By Joel Weckerly, Sports Editor
Coordinator of Student Organizations and Campus Activities. If Amanda Spell’s title isn’t long enough, then her list of responsibilities certainly is.
In addition to overseeing the Campus Act-ivities Team (CAT), which pro-vides activities such as Free Date Nights and Movie Nights for students, Spell is also in charge of social clubs and the entire pledging process. In other words, Spell’s actions affect the 750 or so current social club members, the 328 pledges and over 700 students that view CAT’s movies.
Even so, Spell keeps her ever-present smile, visible below her dark-rimmed glasses. She shrugs, admitting that she sometimes gets bogged down.
“It’s tough, especially during the heavy times,” Spell said.
The heavy times come when Spell is forced to tackle several CAT and social club issues at once. The first month of school that just passed is an example. While organizing the paperwork for various social club rankings and bids for prospective pledges, Spell was also behind CAT’s showings of Spider-Man and The Rookie at Cullen Auditorium, the first two of eight movies CAT will show this school year.
During Bid Night on Sept. 20, Spell visited various club sites and activities until about 4 a.m.
“She’s doing the best job she can do,” said Sigma Theta Chi president Tamara Boyer, who as a social club officer has worked with Spell for two years. “It’s a hard job, and I don’t know how I would handle that.”
But Spell has handled it since August of 2000, when she was hired as CAT Coordinator.
Spell graduated from ACU with an elementary education degree in 1997, then worked as a children’s minister at First Colony Church of Christ in Sugar Land and Oak Hills Church of Christ in San Antonio. While working as an ACU Leadership Camps group leader under Dr. Bob Strader and Jan Meyer for the summer of 2000, the CAT job opened up and Spell jumped on the opportunity. A year later, Spell was offered the student organizations position as well.
“The job of Student Organizations Coordinator included a number of the groups and tasks she was already working with, and also provided her with the additional challenge of working with our social club system,” said Meyer in an e-mail. “With energy, enthusiasm, love for students and great organizational skills, Amanda was a natural fit.”
Meyer said Spell’s job is difficult, as well as important.
“Amanda’s position is a critical one on campus,” Meyer said. “She is the consistent resource person in the lives of our student organizations. She’s able to come alongside officers and advisers and provide guidance as new folks come in or new processes take place.”
In dealing with social clubs and pledging, Spell is faced with the challenge of communicating back and forth with students and administration, while trying to keep everyone pleased.
“In that type of job, you’re never gonna make everyone happy,” said Marc Usrey, Galaxy President. “You’re constantly under scrutiny.”
Spell works closely with Meyer and dean of Campus Life Wayne Barnard on one side, and the social club presidents on the other.
“It’s hard to communicate well with that many people,” Boyer said. “From administration to her, and her to us, sometimes things get misperceived.”
When this happens, Spell is often left to deal with upset people, something she mentioned as one of her challenges.
“Specifically in those times, I just have to say a prayer and have God give me the wisdom to say the right comments,” Spell said. “I can’t imagine doing this job without faith. I don’t think I could do it at any other school.”
At this school, said Meyer, Spell has done very well with her job.
“Amanda has worked consistently and with great heart toward the goals she has set for her role, and she has been successful,” she said. “Watching her grow more confident and competent with each challenge faced makes me very proud of her.”
Spell’s job isn’t finished after pledging is over. She will meet with club officers in focus groups to get feedback and comments on how they felt the pledging process went and what could possibly be changed. In the spring, she meets with all the newly elected club officers to discuss some of the changes and policies they will have to go by.
Spell even works through the summer, communicating with club presidents and vice presidents about their specific pledging process and what it will entail. After this, she can approve or deny specific pledging activities.
Ironically, Spell never pledged a social club during her time at ACU, though she says most of her friends did.
“It was still part of my ACU experience,” she said. “I was an observer for a long time and I do feel quite familiar with social clubs.”
Boyer said Spell’s decision-making isn’t necessarily altered, despite her having never pledged club.
“This is my second year as an officer working with Amanda,” Boyer said, “and I think she’s gained a whole lot more insight on club from year to year. I’m sure her perspective might be a little different, but she’s handled everything well.”
And she’s handled it in a high-pressure position, where she is often put under a microscope and critiqued by those around her.
“It’s a big job but I have to try and keep things in perspective,” Spell said. “Sometimes I have to stop, regroup, and trust that everything’s going to be O.K.”
Still, Spell says she is happy and content in her position, and sees herself in it for at least another two to three years. Married with no children, Spell said she pretty well knows what her next challenge will be post-ACU.
“Being a mom,” she said. “That’s my next career.”
