reading also outlined the three components of the learning process: knowledge, skills, and personal integration.  I am going into this training with an open mind and commitment to be the very best I can be.  Be positive rather than negative, be supportive rather than judgmental, and active rather than passive. (as much as I am a passive person I am going to give my all to be very active with this training)

At the end of my post I will write up a little bit on Iowa State Football and Basketball. (I will keep it short)

Wow! What a finish by the Iowa State Men's Basketball team. (12-4)  George Niang provided a clutch layup with 2 seconds left to defeat West Virginia  69-67.  Even after Iowa State choked away a double digit lead in the second half. That extends Iowa State's 16 consecutive home game win at Hilton Colosseum.  Talk about some Hilton Magic....The cyclones take on a terrible TCU team down in Fort Worth this Saturday. Should be a blowout win for the cyclones, I'll take the cyclones (-30) 

The Iowa State football team finished up their season with an ugly loss to Tulsa in the AutoZone Liberty bowl.  (17-31)  Went down to Memphis for a little vacation and had a rather splendid time, besides the game result and the food poisoning! Yikes! Saw a NBA Memphis Grizzly game and the historic Beale Street along with Peabody Hotel (the ducks actually stay in the hotel fountain all day and was a site to see) Next season should be interesting to say the least.  Maybe we can get over that 7-6 and  6-7 mark....anyway I could keep writing more about the cyclones, but as I said I will keep it short. Until next week, have a great day and week ahead! 

Cole Schlitzer