A Vandal educational experience means countless opportunities to get involved, pursue interests and grow as a person in ways that will sustain you over a lifetime. For this week’s Friday Letter, I had the chance to sit down with Nicole Skinner, president of the Associated Students of the University of Idaho. Nicole is from Meridian and will graduate this spring after only three years at U of I with degrees in political science and in economics, as well as a minor in psychology. In her first year as ASUI president, Nicole is passionate about student service and leadership. President Chuck Staben: Tell us a little about yourself. Why did you choose to attend the University of Idaho? ASUI President Nicole Skinner: There were a few factors that went into my decision. The campus visit was a game-changer for me: getting to see people interact, seeing how beautiful the campus was, learning the history that it had – all of that was really important. But I also had to self-finance my entire education, so the affordability at U of I was also really important for me. Ultimately, the University of Idaho was the best value for an undergraduate education. CS: Why did you want to be president of ASUI? What drew you to that? NS: I was an ASUI senator for a year prior to becoming president. I’ve always been really passionate about policy and the way it affects people’s lives. As a senator, I got to work on great initiatives at the campus level. But I viewed the presidency as a method to advocate for students across the broader state outside of Moscow. CS: What are your priorities as ASUI president? What matters to you the most? NS: One of my top priorities is getting students engaged in the political process outside of the university. We’re creating a higher education report card in collaboration with the student governments of the other public colleges and universities in Idaho, which is coming out next week. The report examines which legislators have voted for higher education advocacy bills in the past legislative session and will be updated every year. We’re hoping to use this as a voter education tool and a voter turnout tool, informing students about which legislators have advocated for higher education in the past to hopefully mobilize them to vote. In the long term, this could be a way to reduce the cost of college for students. CS: What’s your advice to students about being involved at U of I? NS: Involvement looks a little different to different people, but there’s something for everyone. We have dozens upon dozens of student organizations that are very active. Student government is always an option. Regardless of what your time commitments are, there is an opportunity available for you. ASUI now takes up a lot more of my time, but I was previously involved with a Greek organization, and I would participate in intramurals. I also worked at the Women’s Center for two years, and I spent a lot of time working on sexual assault programming. I was involved with many groups, like the diversity offices, that would regularly interact with the Women’s Center. Even if students don’t have time to dedicate to a student organization or leadership position, just going to events is a good way to remain involved and stay informed. That’s one of my favorite ways to stay involved. CS: What’s surprised you about being president? NS: I feel like I had a pretty good understanding of what the position would be, honestly. When you’re representing such a diverse group of people who all care about a lot of different things, it gets easy to get lost in a million different requests instead of sorting through and focusing on a few main initiatives. You want to represent everyone, you want to advocate for everything, but at the end of the day you have to pick your priorities. So that can be difficult, but I expected it. CS: What’s the most fun thing you’ve gotten to do as ASUI president? NS: Well, being on the field at the ISU game was really cool. To be honest, I’m a total nerd, so the things I get really excited about are the projects I get to work on, like the report card. When we release the report cared I’ll be ecstatic. I get to be involved in higher level conversations, and that’s a huge honor, a huge privilege, and it’s a great platform to represent student interests. So I think that’s my favorite thing on a day-to-day basis. CS: Have you had an experience at U of I that has changed the way you see the world? NS: I’m going on a winter Alternative Service Break in Ecuador. I’ve never left the country, so this will be a new experience for me. We’re not going in and just creating our own project, we’re contributing to an organization that’s already doing great work and knows the needs of the area. I’ve spent the past several years of my life trying to educate myself about people different from me, that come from different walks of life from me. Now I want to break outside of my bubble a little bit. Although I’ve made a great effort to do that, I’ve lived in Idaho all my life, and no matter how much I try to educate myself, I think seeing a different place is sometimes more impactful. CS: What are you planning to do after graduation? NS: I really want to work with public policy. There are a lot of issues I’m passionate about. I could see myself working as a lobbyist, working on a political campaign or working on a public policy team for a company. In the long term, I’d like to run for office. I’m passionate about housing policy, sustainability policy, reproductive policy and civil rights in general. I’m sure I’ll be applying for some internships on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., but I think there are a lot of places more locally that need strong leadership as well. At the end of the day, I want to impact the world as much as I possibly can, so I will to go wherever I feel like I can do that. President Staben: Thanks, Nicole, for sharing your perspective, and for serving our students as their representative. Student readers: ASUI is sponsoring a bus to the U of I vs. Eastern Washington University football game Saturday. Check out VandalSync to reserve a spot, and go cheer on your Vandals! | | Go Vandals! Chuck Staben President | | | | We appreciate President Nicole Skinner's leadership, and the efforts of all ASUI leaders to contribute to U of I's student-centered community. | | Rooted in Vandal Country, Growing the Future Bob ’71 and Marcia ’71 Ross both grew up in Moscow and consider the University of Idaho “their second home.” Bob’s parents, Richard H. Ross, Extension dairy specialist emeritus, and Mary Jean, were active in student affairs, co-founding the FarmHouse fraternity’s Idaho chapter and opening their doors to homesick students. Swayed by his father’s colleagues, Bob accepted a U of I basketball scholarship, and he and Marcia got married during their senior year as Vandals. Bob and Marcia share the family tradition of helping Vandals succeed. They recently made a gift to the ICCU Arena through their Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and also included U of I in their estate plans, providing significant scholarship support for future Vandals. “We want to give students financial support,” Bob said, “especially those who might not pursue a university education without it.” Marcia said, “We love the idea of helping students in need.” For more information about making a gift from your IRA or in your will to the University of Idaho, contact Sharon Morgan, morgans@uidaho.edu or toll-free at 866-671-7041. | | U of I Researchers Awarded $2.6 Million to Develop Nuclear Technologies University of Idaho researchers have received funding for five nuclear engineering research and development projects aimed at making nuclear reactors safer, more resilient to stressors, compatible with renewable energy systems, and capable of producing synthetic fuels and other beneficial byproducts. This $2.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) will help maintain U of I’s efforts to develop nuclear energy innovations that suit the world’s changing energy needs. U of I will be joined on these projects by partners including the Idaho National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the Missouri University of Science and Technology. “The success of our nuclear engineering faculty in Idaho Falls and Moscow has been demonstrated by these awards,” said Larry Stauffer, dean of the College of Engineering. “The research will not only advance nuclear technology but provide valuable experience to our graduate students.” | | Moscow No. 1 Place in America to Raise a Family The city of Moscow was recently named No. 1 nationwide in Livability’s 2018 “10 Best Places to Raise a Family” report. Livability, an online resource for researching cities across a variety of metrics, based their report on measures such as “the availability (and affordability) of daycare, the number of other kids to play with, the quality of local schools, transportation options, cost of living, and number of parks and libraries.” The ranking commends Moscow for its school system, kid-friendly stores and restaurants, and recreational opportunities such as the Latah Trail bike path, 17 city parks and an aquatics center. The University of Idaho also offers “tons of fun sporting events and activities for families to take advantage of all year-round” and the University of Idaho Arboretum and Botanical Garden, which is “the perfect place to let kids run around and burn off some energy.” Livability notes Moscow has also placed on its “Top 100 Best Places to Live” and “10 Best Affordable Places to Live” lists this year. | | Share Your Vandal Marching Band Story The Vandal Marching Band celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2019. Band historian Shannon Kelly ’15 is collecting alumni stories, photos, videos and memorabilia for a special 100th anniversary book and collection. Help tell the story of the Sound of Idaho by sending your stories, images, gear, etc. to kellys@uidaho.edu by Nov. 1. | | | | |