How to Rethink the Conference Experience

After my recent post detailing how I "crashed" a conference, I figured I'd put my energy to work rethinking how we can frame the conference experience. 

I'll say at the start here that I don't think my ideas are the only way to go. I believe we need a more diverse ecosystem of opportunities for folks to learn from and connect with each other. We've duplicated one model across the landscape of higher ed, and while there are some organizations making good progress, I think we need more of a shift across the board to create better outcomes for everyone involved.

So here is what's on my mind when it comes to rethinking the modern higher ed conference experience:

Accessibility

The biggest thing that needs to change in my opinion is that many people simply cannot even get in the front door. These events are too expensive and prevent many people from going because the cost. And the value given for that money is not good. Something needs to give there, some of which can be controlled by the national organizations (sponsorships, scholarships, reduce overhead) and others can't (more professional development funding for employees). Otherwise, there can be a combination of the other ideas I have.

Focus

Another helpful guidance for national conferences would be to focus. In true student affairs fashion, there is a tendency to accommodate a lot of different presenters. While everyone deserves a platform to speak about what they want, it doesn't do anyone any favors overloading the schedule. Not enough attendees will be able to realistically go to each session and you put speakers in a frustrating position of feeling like their time is being wasted. If you don't have to build out a massive multi day schedule, you could help save on costs for these conferences. Also, there could be benefit in doing more focused, smaller, local events on a more frequent basis. Which brings me to my next point...

Frequency

The final idea here is something I've thought about often. There doesn't exist a coordinated network of local meetup groups for higher ed. Many organizations have local networking groups that help with more focused, frequent professional development. I've lived in a few different states now and have not seen any state branch or regional chapter have any consistent solution here. There have been annual local conferences but that's about it. These can be low cost, held all over the area they cover, as well as far more adaptive to the needs of the community. 

These are general ideas I have on this topic, and I think combining them in a thoughtful manner can have very positive outcomes for our field. We need to breakup with the idea that the only way to do professional development on at scale as a field is with annual conferences (and don't even get me started on overpriced webinars). I'm hoping we can take a step back and rethink this outdated model so that we can all reach higher levels of success.

Preparing the Perfect On-Boarding for Student Affairs

First impressions are everything, as they say.

Starting a new job is no different. The early days are highly impactful in how they shape your relationship with a new organization, its culture, expectations, and where you fit in.

I'm sure all of us have had less than ideal onboarding processes throughout our careers. I know I have. I was just thrust into a job with literally no training or any sort of warm welcome. I felt isolated and confused about how to navigate the organization and my role in it. Needless to say, I was figuring my way out pretty early on and didn't engage deeply with the work or the institution. They had someone in the role doing the work, but my productivity could have been so much more if I was better supported at the start.

I'll include more resources at the end of this post, but I'll boil down the essence of them all here and you can see what the wisdom of the crowd is.

Plan Ahead

This may seem straightforward, but from my experience and those of others I know, it warrants being said. Give this important time in a new team member's life cycle the attention and thought it deserves. Figure out what you might want to change from previous onboardings (hopefully you have feedback from previous new hires). How are they going to spend their first day? First week? First month? The more you figure out ahead of time will greatly benefit you. Chat with your new hire to figure out what they're going to need too. Which leads me to my next point...

Get Everything Set Up and Prepared

Once you know your plan, put it into action. Set up meetings with important people, get their tech situated, and figure out any other details they might need like parking, office supplies, new furniture in their space. It doesn't give the new hire a good impression to walk in and not have what they need to do their job, make them have to figure things out on their own, or force them to run around getting things set up. It makes it seem like you don't care. 

Introduce Them and Show Them Around

Meeting new people can be awkward. Especially when you work with them and don't know how you'll be interacting with them moving forward. Being a sort of "wing-person" to your new hire will help a lot with this. They'll meet with the most important people relevant to their role and get a little context for the relationship. You can also schedule quality time versus time that might feel rushed and need to be focused on other demands. 

What Do They Need To Know

Sometimes we go a little overboard with unloading information on a new hire. We think we're benefitting them by giving them every morsel of the institution they could ever possibly need to know. You would be better off trimming off some of the fat and keeping the initial content lean. There is going to be so much to transition to in a new role that if you give too much info, then you'll overwhelm your new team member and stress them out. Dole out info as it is needed and when it is relevant so it exists in context versus just static text or video trainings. 

This is just the simple, distilled guidance on this topic. There is so much more to explore and things that would be unique to your institution or the role you're hiring for. Hopefully this at least gets you thinking differently about how you onboard new hires. It's a really important time to make a positive impression and a smooth transition. 

Resources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamvanderbloemen/2017/03/16/how-to-build-an-effective-employee-onboarding-system/#632a31273a6f

https://www.higheredjobs.com/articles/articleDisplay.cfm?ID=1022

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/new-employee-onboarding-guide.aspx

https://www.inc.com/guides/2010/04/building-an-onboarding-plan.html

https://www.peopleadmin.com/2017/08/onboarding-processes-driving-away-higher-educations-employees/

https://www.humanity.com/blog/employee-onboarding-guide.html

How to Help Prepare Students for Post-Grad Life

Just as students are starting their higher ed journeys, many students are also finishing and graduating (this is happening every semester/term/quarter, not just in the Fall and Spring respectively). And often, we focus far more on orientation, First Year Experiences, admissions, and the early stages than those students who are preparing to move on to their life post college.

As students graduate and settle into their new role as an alum (which will be a far longer relationship), we often struggle to find methods to engage them in meaningful ways. Their first impressions of what it means to have a bond with their alma mater can be hard to undo, since they'll eventually have many more priorities and focuses for their time. 

There is a strategy that I synthesized in my head to solve both of these problems; put on mentoring programs between students approaching graduation and alum of the last five years. It allows young alums to have a positive way to give back that doesn't require money, and also helps soon-to-be graduates feel better prepared for the life that awaits them by learning from peers nearer to their own experience versus older professionals. This tends to be a lot more helpful and in general, it's nice to have someone looking out for us to guide us along our educational journey.

While this isn't a radically new idea, it can have a huge positive impact if done in the right way. Forcing mentoring pairs can be hit or miss in my experience. Relationships need to form organically. As such, we need to put on regular networking events for these groups to come together. Invite alumni speakers to come back to campus. Have alumni panels focused on different industries. Have alumni be ambassadors involved in prospective student recruitment and engaging other alum.

We obviously want our students to feel prepared for success after college, but for the higher ed professional, this can also serve a very important purpose; nurturing the desire for financial support from alumni. It is going to be a hard sell to cold call an alum and essentially beg for money. However, if you have built up some good will with meaningful involvements for these people, they'll be far more likely to give back. This applies to the current alumni, but also these soon to be alumni who are feeling supported with these positive alumni mentors in their life.

Use this as fodder to figure out the best ways to implement this sort of effort at your institution. It's objectively important, so you need to tap into this resource to prepare yourself for the future of higher ed where we will need to be increasingly self sufficient and capitalize on the human capital at our disposal.

Thanks for stopping by!

Looking Back on on The SAC Podcast

As the premiere of my new podcast approaches, I thought I would look back and reflect on a big part of my life; The Student Affairs Spectacular Podcast I co-hosted for about two and half years with Tom Krieglstein and The Student Affairs Collective (SAC).

My last episode was in December 2016, and the show achieved great success during my time. While I shared hosting duties with Tom, I also took care of most of the backend production for the podcast, which taught me a lot. I've since consulted several people helping to get their own shows off the ground.

The decision to leave the show was a hard one, but at the time, I needed to focus my energies else where and really needed a break. It's been months now, and I'm excited to get back in with a show that is mine and will continue in the spirit of its predecessor.

My journey as a content creator in higher ed has been what feels like a long, slow trek but an overall positive one. The consistency of my contributions has gone down, but my writing has vastly improved. I'm still figuring out what feels right, and I think I'm getting there now. I took a break from talking with people, but now feel like I'm starting off from a much stronger place in terms of my conversational skills then when I recorded my first episode of the SAC podcast. I remember feeling so nervous each time, and stumbling through episodes at times. I have now found my voice, and feel more in a rhythm each time I record.

I also now know my worth far more than I did before. I get paid for my writing, and am able to forge partnerships that help myself and my collaborators fairly. I understand my strengths and what I have to offer. I know so much more this time around, that I am really excited to see where everything goes.

I'm thankful for the experience, the connections, and the confidence I gained from doing the SAC podcast. All good things must come to an end, but with that, here's to the next chapter!

#SAGeeks - League of Legends & Female Representation

The SAGeeks series is all about celebrating the geeky and nerdy sides of all of us working in higher education and student affairs. Check out our resources page for more geeky goodness.

There are three things that totally changed my last year of college; Miss Representation, League of Legends (LoL), and getting involved in Residence Life. Here is that story:

The Beginning

I went to my first live LoL tournament in February of 2014. Little did I know, even though I didn’t dedicate any fellowship to any particular team or player prior to this event, I was still fangirling the whole time I was there. It was such a strange experience, getting excited and taking pictures with people I didn’t know that well, and I felt really connected to the community as a whole. After the initial excitement, I had lots of questions in my head regarding my experience in a live gaming event. I shared these thoughts with a good social psychology professor of mine, and then my question bubbles exploded into a form of pride; I was proud of LoL, and I was proud of being a part of this community (even if I don’t really comment on any Reddit thread). I even put together a slideshow overviewing the growth of this game and the impact of e-sports, explaining to professors why this topic should be studied. Before I knew it, I was proposing research topics on video games and e-sports, and I was determined to incorporate my favorite game into this research. I genuinely love LoL, and I genuinely believe in the impact of video games on people’s lives.

While I was searching for limited e-sports psychology studies, I watched the documentary Miss Representation as a part of my all-campus Residence Life leader training in August. The entire documentary was moving, and the topic that resonated with me the most was sexualization of females in media. Reflecting back to the online harassments female gamers often encounter (in fact, a team’s official Instagram account shared a photo of my friend and I taking picture with a professional gamer, and almost all of the comments were sexual jokes), and a panel of very similar female character figures, I began looking into hypersexualization and sexism within the video game industry. Based on my initial literature review, there were lot of research illustrating the connection between sexist attitude and sexual content in video games, demonstrating the negative effect of hypersexualization on female’s self-esteem in media advertisements. In one particular study, females who played as hypersexualized female characters reported lower self-efficacy than those who played as neutral female character (Behm-Morawits & Mastro, 2009). This was intriguing, I wondered if playing certain characters would make people feel certain way about themselves, especially among us females. Would I feel less about myself if play Ahri instead of Annie? What’s the difference between wearing head-to-toe armor and bikini-style custom? Would playing a sexy female hero empower me or would it make me feel insecure?

The Process

Within a week, I received departmental approval to complete a 2-year honors program within a year, persuaded one of my favorite professors to be my advisor for the year (the same processor who I initially discussed my fangirl experience with), and started my journey researching my favorite video games and social justice. While the initial hype lasted couple of weeks, the frustration about designing an efficacious and effective experiment soon arrived. Researching and finding related studies online, electing champions for exposure, choosing types of measurement, determining how long the exposure should be, deciding interaction period length between subjects and games, eliminating variables, editing instruction scripts, recruiting subjects, running subjects...let’s just say the process was a bit stressful at times. I remembered distinctly that shortly after I drafted the experiment scripts and put together experiment materials, Riot (LoL’s company) changed some of their champion splash art and announced a new patch updating game visuals. This of course impacted my study progress, as I didn’t want to there to be any changes within the game halfway through my research. But disregarding all the challenges and frustrations, I knew for sure that this adventure was something I really wanted, so I’m going to finish it.

My study investigated the effect of hypersexualization of female video game avatars on player’s self-regards. Subjects entered the study with the impression that the study looks into personality type and character enjoyment: they were first instructed to view a panel of characters (hypersexualized vs. neutral), then played either a hypersexualized character or a neutral character for 20 minutes with simple instruction in a single player mode. After the interaction phrase, they answered a series of question regarding their experience playing the character, followed by measurement measuring how they feel about themselves. In my study, I had 28 male participants and 45 female participants, and five areas of self-regards were measured: performance state self-esteem, social state self-esteem, appearance state self-esteem, overall state self-esteem, and self-perceived mating value (how sexually attractive people think they are). After initial analysis (a 2x2 ANOVA for those who are interested in stats) and follow-up analysis (contrast test), female participants who were exposed to hypersexualized characters reported to have significantly lower self-perceived mating success than neutral characters, which is a finding consistent with many previous studies.

The Afterthought

My study wasn’t perfect of course, I wished I had another year to polish the design and increase sample size for stronger statistical significance. Although the research process was at times frustrating, and in a way temporarily decreased my desire to play LoL (repetitiveness sometimes makes things very boring), I am proud of myself: not only was I completing a 2-year honors program within a year, I was researching my favorite game on a topic that really hits home. In the end, this was more than just a school project, it was a personal accomplishment motivating me to combine my scholastic interests with everyday hobby, a challenge demonstrating my potential and capability through the heart of a researcher and a gamer.

In terms of personal reflections, there were two ideas that stood out to me the most in this experience: to ask questions, and to find answers. I will never forget how my mind was full of wonders after that tournament event, I had so many questions about my feelings, myself, the community, the experience, and underlying social theories. Thankfully, my advisor listened to my questions and enlightened me to ask more. Because this was what psychology about, it’s to study and question our behaviors and minds.I will also never forget how my heart was full of empowerment after Miss Representation, I wanted to become a part of this narratives, this movement, and this awakening call. Because we deserve better. I want to see more diversity in female figures in video games, I want to see less body objectification in video games, I want to see more female leadership in video game industry, and I want to see less harassment and sexual comments being aimed at female gamers.

And maybe, just maybe, I can be a part of this awareness movement on hypersexualization in video games, one game at a time. I can contribute to the improvement of my favorite game, one research project at a time.

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Guicheng “Ariel” Tan is a new professional working in student affairs for almost a year now! She graduated UC San Diego in 2015 with distinction in psychology, and researched on the effect of hypersexualization in video games. Since she finished college in three years, Ariel decided to make her 4th year a “practicum year” by working for graduate and family housing department at her institution. She currently serves as the Leasing Consultant, providing residential life services and community programs for her residents. Ariel’s passion within the geek culture is combined with her social justice interest, she is interested in the effect of entertainment media on people’s self-perception and identity formation, as well as the impact of online community on real life community in this digital age. While her favorite anime is Sailor Moon, Naruto and Detective Conan (although that series is getting way too long), her favorite game is League of Legends and Chinese Paladin (a classic RPG in China). Connect with her on Facebook and LinkedIn!

#SAGeeks - A Lifelong Love of Musical Theatre

The SAGeeks series is all about celebrating the geeky and nerdy sides of all of us working in higher education and student affairs. The series is edited by Jenn Osolinski and Lynne Meyer. Check out our resources page for more geeky goodness.

I have been a musical theatre geek for as long as I can remember, to the point where I was inspired to get my bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts. I had some stellar experiences with my programming board, and started shifting my aspirations towards a field more focused on events. After trying out a career in event sales and hospitality, I made the decision to apply to Student Affairs graduate programs. Though my theatre career is now centered around being an audience member, the musicals I love still shape the way I see the world. My #SAGrad application journey would not have been complete without some of the musical life lessons I learned from some old and new favorites:

Into the Woods

I have a theory that each of the characters in Stephen Sondheim’s fairy tale conglomerate, Into the Woods, represents different stages of life. After my Jack (of beanstalk fame) days of undergrad, I would currently place myself in the Cinderella stage of my life. There comes a moment where Cinderella has to make her first big decision: does she run from the prince or go to him? She decides that her decision is “not to decide” and leaves behind a shoe to see what will happen.

When I first started entertaining the idea of working in Student Affairs, I decided to throw out some “shoes” in a couple of different areas, and see which one stuck. I applied for a mixture of jobs in higher ed and hotel sales. I ended up getting interviews for two jobs at the same time: a position in sales at a luxury hotel and a position in student center operations at my alma mater. I ended up not getting either job. However, I realized how much more invested I was in the student center job. I was excited about the ideas I was discussing during the interview process, and I was absolutely crushed when I did not get the job. The experience showed me how much more passionate I was about higher education than hospitality, so I decided to start the Student Affairs graduate application process.

I ended up receiving an offer for a similar position that had opened up at the hotel in January. Now it was decision time, and I nervously told them thank you, but I had decided on a career change. The next day, I received my first acceptance to a program!

Spongebob Squarepants the Musical

I had the pleasure of seeing Spongebob Squarepants the Musical’s out-of-town Broadway tryout in Chicago. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, and how it included some valuable insight that could be translated to Student Affairs. Over the course of the show, Spongebob is constantly told that he is not manager material. Spongebob frets over his lack of skills when it comes to stopping a volcano from destroying Bikini Bottom. In the end, he encourages his friends to use their strengths to defeat the volcano, and realizes his optimism and support of his friends is his strength. He is manager material after all!

The graduate school application process was enormously humbling for me. There were many times when I looked at personal statement prompts and felt like a simple sponge myself. I decided to talk to Student Affairs professionals I had looked up to during undergrad, and find out what skills they thought were necessary to be a good Student Affairs professional. I learned that in order to be “manager material,” I needed to be willing to listen to and advocate for my students, and to trust my students to use their own skills. One professional I spoke to told me that “students don’t need us as much as we think they do,” which inspires me to ensure that I have a clear understanding of what my students do need, whether that is support or a challenge. Figuring out what “manager material” was helped me figure out how a simple sponge like me could fit into that material.

Rock of Ages

As a teenager in New Jersey, I spent most of summer 2009 obsessing over the 80’s jukebox musical Rock of Ages. While a musical featuring that much glitter and spandex may not seem the most obvious choice for inspiration, the moral of the story has always stuck with me: “Sometimes the dreams you come in with aren’t always the dreams you leave with, but hey, they still rock.” The main characters in the show do not end up becoming a rock star and movie star, instead they realize they value honesty and love over the crooked paths they were taking to achieve their career goals.

There is still a part of me that wonders how the freshman dead set on becoming a Broadway casting director in New York City would feel about the fact that I am gearing up to spend two years in a midwestern town, 45 minutes from the nearest Starbucks, to start my career in higher education. I wonder if I am disappointing a part of myself. Then I remember that the important thing is that I still have dreams that are fulfilling to me, and I am working hard to achieve them. I also know what a joy it is to watch students develop into leaders, which I could not have imagined at the beginning of my college career. Though I probably will not end up with a Tony Award over the course of my career, I am excited to see where my Student Affairs journey takes me next.

*cue Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’*

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Shannon M. Daly is an incoming first year in Western Illinois University’s College Student Personnel program, where she will serve as the Graduate Assistant for the University Student Union. She has strong interests in programming, advising, and operations. She graduated from DePaul University in 2015, where she was heavily involved in DePaul Activities Board and the Office of Student Involvement. During her gap year between undergrad and graduate school, she in Group Sales at the Chicago Architecture Foundation. In her spare time, she loves baking, karaoke, and browsing craft stores. Connect with her on Twitter, LinkedIn, and on her website.

#SAGeeks - Broadway Isn't All About Jazz Hands and Kick Lines

The SAGeeks series is all about celebrating the geeky and nerdy sides of all of us working in higher education and student affairs. The series is edited by Jenn Osolinski and Lynne Meyer. Check out our resources page for more geeky goodness.

Being a “geek” is an ever changing term, where once those who identified as “geeks” may have tried to hide, I like to think that people are now more willing to wear their geekdom on their sleeves. My walls are covered in Broadway window cards both signed and unsigned, I trade playbills like baseball cards, and my iPod is 98% show tunes. I am unequivocally and without shame what some would call “Broadway trash”.

In the last two years, as I went through graduate school and obtained my masters my I began to see my love of Broadway in a new light. Suddenly I was broadening my horizons through the subject matter, seeing the parallels between the inclusivity we strive for on campus and the inclusivity playing out on stage, and using Broadway subject matter as a way to connect with students.

Being part of the Broadway fandom is like having a ticket into a welcoming and nurturing community. Fellow fans who always want to talk about shows, meeting actors at stage doors and being able to tell them the impact their show has had on you, and through social media and beyond seeing the tight knit relationships between actors even when their shows may be competing against each other. Take for instance, the combining of the Broadway community to do the special recording of What the World Needs Now to support the victims of Orlando. It took only two days of organizing to get everyone from Idina Menzel, to Lin-Manuel Miranda, to Carole King, Audra McDonald, Wayne Brady, and so many more. The support given between members of the Broadway world is part of what makes you feel like you are being hugged by this community, being a member of the Broadway fandom is like being part of the happiest family reunion you could attend.

Tying my life as a Broadway geek into my life as a student affairs professional wasn’t something that I consciously decided to do, it really came about in a more organic way. Suddenly, as I went through my graduate coursework, saw the topics and issues happening within higher education, and worked with students, I began to see the same scenarios playing out on stage. While I saw the fight for transgender rights paying out on campus, I saw Darren Criss’ portrayal of transgender rock star Hedwig and her struggles play out on stage in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. As I learned about disability accommodations and the resources that some institutions have and others don’t, I was able to witness the near seamless implementation of deaf talent and ASL come together in the Deaf West revival of Spring Awakening (a show that also included Broadway’s first actress in a wheelchair). Similarly, when I witnessed student leaders educating themselves on working with students who may lie on the spectrum, I was able to help them understand a bit more by explaining to them my love of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (both the play and the book).

In a world where students just want to see people like them represented, striving for equality and equity and perhaps thinking that it won’t happen, I ask them to look away from the mainstream media where they may not see themselves and instead perhaps look to outlets that are getting it right. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the man who first put his name on the map with In The Heights a musical shining a light on life in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York, is now telling the history of our country then as told by our country now. Diversity is prevalent in Hamilton, from telling a story of immigrants, to casting a diverse set of actors, to using hip-hop on stage.

I am a Broadway geek at heart, I love getting lost in the whimsical worlds of Wicked or Aladdin but I also love the stories shown on stage that shine a light on today’s issues, issues being discussed on campuses. Whether that is relationship abuse, shown in The Color Purple and Waitress, racial tensions in classic musicals such as West Side Story, struggles with gender identity seen in Kinky Boots or Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and about every other topic that the arts can help portray. The Broadway community is like a big loving family, and as part of that family I strive to use my geekdom to spread that loves on to others.

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Hannah Berling is a recent graduate of the Higher Education in Student Affairs from Salem State University. She is currently undergoing her full-time job search and is looking to obtain a position within student activities or student success and retention. In addition to her passion for student programming, she hopes to one day be able to work with and provide resources and advocacy for undocumented students within higher education. Through her love of Broadway she encourages students to, in the words of Pippin, find their "corner of the sky". Connect with her on Twitter.

#SAGeeks - Did You Know You're a Dungeon Master?

The SAGeeks series is all about celebrating the geeky and nerdy sides of all of us working in higher education and student affairs. The series is edited by Jenn Osolinski and Lynne Meyer. Check out our resources page for more geeky goodness.

One of the noblest, and most stereotyped, geek activities is that of Role Playing Games (RPGs). Don’t know what that means? I bet you do once you learn that Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is an RPG, and yes, even D&D has lessons for us for those in Student Affairs.

What are RPGs? Although you may have heard of the very popular D&D, you may have never learned what it is exactly. Unlike traditional games, RPGs typically have no board and no pieces, just a rule book, dice, and players set out on an adventure seeking to achieve something great. You might be wondering how they accomplish anything without a board and pieces. Players use their minds! They challenge themselves to create a vision in their head of what is going on, design their characters according to the rulebook, and use pen & paper to track their progress. Then when the characters try to perform actions, such as striking the Dragon with their sword to save the princess, they roll a 20 sided die to see their effectiveness.

Each time they play, one person takes on a unique role -- the Dungeon Master (DM). DMs are, in a way, the Student Affairs professionals of the fantasy world that is unfolding for the players. The DM paints a picture for the adventures of world they are exploring, and informs the players of their goals for the quest. Additionally, DMs do not participate in the quest but are themselves challenged by serving as the “in-between” for the adventurers and the world itself. Roles the DM can take on range from the honorable King who supports the players with tools that will aid their needs, and sometimes even act as the Dragon that presents the players with their toughest challenge yet. If the players work together, utilize their skills and abilities they may overcome these challenges and be renowned for their success.

As Student Affairs professionals, many of us take on the role of Dungeon Master for our student’s quests. Similar to a DM, Student Affairs professionals have spent lots of time studying student development (the game mechanics), have a good grasp on rules of the land, and have had first-hand experiences that aid in providing context to students.

Now the interesting thing is that just like our students, the players choose their own actions. Some choices might be noble, others far from it. Regardless the Dungeon Masters serve as the in-between for how the environment (University) reacts to the choices of the players. Sometimes it’s to recognize them for their achievement, challenge them, or hold them accountable for their actions.

Okay. I get it. We are all Dungeon Masters, now what?

I challenge you to assist students in connecting their experiences into a holistic narrative, equip students with the tools for success, present noble quests & challenges when appropriate (Dragon or no Dragon your choice), hold them accountable for their actions, and celebrate the successes of their adventure.

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Bruce Brown currently works in Student Activities at Texas A&M University - College Station. He is the Leadership Program Coordinator for LeaderShape & StrengthsQuest, and advisor for two service based student organizations. Bruce is an avid gamer, grew up outside NYC, completed his MA at BGSU, has traveled to all 7 continents, and even met his fiancee thanks to Legos.
Connect with Bruce via Facebook, Instagram, and add him as a GeekBuddy on BoardGameGeek!

#SAGeeks - Connections to Life from Pro Wrestling

The SAGeeks series is all about celebrating the geeky and nerdy sides of all of us working in higher education and student affairs. The series is edited by Jenn Osolinski and Lynne Meyer. Check out our resources page for more geeky goodness.

The music hits. You stand up out of your seat because of the unfamiliar rhythm, the dramatic lights, a mesmerizing video display and corresponding pyrotechnics. You can’t help but anticipate that something big, something newsworthy is about to happen. Not only is it happening, but you’re there, live, in the audience to witness it. This scene could describe a lot of different forms of entertainment, but in this particular case, this scene describes professional wrestling… or sports entertainment for those who belong to that camp.

My fascination with this oft-mocked but incredibly formidable form of entertainment is not much of a surprise. Since childhood I have been enamored with the spectacle - the characters, the story lines, and the athleticism. In more recent times though, I’ve transitioned my interest from the action within the squared circle (wrestling ring) to that which takes place behind the scenes – the talent relations, the writing and production, marketing, etc.

The advent of the internet opened up the curtain. Fans who are interested can learn a lot about the history, the behind-the-scenes drama, and inner workings of the shows and companies. Podcasts have flooded the market, with current and past stars willing to share their insights and stories both in front of and behind the camera. As a fan, I consume quite a bit of this information. Maybe more than I should. It takes me out of the moment when cool things are happening. I’m thinking about why a booking decision was made, where it may be leading, if it’s a part of a bigger plan for the characters, and if I would book the arc similarly. While this level of detail and over thinking isn’t ideal for a fan of the genre that is so grounded in fostering raw emotions, it has yielded an interesting lens in which I view my other passion, and profession, in student affairs.

Sterling, the Independent Contractor

Once the goal of permanent, full-time work has been reached, operating with the mindset of an independent contractor is hard to reconcile for many professionals in our field. Finding the dream job at the dream institution and settling in for the long haul appeals to a lot of our colleagues at campuses across North America. Note: I am not here to discourage those motivations. What I do and recently did challenge myself to consider though, is what are my prospects on the current roster and am I happy with this assessment? Am I able to meet my goals of becoming a ‘main event talent’? Am I someone who is considered a ‘good hand’ but not a ‘star’ – someone who can help elevate others with greater potential but isn’t seen as having potential to succeed in a greater role?

Bear in mind, this reality isn’t one that everyone engages with. That is to say this isn’t the case for our contracted colleagues who move from institution to institution, role to role, being pushed through rapid prototyping and quick development to fill short-term vacancies and positions. While the lack of job security is omnipresent, these realities force those of us in contract roles to advocate for what we need to be successful and continue developing, to pursue networking and potential future employment opportunities, to share our successes and stories as a marketing tool, to be the best version of ourselves – maximizing our minutes - every time we’re on camera or in front of an audience.

I recently swallowed this fear and made a lateral move to another institution. Using wrestling terminology to highlight this example – I recognized that my position within the roster had peaked. There were only a few main event slots in the company and they were filled for the foreseeable future. I was happy and challenged in my role, working with lots of innovative, up and coming stars, but I wasn’t being completely fulfilled. I wasn’t buying into the vision and direction of the brand in the way that one should at that level. I was still connecting with the audience, I had built enough of a following outside of the organization to harness my network to explore upcoming opportunities, I had identified the type of brand I wanted to build for myself moving forward, and I wanted to work with a new talent pool to see what else I could learn and contribute in a different environment. I moved from a university to a college, I moved 4 hours away, and I shelved my anxieties about how the new team would view my potential contributions and dove into the new role with confidence. I was able to view myself as an independent contractor and a brand – searching for a team whose values aligned with mine, a place where I would be challenged to grow and develop myself while growing and developing others, an environment where I would be given an opportunity to maximize my minutes and earn my position.

Sterling, Talent Relations Manager

Professional wrestling survives on its creation of new stars. Without new stars, new audience members can’t be brought in. Eventually folks retire, audience members disappear, and the business wanes. How do we create new stars in our field? Or more humbly said, how do we develop new talent? How do we help elevate our peers to higher levels of success so that we all can be successful? How can we view our collaborative successes as best for business and not as competition? New stars doesn’t always mean the youngest or most recent graduates either – it can mean those who have for one reason or another been cast at a particular level or role and are seeking an opportunity to try something new or demonstrate the impact they can have working on another team or project.

Since taking on the role of Manager at my previous institution, I have shared with every staff member that I view my role as fostering an environment where we are empowered to achieve our common mission collaboratively. In order to do this, we need to build confidence and capacity. This includes me helping each team member develop the skills and competencies necessary to reach their next career goal through regular coaching, feedback, conversation, encouragement, and referrals to resources. I see my role as leading team members through the developmental system onto the main stage and beyond. I strive for team members to be willing and able to be open and honest about their future goals and potential opportunities so that I can be supportive in whatever way I can (constructive feedback included when some additional self-appraisal may be required). I look to disrupt a system that encourages complacency in our roles and can breed bitterness in our rising stars who struggle to gain exposure and experience, sometimes for their entire careers.

Pro wrestling, while full of campy glitz and glamour, has a long running machine behind it with many moving pieces that can give us new lenses with which to reflect on the same questions and view the work that we do in student affairs. This is just a glimmer of some of the ways in which it has challenged me to think of things differently and the questions it has forced me to ask of myself when considering my own career, as well as how I support the careers of others. I hope that by sharing some of my inner geek that I’ve given folks some points for consideration.

I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to the online community of SA pros who happen to also be pro wrestling fans – the #SAKliq. A wonderful group of people who I haven’t been able to interact with much during this transition with little cellular data and internet access.

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Sterling Webb-Crowe is currently the Manager, Co-Curricular Student Learning and Development at Centennial College in Toronto, ON., Canada. He views himself as an educator, collaborator, and administrator focused on promoting student learning, engagement, and success. Along with this, he is a certified Zumba ® instructor and an avid Fitbit™ competitor. He has a passion for 1980s television shows such as the Golden Girls, Murder She Wrote, and Matlock, and is a sucker for nostalgia. Connect with Sterling on Twitter and LinkedIn.

#SAGeeks - Growing up With Cartoons

The SAGeeks series is all about celebrating the geeky and nerdy sides of all of us working in higher education and student affairs. The series is edited by Jenn Osolinski and Lynne Meyer. Check out our resources page for more geeky goodness.

If you grew up watching television in the early 90’s like I did, you may have watched a channel catered to children called Nickelodeon. On this network, all of the programming was targeted towards kids and young teenagers; I can remember sitting on Saturday mornings watching cartoons like Rugrats, Aaahh!! Real Monsters, and my favorite at the time, Rocko’s Modern Life. I continued to watch these cartoons long after my friends moved on to shows like The Real World and Dawson’s Creek; all aiming for a slightly older demographic.

You’d be surprised at the amount of quality animated programming these days. Animation, for many years, followed a very narrow format. Shows like Rugrats were for children, and often had a small lesson to be learned about sharing or the importance of taking turns. Taking into consideration shorter attention spans, an episode rarely went longer than 11 or 12 minutes. More mature programming at the time (known as anime, often coming from Japan) was targeted primarily for teenaged boys. I loved it all. I consumed as much as I could, often racing home from school to catch Toonami on Cartoon Network.

Over time though, my enthusiasm for cartoons faded. Occasionally, I would catch an episode of Family Guy, but for the most part, I was busy with school or I was watching some “more appropriate” television for someone my age. Sometime in my undergraduate years though, I caught an episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender while watching after one of my younger cousins. It was a show about Aang, an 11-year-old who was the last of his kind, and forced to save the world, which was on the brink of war. For anyone paying minimal attention, the show was for young teenagers, but if you took the time to examine a little closer, the show was groundbreaking.

After that first episode of Avatar, my cousin put on another, then another, and another. We were both hooked. This show was action packed, but could slow the pace down to develop characters. It was beautifully animated, yet didn’t rely on visuals to be entertaining. The jokes were funny, but took the time to process serious issues. It, above all other animation at the time, treated its audience (children and young adults) seriously. It knew that the people watching  it could handle serious stuff. (It’s also one of the first cartoons I can remember that had a regular character with a disability without making her one-dimensional.) If you haven’t had a chance to watch it, it is currently available on Amazon Prime to stream. I highly recommend it. The point of all this is that with the help of Avatar: The Last Airbender, I fell in love with animation again. I began consuming loads of animated programming, from Japanese anime like Cowboy Bebop to more light-hearted fare such as Disney’s Gravity Falls and The Proud Family.

    Now, as an adult, I’ve rekindled my love for cartoons. Over the last few years, I’ve grown from a fresh-faced new professional to someone with some experience, some knowledge. I was very self-conscious about my interest in cartoons, because they’ve always been seen as childish and immature. But I can tell you, from someone with experience watching A LOT of animated television: you will not see a rundown as diverse and mature as what is available nowadays. Steven Universe features openly gay intergalactic warriors defending the Earth, stars a racially diverse set of characters, and talks about loss and relationships openly and in a healthy way. Adventure Time shows characters processing rejection and loss, and has rich and deep storylines with multiple characters at once. The Legend of Korra, a spinoff sequel of Avatar, has a bisexual LEAD CHARACTER (honestly, when was that ever done in a mainstream cartoon before?), and had our heroes struggle with identity, competence, and post-traumatic stress. Not only do these programs incorporate serious topics, they integrate them WELL, and that is the important thing to remember.

I’m the type of person that enjoys processing an issue through entertainment. I like to laugh while learning. I get caught up in the narrative, and while doing so, I learn more about something. If a term catches my attention, I look it up. Cartoons have taught me more about being empathetic, kind, and patient; and I am grateful for it. I know that the things I’m watching may be catered to a younger demographic, but that doesn’t stop it from being enjoyable. Our future students may grow up watching this content. I’ll be thankful for it when they come to my institution as first year students, having maybe unwittingly learned to be compassionate and dedicated, just like Aang from Avatar.