Public Spark

1. Walk away

   This is one of the hardest things to do. Sometimes situations call for this. Once my mother and I were driving and when we were stopped at the red light, this man called out “Hey Japs, go back home, you don’t belong here.” We were both surprised as this was in LA in the 1990s. I was only 8 at the time, but I still remember it vividly because it was so painful. I remember asking my mom that I am home because indeed I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I wasn’t really aware of race, until this time, when it became apparent that I was different. I wanted to do something, but my mom told me that there are more powerful ways of fighting prejudice. By calling him names or being violent, the situation could be worse and we would live up to the prejudice.

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Whether it be a board meeting or a student organization meeting, everyone has had some exposure to what meetings are all about. Sometimes meetings are great, but other times, they can be long, boring, and pointless. Here are some ideas that I’ve taken from great effective meetings that I have attended.

1. Shortest time possible

   Sometimes the more time you have the more opportunity for people to not pay attention, not ask appropriate questions, or get bored. In shorter amounts of time, you can be more productive.

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