Editor’s Note: “10 Questions” is part of a weekly series in which Daily reporter Nina Fox interviews a prominent person in the Iowa State and Ames communities. To suggest someone to interview, submit an e-mail request to [email protected]. This week’s interview is with Laura Bestler, assistant director of Student Activities.

What do you do as assistant director of Student Activities?

I have the opportunity to work with all the organizations on campus. I register them, and I work with the advisers and presidents of all 550 of them.

I also work with the leadership programs; I’m the adviser to the Leadership Enrichment Action Program (LEAP), and I’m also the coordinator for Leadership ISU, which happens in the fall for incoming first-year students or freshman. I also authorize all activities that take place on campus … approve them and help channel them. I’m also the Freshman Council adviser and the Adult/Student Scholarship Fund adviser.

How do you stay organized as to which activities take place where and when?

I keep a pretty good planner … and I do a priority list and try to stick to it as much as possible.

If a student comes in and wants to meet with me, that obviously has priority over any other projects I have to get done.

How do you decide which activities are more important than others?

Well, anything that has to do with students comes first, and that’s the way I work. Students are my No. 1 priority; everything else is No. 2.

What does a student have to do to start a club?

It’s pretty easy. Say, for instance, you want to start a M&M Club. You would need to find yourself a president or treasurer, and then an adviser.

The adviser needs to be a faculty or staff person, full-time or part-time, so they have to be a part of the staff. Then you fill out a registration form, which is put through a process, and we sign off for it to become an organization.

The whole process takes a minimum of 24 to 72 hours; that’s why we have so many. Last year we had 556 [clubs].

The rules and regulations are in the Student Organization Resource Manual that our office puts together, and that’s what all the campus and student organizations need to follow.

What activities are currently going on?

I guess the biggest things that are happening is the preparation for Veishea, Greek Week and Homecoming. The students pretty much do everything, and I just kind of help make sure it goes the right way.

How do you get specific speakers to speak for an event?

If they’re interested in a certain speaker or band, I channel them through the Lectures Program or through the Student Union Board because they already have their resources set up.

I also work with an organization called the National Association for Campus Activities, and I am the National Cooperative Buying Coordinator. What that person does is that they help coordinate all kinds of lectures and goofy activities like the Velcro wall, bands and comedians.

If I hear that someone is around the area, I’ll be able to say “Hey, so- and-so is in the area.” Or sometimes I have an organization that says “Do you know of an agency that works with those types of groups?” Otherwise, I don’t necessarily say that you need a certain kind of speaker. Everything is up to the students.

Do you try to attend most of the activities?

Yes, of course. Welcome Fest and Club Fest I am in charge of, and I try to make all the LEAP sessions that I can. I make a huge attempt to try to make it to every student organization event that I can. It doesn’t mean I can make it to all of them because there are so many of them. I love being invited to programs, and I make every attempt in the world to make it to them.

How is Veishea coming along?

Although I do not directly advise Veishea any longer, I did last fall, while we were waiting for our assistant dean to start, but I think Veishea has really capitalized on what they need to do already.

I think they were running in that same game plan last year, just hoping for the right decisions by the administration. I think they’re right on schedule. Most of the organizations that have been around for a while work like clockwork; they know what to do when they do it. It’s their tradition.

What has been your favorite organization to coordinate?

I love Welcome Fest and Club Fest. Since Welcome Fest is community based, there are a lot of the businesses and nonprofit organizations that love to meet the students.

It’s great to see the community people and the students interact. At Club Fest, it’s fun to see all the different types of student organizations we have here, and it’s amazing what we have. Welcome Fest brought in about 5,000 students last year, and Club Fest brought in over 4,000.

Do you have any plans for spring break?

Yes, actually, I’m going up north with my fianc‚ where we’re going to hang out with one set of families … and then we’re going to go up to northern Minnesota, Grand Rapids area and stay with my other parents, and we’re planning our wedding.