Geography department: Why did you decide to run for office for the Geography Club for the 2020-2021 academic year?
Frost: I sort of wanted to dive headfirst. I am absolutely stoked to major in geography. It is a field I really love. And having been raised in Columbia, I am excited to bring my knowledge to the table for activities we can do or places we can visit.
Clark: For a myriad of reasons, but mainly because I really love the geography department. I was an officer for Geography Club last year, and I loved it gave me the opportunity to be more connected and assist the department in events and programming in a larger capacity. When Dr. Hurt sent out the ballot and I saw that no one was running for treasurer, I thought it would be another cool way to learn more about the department and to also gain more experience in managing a budget.
Frimel: I decided to run for office for the club for the 2020-2021 academic year because I wanted a responsibility with the club. I figured since I had been secretary the previous year why not run for the secretary position this year as well.
Geography department: What are some of your goals for the year?
Frost: One, I hope to get other people excited about geography whether that is excited for what the field allows them to do career-wise, or how it pertains to personal interest, or the tools that help them approach and understand and live in the world around us. And then a second main goal is to foster conversation about what it means to be a Mizzou student in terms of where we are: What does it mean to be in Columbia, in Missouri, especially since Mizzou attracts people from all over?
Clark: My personal goal for the year is to just enjoy the time I have left; this is my last year of undergrad, so want to be intentional about all of my experiences this year, as I know they are likely to be the last with many of my friends and colleagues, including the students and faculty in the geography department. Another goal of mine is to solidify my post-baccalaureate plans and get accepted into a graduate studies program that aligns with my academic interests.
Frimel: Stay active and try to attend as many club events as possible.
Geography department: What is the one thing you most hope to achieve as an officer?
Frost: I feel I will have made an achievement as an officer if I can help people feel welcome in the field. I think geography is a discipline that has something to offer everyone. And it is a field with a place and a use for every skillset. I might add that I want to make it so clear and obvious the cool aspects of geography so people want to go tell their friends and family about the field of geography.
Clark: I love that many of the students in Geography Club have interdisciplinary interests — whether it be in a formal academic engagement or not. The multi-faceted nature of the students and faculty in our department is what makes the Mizzou geography community such an intellectually stimulating, supportive, and joyful place to be. As the discipline of geography is inherently interdisciplinary, I hope as an officer I can continue the outreach of the club and the department to students in varying disciplines across campus.
Frimel: Keeping more detailed notes. I know it seems pretty generic, but club notes are pretty useless if they don't include specific details in them. In doing so, I am hoping to get everyone onboard the same page and to help prevent miscommunication.
Geography department: Have you served in this capacity before?
Frost: Nope, this is a new experience for me. I’ve in leadership positions with other organizations in the past, but I have not been involved with the Geography Club.
Clark: Last year I was vice president for Geography Club, so I was involved in that capacity, but I have never served in the capacity of treasurer for any club/organization before.
Frimel: Yes, I served as the club's Secretary during the previous academic school year.
Geography department: If so, what did you learn from your previous service?
Frost: N/A
Clark: Serving as vice president this year gave me a lot of insight into more of the administrative functioning of an organization looks. There are certain guidelines that student clubs and organizations at Mizzou have to follow that I had no idea about, and we had to change some of the events last year because of them.
Frimel: One of the things that I learned from having this position last year was that a secretary has to keep well organized meeting notes in order to help members refer back to them at a later point. Otherwise, people may forget certain details we discussed during our meetings.
