In this episode, Dr. Jones and Etinosa talk about the new semester and offer parents\/students words of wisdom for the academic year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In this episode, Dr. Jones and Etinosa talk about the new semester and offer parents\/students words of wisdom for the academic year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"http:\/\/podcasts.la.utexas.edu\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2021\/09\/2021-09-16_LIVE_mastered-audio_1.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"46.95M","filesize_raw":"49233776","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":""},"tags":[651,603,650,590],"series":[2],"class_list":{"0":"post-329","1":"podcast","2":"type-podcast","3":"status-publish","5":"tag-academics","6":"tag-advice","7":"tag-back-to-school","8":"tag-student-affairs","9":"series-live","10":"entry"},"acf":{"related_episodes":"","hosts":[{"ID":68,"post_author":"39","post_date":"2020-07-20 20:29:28","post_date_gmt":"2020-07-20 20:29:28","post_content":"","post_title":"Dr. Brandon Jones","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"dr-brandon-jones","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2020-07-20 20:33:17","post_modified_gmt":"2020-07-20 20:33:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/podcasts.la.utexas.edu\/live\/?post_type=speaker&p=68","menu_order":0,"post_type":"speaker","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":287,"post_author":"52","post_date":"2021-04-29 17:49:47","post_date_gmt":"2021-04-29 17:49:47","post_content":"\n
Etinosa is a charismatic innovative idealist. Her passion and personal mission statement are to help people rise to the next level in all aspects of their lives. Currently, she is a graduate student at the University of Missouri in Kansas City working towards her Masters in Education Administration in Higher Education. Higher education is a field that electrifies her soul. Watching and walking alongside students as they reach their education goals pushes Etinosa to want to provide the best experience possible within residential life.
Etinosa kick-started her career within education by serving as a college adviser to high school students. Then transitioning into residential life at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. She is making more transitions by accepting a position as a community coordinator at The University of Texas at Austin in Housing and Dining. She believes that creativity and innovation will bring the needed change to higher education to provide our students with the best educational experience. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Etinosa Ogbevoen","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"etinosa-ogbevoen","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-04-29 20:11:11","post_modified_gmt":"2021-04-29 20:11:11","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/podcasts.la.utexas.edu\/live\/?post_type=speaker&p=287","menu_order":0,"post_type":"speaker","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"guests":"","Transcript":"
L.I.V.E – Episode 26 – Back to School
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Brandon: Welcome to live leadership, innovation, ventures, and entrepreneurship, a podcast that showcases the talents, skills and abilities of UT faculty, staff, and students. I’m your host, Brandon Jones, associate director for student learning and development in housing and dining. And we’re excited to have you listening to us.<\/p>\n
All right, everybody. Welcome back to the leadership, innovation ventures and entrepreneurship podcast as always and forever will be. Cohost Brandon Jones. <\/p>\n
Etinosa: And I’m your co-host Etinosa Ogbevoen. And we are so excited to <\/p>\n
Brandon: be back for those of y’all that don’t know we’re back in the studio and back to school and back to school.<\/p>\n
Can we talk about that? Cause that’s the episode folks, it’s back to school and I know we’re a couple of weeks later in a month, late for the K through 12 family that listens. But here we are, nonetheless, what. This back to school season or time been like for you? <\/p>\n
Etinosa: Oh, man. I think it’s been a mental transition because like we’ve, we’ve been here.<\/p>\n
We’ve been working, we’ve been working around the clock. We print prepare and we’ve been shifting and transitioning. But now to see everybody here full force, it’s like exciting. Right. I think it’s also a reality check. Like, okay. Like you, you got to go back into the office. You gotta, you gotta look at both of your screens now.<\/p>\n
And, you know, get back to quote unquote normal or figure out how we’re going to propelling ourselves to thrive. Are we at a stage where we’re thriving <\/p>\n
Brandon: or are we still okay. I would like to move from surviving to thriving. I would. What <\/p>\n
Etinosa: has it been like for you coming <\/p>\n
Brandon: back? Yeah, so for me, everybody knows.<\/p>\n
The king of extroversion. So I’m the super extrovert. So people have been the recharge to my social battery. And so when move in happened, uh, the week of the 16th now, goodness. Wow. That was a month ago, uh, from today’s recording to the day from today’s recording. Right? I typically don’t like saying the date, whatever it’s out there.<\/p>\n
I have been excited because there’s been movement for the longest time. You know, even when we had limited students on campus last year, the energy was just different. And so now all summer, it was quiet other than the weeks that we had orientation sessions, it’s been quiet, but starting next Monday, the 16th, man, listen.<\/p>\n
It just, it just kept going. And I saw students and parents, people moving in, students hanging out outside of my office. I saw people going to the library and the energy on campus has been different. And I’ve been excited about that. I was nervous too, because you don’t know how students are going to react or respond to.<\/p>\n
Being back on campus or being here for the very first time for a lot of our students. And so for me, it’s just been exciting to just have a life and a lot of it, uh, back on campus, <\/p>\n
Etinosa: I remember like helping out with moving and I just always feel very nostalgic when moving comes in. Like, I’m just like, oh my gosh, I’m 18.<\/p>\n
I’m like, yes, you’d see. I didn’t even go to YouTube. And I’m like, yeah, UT. Um, and it was just so. It really was exciting to see people like move in and just like be excited. I love looking at parents when their kids are moving in and the way that we do it in new HD, it’s like once they get to the actual field, we separate them for a little and you can just like, see the like, oh my child.<\/p>\n
And I’m like, I promise you, we’re going to do our best to help them. But it always, definitely reminds me of like my time of like going to school and being like, wow, like this is a new chapter. And that’s what I always think about. I’m like, this is a new chapter we say welcome back. But like, hello. <\/p>\n
Brandon: Welcome.<\/p>\n
Welcome. I love, I love that point and move into, and, you know, with my role as associate director for student learning and development, that’s their introduction to that first learning goal. That self-management, it’s the first, it’s their introduction to that because that’s the first time in this entire process where there’s an actual.<\/p>\n
Physical separation. And I remember, uh, when I first came here and my first movie and was in, I came in 2017, but my first movie was in 2018. And I remember being there when we first opened the doors at 7:00 AM. And at first parent having to watch their daughter go through the process alone. And I was like, how are you doing ma’am?<\/p>\n
And she was like, I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel. This is my first child. And oh my God. The feelings. Right? And so I just stood there talking to the parent and you know, it’s not a long process they’re going in, they’re getting their key to getting their parking pass and then they’re out of there.<\/p>\n
So it was, it, it was only like maybe two minutes, but to that parent, it felt like any eternity and, you know, the beginning of a separation. And so, um, they, they learn, we’re going to teach the student how to be a manager of self. And so. I don’t take pride in that, but also the person in charge of our learning as being the person in charge of our learning agenda.<\/p>\n
I take it serious because I want to make sure that by the time they get to that point, they know everything that’s expected of them and what they’re walking into and that as we commit to continue to communicate that, that they have a good transition to the campus. And so it’s fun. It’s exciting. And moving in.<\/p>\n
You know, it was uneventful, you know? Uh, no, no hiccups, no hurricane style winds again this year, no rain. Um, it, <\/p>\n
Etinosa: well, it went very, very well. So shout out to everybody who coordinated move in y’all really, really did it. Cause I know there were some long days. <\/p>\n
Brandon: Man. Listen, I remember I was that just because I didn’t work moving everyday doesn’t mean I wasn’t on campus.<\/p>\n
I was here every day of moving. I did move in on that Friday. And then on Saturday I was a part of a new black student weekend, uh, activities. And I was there just seeing all the students coming in and I saw move in. I saw how it was going at the stadium. I saw all the activities I saw Longhorn welcomed.<\/p>\n
Uh, this is a good segue in the Longhorn welcome, which is our tradition here at UT for everybody who’s not familiar where it’s that first week, that first full week of activities and move in actually kicks off Longhorn. Welcome. And for me, what I loved was just that new student services shout out to new student services.<\/p>\n
Uh, they did an amazing job. Uh, putting on a week of events for our students. And I mean, we, they, weren’t just throwing random things together. They put a lot of thought into all the activities that were going on. You know, we had DeVos quest on that Monday where the students were going around and doing the scavenger hunt style activity and UHD, we were one of the stops along the way.<\/p>\n
And we gave students welcome to Austin, uh, postcard. And so hopefully parents, if you’re listening, you got that postcard or students. If you haven’t sent that postcard, please send that postcard. Or if you’re sending it to yourself as a message for later in the semester, totally fine too. We post dated it for you.<\/p>\n
So I’m excited about that, but I also look back on that week with a lot of favor. What about you? <\/p>\n
Etinosa: You know what, I didn’t really get to participate in the welcome week. You know, we were having over in graduate and university apartments. Uh, We had a lot of students move in and that has been super, super exciting.<\/p>\n
I think the greatest thing about university apartments is like people are coming from all over the world and like with everything that was happening in the pandemic where a lot of borders were closed and it was just hard for people to get here and to leave. It was just, again, like you said, like new life coming, we were welcoming people.<\/p>\n
We were getting people adjusted. And I think that level of. This is, this is going to be your new home, right? This is a home away from home or you’re you are transitioning into what are our home look like? Independent demic, pre pandemic. And now. After the pandemic. Not really, but we are getting back to an exciting time where people are like going outside of their houses, they’re saying hi to their neighbors.<\/p>\n
They’re like, oh my gosh, you have kids. I have kids. You like this? I like this. Our events have been off the chain. Like I think a lot of our community advisors were like, oh, well, there’s like budget for like 10 to 15, 30, 40, 50 people are showing up. So it was just so exciting to be like, wow, people are really ready to connect and to have those new experiences here with us.<\/p>\n
So, you know, our welcome week at the university apartments, might’ve not been as formal. Um, but it was definitely exciting just to see everybody <\/p>\n
Brandon: coming back. The fact that during that week there was something for everybody. It wasn’t just for undergrads and it wasn’t just for students like. Students and faculty and staff were able to come out and engage in a week of activities.<\/p>\n
And in the middle of that, obviously classes started right. And that first day of school, which I think should be a national holiday everywhere personally, don’t ask me about that. Um, I I’m a fan of the first day of school. You know, my kids, my son started kindergarten this year and my daughter started third grade.<\/p>\n
And so, you know how parents on social media these days at least have the little boards with this is my first day of kindergarten or third grade. I had one and I’m like, this is. 15th year or a 16 year, 15 year in higher education, or just talking about this is my first day of school at UT. And you know, you have the age you are and who’s your professor.<\/p>\n
And I get to be like, yo, I’m the professor. And so I take real pictures. I posted my stuff. I’m like, why? Who said, who sent the memo that the kids get to have all the fun on the first day of school? Like I personally. Educated. And this is just my personal philosophy and belief. I refuse to be out excited by my students.<\/p>\n
I want to be the most excited person on that first day back to school because it’s like, why, why do y’all get to have all the fun, listen, this is what I prepared for. This is what I went and got that doctorate to be able to do so that on that first day, I’m excited about serving you and kicking off a new year.<\/p>\n
Like anybody, again, this ain’t no judgment or shade to people, but I always had to make it a point known that like, you won’t be more excited than me about what I believe is, is my purpose. Uh, if you believe in that, Uh, as an educator. So that first day of classes was wonderful for me, that in an amazing time, that first day of school, I swear, <\/p>\n
Etinosa: I think like I’m just a high person.<\/p>\n
Like, I’m pretty sure I’m more excited than most people. I’m like, oh my God, we’re starting school this semester. Like, this is amazing. I think it’s one of those things. Like the more people I see, just like recognizing a new chapter, I’m like, you have no idea how exciting this is about to be for you. Like, I understand there are going to be struggles and there’s gonna be.<\/p>\n
It’s a cause and there are going to be these themes, but I’m telling you, when you make it through, you will look back and be like, wow, I had the time of my life. Yeah. <\/p>\n
Brandon: Yes. So what let’s transition to that then, because you know, this is a new adventure for a lot of people, for some of our students. This is their first time in college.<\/p>\n
And then we have a class of students that had a. Uh, abbreviated experience last year with us. And then there are students that are back on campus for the first time, because they left in March of 2020. Right. And so what do you feel like the energy has been bringing all of those groups together on campus, especially, uh, with where you are.<\/p>\n
Etinosa: Wow. Is that what a question? Um, I think conceptually it’s a lot of different energy, right? Like you have the people who are like, I’ve been in college and then, but they’re still excited. Right. Then the new people are like, this is my first time. I’m nervous and excited. And then you have people who are like, who are we?<\/p>\n
I don’t know what I’m about to get myself into. And so I think all of that, like trying to cater to all of that has definitely been, um, interesting too, because it’s just like, okay. Like I think a lot of higher education, especially in a normal year, First year students, we’re going to help you. We’re going to transition everybody.<\/p>\n
Else’s good. They’ve done it another year. Where now it’s like, not only first year students, we’ve got our sophomores, we’ve got our students who decided to, or opt into like a virtual scene. And so now it’s like, It’s your first time too. So catering and like pivoting and adapting those experiences to cater to them because we still want to give them that, like you’re living a Longhorn life, the horns are home aspect kind of theme to all of them.<\/p>\n
And they have different mentalities. They have different perspectives. They have different fears. They have different expectations from us. But I think we’ve been doing a pretty decent job of catering to those things and being like, we’re right with you. Like we have, we are also navigating these the, until I was like, honestly, like, this is new to me too.<\/p>\n
Brandon: There was nothing about. Last year from March until where we are there, there was nothing normal about that. And so everybody was figuring it out. And I was in a meeting yesterday, uh, with some colleagues from institutions, literally all over the world. And one of the things. One of our consultants in the group said everybody’s doing their best and we’re going to accept that.<\/p>\n
And I think that we w when we adopted that mantra and that mentality, that made it a little bit easier to transition back to in-person. And I know that a lot of people have different feelings about it. I know a lot of people have different energy, as you said around that. But the thing that I’ve noticed is the amount of people that I had never met in person before.<\/p>\n
There are so many students. I was eating in Kinsolving, uh, the other day. And there were so many students who were walking up to me. That one were way taller than I thought they were, because we’re only used to seeing each other from behind the screen. And then two, I didn’t realize it, but my relationship with these people has been virtual for the better part of a year and a half.<\/p>\n
And so now seeing people face to face for the first time, the energy is good. Uh, overwhelmingly positive, to be honest with you, there’s, there’s been some challenges as you say, but, um, I’ve also been met with such positive, uh, warm regard from parents, from students, from faculty about just, Hey, oh my gosh, this is my first time meeting with you.<\/p>\n
Love to get lunch. I hadn’t had lunch with people in over a year. Right. Um, haven’t been able to do my student meetings, like I normally would like to, because, you know, The students who, uh, no, every Friday I don’t take staff meetings. I don’t take any professional meetings. I either am doing this podcast or I’m meeting with students or teaching class.<\/p>\n
Those are the only non-negotiables on a Friday for me. That day is reserved for students. I couldn’t do that because students are like, I’m in zoom classes all week. I don’t want to be in a zoom meeting with somebody I really want to talk to. I would just rather either call you on the phone or we’ll just see each other when we see each other.<\/p>\n
And that’s been something that I missed, but these last three Fridays, I’ve been busy. I’ve been busy. I’ve been here to almost after 500. Every Friday, the last couple of, other than last week, I’ve been here after five o’clock because the students have just been incredible and receptive. And the faculty that I’ve been able to meet and talk with and have the coffee meetings with, again, it’s just been fun.<\/p>\n
And so the events, the programs, uh, they’re only going to get better. And I know that during Longhorn welcome, we were able to close. With the Longhorn fair event, we had 849 people last year there. I mean, during destination spring break, we had a ton of people like thousands come to that, but that was over the course of five days.<\/p>\n
We never had an event where we had more than 550 people come in. We had 849 people on a Saturday when there was no football game, people could have gone home, but they chose to come and hang out with us. And it was exciting. You know, I’m really excited about our catering team. Shout out to Amy and Billy and Elizabeth and Collin and Andrew and everybody with Longhorn hospitality and in UHD that, um, made that possible.<\/p>\n
Students and faculty and staff and families, community members all had something to do. And that’s, that’s why I’m in this business. Yeah. Yes. <\/p>\n
Etinosa: I just feel like that’s super telling about like that energy that I was talking about. Like catering to it. You can just see that people are excited to be back there.<\/p>\n
They’re excited to be on campus. The, the, the life that is happening on campus is exhilarating. It gives you energy. <\/p>\n
Brandon: What about. Because I know that there are students and parents that are listening to this right now and they’re like, okay. What words of wisdom or what advice can you give my child? Or, um, you know, what advice can you give me?<\/p>\n
Because I’m dealing with the separation anxiety or my kid may or may not be adjusting. Um, that’s no sudden I want to give you all students and parents. We want to give you all some advice. And again, it’s just some, some advice based on what we’ve been observing and what we found too. Um, Navigate, not only this new season of life, but also, uh, because of this new time that in the season that we’re in, I want to give you a couple of pieces of advice.<\/p>\n
What, where do you want to start at to know? So I got, I got a couple of things where you want to start. <\/p>\n
Etinosa: I’m going to let you start while I sit my imaginary <\/p>\n
Brandon: tests. Okay. I think the first piece of advice for every student, uh, because of where we are in the semester, the middle of September, which, you know, we’re about almost at that month mark from when classes started.<\/p>\n
And we’re almost at that month mark from when some students first got dropped off here. I think the first piece of advice that I want to give to every student is take a moment to just pause and reflect. You’ve been here. For a little over a month now, and you just been going, you know, some of our students have already signed up for like 50 student organizations.<\/p>\n
Some of our students have, uh, already started looking at their fraternities or sororities that they want to join. Some of our students have gotten jobs by the way, university housing and dining. We hire in holler at your boy. We can get, we can talk about that. Um, yeah. And so now you haven’t had a chance to just pause it.<\/p>\n
Okay, let me take all of this in because it’s so easy to be on the go. I want to encourage every student to just pause and reflect and what that reflection in that pausing is going to give you the ability to do is see how far you’ve come in this month. See where you are compared to where you were a couple of weeks ago.<\/p>\n
Cause it’s in that reflection that you’re going to see. Um, Some things you might need to adjust. Uh, there might be some things you need to do more of, and there may be things you need to do less of, but if you’re constantly on the go, you won’t realize that. And then the other piece of that pausing is listen for those of you who T who signed up for a lot of, uh, organizations, which is common for first year students and for our students who weren’t on campus last year.<\/p>\n
Right. But are here now, this is a chance for you to go over. Can I really, is it sustainable for me to be, uh, executive officer in five organizations? Is that reasonable? Um, yeah, I signed up for this experience. Should I really be like president in three of them. This is a chance to reflect on that. And again, we’re not judging because some of y’all are student leaders in organizations that I oversee.<\/p>\n
And so thank you for that. With that being said, I want y’all to think and reflect and pause. What other piece of advice do you have for? <\/p>\n
Etinosa: Wow. I think my advice goes to parents. Oh, go for it. Give it to her. I know this is craziness. Um, by advice, I’m not even a parent. I don’t have children or anything like this, but I got to, yes, right.<\/p>\n
I think it is time again, to reflect on what this transition means for your child and to really reflect on what that relationship is going to look like. Right. Um, I think for a long time you were able to be. The person who guides them. And that’s what, that’s what we love parents to do. You are guiding them and now they’re here and they are on this path and you are now a partner.<\/p>\n
Yeah. You are a partner on their journey. And like, you can hold their hand. I like to say, you guys can hold pinkies. Like I was like, it’s the weakest finger, but it’s still a connection. That’s. Intimate and it’s close and stuff like that, but it’s like, I have to let my child or think to yourself, I have to let my child become an adult, whatever that looks like.<\/p>\n
And I will, this is just from my own experience. They will come back when they need you. They will reach out when they need you, because. People tend to want a support system, especially when they’re struggling, especially when they signed up for 50 organizations and they said, I’m going to be the president of 10 of them.<\/p>\n
They still need that guidance because adulting is tough. And the only adult a lot of students have is you as a parent. And they’re like, oh, this is what my mom or this one, my dad and my uncle, or my support, or my guardian said, and now it’s coming into full force. Now I can really see it. So taking that time to reflect and being like, wow, like for so long, I was the leader here and now I have to step back or step to the side or hold their pinky and be like, I’m just here.<\/p>\n
If <\/p>\n
Brandon: you need me, you refereed the game. Now you are in the box or in the stands. See, that’s the, that’s the, uh, one of my, uh, mentors from back in Dallas used to say that as a parent, he said, listen to. Up until this point you’ve been refereeing the game. Now you’re, you’re, you’re watching now and hoping that all the rules that you’ve tried, that you’ve enforced and hoping that all the lessons you’ve tried to teach are.<\/p>\n
Taking root and that they can go and apply it in, in real life, uh, fashion. Now I love what you said though, that I do agree with parents. Where are your, where are your partners? We’re not enemies. We’re not the roadblocks. We’re your partners in this. And sometimes as partners, we have to say, you know, We can’t, we can’t do that.<\/p>\n
Uh, or yes, we can help them with that. Cause sometimes some parents are like, well, can’t you just go? It’s like, no, we can’t. What we can do is this. And we want to partner with you all in supporting your student because one thing we’re going. We are an institution of higher learning. We will challenge your students.<\/p>\n
We’re going to challenge the way they think, how they see the world, not to make them anything else, but to help them become the version of themselves that they aspire to be. And so we’re going to do two things. We will challenge and support, and we want to join you all on that journey and partner, uh, with you.<\/p>\n
And so with that partnership, that means check in, check in. Okay. Check in just like at a hotel, you have a designated time to check in. And just like at that same hotel, you have a designated checkout. And what that means is that, Hey, there’s some critical points for you to check in with your students. For example, right now is a great time to check in it’s post labor day.<\/p>\n
Um, we’re a month into the semester. And if your son or daughter or any of your kids didn’t come home. This is a good time to check in with them. This is a good time to see how things are going because that first three to six weeks, statistically speaking, when you look at the literature in higher education, it’s that first three to six weeks, where if a student doesn’t feel connected, they’re not likely to persist or remain at that particular institution.<\/p>\n
So check in. Ask them, if they’re connecting, ask them if they’ve met any other adults on campus and by adults, I mean, professional staff like myself and to Nossa and others and see how those relationships are forming. And if they’re not connecting challenged them to do so, encourage them to reach out, check the division of student affairs website, uh, or Texas today to see what’s on the calendar to see if there’s ways that they can connect.<\/p>\n
All kinds of things going on and listening to this podcast, it’s definitely one way to find out those things. So you definitely want to check in, and then once you’ve checked in, don’t check out, meaning like not connect, but step back just a little, let them give them a chance and some time to respond, because what you’ll find is that they’re busy they’re they are involved in organizations, they’re taking classes.<\/p>\n
And so in some cases it may be later in the week or the day, whereas you’re used to talking to them daily. I only talked to them once a week, if that, in some cases. So just check out a little bit, leave a little bit of time. They’ll get back to you. And as said, when they need you they’ll <\/p>\n
Etinosa: I think my other piece of advice is this is for students.<\/p>\n
I, as I was hiking here across campus, I. It just, I was looking at students and I was like, wow, power walking at its finest. This campus is so big, but it definitely reminded me like, kind of what you said. Like sometimes you got to slow down or you got to tap into what campus is doing. I think, you know, again, reflecting on my time in college, I guess.<\/p>\n
I don’t know if it’s like this weird, like, I don’t want to do what people are doing on campus. I was like, oh, We’ve got themes planned and stuff like that. And so like, even if you’re like coming from class and you walk past an event, like, you know, stop and take the kombucha, you know, right. Tap into the culture here, kind of thing.<\/p>\n
Like you guys are at the university of Texas at Austin. We want to make it worth your while and we want you to tap in and we want you to feel like you’re a Longhorn. And those are the memories that you talk about when you’re gone. And you’re just like, oh man. Remember when we got 7,000 shirts from that one, remember when we got kombucha, kombucha and popcorn and we got a meal and I didn’t have to use my real money to buy anything.<\/p>\n
Those are the things that I would say, like tap in, you’d be so surprised how many people you’re going to connect with. And like Dr. Jones said like the adults, right? Like it’s very hard sometimes for us to like, be like, oh, hi, like, what’s your name? Like, what’s your major? Like, what’s your story? Like, how can I help you?<\/p>\n
Kind of thing. If you just start talking about. 10 out of 10, we <\/p>\n
Brandon: will talk to you. And I will, if you see me walking across campus, I posted on my Twitter account last week. I said the number of students who heard me talk about something comic book related, uh, at leadership city limits, uh, back in August, uh, the number of students who stopped me across campus has been incredible.<\/p>\n
Like I’ll be walking somewhere and I’ll have my mask on and they will recognize me and go, Hey, Favorite DC character real quick. Favorite Marvel character. What did you think about this scene on a, what if earlier this week, which I I’m very much caught up or I focused on if y’all want to talk to me. Um, but I said, I might need to start a group because the reality is.<\/p>\n
Th th these students are coming up and they are engaging. And so we absolutely will talk to you. And not only that, what that does is that helps you cement your relationships and build those connections. Dr. Torres Strait horn, um, D has all the research on students’ sense of belonging. And the thing that he talks about is, is if they have an adult on campus that they connect with, Over something super big, like research or something as small as an interest like coffee or comics, they’re more likely to want to remain in that place because they know I can go to SNL so I can go talk to Dr.<\/p>\n
Jones or other professors in faculty on campus. The other thing is, is professors, especially professors. If you find a professor that you’re interested in their research, like, uh, Dr. BB Andorf over in the chemistry department or Dr. Moore over in the history department and just came out, uh, with his new book.<\/p>\n
On T teaching history, the white people, I was like, that’s a catchy title, but when you talk to them about the book, one of the things that’s amazing. It’s like, man, like, oh my gosh, I didn’t realize all these different ways to conduct historical investigations and teaching that book, I think just came out Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
It’s here on this campus. You’ve got so many amazing people. Dr. has a Ted talk. Um, she’s been on Jimmy Fallon. I think she’s been on Jimmy Kimmel. Uh, she’s traveling and is always on different TV shows. We got professor McConaughey on campus. Uh, Dr. Adrian C bro, over in communications, he’s done his research on black sitcoms.<\/p>\n
Um, we’ve got a lot of talented people on this campus that you literally are walking by every single day. And I don’t even have to get started on our student athletes and the incredible things that they’re doing. Right. But we’ve also gotten incredible faculty and just community here at UT. Yes. <\/p>\n
Etinosa: I mean, we, we, we just dropped some gems right there.<\/p>\n
I think it would be interesting to let our audience know what they can look forward to on this live podcast. <\/p>\n
Brandon: Oh my God. I know. Did you <\/p>\n
Etinosa: just do that? I just did that. I <\/p>\n
Brandon: know. The thing I love about what we’re doing with live is it’s it’s it started as an experiment and we built it along the way. Um, you know, when, when, when this became, this was an idea of my doc, my boss, Dr.<\/p>\n
Milan Kirksey, who we’ve had on the show before, this was an idea that he put into the strategic plan that we take the learning to our students. And instead of just depending on pro the traditional programs and depending on. Flyers and posters and bulletin boards. He’s like, let’s, let’s be different. We don’t have to do residence life.<\/p>\n
Like everybody else. Let’s try this podcast thing. And so around my secondary, right around the beginning of my second year, going into my third year, I got together, uh, heard about. The work that was going on over here in the liberal arts instructional technology studio, uh, shout out to lates. Um, and I did an episode of a podcast with Dr.<\/p>\n
Peniel Joseph over in the, in the LBJ school for public policy. And I was like, I want to learn more about this. And they got me connected with Jacob and everybody. And that’s how this came about now to answer your question, what’s coming up, get ready. We’re you know, this isn’t just a show where we talk to each other.<\/p>\n
Like we do that because we got stuff to say and we talked to. Faculty staff and alum, uh, who are doing some amazing things in the world because, you know, we say what starts here, changes the world. So I’m always fascinated by the things that our students and staff and faculty are doing to change the world.<\/p>\n
And so some of the things we’ve got coming up, we’ve got some exciting, exciting roster of guests that we’re going to be bringing on. And so make sure you stay tuned for that. We’re going to do some live on location stuff. Word on the street is we got a new little studio space on campus that we get to test out.<\/p>\n
And so we might actually have a couple of live, live episodes, a couple <\/p>\n
Etinosa: of live, live episodes at night. I feel like we just want to know how you guys are living. You know what I mean? Like this is supposed to be live. We want to be in the moment we want. No what’s happening on campus. What’s happening in your lives?<\/p>\n
Like Dr. Jones said like what’s happening with our faculty, our staff, our professional staff on campus, our alum, we are trying to change the world one podcast episode at a time. Um, so I’m definitely excited. I’m definitely excited to be a part of this as well. And just, you know, reach out to everybody. I feel like I’m talking to you even though I can’t see y’all, but, but definitely excited for, is this a season?<\/p>\n
This, <\/p>\n
Brandon: this, sure. I’ve never, I’ve never labeled it a season. I’ve just been like, this will be what episode 26. I mean, sure. Season two, three, whatever. W we’ll figure it out here. <\/p>\n
Etinosa: 2021. <\/p>\n
Brandon: There we go. 20, 21, 20 22. Yeah, we’re up. And, and it, and it’s going folks and I can not wait. Um, we got a couple of other things, uh, you know, to yesterday kicked off Hispanic heritage month.<\/p>\n
Really excited about some of the programming that’s going to be going on on campus as well. Uh, Robert Valdez, who’s been on this show. Uh, he and I were texting early this morning about some of the collaborations that we’re going to be doing, uh, with the Hispanic faculty staff association, uh, multicultural engagement center, uh, around.<\/p>\n
The closing week of Hispanic heritage month, we got a nice celebration. Y’all be on the lookout for that. We’re going to have a mariachi band on the main mall. Hopefully they gave us the main mall, but location pending. Um, we’re going to have free food. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be a celebration.<\/p>\n
And so stay tuned for, uh, our Hispanic heritage month celebration as well. But, you know, Record there who knows. They may see us there. We may get a, we’re working with our marketing team to get some gear. So you may see us walk, some folks walking around on campus with the live t-shirts promoting the show.<\/p>\n
And, um, yeah, it’s a lot of cool things happen. And I mean, I, again, this started off. Strategic plan item had one bullet create a podcast. It became this, and this has grown into one of the favorite things I get to do at my job, because you know, it just keeps getting better every time we record. <\/p>\n
Etinosa: Yes. So.<\/p>\n
That’s all I’ve got for you guys today, Dr. Jones, is there anything else that you want to add to the end of this live podcast? <\/p>\n
Brandon: Nah, just looking forward to the next one. And so spread the word, let folks know that we out there we exist and looking forward to seeing you all next time. Bye.<\/p>\n
We hope you enjoy today’s episode to catch the next installment. Be sure to follow us on Spotify, apple podcasts, Google podcasts, and Stitcher. We’ll see you next time.<\/p>\n"},"episode_featured_image":false,"episode_player_image":"https:\/\/podcasts.la.utexas.edu\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2022\/03\/LIVE-logo-TPN.png","download_link":"https:\/\/podcasts.la.utexas.edu\/live\/podcast-download\/329\/episode-26-back-to-school.mp3","player_link":"https:\/\/podcasts.la.utexas.edu\/live\/podcast-player\/329\/episode-26-back-to-school.mp3","audio_player":"