Background
 I
was raised in Trenton, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit) and
attended Michigan
State University, where I received my undergrad degree
in Psychology and my Master's Degree in College Student
Development. While there, I was an RA, Graduate Advisor,
Hall Director, and Area Director.
In
1980, I started a new job and a new marriage. I
just turned 55, and now realize that 37 of those years
have been spent living in or working in or withresidence
halls. Scary!
Kathy
and I came to the University
of New Hampshire where we both work in the Housing
area. Originally, I was the Assistant Director of Residential
Life, but after five years became the Director. Kathy
is the Associate Director of Housing,
which here at UNH is a whole different department. We live
in a home surrounded by tall trees and a pond with our
14-year old daughter Gabrielle ("Gabby"), our English Cocker Casey, and Squealer
the guinea pig.
Avocations
As a musician, I
write songs, play guitar and piano, and sing. I have written
about 75 songs in my 35 years as a musician. I enjoy performing
and use this gift as a way of reaching others, including
students. Presently, I am working on a dream...doing
a CD of my own songs. I
am recording and mixing the entire process at home! It is taking forever.
 I
love golf although I am not accomplished at it (20 handicap).
I also enjoy doing landscape painting, particularly in
watercolors. I sometimes do magic tricks, and enjoy surfing
the net and playing on the computer. I love television, and I have around 30 shows I TIVO regularly.
Favorite
Films:
- The
Wizard of Oz
- One
Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- Once
Upon a Time in America
- Annie
Hall
- The
Godfather (all 3)
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Favorite
Musicians:
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Favorite
TV shows:
- Curb
Your Enthusiasm
- Prison Break
- Heroes
- 24
- The Office
- Grey's Anatomy
- Boston Legal
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Favorite
Bookmarks:
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Work Passion:
I recently did a six month sabbatical reading and writing about the role of gender in student affairs work. I came back from my sabbatical with some strong feelings about our field's inability to successfully work with college aged men. Ask me about the Sacred Scripture of Student Affairs.
Quotes I believe in:
"The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play."-- Arnold Toynbee
"Most
people enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort
of thought." --Rita Mae Brown
"I
don't really look at the compact as rules as much as
loose guidelines. " --Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean
Random
Thoughts about the field of Student Affairs
-
We
attract too many with "victim" mentalities into our
professional ranks.
-
Those in our field actively resist real accountability.
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We
ought to place having fun and laughing as a major goal
in our work with staff and students.
-
Internal conflict
is the only sure spark that induces change.
-
The
job of a Hall Director can be done in a 40-hour work
week.
Please
e-mail your comments and questions about
Residential Life at UNH, or any of the
above information,
to me via e-mail at: scott.chesney@unh.edu
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