Teaching Boy Scouts with Alpha Phi Omega

Note: This event happened last week on Sep 20th.

Even though I have joined Alpha Phi Omega, a fraternity that promotes the spirit of "Be Of Service, Be A Friend and Be A Leader", which resembles Scout Spirit, I had never seen a boy scout in my life until last week at Clemson University. 

American boy scouts

It was a service called Merit Badge University in which APO members provided essential knowledge for boy scouts through whole-day lectures. At 7 AM, member of Alpha Eta Nu chapter of Furman University started heading to Clemson. There were hundreds of boy scouts in tens of lines - most of whom were high school freshmen.

I was the teaching assistant of the Citizenship in the World class. The lecture was delivered by two Clemson APO juniors. Most of the boys in my class were freshmen; the oldest one was a junior. We mostly talked about current events like Whether Scotland should gain independence over UK; Whether the US should treat Ebola-positive American citizens in the home country with top-notch researchers and doctors; and Whether the US should intervene in the Syrian Civil War. The boys were super energetic - they raised their hand for every single question that we brought up for discussion!

I could see the courtesy and honesty in every act inside and outside the classroom. After the courses, the boys gained Merit Badges as certifications. I'm sure that each of them learned something from the classes and therefore, they truly deserved the badges.

Samples of Merit Badges for Scouts

Overall, I loved the experience with my brothers and would love to go more! Isn't it a worthwhile experience being under the heat, waiting in an endless line for pizzas and talking to your brothers about your meaningful work?

Photos of the event in Furman APO closed group - All brothers at Furman!

Love doing service? Join Alpha Phi Omega - Be a rushee by attending our meeting any Wednesday 7:00 PM at Johns Hall 101!!

Live Tweeting - Have you tried?

I'm glad that I have had the chance to get exposed to social media savvy this much by taking the Digital Communication class at Furman. I am having and will continue to have a lot of experiences in Photoshop, Audacity and Premiere Pro to create videos, slideshows, podcasts, blogs and a personal website in a professional manner. One of the first things that I have learned during this first month is how to Live Tweet.

Live Tweet using LiveTweetApp

Live Tweeting requires not a ton but strategic preparations, especially in spreading the word so that people can follow your Twitter and get familiar with your hashtag. For example, I chose to live tweet the Moon Festival last night on Sep 19th (by the Furman Chinese Student Association) with the hashtag #moonfes. Before the event, I posted in Furman groups via Facebook to notify people of the information so that if they weren't able to come, they could search for the hashtag and see the whole event. (You can sit back and enjoy it too just by searching #moonfes and see the tweets by @samkristencan)

I also tweeted some heads-ups about Moon Festival like this:

I tweeted a few before the event started to warm up

Live Tweeting made my attendance more special and meaningful than ever before. I actively participated in the show by taking plenty of pictures and videos, plus paying attention to every juncture of the event. I captured main activities including most of the performances in the show. (Check out one performance on my Youtube channel!)

Shooting the #moonfes moments

Also, I acquired 30 more followers thanks to #moonfes! Imagine each morning waking up and seeing Twitter's notifications: 5 more friends are now following you!

Experience in social media now seems to be endless. Each skill I gain opens my eyes to a multitude of things that I can do with social media, such as my Live Tweeting lesson shows. Thanks to Digital Com, I will have a ground for personal branding, because polishing a good-looking personal website and online portfolio can actually earn you real-world jobs!

"HireArt's vetting process found that companies are seeking employees with social media know-how. But getting a job in social media is about more than following your favorite celebs on Twitter and trolling Facebook for the funniest statuses. There's strategy involved in using a social network to promote, and employers are specifically seeking those with search engine optimization and search engine marketing skills." - USNews.com

So start thinking about crafting your image in social media professionally and don't forget to stay tuned for more Furman experiences in my blog!!

Follow me on Twitter: @samkristencan; Facebook: Sam Kristen and Blog: samkristencanfurman.blogspot.com to know more about FU!!

The Fall that May Touch You #FurmanFall

The very first thought that crossed my mind when fall finally knocked on the door of this blissful Paladin land today, was how much I missed the fall of Hanoi. Much as this tingling breeziness of the Furman fall invoked a desirous sense of lingering, the Hanoi fall conjured in me many memories of childhood, family and school. Each memorable fall day at home, remarked through the recapturable chill or the occasional scarf, was showcasing through my mind bit by bit, so realistically that it made me unconsciously dart ahead and follow on a single school path as each breath of wind was patting on my skin.

Longing for a tinge of sympathy, I drew my phone out, launched Facebook and stalked some photo albums of other Viet-abroaders from different schools America-wide and wondered, do they miss the fall in our hometown as much as I do? A sense of nationality suddenly popped up, and I was weighed down by the burden of nostalgia.

However, by sinking my face in the phone, I almost failed to notice that Furman wore a quite different face on itself today: less fancy dresses or trendy short-sleeved T-shirts for girls as well as striped shorts and shirts for boys. There appeared more casual hoodies, jeans and Converse shoes. People looked comfortable with their style regardless of what it is. As a matter of fact, the ostensibly clammy weather somehow turned the whole campus a little light grayish and greenish rather than its traditional purplish. And I, after getting warned about the prior night's drizzle, muffled myself in an oversized Furman sweatshirt and comfortably swam in it...

And then came the afternoon with shafts of bright sunlight beginning to turn up. As if notified of the milder atmosphere, birds began to chirp and squirrels began to shrill. This perfect duo of sun and wind was everywhere, either high up on the branches, interweaved with the leaves, or down on the ground reflected on shadows - it welcomed the imminence of euphoria. I leaned forward to inhale the light fresh air of warmth and chill combined. The habitually serene campus was just made livelier with these perfectly harmonious visual and aural add-ons. The Furman campus has never been so beautiful, because fall is the time.

The diversity is real. The uniqueness of fall at Furman is apparent.

It touches me.

International Student Comeback: How Jet Lag Was Intertwined with Happiness

Sweating buckets because of the hot weather in South Carolina, I stood outside of the airport with three huge suitcases and three bags on my body. It had been a long summer before I made it to be back here. I had done an internship in a non-governmental organization about Social Entrepreneurship in Vietnam, which gave me practical experience in the Communication field like marketing strategies; on-the-spot translating and interpreting skills; and an amount of knowledge about the progress of local social enterprises. Also, I partook in a volunteering trip in Bohol island, Philippines to do an Endangered Species Conservation project organized by SJ Vietnam and Youth Sustainable Development Assembly Philippines. I even took some dance and cooking classes with my dear sister. The summer was truly a blast!

Me during summer with friends!

Then I was standing there, heated up and loaded, waiting for my best American buddy to pick me up. An overwhelming sense of joy consumed me when I saw him – obviously! We chatted and got each other updated on the way home. Since we both joined the International Connection Program (ICP), we talked a lot about incoming international students with high hopes of bringing in more diversity to Furman!

In fact, I arrived at the campus around 1:30 PM while my first class – Digital Communication – was at 2:30 PM; the time was successively 12:30 AM and 1:30 AM in the Vietnam time zone. So with all heavy luggage in tow, I managed to get into Ramsay 300 (Ramsay was my favorite hall ever!) and lied right down on the empty bed for a quick nap (with super cold AC on and no blanket unfolded yet!). Jet lag almost lured me away from going to class on that day, but the encouragement of my buddy and the nice “WELCOME BACK!” letter of my new roommate did help me get out of bed and walk to class with my mind lit up by joy.

And that unwanted jet lag “kept calm and kept staying” for the whole first week! It dragged my sleeping time behind 3 to 4 hours compared to my usual sleeping pattern. However, the specialness of meeting old pals, making new friends, scheduling classes and being independent again has never made me feel more energetic and lively. I know that I love coming back and I love college life at Furman enough to overcome all of the returning obstacles!

Me & my suite mates at Haywood Mall!

Looking forward to a busy but vibrant sophomore year!!

Check out my Student Blog at Furman!

Special dinner that Furman friend gave me

I'm currently taking Digital Communication, a class that provides me more expertise in crafting my image through a personal online portfolio like a personal website and a blog. Since every student needs a topic to write our blog about, I picked the move of Social Enterprise (SE) in the U.S based on my interest in the field.

Social Entrepreneurs, as defined by Ashoka U, are "individuals with innovative solutions for society's most pressing social problems" who are concerned with "the practical implementation." Simply put, they do social work and strive for a sustainable business model to generate revenue.

By that, I met Benjamin James Riddle. He is a local guy with a Northern (or European to some people) style that may take you seconds to doubt when he tells you he is from Greenville. He is deeply engrossed in SE and has done many off-campus projects by such social initiatives promotion organizations like SXSWedu, DesignGood and Epicenter. 

As a matter of interest, Ben studies Human Centered Design at Furman as a self-designed course through a Furman special program called "Individualized Curriculum Program." The major clearly shows his interests in both human and arts, through which he can use design as a powerful tool to exercise his way of social thinking and problem solving. He is an active member of Furman Creative Collaborative; he has set up some off-campus events like TEDx Furman. 

Benjamin James Riddle

He is the visionary kind to whom if you ask what he wants to be in the future, he will say "I want to be a Peacemaker." And unsurprisingly, he is quite experienced in Social Entrepreneurship - the field that I also find my niche in.

We had a dinner last night. It was the longest dinner that I have ever had at Furman: we stayed on the patio (outside the Dining Hall) until 8:10 PM and had yet to finish our conversation about SE and Christianity.

Through the meeting, I had a quick grasp of the SE history in the U.S, which was imminent during the 1970s and then officiated by the foundation of Ashoka, founded by Bill Drayton in 1980. Also, I had a golden chance to be exposed to an open-minded Christian's pattern of thought, to how he steps out of his comfort religious zone to see into other religions, ethnicities, and cultures to have a view of life that is broader and more accepting. As a Christian, Ben possesses an indisputable faith in God and God's message which he, deep down, believes is the way our spiritual selves as human beings connect with the whole universe.

Such a little knowledge fed my curious mind and sparkled my day.