New Harbinger Editor

Aaron Miller

Harbinger Editor Reflects on Past Months, Looks Forward to Future

It's been more than 7 months since I met Mike Hudson and Lu Gloden for the first time. Time really does fly...

I was nervous as I sat down in Mike's office to interview for the promotional materials developer position in late November 2001, when the weather was cold and the dreaded end-of-semester exams were approaching. While I knew I had a lot of experience in writing and graphic design, I didn't know much of anything about students with disabilities and the challenges they and the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities face.

Now I realize that that lack of knowledge made me a good candidate for the job of promoting RCPD, its missions, its students and its programs. After all, I was only one of the majority of people who sat by students with disabilities in class, but still didn't know much about their daily lives. As I work with RCPD and learn more about the people who come in and out of this office, having a fresh perspective can help me inform, enlighten and educate other students and community members like me.

The spring semester was very much a learning time. I sat in meetings, talked with RCPD specialists, took photos of students and found out what exactly this office does. I was continually impressed as I talked with students like Song-jae Jo, an energetic and engaging graduate student who is visually impaired, and Nick Catanzarite, an alum with a physical disability who medaled in skiing in the Paralympics.

Somewhere along the way, working here became more than a job and turned into something I enjoy and care about. I remember the time I met with Stephen Blosser to talk about his work with assistive technology. While I was expecting a pretty simple interview, as I asked him questions and he answered quietly, my throat swelled and my eyes started to water.

That shouldn't be surprising. This place really is different. In what other job could you watch a child tell their parents "I love you" for the first time, simply because they now have the technology to help them speak? The RCPD is more than an office; it's a place of dreams, goals, passion and opportunity. The interest and commitment I've seen from RCPD employees and students is amazing, making for a great place to work and learn. And now that my knowledge of the office and the persons with disabilities community has grown 100-fold (though admittedly still very limited), my goals are expanding as well.

Some of my goals for this coming year include earning more media coverage of RCPD and students and staff members with disabilities, bringing in more volunteers for the reading and e-text programs, increasing overall awareness of RCPD in the MSU community, raising the level of contributions to the Persons with Disabilities Empowerment Fund, and developing solid promotional materials.

Those are all big objectives, I know. But the RCPD is a vital asset to the MSU community that more students, staff, and community members should know about. The office's mission is "Maximizing Ability and Opportunity," and that's what I aim to help do - I just wish I wasn't already a senior.

If you have any story ideas, photo opportunities, or if you just want to talk, please feel free to call me at (517) 353-9642, Ext. 230, or e-mail me at mille782@msu.edu.