Archive for July, 2008

When I first tried college down in Tucson, I almost joined a fraternity. My uncle Phil had been (and I guess still is) a Kappa Sigma at the University of Minnesota, and promised to share with me all the necessary handshakes and secret phrases to get in the door. I ended up never rushing, but my roommate pledged Delta Chi so I got a chance to live the Greek Live vicariously. How vicariously? In 2001, the chapter was revoked of its UA recognition and put on level five (5) probation by the national office. In 2006, D Chi regained university recognition. The campus newspaper ran a story on the event, interviewing Delta Chi Chapter President, Andrew Dipsia. Drew was my roommate. That’s how vicariously.

Because of that experience, and the many stories Phil has shared with me, I’ve always had a certain image of Greek Life. And, well, turns out that might not be exactly fair…

Last Thursday afternoon, twenty-three (23) young men on bicycles showed up in Downtown Phoenix. Except, they weren’t from Phoenix, and their destination wasn’t Phoenix. These guys, along with a couple of support vans, were traveling from San Fransisco to Washington, D.C. Another group was traveling from Seattle, and yet another was riding from San Fransisco but taking a more northern route. Thirty-two (32) states and over 12,000 miles will be covered, all in the name of raising money and awareness for people with disabilities. And the kicker? Everyone involved is a Pi Kappa Phi, it’s a prerequisite to ride.

Most social fraternal organizations donate both time and money to nonprofit organizations, but Pi Kapps are the only ones to own and operate its own philanthropic organization. Push America are the leaders of tomorrow by serving people with disabilities today. They put on a variety of awareness and fundraising events, but the reason why they were up on my radar screen today was the Journey of Hope. From the website:

The Journey of Hope is a cross-country bicycle trek beginning in San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA and ending together with all teams in Washington, D.C. The event raises funds and awareness for people with disabilities. Simply put, the Journey of Hope is a ride with a purpose. Make no mistake; this is not a simple ride. The Journey of Hope is about many things. It is about challenging the norm. It is about serving our communities. It is about finding out more about ourselves than we ever imagined. It is about having a dream. It is about a mission. It is about hope.

They made a stop here in Phoenix for a couple of reasons. First, they had ridden almost seventy (70) miles without a break. And second, they stopped by because an ASU student is on the ride. He wasn’t actually here, he’s on a separate leg, but he’s still on the trip.

If you dig what these cats are doing, you can donate to the cause here. Happy Weekend!

Tonight is momentous. And the crazy part is that it wouldn’t have been momentous if this happened ten (10) years ago. Tonight, I get to meet Nole in real life. This is huge because we’ve known each other for almost a year. I feel a part of his life, and I’m sure he feels a part of mine. How is this possible? It’s our New World…

Last year, we played in the same fantasy football league and got connected to each other’s blogs. Over the last few months we have had a handful of phone conversations, but tonight we become real friends.

This has happened before. Ron, Adam, and Kelli I all knew first through the blogosphere, but now I get to warmly label them “real friends.” Tonight is pretty much guaranteed to be epic. Just saying.

Cheers,
Sam
“Sam! We’re phone friends now!”
Nole (during our first phone call)

I am fairly politically minded. Some of you are questioning my understatement. But no matter, I shall press on. Today, a tip on going green this election season.

While the national elections are exciting, and monopolize most water cooler conversations and chain emails, I find the real excitement of politics when the issues are close to home. Yes, even elections are going local.

A few weeks ago, I (along with a few friends) made it fairly clear that I will be voting Dan Saban for Maricopa County Sheriff in November, and doing what I can in the meantime to get him there. I have my button and my bumper sticker, but I figured I could more. So I did. There is now an official student organization named ASU For Dan Saban. We have a Facebook page and a blog so far, and once school starts we will be meeting in an official capacity and tabling at each of the four (4) ASU campuses. If you would like to reduce your political carbon footprint and go local, please email me at samuel [dot] richard [at] asu [dot] edu. And if you decide to go crazy for local politics, here is some information on debates for the Corporation Commissioner.

The President is the most powerful person on Earth, sure. But what our local elected officials do, say, and pursue affects us on a daily basis. I challenge you to invest a little time this election season in local politics. Spend as much time researching your local sheriff, state representative, and proposition decisions as you do for your presidential and other national choices. Go ahead, I triple dog dare you.

Cheers,
Sam
“Sure there are dishonest men in local government. But there are dishonest men in national government, too.”
Richard M. Nixon

In honor of our Independence, I thought I’d share a couple of videos with you. First, a video from chalk artist named Ellis G who really nails the subtle, yet distinct, differences between graffiti and street art. Second, and humorously apropos considering the occasion, is a video from the London Cans Festival. That’s all I have for the weekend. Be safe!

Just about a month ago, I was a part of history.

Sure, it sounds cheesy. But it’s true. And that’s all that matters, right? A few hundred of my closest friends and I were able to help shape the future of the nonprofit sector at the 2008 Nonprofit Congress. Plenary speakers, breakout sessions, and informal conversations alike peppered our week with other’s experiences, grievances, and joys pertaining to the sector.

I came away from the week filled with expectant hope. I mentioned to a few people that it had a similar feeling to the days immediately following junior high summer camp. You know, when emotions are flaring and the idea wheels are turning at full speed. And let me tell you, neither one of those things have yet to go away.

I was raised as a huge fan of Garrison Keillor. Both my parents are teachers (read: ample time off), and we would spend the summers driving up, down, and across the country all the while listening to tapes of Keillor’s monologues about life in Lake Wobegon. I know all about the Norwegian bachelor farmers who stand outside of Ralph’s Pretty Good Grocery. Our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility strikes a vivid picture in my head, and I clearly remember laughing uncontrollably when I heard a customer’s reaction to eating a piece of rhubarb pie from the Chatterbox Cafe:

Customer: Damn! This is good!
Waitress: There’ll be no swearing in my restaurant.
Customer: No ma’am. That’s a new support group here in town. DAM – Mothers Against Dyslexia.

I did then, and I still do know, feel at home with his voice on the radio. And it’s not just the deep tenor that radiates from the speakers, either. I’ve been lucky enough to see him live three (3) times, once here in Phoenix and twice at the Minnesota State Fair, so it’s not that. What he says has always just plain resonated with me. A few years ago, at the State Fair, I picked up a book he had recently written titled Homegrown Democrat, and it pretty much encapsulated every part of why what he says sits well with my soul. I wish I had the copyright power to share the book with you over the Internet, but I don’t, so I’ll strongly encourage you to travel to your local library and check it out. I’d lend you mine, but a friend in Denver is still holding on to it…

In the meantime, I want to share with you a portion of a column Keillor wrote for Salon yesterday titled, “For the Sake of the Girl With the Beautiful Swing.” The entire article is here, and I can honestly say it’s worth the three (3) minutes it will take you to read it. But those of you (us) that have no attention span, here’s a little snippet…

Have a fantastic Fourth of July weekend. And remember that the cornerstones of democracy are discourse, disagreement, and dissent.