PLYMOUTH, N.H.-There are new faces walking through the Hartman Union Building. Nine new members augment the staff of the HUB. “We’re thrilled. It’s very nice to be able to be at full staff and to have the people to cover all of the job opportunities that we have. Everyone on the new staff is very excited to work with students,” said Terri Potter, Director of the HUB.
In the Student Activities and Greek Life Center there are three new “upbeat and outgoing people who are fun to work with,” says Ami Robertson, a student secretary. Tracie Massey is the new Assistant Director for Student Activities and Greek Life. It is her responsibility to co-advise PACE and all of the fraternities and sororities on campus. Massey also advises the senior class officers, and supervises the other new staff members of the center, Jennifer White and Rodney Ekstrom. After graduating from the University of Kansas, Tracie worked at the University of Texas creating and running programs. She then moved to her job as the National Headquarters Director of Chapter Services for Tri Delta, in Dallas, Texas. Massey decided that it was “time to leave Texas when I found the perfect combination for my skills here at PSC. I liked the smaller town, and loved the people here.” Through her new position she would love to “increase the positive aspects of Greek life on campus and to develop activities on campus that students actually enjoy.”
Rodney Ekstrom, Graduate Assistant for student Activities and Leadership Development, is also a new face in the Greek Life and Student Activities Center. His duties include co-advising PACE, helping out with any student organization, coordinating the Leadership Effectiveness and Development Seminar (LEADS), and the coordination of the Student Organization Leadership Day (SOLD). Prior to his employment at PSC, Ekstrom worked in outdoor education and recreation since 1992. He was also an instructor for Outward Bound. He really enjoys the college environment, student activities, and finds, “the best of everything,” here at PSC. During his time here Ekstrom would like to be a positive role model and mentor for students, increase student involvement, and have a good time.
Jennifer White is also a fresh face in the Greek Life and Student Activities Center. She is the Graduate Assistant for Greek Life and the Student Government, which is a new position. Her job is to advise Student Senate, co-advise the Inter-Fraternity Council and the Pan-Hellenic Council, advise Greek Week, and Coordinate the New Member Education, Rush, and Greek Databases. Preceding her job at Plymouth State she worked at Stevens College in Columbia, Mo. where she spent her school year traveling around the U.S. as a senior recruiter. When asked what drew her to PSC, White said, “I like the flavor of the campus, people are kind, students smile and are goal oriented which helps me out.” The most important things that she wants to achieve while working here is to work well with the Alternative Spring Break group and Greek Life. She also wants to learn in all aspects, to teach people, and to “really embrace the very different life up here.”
Another asset to the HUB is Mark Wojcinski, who goes by the nickname “Wojo.” He is the Assistant Director for Recreation Programs here at Plymouth. He is responsible for handling intramurals, student recreation and leisure activities and operations. He also manages the fitness and group exercise rooms, advises sport clubs and plans special events. Before coming to PSC, Wojo had a graduate internship in the recreation area at Ball State University in Ind. He took this job because it had the right description for what he was looking for, “I loved the area and the people.” He hopes that he will have a valuable experience, make friends and relationships, and just have some fun.
Angel Ekstrom fills a new position, the Coordinator of the PSC Venture Center. Ekstrom schedules and oversees the operation of the high/low ropes course and the indoor climbing wall. She also supervises and manages Student Venture, Professional Venture, Community Venture and Outdoor Venture. Before this, Ekstrom was an instructor at Colorado Mountain College for the Outdoor Leadership Program. She was also an Outward Bound instructor and taught at the National Outdoor Leadership School. She came here to teach, create and run the Venture Center, and to design and run programs around campus. The area drew her here and she loves “being close to the ocean and mountains.” Through her job she hopes to be an “educational resource and a support system to the community of PSC and the surrounding communities.”
Tani Goodrich is the Graduate Assistant for Recreation Programs. Her responsibility is to co-advise all club sports, schedule the intramural sports, and work with student training. She also conducts CPR and first aid training, and assists Wojo in all facets of recreation operation. Prior to this position she was an undergraduate at Oregon State University and she was a supervisor of a department of recreation sports fitness. Goodrich came here because she saw it as an opportunity to get a graduate degree and to be involved in a field that she was interested in. She was also interested in the atmosphere, which is different from Hawaii, where she is from. Goodrich’s goals are to make the fitness and recreation program better. She wants to let students know there are many programs offered, and she wants students who aren’t really, “sports people,” to know that there are programs that can cater to all kinds of ability.
Nancy Conklin is filling a new position, which is Coordinator of the Community Service Learning Center. Conklin is in charge of coordinating all aspects of the campus Community Service Program and coordinating all community service involvement with individuals and student organizations. She plans PSC Day, Alternative Spring Break, Community Service Orientation, Angel Tree, and the blood drives. Conklin also advises the community service floor in Belknap Hall. She is a retired librarian and has worked in private boarding schools across the country. At those schools, Conklin was the community service coordinator. Last year she was a VISTA volunteer here and was asked to stay and take on this new position. Conklin decided to stay at PSC because she really enjoys working with the students, and it “feels like good work.” Through her job she hopes to maintain the program and make it “sustainable” so that it will stay strong even when she is not here. Conklin wants to help strengthen the service learning component and to move towards more civic engagement. She believes it is “One thing to serve soup at a soup kitchen, but why do we have hunger? What can we do to fix it.” This is what she wants to figure out with the help of PSC students.
The Wellness Center also has a new coordinator, Wynne Lobel. She has been the Women’s Lacrosse coach here for the past few years and decided to make the hike and come to the upper part of the campus in the HUB. She is a graduate of Lesley College in Cambridge, Mass. with a Masters Degree in Education. Prior to coaching at PSC she taught Physical Education for K-8 in private schools. Wellness is a theme that runs through her life, as well as the “Women’s Lacrosse team’s tradition and philosophy.” She is excited to work with college students because; “I grew emotionally, mentally, intellectually, and socially while in college. I want to support other people in their growth because college is one of the first opportunities that students have to make their own decisions. I like watching people become who they want to be.” Through her job, Lobel wants to make connections with people, show people resources for any questions that they may have, and help with anything going on in their lives at college.
Beverly Wilkins is a new Building Service Worker at PSC. She usually comes in the afternoon and stays into the morning cleaning the HUB. Before working here, she was a caregiver for the elderly at the Log Cabin Comfort in Rumney. Wilkins decided to work here because she likes to “serve people and make things look good for them.” While at PSC, she hopes to help make a more organized environment and to be helpful to the students and the staff.