DeeDee Desir

Last Thoughts as I leave Hampshire
I had a conversation with one of my sisters. She asked me a question. “Dominique, what does it mean to be a leader?” I thought about it and said….

“For me it means knowing yourself! Knowing, how you as an individual can help or hinder your ability to serve. You must understand yourself before you can truly serve in any capacity, because we are all leaders.”

The two key concepts I always take with me as I assume any leadership position are “knowing” and “serving.” How I came to understand these ideas was in part due to Hampshire. A lot of know that serving may hurt you as an individual. And sometimes in order for a community to live, part of you will die, but what you gain by serving that community will be invaluable. Serving requires building a reciprocal relationship; meaning that those you serve you see them as equal, as leaders, and you are willing to learn from. In the process of serving I lost a lot of personal time, but time was never wasted. At first I served in order to learn more about a community that I had transferred into from Palm Beach Community College in August of 2008.

I remember having a dialogue with some hall-mates first year students about where we all came from and where we all were headed. The conversation did lead us into talks about how we can change society. Two things that I took from that interaction: that the dialogue at Hampshire infused personal experience into the academic world. You see that was new to me…I had never see personal belief being driven by academics.

The second thing I learned from the conversation was how action oriented it made me. See the conversation gave me more. It was exciting, it was active; at the same time confusing and draining. It pushed me and changed me by placing me in a position of openness. And while the topic of the conversation was changing our society, at the moment it seemed too grand. So, I thought I’d start my belief in changing society by starting to change Hampshire through servant leadership.

The positions I held and my involvement can speak volumes, but they don’t characterize me as a person. I would like to use this opportunity to speak from the heart and shape my character with words. I hope to complete my time here by sharing how profoundly a place like Hampshire can change you.

Acdemic Work
Div III Title:

Transformers: Students In Disguise Student Movement, Engagement, Involvement and the College and University

Abstract:

What we would call today Student Transformer. We are changing the way they are thinking through this very space. Back then and even now we had student transformers because they were the community. They spoke the language, they lived in the community and their folks were in the community, and they were still a part of it. So they had an obligation to it. We sit in the academic space and we don't even know what an activist means. To be an activist is not just to take on the term see many of those who are activist come from the educated class so there is a privilege that exits and it most not confuse the role of engaging the community. Students are working to shift the current state of affairs. This shift has a political mission to it but its ideology is not necessary. Rather my argument says the university historically, contemporary, and in the future has a societal responsibility and the avenue to address that responsibility on campus and off campus is student involvement.

Extracurricular
Big Brothers Big Siters of Hampshire County

Committee on Student Life (student member)

Community Council (chair)

The Diversity Commiittee

Five College Student Coordinating Board

The Grovernace Taskforce (Student member)

SS Student Member

The Urban Word

Wabash Taskforce II

Young Republicans

About Me
God and life has always been good to me. I love my mother and father; I enjoy my family and friend. My sisters are a trip. My best friend keeps me rolling and my godsons keep me living. Whatever I say I have the backing of my faith and the faith of others. I am always willing to help just tell me the time. I enjoy listening and talking to people, but often seen by my peers as being too quiet and not talkative. I am never bound by what others think of me. I am here to build, develop and strengthen our abilities. I find most questions that people ask me to be out of my frame of reference and out of my frame understanding to even attempt. "Yes or No" was never an answer to a question for me. I would rather try to understand why you ask a question then answer the question you ask of me. I am in this world, but not of this world. I am Haitian and of an American upbring. I am proud of my culture and all of my expericance. Success is coming and so is love.

Articles
Community Council Holds Special Elections After Large Member Fallout By Henry Parr

Due to a large drop in Community Council membership, the student governing body has suspended all motions until it can elect new members and maintain quorum. After last semester, ten members withdrew from council leaving Chair DeeDee Desir and Facilitator Ben Saucier as the sole student representatives. The subcommittees – COCA, FiCom, COCD, and SafeCom – still have their representatives in council, yet a number of them have changed from last semester as well.

“Unlike most institutions or colleges, council, every semester, has had a large dropout in the numbers of individuals who remain from the previous semester" said Desir. “This semester has had an unusually large dropout."

Community Council is supposed to be composed of twelve student members; one for each housing section and six at-large members. Currently, all six housing representative positions, and two of the at-large positions are vacant. Moreover, there are also two open spaces in the Executive Cabinet, Secretary and Communications Officer. These positions can be held by any of the soon-to-be-elected members at large and housing representatives.

Saucier told The Climax that a number of representatives dropped out over the course of the semester due to what he presumed were difficulties with “the process of council or scheduling issues.” “The way it's supposed to work is, Tuesdays from three-thirty to five are supposed to be official student government time at Hampshire but because so many people in student government are taking five college classes it doesn't really work out because it's an arbitrary time,” Saucier said. Among the students who Saucier stated had scheduling problems were former Secretary Catherine Craig and former at-large member Leanna Pohevitz.

While Pohevitz acknowledged that she did have scheduling conflicts, she also explained that it was not the only reason why she and, as she understands it, the other members decided to withdraw. In an email to The Climax, Pohevitz wrote, “Things were often really stressful in that room, and we spent more time discussing how much and if we should pay ourselves with stipends, and what kind of pens to buy than doing ANYTHING else. It was seriously unfortunate to watch a semester of time go down the drain…No one allowing anything to happen because one bylaw somewhere that we voted into place at some point said you needed one more person.”

Pohevitz also stated that she “realized that through standing committees, work could be done that was more effective than what happened in the Council Office in Fall 2009…When you realize how much potential your time has when applied elsewhere it seems only fair to the larger community to adjust accordingly.” Pohevitz did however finish by stating that she did regret leaving community council and would consider running for chair in Fall 2010.

Former Communications Officer and Greenwich representative Ella Wind gave a similar account of Community Council’s difficulty to work cohesively. “Every single meeting,” explained Wind, saw “people fighting tooth and nail, almost like a filibuster.” Wind attributed much of this to “interpersonal tension” among the group, which may have been evident from the start of last semester. The election for Community Council Chair, for instance, was so tightly contested that council had to vote on it five times, according to Wind. “I tried to mitigate that [tension] a little by proposing compromises but even those couldn’t get passed.”

The current council members appear to have a similar understanding, and are aiming to have a more productive semester. Saucier remarked there is currently a “bureaucratic wall” but that he hopes a new council will bring a new way of operating, with “less bureaucracy and more efficiency.” Desir is also optimistic that the special elections and new members will bring a positive change. “Given that last semester the people that were driving community council were individuals that were on it for awhile, we now have a totally new, well not totally new but mostly new, council that has a direct access to the community” Desir said.

The special elections however, will just determine membership for the rest of this semester, not for next year. Desir explained that “The positions are opened up so that we do not have to neglect council and that so that if there is any business that needs to be addressed, like council overturning any of the standing committees decisions we have that in place.” Regardless of how long their terms might be, the election looks to be promising as Desir stated, “A lot of people have nominated themselves or nominated others. In fact this is the largest number of nominations since council has done nominations online.” This is a positive sign, given the concerns raised at a Community Council public event last semester, regarding the level of participation in elections. As of this week, fourteen candidates, who are listed on Community Council’s Hampedia page, have accepted their nominations and have begun campaigning in a variety of ways, Facebook groups being one. Online voting has also begun and will continue until 11:59pm this Sunday. On Monday, the winners will be announced and Community Council will resume its meetings the following day.

Council elections total 162 votes, but members still hopeful

The new Community Council Chair wants to hear what you have to say.

"Council is looking for students to get involved," said Division III student—and the new chair of Community Council—DeeDee Desir.

Council convened its first meeting on Oct. 20 with its newly-elected officials a month and a half after Commencement. According to an email between Assistant Dean of Students for New Student Programs Josiah Litant and Council, only 162 out of an estimated 1400 students voted.

Desir and another Councilmembers expressed frustration with the lateness and inefficiency of the elections, but said they want to bring in a new attitude and start new projects.

Students voted for at-large, residential, and officer positions this fall. At-large positions represent the campus body, while residential Councilmembers represent their local housing complex. Litant and councilmember Emily Ryan monitored the at-large and residential elections.

Litant, an administrator, ran the elections so that Council remained neutral, according to one councilmember.

Desir said she was frustrated with not being able to reach out to the community. “We lose a month by the way we do elections now,” she said.

Desir added that the delay of setting up a new Council decreases the student body's visibility. "If you don't see Community Council you don't know we exist," she said.

"The beginning of school is prime time. The first month shapes the way students see Hampshire. We have new students who are willing to take up responsibilities," she explained.

Two elections took place in October. After Litant finished collecting votes for at-large and residential positions on September 27, Council voted for officers positions on Oct. 6 and for the Chair position and heads of various committees, including COCA, COCD, FiCom, and SOURCE. Officer elections are internal; students cannot vote for Chair or Facilitator positions.

Besides Desir's new position as Chair, Ben Saucier was elected Facilitator; Ella Wind was elected Communications Officer; and Catherine Craig was elected Secretary, according to Council's Hampedia page.

Saucier, Craig, Idalia Buddington, Dillon Compton, and Anthony Ji are new members to Council. Desir, Emily Ryan, Ella Wind, and Leanna Pohevitz,, and Sam Light are returning members.

Ella Wind is a second year Division II student and the new Communications Officer at Council. She agreed with Desir's frustration with elections and said they indicate Council's impotence. “Elections are institutionally flawed. We don't have that much power,” she said.

The Communications Officer said she was excited this year and has practical plans for Council despite her frustration. Wind will research and compile Council's history for Hampedia. “I want Community Council to have institutional memory. If we were structurally sound we can do more things,” she explained.

Wind also mentioned that a new feedback system between students and Council was in the works. The system will be an extension of Hampedia, which Council will advertise through leafleting. Wind said that she will see what people will write despite Hampshire's noteworthy diversity in opinion. “People here all think different things. It's a little frustrating,” she said.

The purpose of the feedback system will help educate Council on student needs, an aspect Wind said Council was missing. “I want Council to go outside of themselves. Why are we just talking about ourselves? Part of the reason Community Council can't get outside of itself is because we don't have any power,” she said.

Desir also has plans for Council, but spoke of her strengths, especially her capacity to build and rely on non-council relationships. “Relationships are the foundation to approach students who are interested in working for Community Council or petitioning change,” she said.

The councilwoman's ability to draw upon outside resources will perhaps motivate Council to think outside of itself. Desir said that listening allows Community Council to vote not solely on what Council thinks is good for Hampshire campus

April 08, 2008 --Senate panel approves bill to make college textbooks more affordable By KIMBERLY MILLER (Palm Beach Post Staff Writer)

Florida Atlantic University junior Joe Adams has a $250 textbook that covers music history from biblical times through today.

Given, that's thousands of years worth of information, but combined with required CD-roms and other class material, he said he's spent upwards of $400 on books and supplements for one course.

"It's a lot of money," Adams said. "Every second or third year a new edition is assigned that's more expensive."

It's a lot of money," Adams said. "Every second or third year a new edition is assigned that's more expensive."

On Tuesday, a Senate committee unanimously approved a bill (SB2350) that could reduce textbook costs for Florida's college and university students by, among other things, making schools confirm that required new editions have significantly different content than previous editions.

The matching House proposal (HB603) has already been placed on the calendar for a full floor vote.

Other items in the bills include;

Banning schools from accepting anything from publishers in return for assigning the company's books.

Requiring that book names and identification numbers be posted on line at least 30 days before a class begins so students have options to buy books from sources other than the campus bookstore.

Asking professors to confirm that all materials ordered in a "bundle" will actually be used in the class. Bundled books, which come with additional material such as CD-ROMs and student workbooks, were identified by a federal committee as one of the main causes for textbook cost increases.

A report by the United States Government Accountability Office found that textbook prices have increased at twice the rate of inflation, tripling from 1986 to 2004.

"This bill is particularly important this year as students face rising tuition and reductions to the budgets of their institutions," said Rep. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, who sponsored the House's textbook bill.

A Florida survey on textbook costs requested by lawmakers found that Florida community college students spend an average of $117 per class on textbooks, while tuition costs for the same class are about $200. That means students' textbook costs are 58 percent of their tuition.

At state universities, students spend about $127 per class for textbooks and other materials - 37 percent of their tuition costs for those same classes.

"Sometimes it costs more for the books than the actual classes," said DeeDee Desir, Palm Beach Community College's student government president. "That's so sad, to say that materials cost more than the class itself."

October 15, 2007 --Desir awarded scholarship to attend Texas conference

Dominique “DeeDee” Desir, the student representative on the PBCC District Board of Trustees, is on her way to Dallas thanks to a scholarship from the National Council on Black American Affairs Southern Region.

Desir was among four students from NCBAA’s Southern Region who were chosen for the 2007 Student Leader Class. The designation comes with a $500 scholarship to help defray the cost of attendance at the regional conference set for Oct.18-21.

The students were chosen because of their exemplary leadership skills. Desir also is president of the Student Government Association in Lake Worth.

August 15, 2007-PBCC STUDENT WITH POLITICAL AMBITIONS GETS PRACTICE THROUGH LEADERSHIP ROLES Palm Beach Post, The (FL) - LADY HEREFORD, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Hillary, Rudy, Barack.

Add Dominique to that list of presidential hopefuls, but maybe give her a couple of years to finish college first.

Dominique Desir, better known as Dee Dee, is a student on a mission at Palm Beach Community College. Last month, she started her second term as president of the Student Government Association on the college's 26,000-student Lake Worth campus.

Recently, she also was named student trustee on the PBCC board of trustees, making her the voice of some 46,000 students on four campuses. She attended her first board meeting this week.

She is the seventh student appointed to the non-voting position, and she wants to set the bar high for herself and her successors.

"You put in as much as you want them to expect from you," said Desir, 20, who lives in suburban Lake Worth. "Whenever you leave a position, the person after you has to be better than you."

A graduate of South Tech High School, Desir went to PBCC in 2005 on a presidential scholarship. She is working toward an associate of arts degree with a major in political science and sociology.

After she graduates in the spring, she plans to transfer to a four-year college to continue her studies in political science and sociology and minor in psychology.

She is considering attending Spelman College in Atlanta or possibly Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass.

And yes, she is serious when she says she wants to be president someday.

"Some people might say everybody wants to be president," she said. "Everybody is not me."

She has an interest in international issues, such as the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region.

She said she has learned how to set goals and then make them happen.

"You speak things into existence. You have to put your words into action."

Desir is accustomed to going to campus early and staying late. She served in student government at her former high school, and she also was president of two organizations, Students Working Against Tobacco and Students Against Destructive Decisions.

Desir said her decision to attend community college allowed her to experiment with her major -- she initially planned to study nursing -- and said she would have felt lost at a larger university.

Desir credits the college's student activities coordinator, Kaci Wilhite Jones, with encouraging her to get involved with student government. Before joining the SGA, Desir was the spokeswoman for another organization, the Black Student Union.

Desir also is involved in the Christian Fellowship Club, Students for International Understanding, ASPIRA, Phi Theta Kappa and Kiskeya, a Haitian student club.

In addition, she is community service chair for the Florida Junior Community College Student Government Association.

Born in Vicenza, Italy, Desir is the middle child of five siblings. Her father retired from the U.S. Army. Her family moved to Boynton Beach from Silver Spring, Md., when she was 9. They have lived in suburban Lake Worth since 2000, she said.

"I loved Maryland. It was different from here. I loved the snow," she said.

What are your hobbies?

Spoken word poetry and mentoring. "I love mentoring younger students." At one time, she taught the step team at Tradewinds Middle School in Greenacres.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

She said college Provost Maria Vallejo recently shared with her a frequently quoted saying: "Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option."

For what would you like to be remembered?

"That I was really about progression and that I always came back to (places that) helped me the most."

July 3, 2007 --PBCC STUDENT SETS HER SIGHTS ON THE WHITE HOUSE

Sunday, In high school, Dominique " DeeDee " Desir of Lake Worth was determined to become a nurse. Now, the second year Palm Beach Community College student is aiming for the White House.

"I want to be the president of the United States," she said. "It can happen."

Right now, Desir is looking forward to taking her seat at the dais as the new student trustee on the PBCC District Board of Trustees. She was appointed for the 2007-2008 fiscal year, and she will attend her first board meeting Tuesday.

Desir is the seventh student appointed to serve in the non-voting role since the trustees created the position in 2001. She said her goals are to get more involvement and input from students on all of PBCC's campuses and ensure that students know the administrators.

"This is an excellent opportunity to serve on the board and to see how certain things affect students," Desir said. "It's a good thing that they picked the right person. We need a strong student voice. I think I can give it to them, and I'm going to give it to them."

During her time at PBCC and through her leadership positions at the college and on the state level, Desir discovered that her true love is politics.

At South Tech Charter High School, she studied to become licensed in practical nursing and planned to pursue a nursing degree at PBCC. Instead, she is pursuing an associate inarts degree with a major in political science and sociology. She plans to transfer to a university to pursue her bachelor's degree in those areas and minor in psychology.

"I feel so much of a calling to public administration, getting involved in the government," she said.

Desir was also recently elected to her second term as president of the Student Government Association in Lake Worth.

She is a former assistant spokesperson for the Black Student Union. She is active in the Christian Fellowship Club, Students for International Understanding, ASPIRA, Phi Theta Kappa and Kiskeya, a Haitian student club.

On the state level, she is the community service chair for the Florida Junior Community College Student Government Association.

"What you learn at PBCC you can't learn anywhere else," she said. "This is really a place where you develop."