Part six of this six-piece Principles of Community (PC) puzzle is purpose, which is defined by the university as “We are encouraged to be engaged in the university community. Thus, we strive to build a genuine community that promotes the advancement of knowledge, cooperation and leadership.” There is a monument on campus that is a good representative of this: The Iowa Whirlwind sculpture that is outside the south entrance to the MU. Inscribed in the base message: “Going to college should pick a person up and set him or her down in a new place with new ideas and a deeper understanding of the world.” What is your purpose as a Cyclone, and what is our collective purpose as a university community?
Every Cyclone has a purpose for being here. Students are here to learn and get a degree, while faculty are here to teach and innovate. But these are not the only purposes that Cyclones have, they are just the foundational ones based on a primary role. One of the main differences that makes us a community and not just a bunch of people with jobs to do is the purpose of care. We care about each other. We care about each other’s success and wellbeing. People we pass on campus are not just random faces in a crowd that we have no interest in. Collectively, we care about education and innovation as our top priorities. These are just a few of our measures of success. Cardinal and gold represent sharing knowledge and experience while asking questions about what could be or what seems impossible. After all, who told Clifford Berry and John Atanasoff to stop playing around in the lab because it wasn’t possible to build a digital computer?
Most staff are here because they found their passion in what they do. Those who have not been around as long as I have might not know that staff positions in education are generally underpaid compared to most equivalent corporate roles. I have met amazingly passionate staff while on campus and will highlight just two of these wonderful people here. First up is Tiffany Kayser, Graduate Program Coordinator in HCI. Her purpose is to help guide students to be successful in their academic careers and to make it to graduation. She shows immense joy when students show up at her office door or send her emails with questions. This joy has some of us coming back to share what we have discovered on our individual journeys. She also knows she doesn’t have all the answers to the various questions that she gets asked throughout the day. Some people get frustrated when they don’t have all the answers, but not Kayser. She has faith in the rest of the Community to collaboratively cooperate and share ideas and information so that we all benefit as a community.
The second highlight is Amy Carver, Graduate Student Recruiter with Engineering Student Services. Another staff member who is here for a passionate purpose and not the paycheck. As a recruiter, her job is to focus on future Cyclones, but she also enjoys spending time with and helping current Cyclones. I met Carver at the College of Engineering Rise & Grind monthly events during the spring 2024 semester. These events are for current engineering students, so they are outside of the future student recruitment arena. During a conversation at one of these events, one small issue that I ran into came up and she knew exactly where and to whom I should go to resolve it. The issue was resolved within fifteen minutes of leaving the event. Someone who just shows up to a job does not share information that helps others without personal benefit.
Together, we make up a strong force. When I think of Iowa State, adventure, opportunity and innovation are what come to mind. Being a Cyclone is an adventure no matter what your age or background, as demonstrated by the alumni who are continually making a difference in their own unique ways. Whether on-campus or as a distance student, the adventure continues with education both inside and outside the classroom. We have opportunities that other schools might not give us, such as George Washington Carver being denied admission to other schools. The ability to think critically about problems and situations is unique to us. You have to think, analyze and be open to new ideas and thought processes to be a successful student here. This ability to innovate is also required of our faculty and staff. Students, this is why you are going to get hired over someone else, you can think!
In this series, we evaluated the six Principles of Community and discovered these concepts and applications overlap a great deal. The foundational curiosity in asking why questions starts the communication process toward meeting the other PC. Communication fosters respect, cooperation and the honest and respectful expression of ideas. The sharing of ideas allows diverse perspectives to be discovered and valued, making the team stronger and having a better output than a group of individuals. Valuing our uniquely diverse perspectives is only possible with open communication, which is free from discrimination. Cyclones, how are you valuing yourself and others in order to live and show the world that our Principles are more than just good-looking banners?
