Steve Raucci: A Case Study In Power

In the summer of 2010, former Schenectady, NY City School District employee Steven Raucci was sentenced to 23 years to life in prison. Why? Well the story is a little ludicrous and reads more like a movie plot than something that happened in real life. Raucci's story is a tale of how he took over the school district's maintenance department and "ran it like an evil dictator for decades."

The Setting

A recent episode of This American Life narrates Raucci's evil genius, following the man as he climbed the ranks of the department over 30 years, all the while menacing his employees, manipulating the school board, seizing control of the worker's union, and committing all manner of awful crimes against his employees and enemies.  Raucci maintained control through a culture of fear, essentially commanding an army of compliant foot soldiers. He had power. A lot of it. 

A teacher at the Schenectady school district recalls a telling account about Steve Raucci's antics. The story goes that Richard Agnelo walked into the school one day just as a maintenance worker was sneaking out of his classroom with none other than a space heater under his arm. The worker walked quickly with his head down. Richard had been using the space heater to keep the temperature above 60 in his classroom. It's actually absurd that Agnelo would need a space heater at all. So as the man was walking away Richard yelled, "Hey that's my heater." The worker profusely apologized and explained he was just following orders and that if Richard wanted the heater back, he would have to talk to his boss.

That boss? None other than Steve Raucci himself. To understand this story you first have to know that Raucci wasn't always in charge of controlling energy use at the buildings in the Schenectady School District. That job had belonged to another man who was eventually fired for his poor work performance. You may guess that that poor work performance was not actually the energy coordinator's fault. One day Raucci decided that he wanted the energy coordinator's job. So what did he do? He sabotaged the energy coordinator at every turn, going so far as to insist that the coordinator would not be able to adjust the building temperatures and that the maintenance workers would handle it. And the maintenance department did handle it, just not in the way the energy coordinator would have liked. Raucci in fact directed his employees to turn up the heat in the buildings. In the most bizarre example Raucci claimed the football field lights needed replaced and so had them turned on for an entire day while an employee pretended to fix them. 

This behavior continued until the energy coordinator was ultimately fired and Raucci demanded his job. He claimed he would cut costs and that he did. And when Raucci obtained this job he didn't give up his job, he just added the energy coordinator salary on top of his own salary. At his prime Raucci was drawing a salary  of over $100,000 a year in a school district where the superintendent didn't make substantially more than that. And Raucci maintained this job because he was good at it. His energy cutting methods saved the school district vast sums of money. Mostly through shutting off air conditioning and heating and tasking his employees with cutting the cords of contraband toasters and coffee makers with scissors. And if teachers or administrators complained he threatened them. 

Power

Raucci's astounding behaivor didn't stop there. "He played subordinates against each other, sexually harassed secretaries, vandalized the homes of his enemies, and even planted bombs to terrorize his victims." Complaints about him were ignored and most people were too scared of what he may do to them if they said anything. 

So how did Raucci get away this? Power. The man was able to utilize an effective blend of legitimate, reward, and coercive power. The legitimate power came from his expert navigation of the the Schenectady bureaucracy and ultimate placement in a position as not only head of the maintenance department, but energy czar and local union president. 

Raucci expertly employed reward power to manipulate board members into backing him. During school board elections he would force his workers as a part of their normal job duties to work on board members campaigns, canvassing the streets for the candidates that Raucci promised to get elected. Of course when these board members were elected they wouldn't mind throwing Steve a bone or two...or three. 

Raucci didn't ever balk at flexing his coercive power. Actually coercive power was Steve's strongest tool. Any time a worker complained or upset Raucci, they were given the worst jobs in the district, no matter how senior they were. When a senior plumber crossed him he decided that the worker needed to be fired. However, according to policy he couldn't fire a senior employee if there was any employee with less seniority in that department. So Steve attempted to convince the junior plumber to transfer to another department. The junior worker refused, deciding to stand alongside his coworker in solidarity. That was no matter to Steve and they both were axed. The firings were explained away at the next board meeting as a cost cutting measure and that the school didn't need any dedicated plumbers on staff. A few months later Steve replaced the fired plumbers, no questions asked.

The Fall

Steve Raucci's story is perfect case study in leadership and power. Steve drew power from as many sources as he could find and he exploited that power to gain even more power. Sure Raucci is an example of bad leadership, of corrupt leadership, but of power and leadership nonetheless. 

As time progressed Raucci's actions got dangerous. When a complaint was filed against him he believed that it was lodged by the wife of one of his workers. In the night he spray painted the word RAT on every single surface of the family's home. When one of Steve's favored employees got dumped, he tagged the girlfriend's home with cheater and planted a bomb. 

Eventually Steve's behavior drew the attention of the local authorities. An undercover cop, who was a former friend of Steve's, approached him one day claiming he had lost a job and needed help. In the meeting that followed Steve essentially confessed to all of his crimes. Steve said that he would do anything for his workers but they were all so unappreciative. He said he didn't have any real friends at work and ironically that the undercover cop was one of his only real friends. When the cop asked Steve if he could get him access to explosives Steve explained that he could get him explosives immediately. When Steve was arrested authorities found an unused bomb in his office on school grounds within close proximity of kids in classrooms. 

Leadership is Everyone's Business

As I write this Steve Raucci still has over two decades left on his prison sentence. Even from jail his legacy has a funny way of living on. Despite his numerous crimes, Steve was never actually fired from Schenectady School District and still draws a pension of $80,000 a year.  

So what is the takeaway from this story? Some may argue that Raucci's story is an excellent example of how power can be abused. While that is true, I would say something else. This story is a failure of leadership, but certainly not on Steve's part. 

You see leadership is everyone's business. And what happened in this case is a failure to lead by everyone other than Mr. Raucci. Where were the school board members in this? They stood idly. Where were the administrators? They stood idly by. Where was the rest of the union leadership? They stood idly by. But I would say that the biggest failure to lead comes from the very people abused by Mr. Raucci. His employees took his abuses, and actually they encouraged him. They carried out all of his bidding and did nothing to stop it. They were compliant. Some complained privately but no person would stand up to him. They lacked ethical courage. They fueled the fire and helped to feed Steve Raucci's sources of power. They failed to take leadership into their own hands. 

Leadership isn't just the business of those with authority. We all have a stake in leadership because we are impacted by leadership, good or bad. It's our choice to accept the status quo or to fight for great leadership. The ball is in our court.  

As for Steve Raucci? I would like to imagine that somewhere in a NY prison Steve Raucci has managed to find a way to take control of a laundry room. And hey, I wouldn't doubt if the man was running the prison from the inside within the decade. 

Uniting

Last summer I spent six weeks in France and traveling Europe. During that time I had the chance to experience the European love of soccer firsthand. No matter where I was in Europe, the language, or the preferred alcoholic beverage, the people were always united by at least one common tie: soccer. It was during this trip that I realized the true power of a sport to connect not just a nation, but the entire world.

The world's love of soccer is pretty contagious. The United States is one of the few countries in the world that doesn't love football with the fiery passion of a thousand suns, but when the World Cup rolls around even the United States can't help but catch the fever. Case in point, Abby Wambach, Hope Solo, and the rest of the Woman's National Soccer Team's trip to the World Cup Finals this past summer. I remember sitting in a bar in France with a couple of Germans, watching the American team play. It was one of the most entertaining sporting events I have ever seen, against a Japanese team representing a recently ravaged nation. As disheartening as the US's loss was, in that beautiful moment I saw the world coming together in their excitement for a nation that needed a national triumph. At that point I knew I had to get on that bandwagon.


Upon returning home, I immediately became invested in Columbus's own Crew. I was very excited to find out that our required reading for SLA 371 included a book about a soccer team. I didn't know what to expect from reading it, but at the very least I was excited to learn a bit more about the culture of soccer. It didn't really matter that I didn't have high expectations for the reading, because even if I did, Warren St John's portrait of the Fugees youth soccer club in Clarkston would have blown those expectations off the soccer pitch.

Outcasts United is a powerful story about an immigrant from Jordan forming a youth soccer club in a refugee town in Georgia. The story details Ms. Luma Mufleh's absolutely captivating journey, beggining with her own youth struggles, then through her efforts in creating the Fugees, the battles the team faces, and Luma's ultimate success. Luma is an absolutely inspiring woman and a leader from whom we could learn so much. While Luma may not know it, her efforts seem to take a page straight out of the authoritative book on the social change model of leadership. Through her actions she has effected positive change for the betterment of the people and the community around her.

One of the pillars of this model that Luma demonstrates is her COMMITMENT. Despite the many obstacles that faced her youth program, she never yielded. Luma struggled to maintain a business, all while coaching the Fugees, and aiding her players' families. She made sure her players were getting the proper tutoring, she coordinated with the YMCA, and after the YMCA fell through, she fought tooth and nail to find the team a home at a safe soccer pitch. This absolutely demonstrated her commitment to the Fugees and to her mission.

Another aspect of the social change model that was manifested in Luma's work was CITIZENSHIP. It seems that in the end, creating good citizens was Luma's real goal. She worked hard to ensure that her players were developing into good citizens of the Clarkston community. The Fugees provided the players with a way to stay out of trouble with drugs and gangs and ensured the kids were getting a proper education. Luma even went so far as to have the players on the youth team sign a code of conduct. This really illustrates her efforts as a citizen herself, and how her efforts then went on to mold new citizens.

A third aspect of the social change model that Luma exhibited was CONTROVERSY WITH CIVILITY. A key thread of Outcasts United dealt with Luma trying to find a safe place for her kids to practice. When Luma was denied the use of an unused park in Clarkston, she didn't throw a fit, make threats, stomp her feet, and give up. Instead, she took a step back, thought creatively, and solved the problem by appealing to the city council. This really illustrates how Luma always remained civil and productive, not allowing setbacks to negatively impact her behavior.

Throughout Outcasts United, Luma was a very consistent individual. She always fought for what she believed in and stuck to her guns. She treated her entire team fairly, if not equally. She consistently stuck her neck out for her students and went above and beyond the call of duty in almost every aspect. You could really tell that she truly loved her players and their families. Through her efforts she was able to use soccer to unite a patchwork of kids from many different nations.

Outcast United was categorically the most inspiring book I have ever read. I spent the entire book thinking about different ways that I could help those around me. And the book doesn't just give you a warm fuzzy feeling, it really motivates you to find ways to create a positive impact in your community. I can honestly tell you that I was truly touched by this book. I have told everyone who will listen to me that they MUST read it. For every person who reads Luma's story, there will be another person encouraged to effect positive change for the betterment of the individuals around them, their community, and possibly even the world. Luma did it through soccer, one of the world's largest "uniters." How will you do it?

Emotionally Intelligent Leadership

Today I am going to talk about Intelligence. Emotional Intelligence that is. Over the past few weeks I had the opportunity to learn a little bit about Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, a pretty neat theory that postulates that there are a multitude of characteristics or capacities, all housed under three overlapping umbrellas, that when intentionally monitored enhance a person's ability to lead.

The umbrellas, or capacities, are Consciousness of Context, Consciousness of Self, and Consciousness of Others. By honing the different characteristics under these umbrellas we can intentionally devevelop ourselves into better leaders.

With all of this in mind I reflected upon my past experiences and underwent the EIL leadership inventory.

My strongest facet turned out to be Consciousness of Self. This really makes sense to me because I do see my self as a disciplined individual. I am constantly looking at my goals and assuring that I reach them. I strongly believe that we are responsible for ourselves and my strengths in this facet really reflects that. In other words, I'm awesome and I know I'm awesome, and I will continue to be awesome because of my understanding of my awesomeness! Awesome?

This guy gets it!!!

Within Consciousness of Self, my strongest capacities turned out to be Honest-Self Understanding and Emotional-Self Control

Honest Self Understanding means that you are aware of your strengths and your limitations. They have a complete understanding of the both positive and negative aspects of their personalty. I definitely feel this is the case. I have a natural tendency towards self evaluation and focusing on my strengths, which is why I am stronger in this area. I think this tendency comes out of the way I was raised to hone my own personal strengths and work hard to improve my weaknesses.

Emotional Self control means being able to regulate your emotions. I think this comes through because I have always been able to keep a cool head. I believe this comes from me being the youngest in my family. I always had to take everybody's grief and this helped me to develop a thick skin and it keeps me from blowing up when I am upset by something. This doesn't mean that I am not affected by my emotions, but I always keep them in check.

On the other hand my weakest facet is Consciousness of Others. I believe this comes out of my tendency to not hold others up to my own standards. I am very conscious of others but I don't necessarily go out of my way to develop them because I focus so much on ensuring that I do my own job.

Within Consciousness of Others, my weakest capacities turned out to be Coaching and Inspiration. I feel as though I am a very empathetic person, but I suppose I do not always go out of my way to analyze others. I believe this comes out of my own belief that you are responsible for doing your OWN best. This hurts me because it is harder for me to work on helping others enhance their skills and abilities. Additionally, this focus on self doesn't do me any favors in the inspiration category. Again, it is hard to focus on a shared vision when you are only working on improving yourself.

These guys have a shared vision and they are ready to march!

After reflecting on my own personal experience EIL has really brought put some interesting questions. Clearly I am a very driven, dedicated, and focused. However, I have issues transferring my goals and my motivation to others. This is largely due to my focus on ensuring that I live up to my own standards, but at the cost of helping others also measure up. In the future this is one huge area that I will need to work on to become a more Emotionally Intelligent Leader! I hope to immediately begin to work on these capacities by reaching out to others in my student organizations and personally asking them how I can help them succeed. In the end a great organization can never function well if the entire team is moving together towards a shared vision!

Students Consulting for Non Profit Organizations

"Get on a balcony."

These are the words that my SLA advisor urged our class to execute as she wrote to us from her Chicago locale last week. My first thought was that MelRoc spent some time on the Sears Tower balcony and maybe got a little too excited to share her experience.

Then I reread her words and I realized I had a problem. In order to "get on a balcony," or what Melissa really meant, be a silent observer of a student organization, I had to actually have an organization to observe. Therein lies the rub. The student organization that I had envisioned observing was not meeting for two weeks. My thoughts, however, were expected to be fully realized in virtual ink within a week. Dilemma.

So I had to be flexible. I scrambled, asking any and all friends for possible ideas. I even considered "cold" attending random student org meetings in the union. Thankfully a good friend and roommate invited me to observe one of his student orgs, Students Consulting for Non-Profits.

Students Consulting for Non Profit Organizations, or SCNO in word count friendly terms, is a Fisher College of Business student organization whose mission is to develop communities through pro-bono consulting engagements for non profits.

This organization's mission really excited me and so going into their meeting I realized that I was going to have to put in some extra effort into remaining silent and impartial.

I walked into the classroom on the third floor of Schoenbaum Hall, introduced myself to the exec team, and then quietly took a seat at the back of the amphitheater like seating.

One of the first things I noticed about the organization was the attendance. The meeting began at 7:30, and at 7:25 there were already over 25 members in the room. For an organization of a little over 30 members I found this number pretty impressive.

After a little bit of technical difficulty, and a few jokes thrown out by the exec team, the meeting got rolling. The president, Adam Windnagle, a cheerful guy with a carefree air about him, began the meeting by setting up an icebreaker where each member was to talk to two other members, giving their name and describing their least favorite state. Immediately I could tell that there were a number of newcomers to the organization. At least half, if not more, seemed to be unfamiliar with their peers. The number of new members really hints at the real possibility that this organization faces high turnover, that is to say that the general members don't stick around for a long time.

The meeting then continued with the week's announcements. It turns out that SCNO is already in the officer transition stage. Adam let his members know that they would be looking to replace a number of the exec team who were planning to graduate within this school year. As he described the open positions, a number of officers chipped in as to the responsibilities. The interaction among the officers really gives one the impression that this is an organization run through the collaboration of a devoted exec board and not just a single individual.

After the talk about exec positions, Adam closed the announcements portion of the meeting by alerting everyone to a mandatory "SCNOcial" this Friday. The members were told that they would need to email a valid excuse to the VP of Human Resources if they were unable to make the organization's get together. This idea of a mandatory social makes me think that the organization is trying very hard to get the new members quickly familiar with each other and feeling like a part of the organization.

After announcements, all of the members broke down into groups of five, which were managed by a team lead as well as an exec board member. As I listened to each group discuss their clients and their plan of action for the coming weeks, I could really tell that all of the students seemed very passionate about the mission and values of the organization. Values like the ability to give back to their community and the opportunity to develop personally. Listening to them talk and discovering some of the explicit values really made me also dig into possible implicit values of the organization, such as professionalism, teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking.


_________________________________________________________________________________________________

When the meeting concluded I was very impressed with the organization. The meeting ran very smoothly with a very organized and focused exec board. All of the members seemed very excited, and the actions of the group seemed to line straight up with the organization's mission. However, I couldn't help but to see a few areas where the organization could improve. My biggest concern is with the organization's apparent high turnover rate. The mission and work of the organization really demands a lot of its members and it is possible that a number of members have the "one and done" attitude. Another issue that could possibly arise within the organization involved the officer transition process. The organization stands to lose over half it's executive team by the end of the year, most of whom were founding members of the organization. While the executive board seems to be functioning very effectively at this point, they may face challenges in maintaining the organization's vision as new blood steps in.



IMHO (In my humble opinion) SCNO is a very promising organization. I personally admire the work they are doing and I am very impressed by their members. I really look forward in helping to further strengthen the organization with outside input as they move forward. I sincerely hope that my view from the balcony can bring valuable input to the organization.

Enlightening

Incoherent academic psycho babble. Tell me how you really feel.

"Prior to the forthcoming termination of the out of frame
mythological creature I shall at the behest of the motion
picture's director conveniently strike a fierce pose
as pictured above." - Gandalf the White Academic 

And that is how I really feel. Anytime I am forced to open up an academic book or dissect an academic article I end up imagining some poor schmuck who was forced to adhere to some template for academic writing in which his observations and research have to match up with an entire other world of written communication. Communication reserved for intellectuals who I imagine have big grey beards and work from  Ivy League library offices in the heart of New England. To them, academic writing must be some archaic form of bejeweled where instead of matching up pretty colored jewels for combo points they string together random words from their doctorate level vocabulary.

My problem with academic writing lies almost solely with the presentation of the content and not with the content itself. You would think that these people would consider all the poor undergrad students forced to suffer through pages and pages of their research. Perfectly good research.

Enlightening even.

Take for instance research on understanding student development. Some may even go as far as to call it "Student Development Theory." If only I were so bold. The thing is that after you sift through all the fancy wording and graduate speak you get a pretty sound understanding of the numerous approaches used to develop youth over the past few hundred years.

Particularly enlightening is Perry's Cognitive Theory of Student Development. Perry talks about three levels of development dealing with the growth of a student's understanding of truth and values and eventually *gasp* "the meaning of life." This theory essentially states that a student starts with a pretty binary concept of what is right and what is wrong.  The student then makes a pit stop at "relativism" where they come to terms with the concept of shades of gray. Finally the student arrives at an understanding of the world as a complex system in which they find their own identity and live on their own terms shaped by their previous experiences.

Don't get this? Consider picking up a book every once in a while you slacker!

And here comes the key question: Now what? As a student leader and an advocate for student leadership, having an understanding of how leaders develop is pretty key.

Over the past year I have developed this toolbox as a facilitator. The Experiential Leadership Cycle has been a pretty great crutch to lean on. It provides a tangible experience from which a lesson can be learned. Something from which a clear lesson or take-away can be derived and help the students/clients to grow. The entire facilitation process has also grown familiar and is very useful when consulting with and helping to improve student organizations. However, it isn't enough to implement these processes from the comforting security blanket that their structure provides. We need a deeper understanding of what it is that we are actually doing: developing student leaders.

This is where leadership theory comes in. Examining leadership theory helps us to take a step back and look at the whole picture. By looking at the process as a whole we can better pinpoint where on the spectrum a student may sit. You may be thinking, "well why is that even important?" Think about it with the following real life scenario. Let's say you and your friends want to go to Baltimore. You know, eat some crab, see the sights, partake in some other extra-curricular activities. So you know what your goal is: Get to Baltimore. So what do you do? Well if you are like me, the first thing you do is hop on The Googles and use the nifty maps feature. And when you go to that feature not only are you prompted with your destination, but also your starting point.

I'm gonna let that sink in for a second.....

So if you are thinking to yourself "Ryan wants me to reflect on how you have to know where you start before you can get to your destination" then DING DING DING. You got it! Understanding leadership theory is pivotal because it gives us a road map that helps us identify where a student or student group may have gotten lost. Using that map is the first of many steps to getting a student or student group back on the road to their destination, speeding on their way to their shared vision.

Man I love metaphors.

So in the end, sifting through all the academic psycho babble that obfuscates the core behind true understanding is just one more obstacle in helping to develop leaders. Academic speak isn't going anywhere. But if you can sift through the riddle wrapped up in the enigma there's more than a few gold nuggets of wisdom.

Enlightened?

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If you're interested in learning more about Leadership Theory there are entire libraries and academic books full of interesting insights. Go get 'em tiger! If you are like me and want to skip the fluff and get straight to the meaning of life, have your credit card ready and head for the following link: http://amzn.to/v4NUd

Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, ...Ryan Lamb?

Thirty minutes ago I thought leadership inventories were stupid.... Okay, maybe that is a little harsh. My problem with these tests are the binary responses. How can a piece of paper or a computer algorithm nail down the dynamic facets of my personality with 70 yes or no questions? It just doesn't seem right. There just is no room for shades of gray when taking a test like the Myers Briggs. What if my answer isn't "yes," but instead "maybe," or "it depends?" 

So back to thirty minutes ago, I sit down to take the Myers Briggs for a business ethics class that I am enrolled in at Fisher and per usual I am unimpressed by the parade of yes or no questions on my computer screen. Then I hit "score it" and guess what!

The first sentence in my description begins "Beneath that quiet exterior..." ERRRRR. Wrong. You are the weakest link, goodbye.

Quiet is about the last word anyone who knows me would throw out as a descriptor. The little people inside the microprocessor of my computer really should consider refusing to process leadership inventories. Honestly, it's a waste of space on the internet. 

But analyzing the results is part of an assignment and so I must continue soldiering on. 

Apparently I am an INFJ. Whatever that means. 

The results tell me that I am similar to Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa. I guess that is sort of cool.

"Strongly humanitarian in outlook." - Okay that does sound a bit more like me. Helping others is one of the most important pillars of my value system.

"INFJs [take] a disproportionate amount of responsibility in the various causes to which so many of them seem to be drawn" - Can I get an Amen?

"They are, in fact, sometimes mistaken for extroverts because they appear so outgoing and are so genuinely interested in people." - Okay now this is interesting. Tell me more. 

"On the contrary, INFJs are true introverts, who can only be emotionally intimate and fulfilled with a chosen few from among their long-term friends, family, or obvious 'soul mates.'" - Holy Brutus Buckeye, did I just learn something about myself?

So I stop here to reflect on what is actually a pretty ground shattering revelation. According to the analysis of my Myers Briggs, I'm not actually an extrovert. This is pretty shocking stuff. My entire life I have pretty much always considered myself an extrovert. I am always one of the loudest of my friends. I am a goofball. I love to talk. No seriously, I LOVE TO TALK. I love it so much that I don't even stop talking when I go to bed at night. Ask my brothers, my parents, or my roommates. 

But here is the deal, here is something that I haven't always understood about myself: After the day is through and my work is done, nothing makes me happier than to sit down and read a book or watch the latest episode of Survivor (yes I still watch, and you should be watching too). On the weekends nothing makes me groan more than the mention of going to a house party where I know a grand total of five people. Talk about awkward. That's not exactly extroverted I suppose. 

So what Myers Briggs says on the subject is that I am actually a giver. I want to help people and I am sincerely interested in how others are doing. Relationships are incredibly important to me. This is all a part of the "Feeling" aspect of my personality. However, at the end of the day, or the week, I need a break from people. I need to unwind in my own world. 

I guess after all this what I have to say is that...maybe...leadership inventories don't really suck. Sure they are flawed. But thanks to a series of seventy yes or no questions I just figured out something about myself that I have been trying to understand for years.

That's kind of cool.

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The same league, eh? You can take the Myers Briggs test here and find out which future saint or anti-apartheid activist you are most like. 

Do or Die: A Student Org In Crisis

Earlier I posted about the concept of Leadership and how I find it difficult to describe or define. It really is something that you just experience. Case in point: 

This evening I took part in the organizational meeting of a student organization and non-profit called Nourish International. As we gathered for our inaugural event, a horrifying situation began to unfold, a situation  that I am sure will repeat itself numerous times across campus over the next week. As the full gravity of the situation became apparent it became do or die time for the organization's leadership... 

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Nourish is this absolutely incredible organization I was introduced to by one of my greatest friends at Ohio State during my Sophomore year at OSU. Our motto is to Eradicate Poverty by Engaging Students and Empowering Communities.

Nourish is really what I would say the typical OSU Student Organization is. It isn't one of the student org powerhouses such as the widely known and generously funded OUAB or the celebrated Ohio Staters, nor is it one of the many organizations who exist merely on paper (I'm looking at you Citizens United against Masturbation/Justice for Innocent SpermatoZoa*). We are a relatively small group of students who have been brought together by a common interest in positively impacting the world around us and are working to achieve our dreams NOW.

The organization benefits from the unique opportunities of such an incredible university but also struggles with the bureaucracy and the sometimes inevitable tendency to just become a number. Like many student orgs we have an advisor, but it really is just in name. Everything we do is truly student led and student executed. At the start of this new school year our exec board is filled with both fresh new faces and a couple of seasoned veterans (as seasoned as a three year old organization can provide). 

Every year Nourish fights to gain a little more ground and traction on campus. Over the past three years we have built an orphanage in Bolivia, and a health clinic and clean water system in Peru. Our efforts have made positive and lasting change in the lives of thousands, helping to raise the standard of living in the poverty stricken areas we aim to help.

PICTURED (Nico Mata, OSU Senior, capturing a Kodak moment with Peruvian children during the OSU chapter of Nourish's 2010 Water for the World Project in Peru)

*I didn't actually deeply research this particular organization, but I assure you they exist. I've never seen them marketed on campus, and seriously, just look at the org's abbreviation CUM/JISZ #SMH
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As I type this I can imagine the face of Theresa Schmidt, OSU Junior and incoming President of Nourish, as she realizes that OSU's largest student organization, Block O, is already occupying the room that she thought she had set in stone as the location of the informational session to attract new members to Nourish's cause. The well rehearsed meeting with elaborate visual aides and a powerful video on a previous trip was falling apart right before our young leader's eyes. With 30 expectant students and possible recruits knocking at the door, Theresa had to work quickly.

After some quick thinking, member Nico Mata was dispatched to the outdoor Browning Amphitheater on the side of Mirror Lake to find out if it was being used. Not only was it available, but the weather couldn't have possibly been better. The interested students were rounded up from the hallway and marched the short and scenic walk across Neil Ave. and along the banks of Mirror Lake to the old amphitheater.

Even without their visual aides the exec board shined. Each member of the team brought their own charisma to their different jobs in describing the aim of Nourish International. Their passion was inspiring as they spoke of the work that Ohio State chapter of the organization has accomplished through adversity.

By the time the presentation was concluded, the ice breakers were over, and the cupcakes were eaten, you could already feel a new family forming. Of course not every student will return, that's just a part of the game. But after today's meeting I am willing to bet that more will come back for another look at Nourish than a classroom presentation could have attracted. And maybe they will even bring a friend. That's our hope after all. And somewhere in that crowd are likely the next leaders of Nourish International, about to catch fire with the passion that the organization almost always elicits from those it touches.

Nourish now meets Tuesdays in Campbell Hall 209 at 6:30 PM. If you can't wait until next Tuesday to get involved come out to our Nourish Barbecue on Sunday at 5:30. Here's the details!