SHCBoardof Directors MonthlyUpdate
By: Abby,Orion
February
2024
What’s up! The BOD is going to start sending out monthly updates in the Pine Press! We’re excited to have more communication going out to everyone about who we are and what we do
As your Board of Directors, we are the governing body of the SHC We represent each house and each member at Board meetings where we review SHC operations and make sure we are in compliance with our governing policies. We felt it was important to communicate our actions and goals with the broader SHC, so more people are informed of what we do for you!
Our January Visionary Retreat:
This past January we got together for our annual visionary retreat We met to talk about our goals for the future of the SHC and review what we did as a Board in the Fall Semester
The major discussion we had at our retreat centered around Board restructuring We want to make sure we are governing in the most beneficial and accessible way possible. With assistance from our contact at Columinate, Hether, we reviewed four different restructuring scenarios While we didn’t concretely decide to restructure or change the makeup of the BOD, we are still actively making sure the current structure of the Board is the best way we can properly represent the membership of the SHC
Post-retreat, we as a Board are excited to get to work this semester! We set some great goals for the coming months and can’t wait to show you what we get up to.
Board Meetings
We hold Board meetings every other Monday in the SHC office at 5:30pm. They are open to the general membership, and we even have a space reserved in our agenda for member comment! If you’d like to get a glimpse of what we do at meetings or talk to us about something, please pop by! Our next meeting is February 18th
Yours in cooperation,
The SHC Board of Directors
BelovedSHCcommunity,
Allowmetointroducemyselftothoseunawareofmyexistence.MynameisJonathan RogersMedendorp,residentofPhoenixHaus,formerVicePresidentofFacilitiesandlocal LansinglinecookintentonrunningforPresidentoftheSHC.Asacandidate,Iamthe unconventionalchoice.MytenureasVPFwasshort-livedatamonthandahalfafterIstepped downtoaddressapreviouslyundiagnosedmentaldisorder.Ipossessnoaccreditation,Iamon academicprobationandattimesIhavefallenpreytoexcesslibations. Morecouldbesaidofmy storybutthetl;dristhatonpaperitmakeslittlesensetovoteforme.
Movingintotheco-opsFallof2022,Iwasexposedtoaworldincomparabletoanything Ihadexperiencedbefore.Havingmovedaroundsinceage15,Ihavehadexperiencelivingwith parents,siblings,other’sparents,familyfriends,Adultfostercarehomes,roommateswhowere effectivelystrangersandbymyselfinahomeconvertedtoapartments.DespitealloftheplacesI havelived,itwasasteeplearningcurvelivinginaco-opandIstillmakemistakestolearnfrom today Livingwithintheco-opsisdifficultletalonerunningforelectedpositionsyet,thereis nowhereIwouldratherbespendingmymid-20sthanwithintheSpartanHousingCooperative
Inspiteofallthereasonswhyyououghtnotvoteforme,thereareanumberofreasons astowhyyououghttoconsidervotingformeaswell.Havingexperienceintheworkforce datingbackto2015,theschoolofhardknockshasprovidedmewithadiversesetofskillsin communication,efficiencyandconflictmanagement.Collegeexperiencefromseveral institutionsinColoradoandMichiganhavegivenmeperspectivesandknowledgeontopicsfrom Biology,Chemistry,MathematicsandEngineeringtoPhilosophy,business,andAgriculture. Muchcouldbesaidofalloftheexperiencesthathavefitintomylifeyet,itcouldbesummedup asmyselfhavingbecomeeitherajack-of-alltradesoradilettante.Personally,Iwouldsaythat myexposuretovariousfieldsshowcasesmyabilitytoadaptandlearnquicklyinnew environments.
IfelectedPresident,myplatformwouldconsistofthefollowing4goals:
1 Transparency:IncreasecommunicationandpublicationbetweentheSHCandit'shomesthroughworkwith theVPEandcorporatesecretary
2. Empowerment:Increaseuseofthegig-workplatformsoastoassistmembersinpayingtheirdueswhom assisttheSHCwithprojectsontheirhomesandevents.WorkwouldbeaccomplishedwiththeVPMand VPF
3 Community:WorkwiththecommunityandtheECtoexpandtheSHC’ssphereofinfluenceandmanage conflictswithinhomeswhilerespectingtheirautonomy.Workwouldbeaccomplishedwithallparties
4 Sustainability:AsanaspiringAgronomist,anytimeavailableoutsideofproductionofreports,meetings andtrainingwillbespentpursuingtheassistanceofhomesinfoodandcompostproduction Thisworkwill bedonethroughanetworkofindividualswithsimilarinterestsandwiththeconsentoftheirhomes.
Ilookforwardtoseeingwhatcomesofthiselectionseason.Nomattertheoutcome,Iam apartofthiscommunityandwillcontinueworkingtocontributewhatIcantomakeitbetterfor generationstocome.
Shouldyouhaveanyquestionsregardingmycampaignfeelfreetoreachmeat medendorpforshcprez@gmail.com.
Best, JonathanRogersMedendorp(He/Him)ofPhoenix
Tomyfellowco-opers,
PresidentialLetterofIntent
Lucinda
James Gleespen February 11, 2024
MynameisLucinda,andIamyourcurrentVicePresidentofEducationandExecutiveVice President.IamwritingthislettertosharethatIwillberunningforPresidentforthe2024-2025 term.
WhoamI?
Ifyoudon’tknowme,hi!I’mafourthyearstudentatMichiganState,majoringinpsychology andminoringinHumanBehaviorandSocialServices.InadditiontomyworkwiththeSHC,I alsoworkedasaresearchassistantuntilrecently(thatpaperImentionedinmyletterofintentfor VicePresidentofEducationlastyearfinallygotpublished!)andcurrentlyserveasamemberof theMentalHealthAssociationinMichigan’sYouthLeadershipCouncil.I’mreallyintocomics, likeworkingwithdifferentartmediums,andplayguitar1.Youmightknowmebestastheperson whomakesthePinePresseachmonthortheweirdlydressedpersonfromNMO.
IjoinedtheSHCwhenImovedintoApolloinAugust2021.Thehousehadjustgonethrougha Reboot-Refreshprocess,andonlyone memberfromthepreviousyear remainedinthehouse.Thiscamewith issuesandstressors,butservedasan effectivecrashcourseincooperation. InmyfirstweekatApollo,Ibecame theMembershipOfficer,apositionthat Iheldformostofmytwoyearsinthe house.Later,Ialsobecameoneofour meetingfacilitators.InAugust2023,I movedtoOrion,whereIcurrentlylive andserveasMembershipOfficer
Ibecameverypassionateaboutour organizationandcooperativehousing earlyonandknewthatIwantedtobecomemoreinvolvedintheSHC.Thisledmetoapplyto becometheVicePresidentofEducation(VPE),apositionIstartedlastFebruaryandhaveheld since.AsVPE,Ihavegottentodomanythings,includingplanningtrainingsandeducational events,workingtoresolveconflictsthatgopastahouselevel,chairingtheEducation Committee,servingontheExecutiveCommittee,andcreatingthePinePress.Ihavelearnedso
1 Notverywell
muchthroughthisposition.Althoughtherehavebeenroughweeksanddifficultresponsibilities, IhavelovedbeingyourVPE!
InAugustof2023,IbecametheExecutiveVicePresident,orEVP.Thispositionisheldatthe sametimeasanExecutiveCommitteepositionandistaskedwithoneprimaryresponsibility: performingthedutiesofthePresidentintheabsenceofthePresident.InmytimeasEVP,Ihave gottentopracticesomeoftheresponsibilitiesthatIwouldhaveifelectedPresident,including chairingBoardandExecutiveCommitteemeetingsandwritingmonitoringreports2 .
WhyamIrunningforPresident?
IamrunningforPresidentbecauseIcareverydeeplyabouttheSHC.Thisorganizationhas transformedmylifeandthelivesofsomanyothers.Itisincredibletomethat,againstallodds, thisorganizationhassurvivedforsomanyyears,andIamawarethatIgettoenjoymylifeasit isnowsolelyduetotheworkofourformermembers.Becauseofthis,Ifeelatremendous responsibilitytocontinuethatworkforourcurrentandfuturemembers.Iwouldliketodomy partinhelpingtheSHCnotonlysurvive,butthrive,formanymoreyearstocome.
IbelievethatIwouldmakeaneffectivePresidentbecauseofmycooperativeexperience.The SHChasarelativelycomplicatedstructurethattakesalotoftimeandworktofullyunderstand3 WhenIfirststartedastheVPE,Ireallyhadnoideahowourorganizationalstructureworked.I attendedboardmeetingsbutdidnotfullyunderstandwhatwasgoingon.Toresolvethis,Ihave spentthepastyearlearningasmuchasIcouldabouttheSHC.IwouldsaythatInowhavea goodleveloffamiliaritywithourstructure,governanceprocess,andoperations.I’vealsospenta lotoftimelearningaboutourhistory—IthinkIhavereadeveryendoftermreport4 thatwehave recordof.Althoughthereisstillsomuchtolearn,andifelected,Iwillspendmytermcontinuing tolearnmoreaboutourorganization,IcansaythatIfeelpreparedenoughtobeacompetent Presidentevenatthestartofmyterm.
Inaddition,IamincrediblydriventodowellintheworkthatIdo.Itisveryimportanttome that,ifIamgivenaresponsibility,Icompleteittothefullestextentpossible.Whenpeopleare relyingonme,IdoeverythingIcantonotletthemdown,evenwhenthisinvolvesmaking sacrifices.Iamreliable,hardworking,anddedicated,traitsthatIbelieveareessentialtothe presidency.Itfeelsoddtocomplimentmyselfonsuchapublicscale,especiallyasIcan’treally provethesequalitiestoyou(therearen’tmanygoodmetricsformeasuringSHCknowledgeor dedication),butIdon’texpectyoutotakemywordforit.Ifyouhaven’tworkedwithmevery
2 ReportspresentedatboardmeetingstogaugehoweffectivelytheSHCis“doingwhatitsaysitwilldo”
3 Ithinkthatthiscurrentlytakesmuchmoretimeandworkthanitshould ItalkmoreaboutthisintheMember Empowermentsection
4 Endoftermreports/annualreportsareletterswrittenbyExecutiveCommitteemembersattheendoftheirterm reflectingontheirtimeintheposition Thesearesharedwiththemembershipandalsousedtoguidefuture ExecutiveCommitteemembers.IfyouwerehereinMay,youmayhaveseenthelettersofthepreviousExecutive CommitteeinthePinePress
closely,Iencourageyoutotalktoyourhousematesandco-opfriendswhohaveandseewhat theyhavetosay.Ihopethattheycanconfirmthesestatements—andifnot,perhapsIoughtnot tobeyourPresident!
WhatdoIintendtodoasPresident?
Summary
Thisletterislong.I’vedecidedtokeepthelengthbecausetheselettersofintentarelikelythe primarysourceyouaregoingtousetolearnaboutthecandidates.Ifthisletterwasshort,you wouldonlybeabletolearnaboutthethingsthatIwouldliketodo,nothowIplantodothem, whichIfeelisultimatelymoreimportant.
Still,Iamawarethatsomemembersmightnotbeinterestedinreadingthisentireletter.Ifthat describesyou,thefollowinglistwillsummarizethenextsectionofthisletter Youcanread throughthemand,ifyouwantmoreinformation,youcanfindeachgoal’scorrespondingsection.
Insummary,Iintendto
- Empowerandsupportmembersinguidingthedecisionsofourorganization.
- Ensurethatourorganizationisoperatinginwaysthatalignwithourvaluesandmission.
- ProvidesupportandtrainingtotheExecutiveCommitteetoallowthemtodotheirjobs effectivelyandinnovativelyearlyintheirtermsandworktocreatestructuresthatwill continuetoprovidesupportandtrainingaftermytermhasended.
- BeareliableandconsistentPresident,enablingtheBoardandtherestofourorganization torunmoresmoothly.
MemberEmpowerment
Iloveco-opsbecauseofthepowerthattheyentrustintheirmembers,andtheSHCisno exception.Asmembers,wecontroltheworkingsoftheSHC;thus,ifwedecidethatthewaythe co-opcurrentlyoperatesisnolongerinthemutualbenefitofourmembers,wecanchangeit. Ourcurrentstructurewasdecidedbyourpreviousmembership,andourfuturestructureisours todecide.
Still,itisonethingtotellmembersthattheycontroltheworkingsoftheSHC,andit’sanotherto makethembelieveit.Amemberthatdoesnotfeelliketheyhaveawaytovoicetheiropinions andconcernsisnotgoingtofeelliketheyhaveanypowerinourorganization.Amemberwho hasvoicedtheiropinionsbuthasnotfeltheardisgoingtofeelevenmoredisconnected.Many,if notmost,membersdonotknowhowtoworktowardsthechangesthattheywouldliketoseein ourorganization—formuchofmytimeintheSHC,Ididnotknowhowtodothismyself.Even ifwearetechnicallyamember-controlledorganization,avastnumberofourmembersdonot havetheknowledgeandsupporttoutilizetheirpower.
Ifelected,oneofmybiggestprioritieswillbetoenablememberstotrulyguidethedirectionand workingsoftheSHC.Tostart,Ithinkthatcooperativeknowledgeneedstobemademore accessible.WhenIbecametheVPE,IwasgivenaccesstotheGoogleDriveattachedtotheVPE emailaccountandtheSHCfileserver,whichcollectivelycontainmoreco-opresourcesthanI couldeverpossiblygothrough.Now,whenIhaveaquestion,thefirstthingIdoislookinthe Drive.TheSHC’sPresidentfrom2020-2022,ErikBerg,wasworkingoncreatingasimilarDrive thatwouldbeaccessibletoallmembers,buttheprojectwasnevercompletedandshared publicly.IintendtofinishandsharetheDriveinordertomaketheresourcesthatitcontains readilyavailable.
Ialsowanttoincreaseawarenessabouttheeducationalresourcesthatmembersalreadyhave accessto—forexample,doyouknowwheretofindtheSHCCodeofOperations,whichguides theworkingsoftheSHC?5 Whileyoumighthavebeentoldaboutwheretofindthesedocuments atNMO,thisknowledgeiseasilyforgotten.Iwanttomakesurethatallinformationcoveredat NMOissharedwithmembers,sothatmembersdonothavetorelysolelyontheirmemoryofa twohourtrainingtheycompletedwhentheyfirstmovedintounderstandhowourorganization works.
Inadditiontomakingknowledgemoreaccessible,IalsowanttoensurethatIamproviding membersthesupportthattheyneedtoplayanactiveroleinourorganization.OnewaythatI’d liketodothisisbyservingasanadditionaleducationalresource—ifamemberhasnoticeda problemintheSHCbutisunsurewhattheycandotofixit,Iwantthemtoknowthattheycan cometomeforguidance.
Iwouldalsoliketoserveasaconnectorbetweenmembersthatdonotholdleadershippositions andthosethatdo,sothatthedecisionsmadebyourmemberleaders(includingmyself)canbest reflectthewantsandneedsofourentiremembership.Ourcurrentstructureinvolvesmembers distributingalevelofdecisionmakingpowertoelectedmemberleaders.Theseleadersare taskedwithmakingdecisionsinthebestinterestofourmembers,buttheymaynotfullyknow whatourmemberswantandneed.Inpreparationforthiselection,Ihavehadmany conversationswithmembersabouttheirexperienceintheSHC,whattheybelieveisworking well,andwhattheybelieveneedstobechanged.Theseconversationshavebeenincredibly illuminating6 andhaveledtothedevelopmentofmanyoftheideasdiscussedinthisletter.As President,Iwouldliketocontinuehavingtheseconversationswithasmanymembersas possible,andwillregularlyinvitememberstosetupmeetingswithme.IwillusewhatIlearn fromtheseconversationstoguidemydecisionmakingandwillsharethefeedbackthatIreceive withtheExecutiveCommitteesothattheycandothesame.Asweworkforourmembers,our
5 Ifyouansweredno,youcanfindthisandmoreonourpolicywiki:https://wiki.spartan.coop
6 Also,Ienjoytheseconversationssomuch!Pleasetalktomeaboutco-opspleasepleasepleaseeee
decisionsneedtoreflecttheirneedsandwants—thisisnotpossibleiflinesofcommunication arenotopen.
Aquestionfromapreviouspresidentialdebateaskedcandidatestodescribetheirvisionforthe SHCin50years.Ihavemyownideas,butIbelievethatitisnotuptometodecidewhatthe futureoftheSHCshouldlooklike—it’suptoallofus.Ifelected,Iwillspendmypresidency seekingoutwaystoupliftandprioritizethegoalsofourmembers.Idon’tjustwantyoutoknow thatyourvoiceandyouropinionsareequallyimportantasmine;Iwantyoutobeabletoseeitin action.
PrioritizationofourValues
Weareavaluedrivenorganization—inourendspolicies7,westateourcommitmenttoendslike sustainability,diversity,memberempowerment,consent,andsocialresponsibility—butIhave noticedthatourvaluesarenotalwaysdirectlyprioritizedinourdaytodayoperations.Our cooperativehashadalargelypositiveeffectonourmembersandourcommunity,butIbelieve thatwecandomore.
Mygoalistoincreasethenumberofvalue-centereddecisionsthataremadebyourmember leadersonalllevels.Currently,ourvaluestendtoimpactourdecisionmakingprocessesasmore ofanunconsciousguidingforcethanadirectfocus,meaningthatourvaluesasawholeareless centeredthantheycouldbeandcertainvaluescanreceivelessattentionthanothers.Ithinkthat thebestwaytochangethiswouldbetocreateanenvironmentinwhichourvaluesare intentionallyincorporatedintobrainstormingprocesses.Duringone-one-onemeetingswith ExecutiveCommitteemembersandweeklyhuddles8,wheremuchofthebrainstormingthatleads todecisionmakingoccurs,Iwouldliketoregularlyfacilitatediscussionsinwhichwereviewour endspoliciesandtalkaboutthingsthatwecouldimplementorchangetobestworktowards them.IwillalsoadviseExecutiveCommitteemembersabouthowtofacilitatethesediscussions withtheircommittees.Ibelievethatourboard,whichmonitorsourcompliancewithourvalues, istypicallyquitegoodatprioritizingourvalues,butIwillensurethatIamprovidingthemwith wellput-togethermonitoringreportsthatgiveatransparentlookintoourstrengthsand weaknesses,inordertohelpthemmostaccuratelydeterminecomplianceandnecessarychanges. Iwillalsoensurethatdiscussionofourendspoliciesisprioritizedinboardeducation.
SupporttotheExecutiveCommittee
7OurendspoliciesstatetheimpactthattheSHCaimstohaveonitsmembersandthecommunityandaresimilartoa valuesstatement Youcanfindthemhere: (https://wikispartancoop/policy documents/board policy manual/section 1)
8 HuddlesaremeetingsbetweenExecutiveCommitteemembersandthestaffmembersthatmostdirectlysupport them wecurrentlyhaveexecutive,finance,facilities,andmembershiphuddles,withExecutiveCommittee membersattendingthehuddlemostrelatedtotheirareaofwork
WhenyouaskanExecutiveCommitteememberabouttheirexperiencetakingontheirposition, theyarealmostcertainlygoingtotellyouabouttheirlackofonboarding.Many(ifnotall)ofus receivedverylittletraining,despitesuddenlybeinggivenasignificantamountofpowerand responsibilities.Thiswascertainlymyexperience.WhenIlookbackatmyworkasVPE,Ican separateitoutintothreephases:
1. Learning:Atfirst,Ihadnoideahowtodomyjoborhowpeoplehaddonemyjob previously.Iwasluckyenoughtostartinthemiddleofaterm,atwhichpointourVPM atthetimehadalreadygonethroughher“learningphase”.Iwasincrediblyreliantonher andstaffmembersandwasessentiallyjusttryingtonotdoanythinghorriblywrong.
2. Doing:Aftersometimeintheposition,Iwasabletogainasenseofcompetency.Iknew thatIcoulddomyjobwellbypreviousstandards.Still,Ioftenlookedtomoresenior ExecutiveCommitteemembersforguidance.ThereweretimeswhereIwasunsureif whatweweredoingwasthebestcourseofaction,butIdidnotfeellikeIhadenough knowledgeandexperiencetoknowexactlywhatthatbestcourseofactionmightbe.AsI spentmoretimeinthisphase,mysensethatwewerenotoperatingaswellaswecould grew,butIwasstillunsureofwhatchangesneededtobemadeorhowtomakethem.
3. Improving:Inthelastcoupleofmonths,IhavereachedthepointwhereIfeellikeIboth knowwhatneedstobeimprovedandhavetheknowledgeandskillstomakethese changes.MystrategytowardstheworkoftheExecutiveCommittee,theEducation Committee,andtheGrievanceCommitteehavealldevelopedsignificantly Iamproudof theworkthatIdoandfeellikeIamabletomakedecisionsthatIamconfidentin.
IamhappytohavedevelopedtheknowledgeandskillsthatInowhave,andInowbelievethat theworkIamdoingwillbenefitbothourcurrentandfuturemembers.Still,itconcernsmehow longittookmetogethere.IhavebeentheVPEforjustoverayear,anditisonlyinthelast coupleofmonthsthatIhavegottentothe“improving”phase.Ihavenoticedasimilartimelineof learning,doing,andimprovinginotherExecutiveCommitteemembers.GiventhatExecutive Committeemembersoftenholdtheirpositionforasingleyear,thismeansthatwespendmostof ourtermsunabletotrulytransformandoptimizeourwork.
Thisisnotfairtoourmemberleaders.Peopleenterthesepositionslargelybecausetheywantto createchangesanddoworkthatwillbestbenefittheco-op,butduetoalackofsupport,getting enoughknowledgetobeabletodothiseffectivelytakesagreatdealoftime.Ihaveseenthis leadtofrustrationandburnout.Perhapsmoreimportantly,thisisnotfairtoourmembers.When ourExecutiveCommitteemembersarestillintheearlyphasesoflearning,buttaskedwith decisionsandprocessesofgreatimportance,mistakescanbemadethatharmourmembers. WhenourExecutiveCommitteememberslacktheknowledgetoreformandimproveour structures,ourmembersareaffectedbytheresultingissuesandinefficiencies.
Thereisalwaysgoingtobealearningcurvehere.Thesepositionsareunique,andthecandidates forthemtypicallydonothavemuchdirectlyapplicableexperience.Still,Ibelievethatthe amountoftimethatthislearningcurrentlytakesisnotsimplyduetothenatureofthese positions,buttoalackofsupport.Ibelievethatwithpropersupportandeducation,Executive Committeememberscanbecomebothcompetentandinnovativemorequickly.
AsPresident,Iwillprioritizeprovidingthesupportnecessarytomakethisareality.Myfirstgoal istohelpnewExecutiveCommitteemembersgettothe“doing”phasewithintheirfirstmonth onthecommittee.Tomakethishappen,agreatdealofworkneedstobedonebeforethenew ExecutiveCommitteeevenbeginstheirterm.Iplantofacilitatemeetingsbetweencurrent ExecutiveCommitteemembers,theirsuccessors,relatedstaffmembers,andmyselftoensure thatournewExecutiveCommitteemembersarebeginningtheirtermswithastrongknowledge base.IalsoplantoworkwithcurrentExecutiveCommitteememberstocreatewrittenversions oftheknowledgepassedoninthesemeetings.Betweenthesemeetingsandwrittenresources,I hopethatnewExecutiveCommitteememberswillbeabletostarttheirtermsknowingbothhow todotheirjobsandwhattheirpredecessorslearnedwhiledoingthesejobs.
MysecondgoalistohelpExecutiveCommitteemembersgofrom“doing”to“improving”more quickly IwouldliketomeetwitheachExecutiveCommitteememberone-on-oneatleastoncea monththroughouttheirterm.Iwanttousethesemeetingstocreateanongoingdialoguewith ExecutiveCommitteemembersaboutwhatseemstobegoingwell,wherethey’reencountering problems,andwhatissuesthey’refindinginthesystemsthatweusetodoourjobs.Fromthere,I hopetoprovideguidanceinbothcomingupwithsolutionsandmakingthesesolutionsareality.
MythirdgoalistomakesurethatExecutiveCommitteemembersthatbegintheirtermsaftermy presidencyhasendedarealsoabletomovethroughthelearningprocessefficiently.Iwouldlike tousewhatIlearnthroughtheaforementionedeffortstocreateformalproceduresthatcanbe usedbyfuturePresidentstoconductonboardingandprovideongoingsupport.Atthistime,these effortsarelargelyinformalandlackclearstandards.Ithinkthatbycreatingstandardsforthese processes,wecanensurethatthey(1)actuallyoccurand(2)arefullyutilized.Thiswillalso createabasisforfuturepresidentstofurtherdeveloptheseprocedures,continuingtoimprovethe qualityofsupporttoandeducationoftheExecutiveCommitteeovertime.
Reliability
AlotoftheworkofthePresidentisnotparticularlyexciting.Ifelected,Iexpecttospendalotof mytimedoingthingslikepreparingformeetings,writingmonitoringreports,sendingemails, doingresearch,andensuringthatthe“exciting”workisbeingdonewellbyotherpeople.While thisdoesnotnecessarilymakeforagreatletterofintent9,thisworkisessentialfortheco-opto 9 IhaveafeelingthatifIlistedeveryresponsibilitythePresidentistaskedwithincode,pluseverythingelsethathas beenaddedontothepositionovertime,andthensaid“Iwilldothat”aftereachone,youwouldalreadyhave stoppedreadingthisletter
runsmoothly.Ifaboardpacketisnotcreated,theboardcannotdoitsjob.IfExecutive Committeemembersarenotgivensupportandheldaccountable,officersandhouseswillsuffer. WhenthePresidentdoestheirjobwell,muchoftheirworkgoesunnoticedbythemembers; whenthePresidentfailstodoso,itbecomesamemberproblem.
Ifelected,IwilldoeverythingIcantoensurethatmyresponsibilitiesarefulfilledconsistently, reliably,andeffectively.IwillprioritizemyworkfortheSHCandavoidtakingontoomany obligationsinotherareasthatcouldimpactmyabilitytodowellasPresident.Throughmytime asVPE,Ihavelearnedalotaboutwhatorganizationalstrategiesworkwellformeandhowto ensurethatnoneoftheworkthatIneedtodogetsforgottenordelayed—asPresident,Iwill continuetoutilizethesestrategiesandfigureouthowtobestadaptthemtomynew responsibilities.IwillalsocheckinregularlywiththeExecutiveDirectortocreateasystemof accountabilityformyself.IfthereiseverasituationwhereIamunabletocompletesomethingin thedesiredtimeline(forexample,ifIwastobecomesosickthatIwasunabletowork),Iwill communicatethistothepeopleIworkwithandcomeupwithaplantominimizetheimpactof thisonourmembers.Ihopetobesoconsistentinmyworkthat,bytheendofmyterm,members areabletotaketheworkthatIdoforgrantedandfocustheirattentionondeeperproblemsfaced byourorganization.
FinalThoughts
Althoughthisletterisperhapsexcessivelylong,thereisstillalotthatIwasunabletofitinthese pages10.Ifyouhaveanyquestions,feelfreetoreachouttomeateducation@spartan.coop.
Regardlessoftheresultsofthiselection,Iamincrediblygratefultohavehadtheopportunityto beyourVPE.Thankyoufortakingthetimetoreadthis,andIlookforwardtopotentially servingasyourPresidentintheupcomingterm!
Incooperation,
LucindaJamesGleespen Vice President of Education, Executive Vice President
10 SomethingsthatIwouldliketodothatIdidnotexpandintofullsectionsincludeupdatingcode(alotofour currentcodedoesnotreflectourcurrentprocesses,andsomepartsarecompletelymissing),creatingstructuresfor trackingworkthatincreaseourefficiencyandeffectiveness,andpromotingtheaccountabilityofExecutive Committeemembersthroughevaluationprocessesthathavebeencreatedbutarecurrentlyunder-utilized
ForMackenzie,Birdhausresident:youarethekindest,
tellyouthat,andeventhoughI'mtooscaredtotellyouin person,everywordhereistheabsolutetruth.Youdabombgirl, fr.-Anonymous
toallofhowland:youaremyshiningstarsxoxo
ToaspecialmemberoftheDavidBowieMemorial Cooperative,Whenyouwereherebefore,Icouldn'tlookyouin theeye.You'rejustlikeanangel,andyourskinmakesmecry. Youfloatlikeafeather,andyou'reinabeautifulworld.ButI wishIwasspecial.You'resofuckingspecial
toallmybealhausmates-thankyouforbeingwonderful friendsoverthelastyear!Ilived,Ilaughed,andIlovedallthe mariokartraces,movienights,andlongconversationsinthe kitchenwithyouguys.happyvalentines!-a
Aisling,youaremyheartandmyhome!Everydaywith youisablessing,andIcherisheachandeverysecondtogether
Lily(fromBeal)Youareanabsolutejoytobearound.Your continuedpositivityhaskeptmehighevenatthelowestlows. Loveyou,man.HappyValentine'sday!
Tothee-pawn,Ialwaysmoveyoufirst,andyoureally cameinclutchformeduringthatgameonFriday.
Howeveryouchoosetoappreciatethosearoundyouthis Valentine’sdayIhopeitisagoodoneforallyouCo-opersout there-Lily<3
What's a piece of advice or lesson that you've learned over time?
- Don’t submit to others’ notions of success. (Imogen, Apollo)
- Be a rock (Teah, Phoenix)
- If it's super snowy/mushy outside, wear grocery bags over your socks as an extra protectant from the water. (Annika, Beal)
- In a year from now you will be a completely different person. You can interpret this as a negative or positive thing but it's so very true (Abby, Orion)
- no one achieves anything alone (Rachael, Vesta)
- At least once a week, treat yourself to something frivolous. (Andrew, Vesta)
- Don’t date co-op men. Non-binary co-opers and co-op women are the exception. But co-op men will say they’re not like other guys because they like wear necklaces or something and then they’ll cheat on you or say they don’t want anything serious
- no. just because everyones an adult does not mean that everyone will act like one. (Becca, Vesta)
- pet every dog!!!!!!! (Mylee, Phoenix)
- There are bad times and there are good times Some of the bad times are really terribly awful. Some of the good times are euphoric and surreal. Then there are times you are ambivalent over. Just know, this too shall pass. (Jonathan, Phoenix)
- Don’t let the inability to do everything stop you from doing something (Saylor, Beal)
- Doing nothing is always an option (Ryan, Raft Hill)
- THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH (Gabbi, Howland)
- I have learned that it is important to seek discomfort in our own lives, as discomfort is what encourages us to grow. (Aj, Vesta)
- it's okay to take your time, the time will pass anyways (Kaylee, Howland)
- So like yeah, the world is ending. It's been ending. But the days and the years just keep coming anyway, no matter how you feel. So savor every minute, but plan for the sun to keep rising. (Savannah, Rivendell)
- The Golden Rule is there are no rules but the ones you make. (Clay, Phoenix)
What would you be reincarnated as based on your current life choices?
- A big rock (Teah, Phoenix)
- Wombat (Bella, Orion)
- Probably moss but hopefully as another person. (Annika, Beal)
- A co-op kitty (Abby, Orion)
- a moth because I too like shiny things and have little spatial awareness. (Kenz, New Community)
- I think perhaps a cat (Rachael, Vesta)
- hello kitty ﾐ��・◦・ﾐ (Anna, Raft Hill)
- Antarctic Octopus (Andrew, Vesta)
- a bitchy cat (Becca, Vesta)
- I'll be reincarnated as that dawg in me (Ethan, Orion)
- a prize winning zucchini squash (Mylee, Phoenix)
- German cockroach (Jonathan, Phoenix)
- A mushroom (Saylor, Beal)
- Maybe an alien, if they're real (Ryan, Raft Hill)
- Hopefully an animal that doesn't have to interact with humans. (Eve, Toad Lane)
- An Orion Pantry Moth (Sky, Orion)
- I’d hope to be reincarnated as a bit of grass or perchance a small bug of sorts. (Aj, Vesta)
- a coop cat (Kaylee, Howland)
- A dandelion growing through a crack in the sidewalk (Savannah, Rivendell)
- I don't know but God I hope I don't do that, let my spirit rest. Or a cat, a cat laying in the sunshine (Clay, Phoenix)
Diego
LovingYouwasaliterarymasterpiece, PluckedfromthebrainsofCharleighRoseorJaneAusten. WritteninthewavesoftheGulf Printedontheswayingpalms, Itsversessprawledthroughtheconsolations.
Ontheeveyoubroughtthetwinetotietheknot Iremembertheplanetsascended, Behindthecanopyoftrees, Amidsttherain'sgentleplight “You are built for love.”
Attheforefrontofateenagemind, Alove-likefiction, Encapsulatedinassignedreadingsandpoems. Outofgrips, Notevenclosetofingertips.
Foreigntoconceptualizeforever, butforeveriswhatweagreedon. Boundbythestars,acelestialdecree, Weavedtogetherthroughtangled Legsandsweatypalms
“Inviting, innocent, warm, and soft” Iparaphraseyourwordsinmymind, Tumblethemuntilthey'resmoothand Shiny.
Ifeltforeverinthatmoment, Buttime'srelentlessmarchbegantosink. AndATaleofRosesturnsintoaChapterofThorns
Funny,howtheprologuefailstoforeseetheclimax Echoesoflegends,storiesofold, TheLambandtheLion, Eveandtheapple. Eventhebiblicalwritingsforeshadowedthedusk.
Ours,aloveoflore, Boundbythreads
Tatteredandworn,likeabookontheshelf, Coveredinspecksofdust MimickingLepus,Eridanus,andOrion'sbelt.
Inmyheart,itwillswell, Asentimentfictitiouseternity Ofamanwhoonlycaredforhimself.
-SpaceMinge
Pinecones
- Walker of Phoenix - For being the ultimate Spiderman simp
- Pinecones for my WHOLE haus for working together to host an awesome mario kart tourney! (Annika, Beal)
- a cuntastic thank u to all my house officers who boots the house right to slayville. <3 (Kenz, New Community)
- regan and vanessa for their great advice always (Rachael, Vesta)
- everyone from raft ⋆ ｡ ‧ ˚ʚ♡ɞ
i love u dearly (Anna, Raft Hill)
- Tom Izzo for being the greatest college basketball coach ever (Ethan, Orion)
- pinecones to sammy and collie for supporting rosie’s cat anxiety (Mylee, Phoenix)
- Pinecones to the Haus of Phoenix for keeping their heads amidst the chaos
- Thanks to Annika and Eden for making banana bread with me at 1 am (Saylor, Beal)
- Austen from Bowie has been really supportive of Howland through all our flooding and refrigerator misfortune, thank you! (Gabbi, Howland)
- Pinecones to Bella and Abby for keeping me sane even when it feels like I can’t keep my head above water (Sky, Orion)
- rachael: you make me laugh really hard and I love how our silliness matches up (Aj, Vesta)
- gabbi and juli, thank you from keeping our beautiful house from collapsing, your effort and care means everything (Kaylee, Howland)
- Katie, you kick ass every day. I think I speak for the whole house when I say I appreciate the absolute hell out of you (Savannah, Rivendell)
- To the SHC staff and EC (Clay, Phoenix)
Sounds of the SHC
- Glass Beach - Plastic Death (Imogen, Apollo)
- Bésame Mucho - Los Panchos (Teah, Phoenix)
- Scarlet Begonias by Sublime to overcome the perpetual winter feeling (Bella, Orion)
- Megan Thee Stallion (Annika, Beal)
- Damage, The Band CAMINO (Abby, Orion)
- 10cc, Altin Gun, and no doubt ofc (Kenz, New Community)
- lots of jpegmafia lol (Rachael, Vesta)
- pink floyd dark side of the moon (Anna, Raft Hill)
- Cocaine and Abel by Amigo the Devil (Andrew, Vesta)
- Taylor Swift (as always), Lunar Vacation, Sir Chloe, and TV girl (Becca, Vesta)
- Reputation (hoping for Taylor's Version soon) (Evie, Apollo)
- The Strokes (Ethan, Orion)
- it’s too late -carole king (Mylee, Phoenix)
- Evil Friends (album) by Portugal. The man (Jonathan, Phoenix)
- Wasia Project (Saylor, Beal)
- A lot of stuff by a guy on youtube named Louie Zong (Ryan, Raft Hill)
- I've been religiously listening to the Saltburn soundtrack and recognize my obsession. (Eve, Toad Lane)
- Leanna Firestone!! (Sky, Orion)
- The Magnus Protocol, but you should probably listen to The Magnus Archives first. It's a really good horror anthology podcast, made in the UK so everyone sounds fancy. (Joseph, Phoenix)
- fletcher's song in club - Justin hurwitz; jesus, etc - wilco (Aj, Vesta)
- if you don't want my love - jalen ngonda (Kaylee, Howland)
- LAVENDER NIGHTZ, Cartel Madras (Savannah, Rivendell)
- The new Noname album. Specifically "potential the interlude" (Clay, Phoenix)
Pet Spotlight: Aba from Beal!
HowdyIntrepidCo-opPinePressDigesters,
Thehottakeoneveryone’smind,StoneytheBear’sinterviewwithoneofourmostruthless journalistshasbeenpostponeduntilthenextissue.Stoneygaveastatement“YahnomanIcan’t makeit.Busydoingconsultingworkandwhatnot,yadig?”.
Staytunedtogetadeeperdiveonanenigmaticmindmanystruggletograsp...maybe.Idunno thisbearisprettyslippery.
Signed, JonathanofPhoenix(Bower)
Make LARPing sexual again
-a disgruntled co-oper
Reasoning for answers:
1 mannequin:
- I’m anti mannequin (Kaylee, Howland)
- If you make clothes you can have a dress form or two, that's fine. But otherwise, no. Absolutely not. Big red flag (Savannah, Rivendell)
2 mannequins:
- I feel like one would be funny but more than that would be too much. why would you even have one? what's wrong with you? (Becca, Vesta)
- I think matching bedside mannequin lamps (like just the torsos with light bulb heads maybe) would honestly be kind of sick. If all their lamps were mannequins that might be too much however I do think they need to come in pairs because I don't want them to get lonely. (Bella, Orion)
- If two are displaying outfits I could be down with it, but more than that would weird me out for sure (Rachael, Vesta)
3 mannequins:
- Unless it's for an art project or someone makes clothes three is a very concerning amount of mannequins to just have lying around. It's suspicious, why do you have that many? What are you doing with them? (Abby, Orion)
- One Mannequin: The person probably just had a chance to snag a mannequin, and who wouldn't jump on that opportunity? Two Mannequins: Maybe they came as a set? More likely they're some sort of seamstress? In that case you would want to be able to compare pieces, no? Three or more Mannequins: No way this is just some idle fancy. This person is either unhinged, or a professional seamstress. I'm sure I would know if they were a seamstress, meaning I am in danger. Will the mannequins come to life and rip me limb from limb? Will the owner tie me down and cut my bones from my flesh as I writhe in pain, then use them to create the armature of a fourth mannequin? (Joseph, Phoenix)
- Two feels like it could be a quirky art piece. Three is a crowd. And they’re watching you. (Sky, Orion)
- If you have more than three mannequins, I would feel concerned. (Aj, Vesta)
10-15 mannequins:
- It's reasonable for someone who's into tailoring or sewing to have a few mannequins of different shapes and sizes to try things on. But once you get above ten you have to start wondering if all those mannequins are being used for their intended purposes. (Andrew, Vesta)
- It depends on the size of the house. Beal has enough room for about 10 or 11 mannequins if people are willing to put one each in a room and also in a
couple shared areas. I do think that having TWO mannequins in ONE room is excessive. (Annika, Beal)
- I need to know if the mannequins are all in one room or spread throughout the house. also are they dressed and if yes, are they dressed well? (Kenz, New Community)
20-25 mannequins:
- friends (Mylee, Phoenix)
30+ mannequins/you can never have too many mannequins:
- Who am I to judge (Ethan, Orion)
- If all the mannequins have outfits, 30+ is perfectly fine. If they are all naked, I am scared. (Jonathan, Phoenix)
- As a fashion major, I think everyone should have at LEAST 17 mannequins, if not more. (Evie, Apollo)
- My dad used to work for a mannequin factory and we would just have 30+ torsos in our living room at a random time. He would scare us by moving them around and say that they were coming to get us because we called them "dummies" instead of mannequins. I've made my peace with the dummies and we still have a couple in our basement. (Eve, Toad Lane)
- It's self-evident (Clay, Phoenix)
- More mannequins means more friends. (Teah, Phoenix)
If your house had a banner/flag, what would the design be?
- A phoenix duh (Teah, Phoenix)
- Orion's flag would be navy blue with, of course, the Orion constellation in yellow-orange (Bella, Orion)
- Probably a LGBT flag with Marx and our cats on it. (Annika, Beal)
- The Orion constellation!! (Abby, Orion)
- likely a white flag because we forgot to design it. (Kenz, New Community)
- a pirate flag (we have one) (Anna, Raft Hill)
- A blazing hearth in the shape of a V on a red, white and purple background. (Andrew, Vesta)
- it would say "hoes mad" (Becca, Vesta)
- It would probably actually just be a furby skin on a stick (Evie, Apollo)
- the butthole flag from Community (Ethan, Orion)
- one of those emo rapunzel edits from tumblr (but on fire) (Mylee, Phoenix)
- It is literally a Phoenix what do you mean. Orange and black with some red and yellow probably I don't know though I don't work at Sherwin Williams (Jonathan, Phoenix)
- Abba and BB ��(Saylor, Beal)
- A brown bat on a dark green background (Ryan, Raft Hill)
- Gibby from iCarly holding a toad with rainbows in the background. (Eve, Toad Lane)
- A classic lil red sandcastle flag to go atop our beautiful big blue. (Gabbi, Howland)
- Gibby. (Joseph, Phoenix)
- The Orion constellation but it’s made out of pantry moths and Hamms beer cans (Sky, Orion)
- Gold on green, Celtic knot design for the border, and Arwen's Evenstar front and center (Savannah, Rivendell)
- We were literally just talking about this. I talked us away from "Biggest Dick on Oakhill" though (Clay, Phoenix)
