2008 Woodie Awards
Linking student parents
New student organization, LINKS, brings MSU students with children together
by Madeline Greene
Issue date: 10/9/08
Section: Campus News
Tuition payments, classes, exams and studying are all factors that contribute to a stressful college experience. Now try adding the pressures of being a parent, such as finding a caretaker and supporting a child on a job,
LINKS is a student organization created to help students with these issues.
LINKS is an acronym for League of Information, Networking, Knowledge and Support and was founded by Minnesota State students Bonnie Trahms and Nicole Stegmeier.
Both Trahms and Stegmeier saw the need for student-parent issues to be addressed.
"Nicole and I felt this was the best way to handle getting our issues out there and hopefully to get the university to acknowledge that there is a great deal of non-traditional students, particularly student parents on this campus," Trahms said.
Currently, the member list consists of about 18 individuals connected through LINKS. Trahms and Stegmeier said they hope to gain more active members and another officer to help offset the workload for the organization.
In addition to the co-chairs, Trahms and Stegmeier, there are two advisors who play a major role in the organization. Amy Anderson is the primary advisor and professor for the Social Work department. Ryan Yunkers is the secondary advisor, in case Anderson is not available and LINKS needs immediate assistance.
Trahms has many plans for the future of LINKS. She is currently working on resource packets that contain information about the organization and what the university and county can do to help students who are in need.
Trahms is also working with Greg Husak, MSU's marketing coordinator, on a Web site that will link students with members of the community. In the end, Trahms and Husak want the site to be more than just fll of links. They want to have a general information space that members and others at the university can turn to, instead of having to search hundreds of different Web sites. If the information needed cannot be found on the LINKS page, the creators are adding a phone list and links to Web sites that students can use.
Meetings are held 5 p.m. the first Monday of the month in CSU 285, but the officers will add more meetings as needed. Currently, most communication for LINKS is done through e-mail.
Children of LINKS members are welcome to attend the meetings.
"My 3-year-old daughter comes with me," Trahms said. "I am a single parent and her primary caretaker so she comes with me."
LINKS is not only for women. The group also has a few male members.
"Some of our members are expecting their first child soon; some have children who are already in grade school," Trahms said. "People can be as active as they would like, or have time for, but we are always open to having more members."
"We have had great people who were really interested in helping us to address issues or areas of concern and just a great support system behind us in what we are doing, which is a great feeling," she added.
Madeline Greene is a Reporter staff writer
LINKS is a student organization created to help students with these issues.
LINKS is an acronym for League of Information, Networking, Knowledge and Support and was founded by Minnesota State students Bonnie Trahms and Nicole Stegmeier.
Both Trahms and Stegmeier saw the need for student-parent issues to be addressed.
"Nicole and I felt this was the best way to handle getting our issues out there and hopefully to get the university to acknowledge that there is a great deal of non-traditional students, particularly student parents on this campus," Trahms said.
Currently, the member list consists of about 18 individuals connected through LINKS. Trahms and Stegmeier said they hope to gain more active members and another officer to help offset the workload for the organization.
In addition to the co-chairs, Trahms and Stegmeier, there are two advisors who play a major role in the organization. Amy Anderson is the primary advisor and professor for the Social Work department. Ryan Yunkers is the secondary advisor, in case Anderson is not available and LINKS needs immediate assistance.
Trahms has many plans for the future of LINKS. She is currently working on resource packets that contain information about the organization and what the university and county can do to help students who are in need.
Trahms is also working with Greg Husak, MSU's marketing coordinator, on a Web site that will link students with members of the community. In the end, Trahms and Husak want the site to be more than just fll of links. They want to have a general information space that members and others at the university can turn to, instead of having to search hundreds of different Web sites. If the information needed cannot be found on the LINKS page, the creators are adding a phone list and links to Web sites that students can use.
Meetings are held 5 p.m. the first Monday of the month in CSU 285, but the officers will add more meetings as needed. Currently, most communication for LINKS is done through e-mail.
Children of LINKS members are welcome to attend the meetings.
"My 3-year-old daughter comes with me," Trahms said. "I am a single parent and her primary caretaker so she comes with me."
LINKS is not only for women. The group also has a few male members.
"Some of our members are expecting their first child soon; some have children who are already in grade school," Trahms said. "People can be as active as they would like, or have time for, but we are always open to having more members."
"We have had great people who were really interested in helping us to address issues or areas of concern and just a great support system behind us in what we are doing, which is a great feeling," she added.
Madeline Greene is a Reporter staff writer
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