by Steve Wymer ’01
photography by Landon Yoder
Adapted from a series of e-mail
messages from the author to friends and associates.
 Steve Wymer '01 (necktie) with University of Tirana Faculty of Arts & Sciences student senators.
Introduction
Since serving three terms as ASWSU president as an
undergraduate, I have never lost my passion for the process of
student representation. I’ve tried to be a help to as many student
leaders as possible, and I have wound up speaking at a lot of
conferences around the nation, and even helped found the American
Student Government Association (the only professional association
for student governments) in 2003.
Earlier this year, I was asked by the State Department to do a
speaking/training tour in Albania to assist their effort to create
student representation across the country. Albania is one of the
youngest democracies in the world and is still transitioning from
the decades of communist rule it endured until the early 1990s. The
higher education system in Albania consists of 14 colleges and
universities, but democratic elections and representation have
evolved slowly on university campuses.
My studies in public relations at the Murrow School, experiences
as a student leader at WSU, and my professional opportunities over
the last five years in politics were great training for this
opportunity. I went to Albania with the hope of providing valuable
insight to the student leaders who are trying to build a
representational body, but I’m certain I left having learned more
than I taught. It was an amazing opportunity to be a part of the
first national student government elections in Albania, and I have
developed a genuine passion for the students and the whole
country.
 Streets of Tirana.
I
I arrived in Tirana, Albania, yesterday on my little adventure
with the State Department, and it has been great so far. It's hard
to put everything in perspective when you realize that this country
is poorer than Mexico, but you do see some of the beautiful aspects
of Europe.
The streets are dirty, they lose electricity a lot, and the
overall infrastructure of roads, sidewalks, and buildings is really
in rough shape. But the people are kind, and the university
officials I have met so far have been great.
In addition to the contract I have with the State Department,
some friends of mine back home in Washington, DC have put me in
contact with some friends here in Albania to help build some
relationships. It was somewhat surprising to me that I was
connected with a top political guy with essentially the GOP of
Albania, and another friend from DC put me in touch with a guy who
is the leader of the Albanian version of our Socialist Party!
Needless to say, it's a diverse place.
Otherwise, as I dig into the consulting work here, it's easy to
see that the higher ed system here is rough. Everyone here wants
their child to go to college, but the schools don't have libraries
or the support they need. I found it fascinating that a somewhat
prestigious private college just opened here in the capital city of
Tirana and the "rector" of the school does not have a copy machine.
It's things like that you see all the time.
Today I am meeting with the minister of education and then going
to a "commissioning ceremony" for the new student government of
Tirana University. This is the first time the university has
officially recognized student government elections, and a big step
for them. I'll be headed a couple hours south today to Elbasan,
where I am supposed to speak to some newly elected student
government officers down there.
There are a lot of divisive politics around here, as groups
jockey for position in this painful time of transition from
communism to a democracy. You can see that the concept of communism
guaranteeing a little to everyone is so much different from the
reality that in capitalism, there are those who are left behind. It
can be a little heartbreaking to witness, but I think the general
sentiment is that the country is improving.
This has already been great adventure, so I'm looking forward to
more.
Page
1
2
3
4
5
Continued
|
