2022 Summer Campus Life Trends (CLT) Magazine

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CAMPUS LIFE TRENDS

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The 16th Annual Leadersip On Broadway Experience is BACK! ~page 22

IN THIS EDITION

• MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY ON CAMPUS • FROM EVENTS TO EXPERIENCES

• OFFICER RULES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND TRANSITIONS

2022 National Campus Activities Planning Conference Award Winners ~page 14

CLT Magazine | SUMMER 2022 E DI TO R:

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

HEAT HE R LA M B E RT GR A P HI C DE S I G N E R : KR I S T Y LAV E LL A T H AN KS TO A LL T HE S C H OOL S AN D A S S O CI AT E S WH O

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FROM THE DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Eric Lambert, Executive Director, APCA

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TEN WAYS IMPROV FOSTERS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ON CAMPUS Amy Angelilli, Chief Adventure Officer, The Adventure Project

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MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY ON CAMPUSES Robbie Chulick, Assistant Dean of Students

C O N TRIBU T E D TO T HI S ED IT ION O F THE CA M P US LI F E T R EN D S M A G A Z I NE .

University of Virginia's College at Wise Emily Couch, Assistant Director of Campus Activities Union College 10

OFFICER RULES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND TRANSITIONS Dave Kelly, America's Student Leadership Trainer

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NATIONAL AWARD RECIPIENTS

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FROM EVENTS TO EXPERIENCES bill harcleroad, Director of Campus Activities and Leadership SUNY Oneonta

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LEADERSHIP ON BROADWAY EXPERIENCE

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FALL CAMPUS ACTIVITIES PLANNING CONFERENCES

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LEADERSHIP Erika Petrelli Bayh, Author/Motivational Speaker, The Leadership Program

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RELATIONSHIPS AND RED FLAGS Marissa F. Cohen, Speaker

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KEEPING STUDENTS ENGAGED Del Suggs, M.S.Ed.

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THE "FIVE THINGS" AND AMERICAN DIALOGUE Ron Jones, Dialogues on Diversity

T H E APCA CA M P US LI FE T R E N D S MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED EACH SEMESTER. SUBMISSIONS FOR ARTICLES MUST BE EMAILED TO:

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CLT Magazine | SUMMER 2022

FROM THE DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ERIC LAMBERT elambert@apca.com

Tell Your Story!

Leaving a Legacy of Student Life Success All too often, I have seen the same cycle repeated.

Students form a campus activities board and, through hard work and intentional planning, it all comes together. They achieve great participation, effective engagement, and always behind it is an advisor that helps to guide them. It’s the perfect storm of students, experts in the field, and work that makes student activities effective and measurably rewarding.

Then IT happens. IT is many things, seldom just one.

An advisor leaves the school. Several seniors graduate at once and leave no notes or records of their successes. Perhaps there is an administration change and the budgets for activities are reallocated, with no plan for how to compensate.

Whatever the missing piece may be, a loss of experience or missing history is devastating. Events become less successful, and a feeling of apathy overtakes a once blossoming program.

To combat such issues, APCA has decided to focus on “Leaving a Legacy” as the theme for our Leadership on Broadway event this year. We will be discussing how to not only achieve a great team, but how to chronicle your achievements and pass that blueprint for success on to other generations of student boards. The entire agenda of educational sessions and keynotes will focus on generational success, not just a one-time achievement of that situation.

Leaving a Legacy will also tie into the Broadway show for this year, Hamilton. Each delegate attending will not only be given a ticket to attend the show, but lessons from Hamilton applicable to

leaving a legacy of student success will be presented along the way. There will be keynotes by such speakers as Tiki Ayiku (NASPA) and bill harcleroad (SUNY Oneota), and educational sessions from successful advisors and student programmers.

The story of how our founding fathers left us a democracy as their legacy has amazing parallels for our student life programs. We all form as democracies, giving our members a say, and we serve our student populations' engagement and social needs. Just as the founding fathers struggled to leave behind our constitution and bill of rights, we should memorialize our successes with effective transition planning.

I encourage you all to attend our Leadership on Broadway event in NYC on July 21-23. You can register at apca.com or call our office at (865) 429-9123. Discover how to leave an effective legacy for the student generations following you. Don’t miss the chance to learn how to Tell Your Story!!

Till next time,

Eric Lambert, APCA Executive Director

CLT Magazine | SUMMER 2022

JOIN US EVERY THURSDAY AT 2PM (EST) FOR OUR PIVOT YOUR PROGRAMS WEBINARS! Discussions and interviews with leading professional in the campus life & talent industries regarding programming during and after Covid-19 Missed previous Pivot Your Programs webinars?

Check out all the webinars in the APCA Viirtual Community Workplace!

TOPICS INCLUDE: • • • • • • • • • • •

VIRTUAL & LIVE PROGRAMMING IDEAS MARKETING STRATEGIES ONLINE RECRUITMENT VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGIES VIRTUAL DIVERSITY PROGRAMMING ONLINE RESOURCES AND TOOLS INTERVIEWS WITH CAMPUS LIFE PROFESSIONALS INTERVIEWS WITH TALENT AGENCIES VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENT Q&A WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS AND MORE!

Webinars are FREE!

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CLT Magazine | SUMMER 2022

Ten Ways Improv Fosters Student Engagement on Campus Amy Angelilli

Chief Adventure Officer, The Adventure Project Even though it’s been a long time since I’ve been in school, summer always reminds me that the season for learning-new-things is just around the corner.

Now, that season is about me teaching others how improv might improve their lives – personally and professionally. However, when someone discovers my improv background and toolbox, I usually get the following responses: 1. “Tell me a joke – go ahead, say something funny!”

2. “Oh, I could never do that!”

And guess what? These responses are a great teaching moment for me because: 1. Improv isn’t about telling jokes or being funny.

2. Improv is something everyone is already doing because life is unscripted.

According to Wikipedia, “Improvisational theater, often called improv, is a form of theater where most or all of what is performed is created at the moment it is performed. In its purest form, the dialogue, action, story and characters are created collaboratively by the players as the improvisation unfolds in present time, without use of an already prepared, written script..”

So, let’s talk campus life. Can the tenants of this art form, when applied to campus life, make the college experience richer for the students? YES! Students don’t realize they are already improvising because they think of improv as comedy that happens on a stage. The truth is that what develops off stage while utilizing an improv mindset is way more important and can be the difference between a student staying or leaving school.

With that in mind, I present the top 10 ways improv can make your students stars on the campus “stage”: They learn how to be present. Improv is about the moment and doesn’t allow anyone to get stuck in the past or worry about the future. If your students aren’t present, they aren’t getting the most out of their college experience.

First-year students often dwell in high school memories and those about to graduate are looking to their future lives and careers. However, being engaged now makes for happier students which means higher retention rates.

Students explore creativity. Some students get into a daily routine and don’t often stray from it because of the pressure to succeed.

Through improv they can tap into parts of themselves that may not be available in their day-to-day lives. What if they could have a safe space to let their guards down – together -- and have fun doing it? It becomes a transformational experience that connects and bonds them with fellow students.

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They’re inspired to take action. Students can use an improv experience as a gateway to continue trying new things and developing new skills. It unlocks doors to experiences yet to be had on – and off – of campus. When students discover that yes, they can improvise, the next question is often, “What else can we do?”

Students become practitioners of “we before me.” By making each other look good through a cooperative, collaborative play experience, students are essentially building a team.

Through the positive teamwork that improv requires, they turn into cheerleaders for each other wanting groupsuccess outside of the improv space.

Students develop a community. While there are many avenues to make friends on campus, there’s nothing like going through a shared group experience where students are exploring the unknown together while supporting each other through it. Friendships form fast through improv as participants are vulnerable – together.

They practice resilience in the face of failure. If people weren’t willing to fail, we’d never have the telephone, the automobile, or the computer. And even so, students put pressure on themselves to be right and to do well – All. The. Time. What if there was a safe space where mistakes were embraced, and failure could be practiced?

Through improv, students may get to a place of innovation, or they may get to a place where they take risks, leaning into starting over. Both are important skills to have in life beyond college.

They have fun breathing. I know … this sounds silly, and it’s true! Through improv students can intentionally breathe to slow down and embrace whatever is happening – now. In doing so, they notice details that otherwise would have been missed. And what if one of these details is a solution to a current problem, or using what’s already on campus to take the next step in a project, or realizing that they aren’t alone in their journeys?

Students embrace the power of “yes.” Good improvisers say “yes” to their scene partners. Great improvisers say “yes, and” to their scene partners. Imagine students having this “yes, and” attitude … “Yes, I can do this, and here’s the first step.” Those who practice “yes, and” thinking affect others around them positively and the “can do” attitude makes campus life more about doing rather than thinking about maybe doing one day. Plus, interpersonal skills improve as active listening is used in conversations that move forward together.

They begin to trust – themselves. Through an improv mindset, students start becoming more confident and learn they have a lot more potential than they realize. By slowing down and being in the moment, students are also developing their intrapersonal skills which means they become friends with themselves.

And the number one way improv can make your students stars on the campus “stage” is … up to you! I’m leaving the most important way open for you to fill in your own success story, because every person, every group, every organization that improvises has an experience unique to them.

So, this list wasn’t funny at all. What will be is opening up to an improv adventure where the funny organically unfolds while helping your students to develop soft, or as I like to call them, essential skills.

As they grow as individuals, their school spirit will too and so will their engagement. And isn’t that worth a standing ovation on your campus “stage?”

To bring Amy Angelilli and the power of "yes, and..." to your campus, drop a line to amy@adventure-project.com

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CLT Magazine | SUMMER 2022

Mental Health Advocacy on Campuses Robbie Chulick

Assistant Dean of Students University of Virginia's College at Wise, rux3hp@uvawise.edu In late 2020, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that Campus Mental Health was the Number One Worry of all college presidents, outside of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only should campus mental health be a concern for college and university presidents, but it should also be something that Student Affairs and Campus Activities professionals should be aware and cognizant of as well.

To support student leaders on campus, Ethan Fisher, a keynote speaker and mental health advocate, spoke to a variety of student leaders during his visit to The University of Virginia College at Wise (UVA Wise), in Wise, VA, and Union College, in Barbourville, KY to kick off the Spring Semester in January 2022.

Both institutions realized the importance of mental health on their respective college campuses and booked Ethan Fisher at the Fall 2021 Orlando Student Programming Conference.

At UVA Wise, Ethan facilitated two different workshops, one for Resident Assistants (RA’s) and one for The Division II Spring Sport Athletes. In the session with 25 RA’s, he provided his Student Leaders a Mental Health Workshop. Nia Rogers, a resident assistant at UVA Wise, said “Ethan has made me more aware that my mental health plays a bigger impact in my day to day life than I realize. I’ve learned that talking to a professional about my mental state is the first step to seeking the help I need.”

After meeting with the RA’s, he spent the afternoon with a variety of student athletes from Women’s Basketball, Men’s Basketball, and lacrosse teams. He discussed the 5 Keys to Student-Athlete success and instantly connected with those student athletes. As an advisor, it was amazing to see Ethan connect with students and the number of students that stayed after each one of his presentations to continue the conversation and to exchange further contact information.

Mental Health is one of the primary focus areas right now in student affairs. We’ve added an additional full-time mental health counselor in our Counseling Office for the 22-23 academic year, but continued outreach and programming that Ethan Fisher provides to discuss mental health and wellbeing is just as important.

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Due to the proximity of UVA Wise and Union College, we were able to block book Ethan Fisher to speak at Union College the night before. Emily Couch, a first-time APCA advisor attendee, said, “Block Booking made bringing Ethan Fisher to our campus more affordable and easier to coordinate. Our students were engaged and enjoyed Ethan’s presentation.

Block Booking is something I hope to incorporate with future events.”

At Union, they had over 150 students attend Ethan Fisher’s event since it was open to the entire campus community. His presentation there discussed his struggles of being a student athlete and the addictions he faced. He also discussed how one decision can change not only the outcome of your life but also the outcome of so many people around them.

Dalton Crook, a junior at Union College, attended Ethan’s presentation in January. He said every student athlete and college student should attend one of Ethan’s presentations. He didn’t sugar coat his struggles, and I think everyone listening could relate to him on some level.

UVA Wise looks forward to bringing Ethan Fisher back to campus in early August to expand upon the work he did with Resident Assistants in January, and we will continue to partner with athletics for the Fall Sport Student Athletes to hear his message regarding the keys to student success.

Emily Couch

Assistant Director of Campus Activities Union College, ecouch@unionky.edu

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Officer Roles, Responsibilities, and Transitions Dave Kelly

America's Student Leadership Trainer davekelly@gonzospeaks.com Clubs and organizations are important to student life on campus. They are a place for students to make connections, establish lifelong friendships, and engage in projects, events, and activities that are fun, make a difference, and allow them to explore their passions. Clubs and organizations need leaders and those are students!

Do your campus leaders know what is expected of them in their roles? Leadership in clubs and organizations can be a challenge for many students.

Many student leaders don’t know what they are supposed to do and have never been told! The roles can vary from club to club, but here are some of the basics: President: The president is the chair of the group.

They typically set the agenda, call the meeting to order, use parliamentary procedure to stay on track, and, in short, get things done. The president is not a dictator. Another important role is getting members involved and engaged. The president does this by setting a positive tone for the group, delegating, and by being a motivator and cheerleader. The president also follows up on the work and activities of the other officers and committee chairs.

Vice-President: The vice-president is next in line of the organization’s leadership. The VP runs meetings when the president is not able to attend, helps with motivating members, and may assist in overseeing committees and projects. When I was the Georgia CKI District Administrator, we tasked the club vice-presidents to oversee membership recruitment and education. That gave them a very defined role and ultimately helped with membership retention and engagement.

Secretary: The secretary is the record keeper of the organization. This includes writing and distributing the minutes of the meetings, maintaining the membership roster including contact information, and reporting to campus, state, and national officials as necessary. I have a template for meeting minutes that makes it super easy to record information and produce the formal document. Here is the link to the template: https://bit.ly/2XQZ068.

Treasurer: The treasurer is the chief financial officer and is responsible for collecting dues and fees as applicable, maintaining the financial records of the organization, and overseeing fundraising efforts. If your school provides funding for clubs and organizations, then the treasurer would prepare budgets and submit any requests for money. This role is vital in that the financial well-being of the group may determine the types of activities and projects that they can undertake.

Advisor: The key role is in the name: advice. It is not the advisor’s job to run the meetings of the club/organization. The students should take charge, although the advisor is there to help and support them. Advisors offer suggestions and project ideas and can be a resource for campus policies and procedures. The hardest part is allowing students

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to make mistakes. That is how they learn and grow as leaders. Of course, if the mistake could cause a financial burden or be a violation of campus policy or the law, then please do step in! Advisors should encourage all members to participate, even the wallflowers who sit in the back and never speak up.

Committee Chairs: Being the chair of a committee is a great way to develop leadership skills.

Committee chairs recruit members to serve with them, run meetings to make decisions and get things done, and report back to the rest of the club on their activities. I love committee chair positions because they are a great way to introduce members into leadership roles and possibly develop future officers for the club or organization.

There is much more that goes into officer training and helping them to be successful in their roles, but I hope this gives you and your students a foundation with which to begin. Look to the governing documents of your club/organization (constitution, by-laws, etc.) for more on roles specific to your group. There is usually a copy on file in the Office of Student Activities or with student government.

For more ideas, check out these links for documents that I have put together. “But Dave, what about our club/organization? It’s not listed below.” True, because it is hard to cover every possibility, but even if yours does not fall into one of these below, there are some great ideas for you. For example, the Greek Life document has great ideas for officers, while the Programming Board link has awesome examples for committee chairs.

Tips to Motivate Members Officers need to know how to motivate their members to get engaged in the projects and activities of the club or organization. However, I find many students are not as strong in this area. Here are a few tips: 1.

Identify the goal and what you are trying to accomplish. Too many times we get ahead of ourselves and fire everyone up before we know what we are doing: “Hey everyone, we’re going to do something great! Follow me. Let’s go!!” As they run across campus, they might ask, “So, what are we going to do?” “I don’t know. We’ll figure it out when we get there!”

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Instead, figure out what you want to do and then determine who it is you want to motivate.

Maybe you don’t need everyone, but just a few of the members.

3.

“How do we know which members we need?”

You use their hot buttons! What are those? They are things that people are passionate about, get them excited, motivate them. My hot buttons include God, family, community service, the Green Bay Packers, pizza, chocolate, and all things Marvel Cinematic Universe. You could use these things I love to motivate me to join a club, participate in a project, or even run for office. The point is your officers need to know your members beyond just their names.

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Finally, to get members engaged and involved, your officers need to do something difficult: they have to ask! Ask for the involvement, the engagement, and the participation.

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Effective Transitions Handing off leadership responsibilities from one board to the next can vary. Many times, the transition is simply the new officers taking over with no discussion or time spent with their predecessors. If you’re lucky, a box of documents, a gavel, and other leadership elements are thrown on the table as retiring officers run out the door.

To make transitions more meaningful and effective, here are some tips: 1.

Have time set aside for the outgoing officers to meet with the new officers. The agenda for this meeting can be as elaborate as a full-day retreat or as simple as discussing job responsibilities over coffee. It is important for the retiring officer to explain what they did and admit to what they didn’t do during their term of office. Discuss projects that were completed, those that were started, but not finished, and the current status. Share key dates for when things need to happen. For example, the new treasurer of a campus chapter of a national organization needs to know when dues are to be paid and which forms to submit to the national office. For student governments that elect the executive officers in the spring and the senators or other members in the fall, there needs to be a discussion of procedures, dates, and other details regarding the election and training as well as contingency plans for filling open seats, should there not be enough candidates.

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This needs to be a time of openness and transparency, not excuse making. Be honest about how much time the job requires each week and other pitfalls that could come the way of the new officer. There should be an exchange of contact info between new and old. Outgoing officers should pledge to make themselves available throughout the upcoming year through texts, calls, and social media for both quick questions and longer discussions. Remind the outgoing officers that they just dedicated a year of their life to their position.

They should do all they can to keep the momentum of their work going and help their replacement be successful! The continued health of the organization is their legacy!

3.

There are important documents that need to be passed on: By-laws, agendas and/or minutes from meetings, budgets, copies of important emails, calendars, contacts, scrapbooks and other items created during the year, and anything else that could be of help to the new officers. There also needs to be a passing of gavels, gongs, and banners – these items belong to the organization, not the outgoing officers.

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All of this can be handed to the new officers during the transition meeting. If the outgoing officers did not organize it this way, then I suggest the new officers start doing so immediately. This will help to make a smooth transition next spring. I often get asked, “Why can’t I just save it all in a folder on my computer and email it to them?” You could and should, but how many folders do you have on your laptop or in your email that you have never opened and looked at?

Doing the binder gives something tangible that can be held and reviewed easily.

A smooth transition assures that the work of the club or organization continues and the new officers are not starting everything from scratch.

Training the officers of your campus’ clubs and organizations should be more than funding requests and how to fill out forms. Be intentional and deliberate with helping them to be successful and engagement and involvement on your campus can grow dramatically!

CLT Magazine | SUMMER 2022

2022 National Campus Activites Conference Highlights

Join us for the 2023 National Conference in Hershey, PA March 16-19, 2023!

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National School Award Recipients Throughout the year, advisors, students, and colleges work together to make student engagement a top priority on their campuses. APCA encourages such dedication and awards that commitment. Thank you to all the winners and those who have made a difference on their campuses!

SUNY Oneonta Programming Board of the Year Heather Trumble

Advisor of the Year Niagara County Community College

Christina Jimenez Student Programmer of the Year

Bossier Parish Community College

Penn State Berks Service Project of the Year

Polk State College Event of the Year

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Each year, APCA presents awards to our Associates for their contributions in student engagement. Associates are nominated and voted on by APCA School Members!

To our Associates, keep up the great work, and continue to share your wonderful talents.

Campus Speaker of the Year ~Dave Kelly

America's Student Leadership Trainer

Cultural Act of the Year ~Dr. Justine Shuey

Bill Fry Agency of the Year ~Degy Entertainment

Hypnotist of the Year ~Sailesh the Hypnotist Metropolis Management

Entertainer of the Year ~Jason LeVasseur The Rock Star Project®

Novelty Function of the Year ~Coyote On Campus Everything But The Mime

Spoken Word Artist of the Year ~Storyteller Odd?Rod Metropolis Management

Magician of the Year ~Ran'D Shine Everything But The Mime

Mentalist of the Year ~Joel Meyers GP Entertainment

Game Show of the Year ~Free Money Game Show Neon Entertainment

Band of the Year ~Running Lights Degy Entertainment

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Lifetime Achievement Award It is with great pleasure that we announce that the 2022 recipient of the APCA Lifetime Achievement award for Student Life is Norman Lee of Cayuga Community College. Norman has been a long time APCA member, and has selflessly devoted himself to the service of students and the student life community. We are proud to have him as an active and vibrant part of our organization, and wish to recognize his long and storied career.

The APCA Lifetime Achievement award recognizes an outstanding lifetime of service to their organization, the student life profession, our association and most of all the students who have worked with the recipients over their long and storied careers. The APCA Lifetime Achievement award is a one time award that is presented at our National Conference each year, choosing a winner from hundreds of eligible APCA members. It is recognized as the highest award given by the APCA and an acknowledgement of an outstanding lifetime of service and accomplishment.

Norman Lee

Yonna Pasch Heart of APCA Award The Heart of APCA award recognizes a professional in student life that lives to the fullest in positive ways and sets a stellar service example on and off campus. “Kathy Matson has been a consistent model of service and commitment to her student population.” says Eric Lambert, the Executive Director of APCA, The Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities. “Of all our advisors, she consistently represents those who do the most good for their students using limited resources.

Her student contingencies represent their school in an outstanding manner at APCA events and she insists on and inspires great competency and pursuit of their passions in her students.”

Kathy Matson

The award is given out annually to one outstanding advisor and is a once in a lifetime opportunity, never given twice. Past recipients have included innovators and pioneers in campus life applications of student developmental theory, long time service oriented members of the organization and high level student life administrators who have like Kathy demonstrated a great proficiency in inspiring student success.

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NATIONAL GRAPHIC COMPETITION WINNERS

PRINT MATERIAL 1st Place: Dominican College 2nd Place: University of Akron 3rd Place: Niagara County Community College NOVELTY ITEM 1st Place: Dominican College 2nd Place: Nicholls State 3rd Place: Mount Wachusett Community College T-SHIRT 1st Place: Nicholls State 2nd Place: Dominican College 3rd Place: Bossier Parish Community College

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From Events to Experiences LESSONS FROM THE WORLD OF FOOD SCIENCE AND PODCASTS bill harcleroad Director of Campus Activities and Leadership, SUNY Oneonta "If the forks and knives at a restaurant are heavier, people will not only say the food tastes better, but they will say they are willing to pay more for it." Dan Pashman on Milk Street Radio Episode 140 I was flying to a meeting when I heard the quote above, and it made me think that maybe we could make conference chicken taste better if we just used heavier flatware and played better music. It also made me wonder about how these lessons from restauranting can help us to provide better events for Oneonta students.

don’t but are still interesting). I am pleased to share some of them with you as well as some information from other sources.

Concept #1: Amuse-Bouche An amuse-bouche in the restaurant world is a single bite hors-d’oeuvre. It is not, however, ordered by the customer. It is a surprise “welcome” from the host.

Dr. Spence’s research indicates that it is more likely to be remembered than what the patron ordered. It gives the event “Sticktion”- something that sticks in the memory.

Having food at events is nothing new to activities professionals, but we decided to up our game. Our first go around featured higher quality food options but, ironically, the students didn’t care for that. We gave them bacon wrapped chicken and they asked, “Where are the pretzels?” So, our friends at Sodexo got more creative with the themes themselves.

Casino Night, for example, now has cookies decorated as casino chips and brownie dice.

The research cited was from the book Gastrophysics

by Oxford Professor Charles Spence. I purchased a copy and was hooked, ordered several more copies, and invited colleagues to join me for a summer book club and discussion on how to utilize the research in our practice. This is something I had done before with podcasts and the two came together nicely.

There are so many lessons in the book that apply to what we do in campus activities (and some that

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We also decided to give students a literal takeaway.

Something that will serve as a physical reminder of the evening. These are very inexpensive items ordered in bulk that add to the experience without significant expense. We gave away stretchy rubber men for contortionist Jonathan Burns and fortune telling fish for The Evasons. Every time someone sees that item, they will think of the experience they had.

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Any giveaways should be neat and orderly. They may be inexpensive, but they don’t have to look that way.

Design your event! The setup for a comedian should not look the same as it would for a coffeehouse. Buy that brick backdrop. Use projectors to customize the event. Use small round tables with tablecloths, popcorn, and offer “drink specials” (mocktails) with volunteers acting as servers.

Concepts #2 and #3: All About the Atmosphere and Presentation Matters Gastrophysics points out the importance of the approach and visual presentation to the perception of a quality experience. The book refers to winding driveways and restaurant facades as part of the experience. It also stresses the importance of setting a nice plate in front of the customers.

Research shows that people were willing to pay twice as much for food that was presented better.

Presentation takes on a whole new meaning in this light. It shouldn’t feel like the same experience walking into your space as it did for an earlier visit.

Make the approach part of your event. Use projectors, as an example, to add visual cues of what to expect that's different from the last time they walked through the doors. Play casino sounds through the sound system so people start looking for “the action”.

Concept #4: Affective Ventriloquism Many factors change the perception of taste, including the weight of the cutlery, paper quality of the menu, as well as the atmosphere.

One of my mentors at the University of Rochester, George Morrison, always said “Quality Costs". That has always stuck with me, but I have now re-embraced this. Years ago, The Printshop called and asked if I would consider using standard weight paper for posters and flyers. They are “just up for a short time and the lighter paper is more sustainable". This made sense at the time but not through the lens of “affective ventriloquism” with the goal to project quality. We moved back to cardstock posters and cloth tablecloths. The average student doesn’t touch a flyer, but the RAs and Administrative Assistants who do are thought leaders on our campus.

Concept #5: Color Can Dominate Input from Other Senses Gastrophysics spends a fair amount of time on the concept of color. Color effects diets, the taste of food, and sales, but the most relevant research for me was the “Wheatley Dinner Experiment”. In this classic experiment from 1973, diners were brought into a room with very low lighting and served a meal. All was going well until the lights were

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brought up and people could see their steak was blue, their chips were green, and their peas were red.

People got ill seeing the food they had been enjoying previously.

This work was published in a marketing journal. My absolute favorite podcast is on marketing and is called “Under the Influence.” One of the episodes we used for professional development was also on the importance of color and what each color means in advertising.

“Research reveals that people make a subconscious judgment about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds of initial viewing and between 60 and 90% of that assessment is based on color alone.”

Under the Influence Season 1, Episode 18

Concepts #6: Giving Someone Something Sweet Increases the Likelihood They Will Agree to Go on a Date #7: Companies Add Artificial Scent Enhancement to Packaging to Boost that First Expectation #8: Use Multi-sensory/Cross-modal Cues These lessons plus what we know about color led to using starlight mints when tabling. They are red and white, and peppermint evokes “coolness” which is always good with events and activities. Even more so, our programming board is known as A/C, Activities Council. We also attach mints to individual invitations to new students for our opening events, and use peppermint oil to scent our posters and linen. We are also intentional in adding visual and aural cues to experiences.

Concept #9: Pricing Sets an Expectation

SUNY Oneonta’s colors are red and white. Red connotes action and adventure. White adds lightness.

Our takeaway from this was to embrace our colors.

Always use them to reinforce the brand and keep your logos in the original color palette.

This lesson comes from Under the Influence Season 3, Episode 2 which highlights the importance of being able to gauge quality based on price.

Specifically, if something is discounted, you must have the original, if artificial, pricing to put it into context. Do students value what they are getting if it's free or subsidized? Most of us have a student and non-student price, but we lead with the student price. Flip the script! “Cost is $5, FREE with SUNY Oneonta Event Pass.”

Food for Thought Companies have learned that advertising food as lower in calories or sodium translates to less tasty for customers. They have, therefore, moved to “health by stealth.” Healthier but not explicitly advertised as such. It really made me think about whether or not we should include student learning outcomes on events. Does their inclusion make people think events are less fun? Administrators, not students, are the true intended target of these. Would they still be as educational if not advertised?

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Outcomes and Evaluation We have limited comparison data prior to going remote, but what we have shows that the student perception of these events has changed. 59% of students who attended previous Casino Nights said the event was better but what is most interesting is in their comments: • “The food and prizes weren't as good” (as noted above- they did NOT appreciate upscale food) • “More organized, more casino games, better prizes” (there were not ANY new games) • “Better bingo” (same BINGO except that tables had linen on them) • “The golden ticket was a nice touch.”

• “The decorations downstairs were a nice addition but the food was not the standard” • “There were new games” (again, NO new games)

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This year’s program assessments: • Average rating (1-5 stars): 4.7 • This program was worth my time to attend: Yes = 96.7% • All students pay an activity fee and a student life fee which funded this program. Was this program a good use of that money?

Yes = 95.7% • I would attend this event again. Yes = 94.9% George Morrison was correct that “quality costs”, but it is much more than that. You are not giving them just an event or an experience. You are building a brand. Milton Hershey said, “Give them quality. That's the best kind of advertising in the world.”

Contact bill at Bill.Harcleroad@oneonta.edu.

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S N O S A E R 5 P O T D N E T T TO A

!

2 2 C Y N A C P A

#

Professional Development for Student Life Advisors!

We know that ENGAGED STUDENTS are RETAINED STUDENTS, and we also know that Student Life professionals are leading the way in engaging students on college and university campuses. It's a tough job... long hours... numerous issues... event mishaps... and countless student success stories. It takes a village to do this job, yet sometimes your village consists of YOU (and hopefully a rock-star assistant).

APCA's Advisor Institute provides you with training and development on critical issues and allows you to connect with a network of your peers. If you don't have a village at home, we can help you build your village of support and resources around the country! Come alone, or bring some students along...

Student Leadership Training!

Student Leaders of all levels need continuous training and development. The Leadership on Broadway Experience is a perfect place to train your new board members or to re-charge and strengthen your returning officers. Students will attend dynamic leadership sessions in the areas of personal leadership development, running effective organizations, campus engagement, programming skills, diversity and inclusion, and much more. We guarantee quality development through the experience of a lifetime!

Engage with Industry Leaders!

Learn from nationally acclaimed speakers and pioneers in the Student Affairs field. The conference's intimate setting allows for one-on-one interaction and conversations that enable you to learn best practices and develop new and improved initiatives to take back to your campus and your community!

Programming Opportunities!

While not a typical Activities Programming Conference, the Leadership on Broadway Experience includes one Purposeful Programming Showcase and numerous Keynotes, Educational Sessions, and Leadership Workshops. Learn activities and programs you can create on your campus, and receive contact and booking information for all speakers and artists on site!

Experience New York City!

Located in the heart of Times Square, this conference provides a cultural experience like no other. All delegates receive a FREE ticket to HAMILTON on Broadway. Delegates are also invited to add the annual favorite "Sardi's Professional Luncheon" to their experience. This tradition is bound to be one of the highlights of your trip. Held at the world famous Sardi's restaurant just across the street from the conference hotel, this luncheon includes a keynote address and an auction benefitting APCA's National Charity, Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS! (Also, it's not unusual for some special guests from Broadway to make an appearance....)

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Featured Advisor Keynotes:

bill harcleroad

Director of Campus Activities and Leadership, SUNY Oneonta

Tiki Ayiku

Assistant Vice President for Professional Development, NASPA

JULY 21-23, 2022 TIMES SQUARE REGISTER AT WWW.APCA.COM OR CALL US AT (865) 429-9123 TODAY!

APCA Professional Lunch at Sardi's Restaurant July 21st, 2022 Join us for a speical keynote and luncheon at Sardi's. This event is an add-on offered for only $99, which includes a keynote from the APCA Executive Director, Eric Lambert, lunch at Sardi's, attendance at an auction to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, and special guests and swag items.

LEAVING A LEGACY!

The legacy you leave, both through your programming's impact on your students and the traditions you leave future students, can be a very valuable resource. What steps are you taking to ensure that your programming has impact and relevance for future generations? This keynote will reflect on the legacies left by Alexander Hamilton, Lin-Manueal Miranda and others to help establish a direction of vision and clarity of goals for your organization's legacy.

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Why Go to an APCA Fall Campus Activities Planning Conference?

An Amazing Experience…

APCA’s Fall Campus Activities Conferences provide your organization with excellent opportunities to network with other campuses! You can meet new programming vendors, find new talent for your campus activities program, and update your professional training with the latest information and techniques available. APCA Campus Activities Conferences are held in safe, attractive, and popular destinations and are fully insured for the protection of your students and staff.

Affordable Professional Development Opportunities Across the country, schools are facing dwindling student populations, retention and recruitment challenges, and stiffer competition for tuition dollars. APCA Professional Development sessions can help to engage and retain your students through a vibrant student life program.

Participants will have these topics and others to choose from to enhance student success and retention on your campus: • Effective Student Events • Residential/Commuter Engagement strategies • Online Student Engagement/Esports Program Training • Campus event programming strategies for improved retention • Assessing your student success and retention efforts Bring Home Trained and Motivated Programming Boards Get your Programming Board motivated and excited with APCA Ed Sessions and interactive workshops! APCA sessions are given by top presenters in the market, covering topics like: • Diversity and Inclusive Programming Education • Best Practices For Campus Event Planning & Production • Board Member Recruitment and Retention • Commuter/Community Activities Programming • Student Leadership Training • Social Media Marketing Techniques ...and much more!

Get New Resources to Help You Program You can meet new contacts, book attractions for your campus programs, and stock up on the latest resources for your board at APCA! Every APCA fall conference will feature associates (APCA member agencies, artists, speakers, etc.) representing the showcasing attractions.

All exhibiting associates are APCA members, bound by APCA ethics and sensitivity guidelines. They can answer questions, explain rider and contract terms, and generally give member schools all the information they need to bring an artist or service to their campus event.

SAVE MONEY, MAKE CAMPUS LIFE BETTER! Save enough on booking novelties, speakers, and talent to pay for your trip!

Do you need to save BIG money on your campus activities events? Are you trying to plan a LOT of events with a LITTLE money? You’re not alone. Over 75% of our schools have Student Life Programming Budgets of $50,000 or less! Yet they are planning full calendars of events, getting well known acts in the college market, and doing it for less than their peers in the field.

How do they do it? They work together at the APCA Campus Activities Planning Conferences to use their combined buying power in the APCA cooperative buying program! It’s EASY and IT REALLY WORKS! You can save in some cases up to 30% off the price of entertainment and speakers by taking advantage of these savings!

The APCA cooperative buying program gives APCA conference delegates the ability to merge their buying power, offering artists a block of engagement dates in a specified time period in exchange for a lower price and sharing of travel costs with other schools. Your board can book their entire calendar at an APCA Campus Activities Conference, and with the APCA cooperative buying discounts, they can do it much more affordably than anywhere else!

APCA Conferences feature showcases where attendees can see the best talent in the campus market for themselves. Each delegate receives a conference program complete with bios, pricing, and agency information, pictures of the acts, lecturers, etc. performing at the various showcases. APCA showcases feature appropriate comedy, music, performing arts, films, lectures, novelties, imprint services and more.

Visit us at www.apca.com or call (865) 429-9123!

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Leadership Do you think of yourself as a leader?

Erika Petrelli Bayh

Author/Motivational Speaker, The Leadership Program erika@tlpnyc.com I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard someone say some version of “Oh, I’m not the leader, so I can’t…” or “I’m not a leader; I could never…”

As if there is just one way to be a leader. As if only a certain select few are leaders, while the rest of us are not. And I just simply disagree.

I believe that all of us are leaders- every single one of us. Our leadership just shows up differently.

Some of us are leaders in the traditional way that many of us think of when we hear the term: The kind of leaders that stand in front of the room, that rally the crowd, that carry a bullhorn. Others are leaders in the quiet way. We move a task or a project forward, ensuring all the boxes get checked, and demonstrate by example what needs to get done.

Some of us are leaders in the courageous way by sharing our flaws and vulnerabilities out loud. In doing so, it give others permission to do the same.

Others lead in a loving way so that we remember our team members' birthdays and notice when someone seems distracted or sad. We feel the energy of the room, and tend to it.

Our leadership is in our impact.

Impacts can be what we have on others, on our projects, on our teams. Everything in which we are a part of, we influence. Whether we realize it or not.

Let me say that again: everything in which we are a part of, we influence. Think about your relationships, your teams, your projects, the places where you work/live/play. How do you show up?

That’s your leadership.

So, the real question is not “Are you a leader?”. The question is, “What kind of leader are you?” and “What do you want your impact to be?”. And if you, for even a moment, think “What kind of impact could I possibly have?” or “What difference do I even make?”, let me say this—and please listen closely: You matter in so many ways that you will never ever know.

You have made a difference in more people’s days, and lives than will ever be measured. You’ll never see the reach of it, so you just have to believe it.

That funny meme you scrolled past that made you laugh so hard. You immediately shared it with five of your friends? The person that wrote that meme had an impact on you, yet will never know it.

That smile you thoughtlessly tossed at the person you walked past in the tight aisle of the grocery store was like water in a dry desert for them, and brought them a kind of relief that they wouldn’t be able to explain if they tried- and will never see you again to tell you.

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We could play this game for hours: the strangers that impacted you without even realizing it (for good and for bad). As you start to remember the many ways and places that you were impacted, you have to stop and wonder: How many people are playing that same game and naming YOU as the stranger?

So what about the people you actually know? The people you see regularly? The people with whom you can choose your impact?

It kind of blows my mind when I think about all the moments in which I have a choice to impact someone’s day. All the moments that matter so much.

There are 1,440 minutes in every day. Now sure, you’re going to whittle away a lot of those by sleeping, eating, going to the bathroom, taking showers and navigating traffic…. But that still leaves a LOT of minutes for you to choose.

Your leadership is in your impact. What kind of impact do you have? That’s your choice. So, what’s your choice?

What kind of leader will you be today?

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Relationships and Red Flags Marissa F. Cohen

Speaker me@marissafayecohen.com College is supposed to be the most amazing time of your life! That’s when you meet lifelong friends, have all new experiences, learn how to manage your time, experience new freedoms you’ve never had before, and really get a taste for what adulting is like. But with that responsibility, freedom, and new experiences also comes hard life lessons, sometimes in the form of toxic people and relationships. Toxic people, (AKA Narcissists, Narcs, Abusers) infiltrate your patterns, routine, and life, and disrupt them in whatever ways they can. For example, the beginning of an abusive relationship can look a lot like movie-style romance.

We call that “Love Bombing”. This is when they bombard you with affection, gifts, text messages, love, and attention, but are ultimately isolating you from your friends, clubs, or any outside influence. It only gets worse from there.

There are 11 Red Flags to look for in an abusive/ toxic relationship, whether it be romantic or platonic.

Learn how to recognize them so you are prepared and know how to avoid the toxic people that will try to wiggle their way into your routine.

1. Deflection: What does deflection mean? It’s diverting a conversation, topic, or blame to someone else, usually the survivor. It is playing mind games with the survivor to make them feel crazy or that they are to blame for the outcome of the narcissist’s behavior. This is one of the most immediately presenting and common characteristics of a toxic person. It’s called gaslighting, and it is used to make the survivor feel crazy and start to doubt themselves. If a narcissist can stop you from believing your eyes, ears, and experiences, then they have full control over your thoughts, perceptions, and actions. An example would be if the toxic person did something abusive, then denied it happened by convincing you that you’re crazy or you imagined it. They’re manipulating you.

2. Loyalty: Are narcissists loyal? The short answer is no. That doesn’t necessarily mean that your partner is cheating on you. Loyalty is so much broader than that. Loyalty is also keeping promises and plans.

Narcissists and toxic people are notorious for leaving survivors waiting around for them, making excuses, ghosting, and lying about their whereabouts. This alone makes them unreliable and undependable. If your partner is lying to you, dodging plans, or making you wait for them with no response or courtesy call, they aren’t being loyal, or dependable. Loyalty and communication are key foundational characteristics of healthy relationships, in addition to respect and trust, which go hand-inhand with loyalty. If your partner isn’t being loyal, they are taking advantage of you. If they are not someone that you can depend on to be there when they say they will, and will lie their way out of accountability, they are abusive and narcissistic.

These are big red flags that your partner is toxic.

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3. Pushes Boundaries: Narcissists and toxic people like to maintain control over their surroundings. I mean, who actually likes feeling out-of-control? But narcissists NEED to be in control and will manipulate their way to a power position. So, in order to maintain control, they will continue to disrespect and push your boundaries, and most often blame you for not being clear; or apologize, but then continue to push the boundary until you give in. Some relationships can drain you, especially when the toxic person is in constant, nonstop contact, has impossible expectations, or is in constant fear of gossip about them. It’s unproductive and exhausting to have to entertain these conversations. Communication and respect are two huge and important characteristics of a healthy relationship. If your partner isn’t respecting you, your wishes, or your body, that’s a huge sign of a toxic relationship. A very common example involves sex. Sex is a healthy part of a relationship, except when it’s not consensual. Consent is key, and narcissists and toxic partners will often repeatedly pursue some sexual encounter, even after the survivor has expressed disinterest. That’s a nice way of saying, they will persistently ask, coerce, or nag for sex, despite the survivor saying they don’t want to, until the survivor gives in. That is sexual assault, and a direct violation of your boundaries. If you’ve experienced a situation like this, I recommend and encourage you to reach out for support, whether it be to myself, a local Rape Crisis Center, or Domestic Violence Hotline. The feelings that you might be feeling are valid, and seeking help is an incredible resource to helping you overcome the trauma.

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healthy partnership should involve building each other up, encouraging and motivating each other to be and do their best. If that is not the case, then your partner is a narcissist.

5. Healthy Give-and-Take Relationships: A major sign of a toxic relationship is when you have a partner who asks for help and advice but never has the time to support you. They want your attention, your help, your money, your time, but don’t reciprocate the sentiment when you need it. The relationship revolves around them and their needs, always. This behavior is common in narcissists and people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Narcissists are very self-involved. They will act in their self-interest before anything else. They will generally do whatever it takes to have and maintain control, power, success, and influence. Your needs and the needs of others aren’t as important to them, and therefore, the equality in the relationship is nonexistent. You want to be with someone who values your needs as well and considers your feelings and opinions in personal and relationship situations. Partnership is equality — otherwise it’s just one person controlling the relationship.

6. Use Personal Information Against You: Have you ever told someone a secret, or personal information, and then they throw it in your face in a future argument or disagreement? That’s not okay.

The people that you invite into your life should be trustworthy, and not hold personal things against you. Narcissists and toxic people will take scenarios that you might be uncomfortable with and exploit them as a means of controlling you. They might 4. Spiteful: If your partner uses words and actions as not explicitly say that, but that’s the motive. Using a means of revenge, they are the definition of a toxic personal information as blackmail is an extremely person. Narcissists tend to be very jealous, and also toxic trait. Think about it. Would you let a friend do very spiteful. They detest when other people have that to you? Probably not. So why let a partner? In what they want, and that can translate to economic a healthy relationship, your partner will support or career goals, material objects, people, and you and not take advantage of the information they attention. When they feel threatened, they will often have from you. A toxic partner will use the seek revenge against someone by either verbally, information you’ve given them to manipulate you emotionally, or physically attacking them. into doing what they want. They will use your past Punishments, the silent treatment, “repayment”, or or your weaknesses against you to make you feel owing your partner are all common forms of guilt, shame, or submission to gain control. They spiteful behavior represented by narcissism and may use personal information to demean you in toxic traits. If your partner punishes you for the way front of others, or use it to manipulate you into you dressed, spending time with other people, or doing what they want. This is a clear sign of a toxic really anything, that’s an unhealthy relationship. A relationship that you should get out of.

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7. Isolation: Narcissists and toxic people don’t like competition, and they don’t like it when people influence their survivors. They want to keep their partner exactly where they want them, with no outside perspectives. Isolation can look romantic at face value. Pro Tip: Don’t take narcissists at face value. They will lie and manipulate to get what they want. But if you don’t know they’re a narcissist yet, here are a few ways you can determine you’re being isolated: Your partner monopolizes all of your time. They might say things like, “I don’t want to be away from you.” “I just love spending time with you.”

“I don’t want to share you.” That’s why it’s so tricky.

You wouldn’t really notice it’s isolation until you’re spending every minute with them. And if you’re not, they are usually texting and calling you nonstop while you’re with others — diverting your attention from your friends or family. As mentioned above, Love Bombing you, which is sending you nonstop loving messages right at the beginning of the relationship, or showering you with gifts, compliments, and love, to an extreme. Again, sounds romantic, but it’s a way for them to disrupt your patterns and change your routine. It’s also a way for them to start pulling you away from outside influences. They may ask you to stop seeing friends or family because they don’t trust them, or they don’t like them. They’ll usually keep you in arms reach at all times. If your partner is constantly bashing your friends and family members and trying to monopolize your time, this is a big indication of a toxic partner. Once they have you isolated from others, and your friends stop reaching out to you, or your family gets upset that you’re not spending time with them, then they have a lot of control of you, your routines, and any possible outside people that could take you away from them. It’s all a mind game.

8. Lack of Integrity: Integrity, defined as strong moral principles and honesty, is not a narcissistic trait.

Narcissists and toxic people will often lie to get what they want. The things they say and the behaviors they portray are usually different, and they’ll gaslight you to make you feel crazy.

Narcissists are excellent liars, so this is something to be very aware of. If you catch them in a lie, know that this won’t be the last time they lie to you. When what they say doesn’t align with their actions, that’s a red flag. Narcissists know how to say all the right things, but they do nothing to back up what they say.

In fact, they usually contradict themselves. We know they know the right thing to do, but they choose to do the opposite. It’s all more toxic behavior and mind games.

9. Untrustworthy: Not to beat a dead horse, but narcissists are not trustworthy. As I’ve said, they lie, manipulate, coerce, and cheat, all as a means to control you and keep your head spinning. A very common trend with toxic romantic partners is that they will cheat. And they will get caught. But in the process of it all, they will accuse you of cheating, and make you feel helpless, like you have to be better, more attentive, and show them that you care.

A general rule of thumb is when someone accuses you of something, there’s a high probability that they are actually doing what they’re accusing you of. A person with a guilty conscious gets defensive, and usually accuses the other person of the behavior they’re committing, and that lack of trust is an indicator of trying to isolate you from your friends and family. In addition to this, going back to #2 - Loyalty, narcissists are not dependable. You can’t expect them to keep their promises, stay honest with you, or communicate in an effective way. They will say what they need to say to get the result they want.

They are master manipulators and will twist every situation in their favor. If it feels like you can’t trust them, listen to that feeling.

10. Controlling Behavior: I’ve already mentioned a few ways that narcissists and toxic partners control you. Controlling your time, isolating you from friends and family, gaslighting you, monitoring your eating habits, the way you dress, the places you go, the time you’re away, etc. They have a need to be in constant contact or communication with you. Sometimes,

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they’ll have their friends follow you to make sure that you are where you say you are. There are endless ways that narcissists use to maintain control.

For example, they might make comments about your body to limit or control your eating habits by not-so-politely recommending you eat less or eat more in order to … fill in the blank. They will comment, recommend, or control the clothing you’re allowed to wear, especially around people of the gender or sex you’re interested in, even if that person isn’t someone you’re interested in. If your partner, in an unhealthy and unwanted way, is monitoring your eating habits, spending habits, spiritual habits, and free-will, they are toxic, and this is a toxic relationship.

11. Narcissistic Jealousy: The final red flag of a toxic relationship is jealousy. Jealousy is constantly misinterpreted as romantic. Thinking that it’s romantic for your partner to express jealousy of you spending time with others is beyond wrong.

Someone who loves you will encourage you to spend time with other people. But they’re not just jealous of your time - narcissists tend to be jealous of anyone and everyone who has something they want.

Whether it be a position at a job/activity, material items they don’t have, attention from you or others, recognition, achievements and success… you name it, they’re jealous of it. Going back to self-interest

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being the priority, jealousy is a toxic trait. And if your partner or friend is constantly pulling you down or holding you back from achieving your personal or professional goals, that’s toxic. It’s healthy to have “the challenger” who pokes holes in your assumptions and makes you aware of the risks to protect you and help you gain clarity. But when this turns into perpetual negativity, it’s a toxic relationship. You want to be with someone who encourages and motivates you. Not someone who is jealous of your aspirations and keeps you feeling unaccomplished and unmotivated.

If any of these behaviors are things that you’re experiencing with your partner, please get help. All of these are toxic behaviors that will keep you feeling stuck and isolated until you take control back and leave. I am here to help in any way I can. Feel free to reach out to me via my website: www.MarissaFayeCohen.com or by email at me@MarissaFayeCohen.com. I also have a Free Safety Planning Guide on my website at www.MarissaFayeCohen.com/Free-resources . Cutting out a toxic partner is difficult, but necessary.

Narcissists push boundaries and things will just get worse. Reach out to me for support. I’m happy to help.

Domestic Violence Hotline - 1-800-799-7233 Related Speaking Topics for Your Campus: • Avoiding Toxic Relationships In this seminar, we cover the 11 Toxic Traits to be aware of that narcissists most commonly portray. They are the "early warning signs" of an abuser, and contribute to toxic relationships. Learning Objectives: Red Flags, Healthy vs. Unhealthy Relationships, Leaving Safely, Being A Good Advocate • 5 Easy Ways to Be More Situationally Aware, and Keep Yourself Safe, Without Isolating and Missing Out on the College Experience In this seminar we discuss simple ways to keep yourself safe on campus without shutting yourself in your dorm room for 4 years. The college experience is social, and you can balance a social life with being safe. We discuss techniques to keeping yourself and your friends safe while simultaneously enjoying the college experience. Learning Objectives: Safety Planning Techniques, Red Flags, Escape Plans, Situational Awareness, Consent • Advocating: How to Best Support Your Friends and Family Who Have Experienced Abuse In this seminar, we identify the top 3 habits of a great advocate. We discuss how to avoid victim blaming, and what it means to really support a survivor of domestic violence or sexual assault. It’s really difficult to watch someone you love endure abuse, because you feel helpless. But there are ways to be there while they’re in the abusive situation, and after they leave that are effective and helpful. Learning Objectives: Advocacy, Vicarious Trauma, Healthy Coping Skills, Habits of Helpful Advocates, Keeping Everyone Safe, Red Flags • Relationships, Red Flags and Risk Reduction In this seminar, we talk about healthy vs. unhealthy relationships, red flags to look for in these relationships, and ways to avoid abusers and narcissists. We can infuse some activities throughout if that’s wanted. Learning Objectives: Healthy vs. Unhealthy Relationships, Red Flags, Risk Reduction Techniques, Types of Abuse, Toxic Traits of Abusers, Resources On- and Off-Campus

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Keeping Students Engaged Del Suggs, M.S.Ed. Del@DelSuggs.com

We talk constantly about student engagement in Higher Ed. Why is engagement considered so important? It's because engagement demonstrates an active involvement in learning. Students who are engaged are taking a proactive approach to their education. They are more focused on the learning that is taking place.

The 10 High Impact Practices:

There has been a massive amount of research done over the last thirty-five years about the impact of engagement on student attrition. Without exception, the studies have all shown that engagement increases retention dramatically. Engagement is basically the difference between a student graduating and dropping out of college. It's that important.

1.

First-Year Experience or First-Year Seminars

2.

Writing-intensive courses

3.

Diversity/Global Learning

4.

Common intellectual experience (core curriculum)

5.

Undergraduate research

6.

Capstone courses and projects

None of these lend themselves to the student life office, at least not in an obvious manner. However, Thanks to the ongoing research by the National the last few do reach out for inclusion in the student Survey on Student Engagement at Indiana University, development curriculum. we have years of evidence about the value of engagement. In 2008, Dr. George Kuh published 7.

Internships: Given the high impact of High-impact educational practices: What they are, who internships, these should be considered for students has access to them, and why they matter. Dr. Kuh lists working with the student activities board. the ten most valuable engagement practices.

8.

Collaborative Assignments and projects: The ten High Impact Practices defined by Dr. Kuh are Students working closely on important projects and primarily based on the classroom experience, and events are the essence of an effective student not the co-curricular world of Student Affairs. And activities board. These activities should clearly be yet, several of the HIPs can well be attained with transferable. students working in student activities and student development.

9.

Learning Communities: While not a direct comparison to the living-learning communities that

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are a part of residence life at many colleges, the collaboration that is involved between members of the student activities board is clearly an apt comparison.

10.

Service Learning: Given the emphasis on community service at most campuses, this HIP is certainly one of the simplest examples of engagement in student activities.

By offering as many of the HIP elements as possible, the student activities office can be a strong force in student engagement.

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Ideas to Increase Campus Engagement 1.

Have an Activities / Involvement / Club Fair at the very beginning of each term. At these events, clubs can inform students about their activities and goals, and recruit new members. Make sure your Club Fair is held during the first week of class, before students fall into that rut of parking lot-classroomparking lot.

2.

Increase the number of clubs and organizations on campus by providing support and guidance. Foster a nurturing environment for new clubs to flourish. Reach out to students with ideas.

For example, is there an interest in writing? Create a Creative Writing Club. Online gaming? Anime?

3.

Provide and require officer training for students to assure that clubs function effectively.

Also provide Advisor training, as effective advisors are essential to a campus organization survival. It can be frustrating for students to try and serve as officers if they don't know how. Provide them with training so that they can fulfill their roles effectively.

Organization Involvement Campus organizations have been devastated the last two years by the pandemic. On some campuses, clubs have been unable to meet except virtually. It can be challenging to recruit new members during typical years, but recruitment via Zoom and other virtual platforms is even more difficult. Yet we know how important these student groups are in creating engagement.

Communities of practice, organizations, and clubs on campus are a powerful force for engagement. We should be working to increase the number of students involved with these groups, and provide high levels of support to ensure their success.

4.

Recognize and value involvement. Create awards and prizes for active and successful involvement. I've created a list of possible awards for your campus leaders and organizations. If you're interested, please email me and I'll send it along.

5.

Promote a co-curricular transcript. While this listing of student involvement has become more popular with every year, it is still uncommon. It provides strong encouragement to be involved on campus, and is a valuable marketing resource for job-seekers. We all know that engagement creates a more enhanced student, and a student with better social skills. The responsibility demonstrated by engaged students carries a lot or weight with perspective employers.

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Increasing Campus Involvement Getting students to attend and engage in activities and events is a struggle at nearly every college. While Campus Activities Boards work to increase attendance, there are multiple ways to get more students active and involved.

1.

More, smaller events. Many schools are locked in the practice of presenting large events such as concerts and festivals. Perhaps a more effective way to reach more students is to present multiple smaller events. By offering smaller programs at various times and locations, the SAB has the ability to reach more students.

2.

Targeted audiences. Presenting multiple programs enables the student activities office to reach more specific audiences, such as non-traditional students, returning students, families, first-generation students, and more.

3.

More interactive events. While continuing the traditional student activities offerings, perhaps SABs should also present more interactive programs. Try adding more karaoke, open mics and poetry jams to your schedule.

4.

Support for Residence Life programs. As students in residence halls have the opportunity of pursue more of the High-impact Practices, the student life office should be supportive of these programs.

5.

More learning-based programs and events.

There are many opportunities for student activities offices to present entertaining educational programs.

There are a vast number of entertaining speakers, films, comedians, spoken word artists and more.

Student activities can truly be co-curricular.

6.

Create student learning outcomes for all programs and events. It isn't difficult to demonstrate the contribution of activities and programs to the educational mission of the campus.

7.

Create a culture of engagement. Requiring ID card swipes to attend events is not unusual. Take it a step further and have students respond to

assessment surveys when they attend events.

Recruiting champions to make assessment the norm and providing positive reinforcement (rewards) can all generate a culture of engagement.

8.

Embrace your role as an educator on campus.

Remember “Learning Reconsidered” and understand that your contribution to student development is vital. Don't neglect your job as a teacher.

Never Forget Student engagement has been shown as the key to retention. There is powerful evidence that engagement results in higher grades and increased graduation rates. This is really the definition of Student Success. Get your students engaged, and watch them soar.

Copyright by Del Suggs, M.S.Ed. All rights reserved Del@DelSuggs.com www.DelSuggs.com

CLT Magazine | SUMMER 2022

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CLT Magazine | SUMMER 2022

The "Five Things" and American Dialogue Ron Jones Dialogues on Diversity, ron@dialoguesondiversity.com Historically, in America, we are told there are 5 things that we should never speak about in “polite” public forums: Sex, Money, Politics, Religion, and Race.

Though we speak about these things more now than in any previous generation, the way we do it validates why people were so prudish about not doing so in the past. Because we do not have deep and textured conversations about the things that are fundamental to how we are, we default to the narratives of extremes.

This happens because the majority get to define how the issue is seen and engaged. That is almost never an honest dialogue. One major exception is The Kerner Commission Report of 1968. It dealt with race, politics, and money, and how it all worked to disenfranchise Black people for generations. When it came out, we hardly spoke about it at all. Because we are rarely thoughtful about how we deal with these issues, the narrative of these topics stumbles into extremes.

If you are not straight (Sex), your story can be painted as “perverted”. If you are poor (Money), “laziness” probably has a lot to do with it. If you are not in the political mainstream (Politics), and sometimes if you are, your political beliefs are “radical or un-American”. If yours is not the dominant faith (Religion) of the land, you can fall anywhere on the spectrum from “antichrist” to “terrorist”. And racially…. do I need to even go there?

Not every conversation is had on these terms, but

too many are. This happens because whoever represents that dominant group has the power to make these things so. The Straight (Cis), White, Christian, Two-political party, Middle-class have the power to shape the conversation for almost everyone. They also have the power not to address their own faults and shortcomings within the same system. For the first time ever, we are finally acknowledging the danger inherent in not dealing with unchecked dominant power. I will break it down into two categories: White Apathy and White Supremacy.

Before some of you get all twisted about what I just said, let me be clear. WHITE PEOPLE AS A GROUP ARE NOT BAD, EVIL, OR WRONG. The apathy of too many white people enables the supremacy that oppresses non-white people. The same can be said for straight supremacy, class supremacy, and Christian supremacy. It is all built on the dominant narrative.

Because generations past were incentivized to keep it this way, we still struggle with deconstructing it. This is where the millennials have the power to make real change.

I do not expect that “power” as expressed in big systems will just change the way it has operated for so long, but I do believe that “people” can.

Caring people. Thoughtful people. All it takes is enough people committed to better dialogue. The only way that can meaningfully happen is when individuals and communities take on a more critical

CLT Magazine | SUMMER 2022

role in reforming the constructs that govern them.

The first step is understanding the intersectional threads that we culturally share that lie just below the big five. We are far more complex than the five things. We are also defined by our age, our family status, our health status, our physical and intellectual abilities, our geography, and a host of other things that make up the beautiful complication known as you. Use this idea to complicate yourself so you can then complicate others. This is what will transform the way we speak about issues.

You are incredibly powerful. If you look at history, you will see that change happened when the dominant groups listened to the non-dominant groups' stories of real pain.

This may sound controversial to some, but history and logic have consistently born this out.

• Slaves did not vote for their emancipation.

• Women did not give themselves the right to vote.

• Children did not make it illegal to work below a certain age.

Those are just a few examples of how we as Americans gave a bigger slice of dignity to those denied it in an earlier time. It came from an understanding that we could be better. We must all take responsibility of the whole of our human shortcomings.

The fact that it took as long as it did to deal with these and other indignities of the spirit spoke more to the character of the dominant group than it ever could to those they oppressed. Power will rationalize itself simply because it has the power to do so.

We will go through a predictable series of steps that are designed to soften morality and dilute conscience: 1. We are, first, creatures of comfort. When we have the power to do so, we often do not challenge what would take us out of our comfort zone.

2. The majority (or dominant culture) bends the world to its will. Why? See number 1.

3. We are, more than anything else our story (Narrative). True or false. Right or wrong. Our

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stories frame our reality.

4. The dominant narrative is usually the narrative of privilege. All privilege comes with a cost.

5. Our narratives are intermingled, dirty, and complicated. Those complications do not serve power or privilege, so we simplify.

6. Our inability to hear and understand the range of non-dominant narratives will make us more emotionally and intellectually fragile and calcified as a society over time. This will come with a great cost.

It will be impossible to fix ANY of our societal problems until we start to realize this about ourselves first and then expand that humbling truth into the way we move through the world. The phrase "Speak Truth to Power" is where all conversations about the five things should start.

Complicated. Honest. Humbling. Activating.

It will take some soul searching. It will take some unlearning. It will take some uncomfortable conversation. It will take time.

To be a better world: • See the diversity in self, so that you can see it in others.

• Acknowledge the blessings and traps of your privilege and act accordingly.

• Understand who needs your blessings and do what you can do.

This will elevate your dialogue. It will give you a fresh perspective on the critical part of you. It will make you stronger.