Episode Transcript
[00:00:10] Speaker A: You're listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone. And Sheena. I think I just said Sheena in Whitney. Like, I can't get my words right. I can't even get back in this semester. This is just crazy. But, Sheena, you're back, and I'm so excited.
[00:00:25] Speaker B: I know, I know. This is so great. And I just.
First off, shout out to Charles for being co hosts in my absence. It feels good to be in a sense of normalcy, and I was definitely missing this radio time, so. Yes. And so we've gone through, like, all the holidays, and now we're in 2021 and all the things. I feel like the season premiere of 2021 has been pretty dramatic so far, so.
So, yeah, that's. That's where my headspace is at. What about you, Whit?
[00:00:58] Speaker A: You know, I feel okay, but I will say, I really did miss you last seme.
As Dr. Fidawa would say, we have, like, chemistry on the radio, and I feel like we bounce off of each other. But Charles did an awesome job. Charles was great at, like, you know, he's got that. The fitness side and the analytics of all the things I wish I had. And so when we talk about, you know, fitness and nutrition and the way he comes in with certain things, it was such a good balance. And so a shout out to Charles for, you know, being on the show with us. And I'm excited we're going to have him on, I think, like, two or three more times this semester as kind of like our stand in fitness guru. But, yeah, it was a wild ride. I mean, thanks to our listeners, you guys that do listen to us. I mean, there are a couple of times you heard me ramble by myself and, like, who knows what I talked about? Probably bts, I'm sure, because that's all I talked about. And, like, South Korea, my favorite country in the world. But, yeah, I'm glad to be back on. We've been kind of playing around with our sound quality, so hopefully we sound good for you guys. We are still zooming it and doing this virtually, and it's worked out pretty well. We're still kind of, you know, trying to get adjusted to the kinks, but I think we're. We're there. But, Sheena, how was your. You know, you've got a new addition to the family. Christmas, New Year's. How was your holiday?
[00:02:15] Speaker B: You know, my holiday was pretty busy. Yes. There is a new member of the household, and his name is Jack. And what's crazy about him is that he has the same birthday as my other son, and they were both born on 9 11, and they're both premature babies. And so, you know, my thought process, now I just have to host one birthday a year in my home. Only one day a year that I have to super clean my house for my in laws and my parents. And so I'm really excited about that. But I forgot how exhausting babies can be. But I also forgot how easy they are because they don't move. Like you can put them in one spot and they're okay. With my toddler, he moves around a lot and he has watched a lot of kung fu movies with my dad and will use anything possible as a weapon. And so we've been really nervous about him in preschool right now. But. But yeah. So I think even with all of that, I've just. I've been so excited to be back, just to kind of get back into the groove of things.
So it's been good. But I do want to mention, just because, you know, we acknowledge that we are still on Zoom.
So I just learned today and did not realize this or learned it earlier this week in a student life meeting that we had about speaking on Zoom. I did not know that if a host is recording a Zoom session, it is also recording the private chats that are happening.
So it was letting you know we have in some, like, side chats, like dissing your host or whatever else, because whoever is hosting that and recording it, those private chats are recorded. So I felt like I needed to do a public service announcement to our listeners in case you ever find yourself in that position of wanting to have those separate side chats while a presentation is going on.
[00:04:13] Speaker A: So. But don't, you know, if it's recording, you do. Okay. So at least, you know, because I feel like anytime something's been recording in my mind because I don't trust anything and any source or whatever, I'm like, okay, well, they could see this, which is hilarious because there was one student life meeting. I'm totally gonna, like, just get myself in trouble. But me and Molly Tenney were like, private chat, like, just cracking up at, like, different things, you know, because you're looking at everybody on the screen and, like, I can't even bring myself to put my face on that screen. But it was just fun. And now that I know, I don't think it's been recorded. So good to know for future. But, you know, it's a good little reminder for everybody. So if you are getting in a zoom session and the record button is hit, you need to be careful about those private chats they can get you. But we have a great show for you guys today.
Yeah, just kicking off this semester. So we are going to take a quick break and we'll come back and you're listening to Fit to be tied on 90.7 the capstone.
Wvuafm tuscaloosa.
[00:05:28] Speaker B: Welcome back. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone. And if you are just now joining us, welcome back from the holidays. We are now in 2020.
We were giving you guys some user friendly information about Zoom and little private chats and if you know that a zoom that you are participating in is being recorded, so are any private side chats that you are having. So I felt like I would be remiss if I did not repeat that. But anyways, moving on. As we look to this new semester, you know, we've got a lot of different things going on. But of course we are still living in Covid times as well. So we've got to be creative with how we're getting plugged in. And so we have a fabulous guest today who is going to be talking about all the different ways that you can get plugged in on campus. So I am now going to introduce the lovely Paige Acker who is the assistant director of university program. So Paige, welcome.
[00:06:28] Speaker C: Hi. Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here.
[00:06:33] Speaker B: Oh, go ahead, Whitney.
[00:06:35] Speaker A: This is a zoom thing. This is how it's gonna be. We can't, you know, we gotta figure out our flow. Go ahead, Sheena.
[00:06:40] Speaker B: Oh, I was just gonna say, Paige, tell yourself and you know, anything you want to share, your professional background, academic background, we just, we want to learn a little bit more about you.
[00:06:52] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. So I graduated from the University of Alabama a long time ago, it feels like with a degree in public relations and computer science. And then I have a master's degree from Florida State University in higher education.
I've worked in programming and student affairs. Student life, Student affairs for a decade now, which sometimes feels like a really long time and sometimes feels like I still don't know what I'm doing, but I've learned a lot and have really enjoyed it. Like you said, I'm the assistant director of university programs. I've been here since September of 2018.
I've been back in Tuscaloosa since 2017, but I was previously serving with the city of Tuscaloosa I took a brief break from working in higher ed and did special events for the city. And when I was there, I had an intern from ua, and all of my colleagues were like, there's something different when you're working with college students. You seem more excited and passionate. And so I kind of realized, okay, I've got to get. Get back into higher ed and have really enjoyed it. And this was kind of a good kind of blend of everything that I really loved. So besides that, I've loved to bake, and really, I feel like, as everybody else did during, you know, quarantine, but I got really into it, much to the dismay of my family and friends, who I kept pawning off all of my baked good.
But then I also took up hiking during quarantine, so I felt like, okay, this is, like, a good balance to, you know, kind of learn to bake but also find a way to get outside, so.
[00:08:23] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:08:25] Speaker A: So what would you say is your favorite thing that you've baked so far?
[00:08:29] Speaker C: Oh, my goodness. The tastiest.
[00:08:30] Speaker A: So your favorite thing, or maybe the tastiest thing.
[00:08:33] Speaker C: Okay, so probably the thing that I guess would say I'm most proud of. I was really determined to create the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
And so I spent about four weeks making chocolate chip cookies almost every day, changing a little bit of this cook time, you know, different things like that, and I've nailed it. I've done it. That's awesome.
I have it. And whether it was the big trick, there's like, a couple of ingredients, obviously, but the big thing is, and this is, if you only like to do slice and bake cookies, cookies will continue cooking on the pan when you get them out of the oven. And so you. If you cook them and then you take them out, let them keep cooking for about 10 more minutes, and it'll give a crispy edge and a gooey center. And it's. That's the key. So.
Hot tip.
[00:09:22] Speaker B: There we go.
[00:09:22] Speaker C: For nothing else, you've learned something about that.
[00:09:26] Speaker B: I like it now with these. With the chocolate chip cookies, like, what is your style? Did you do, like, kind of, like the big, ooey gooey ones? Are you more of a, like, soft and flat and chewy kind of person or the crunchy type? What was kind of the perfect one to you?
[00:09:40] Speaker C: Yeah, they have a crunchy edge and, like, a gooey center, and they have a little bit of sea salt on the top. And so that's the.
That's the trick.
So I'll have to make some the students that I work for, they're always like, hey, are you, are you baking this weekend? Do you want to bring us something? And so I have to navigate.
[00:09:58] Speaker A: I think chocolate chip cookies are probably my favorite. And I think it's funny that we're talking about like cookies at the beginning of the year whenever, like, especially in fitness and like nutrition, you know, people are trying to like cut back and like get into their New Year's resolutions and things like that. But at the same time I love talking about it because I think you have to enjoy those things in life in moderation. And we haven't really talked a whole lot about New Year's resolutions. And we'll get to that probably later in some of our shows. But, you know, kind of switching back, Paige, to what you do with university programs.
What is the goal and the mission and specifically your role with that program?
[00:10:35] Speaker C: Yeah, so our, I guess, mission statement is to foster community and maximize student development through campus wide events, which is a great statement, but sometimes people don't understand what that means. And so the way that I say it when someone's like, what do you do? And the way that I've put it is we create meaningful experiences for UA students.
My goal is that we make people feel like they belong, that they belong to this community of people at ua, that they belong in our office and on our team, whatever that looks like. We want to make people feel like they're a part of something bigger than themselves.
And that's kind of what we drive, kind of what is what drives us. I tell our students that whatever our mission is and whatever we're trying to do, that should be the compass for our decision making. Everything we do should go back to is this creating an opportunity for somebody to feel like they belong.
And so I guess kind of what I do with that, oddly enough, just the way it kind of worked out with new opportunities for staff.
I am currently the only full time professional staff member in our department and so oversee our student team. And I do our marketing and I do our event planning. Obviously, I have great support from my supervisor who's the executive director of student engagement, Dr. Rosalind Moore Miller. And great support from my colleagues in student engagement. But kind of the day to day in the office, it is just me. And so it's kind of just a catch all, whatever kind of needs to be done, whether it's, you know, updating our website or helping the students fill up coolers, whatever kind of needs to happen. That's kind of where I get to jump in and do it.
[00:12:17] Speaker B: I love that. I think that you articulated that so well, just as far as what the mission is and the role that it plays as far as fostering community on campus. And you've alluded to this a little bit in your previous comments. But what do you really love most about working for university programs?
[00:12:37] Speaker C: It is 100% the students.
I believe so deeply in the power of higher education and that experience. But kind of with that, what it means when students are engaged outside the classroom, I think, I mean, I could get into the studies that have been done and things like that that I studied during grad school about that students are more academically persistent and things like that, which means they get better grades and they're more likely to graduate. But I just think that, you know, when students feel like they're a part of something on our team, I just think that that is just so fun. I tell my students when I hire them that the only reason I want them to stop working for me is because they've walked across the stage at graduation. And I do everything in my power to make sure that that happens, that they're excited about what we're doing, that they feel kind of some self, you know, ownership and really can kind of buy into our process. Specifically this team. I kind of would be remiss if I didn't kind of give them a shout out due to people graduating again, kind of the nature of other opportunities.
This team that I currently have, there's only one person who was here prior to when Covid started. So this team not only took on new job opportunities, but they adapted and really thrived. And that's been so fun to see them grow during this, these last few months.
[00:13:59] Speaker A: You know, I'm sitting here thinking about student engagement and I mean, in the division of student life, that's what we do. You know, it's like every area, it's like you're in this profession, in this field because you do want to work with students, because you know, how. You know, what. Whatever area it was, how it impacted you as a student. And you know, it's been hard with COVID I mean, the. I mean, it's just been hard. I mean, I know for us with university recreation, it's like, who seriously wants to do like a live days class or something? Like, people do it and you want to put that out there. But I'm just gonna be completely honest. It's just hard. And so we're coming up on a break soon, but, like, just thinking about, you know, all of Our programs that we do and how has it been modified? I mean, and maybe this takes more time. Maybe we should take a break. I feel like we need to just go and take a break because this is just a whole new conversation of, you know, Covid, because I hate its guts. But anyway, we are going to take a break on that note. And you're listening to Fitness High with Sheena Whitney. And we'll catch you on the other side.
Wvuafm tuscaloosa.
[00:15:12] Speaker B: Welcome back. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheen and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone. And if you're just now catching us, we have been talking about all things university programs, and Whitney brought up a great question before the break. You know, we have to acknowledge our, you know, Covid times right now. And, you know, when we think about campus engagement and different events on campus, you know, we have to acknowledge the fact that there are going to be some modifications that take place. And so I think that's a great segue, Paige, for you to share. How has university programs had to change its operations or the way it looks at creating a sense of community in events over this past semester and us going into the spring semester?
[00:15:58] Speaker C: So, I mean, it's changed everything for us, honestly, I think as it has for a lot of people. But I mean, our brand was built on large in person events where we were trying to get thousands of people in the same place. And so kind of overnight it was like, that is no longer the goal. That's actually completely opposite from the goal of what we're trying to do. And so that just kind of all changed. But at the end of the day, our mission kind of remained the same. And so it was, how do we still accomplish what we're trying to do, but in a completely different way?
And I think that that kind of provided one. I think at first it was, you know, there was a little bit of panic of, I mean, oh my gosh, am I even gonna still have a job? You know, is this gonna be something where they're like, okay, well, we're just gonna shut this down until we get back. But luckily I really felt like they were kind of looking to our office and our department to say, okay, this is still really important. We know this is important to the student experience. And so we've got to just revamp this and what does that look like?
[00:17:00] Speaker B: And.
[00:17:01] Speaker C: And really, one of the things that we realized was we were going to need more students, not necessarily on our team, but more student leaders to kind of help Us make that happen. So one of the things that we created were our engagement pods, which were small groups of students who were able to meet safe, socially distant, and meet once a week around a variety of topics. We had one group that their engagement pod was dance and snacks. And they got together and they did a dance class together, and then they ate snacks. I mean, it was. It was very much, oh, my gosh, it was fantastic. They loved it.
We had one group that it was basically like, we want to get together every Tuesday and eat lunch. And so they got together on the quad and they had lunch together, or we had groups that, you know, talked about food, different kind of food that they liked around Tuscaloosa. And, I mean, just a variety of things. Some of our living and learning communities, Lucy's Legacy, for example, we had two groups from that living, learning community community. And what we realized was students are still wanting to get together. They're still wanting to serve each other and serve each other well.
And so what I told them during our training was, I can't go and lead all these groups every week, but we can give you the tools and the resources, whether it's reserving space on campus or providing resources. We had one group that did arts and crafts every week, and so we bought the resources for them, and they were able to do that. And so from that, we were able to impact students on a weekly basis. And that was something that we are continuing this semester. We're going to be launching that kind of looking for people soon. And so if that's something that anybody's listening that wants to be a part of, please reach out to us. We would love to help you kind of make that happen.
But beyond that, we just kind of had to revamp the way that we were doing things. And so whether it was by offering virtual events or one thing that we really found that people really enjoyed was what we called a grab and go kind of thing, meaning they came and got supplies from us, and then they were able to participate in an event with their roommates.
And then, you know, sometimes on their own, but sometimes through kind of a virtual zoom platform where they were still able to connect with other people, but in a. In a safer way.
[00:19:19] Speaker A: I find that very encouraging, just hearing that the students want to be so engaged and active, because, you know, it's kind of when all this first started, we were racking our brains like, oh, my gosh, everything we do in student life is about, like, having events and tabling and being in person. And then all of a sudden, it goes to, you can't do that at all to now we're starting to kind of bring that stuff back in. And so, you know, it's very encouraging that the students want to do those types of things and that they're hungry for that, that they're, you know, the zooming and the virtual stuff, it's going to be a part of our lives, I think, from now here on out for a very long time. And I think it hopefully will get a little bit better, more in person stuff. But I've been very encouraged to see just across campus how students, they want to connect with each other and they are hungry for, you know, human interaction. You know, again, whether it's through zoom or in person. I mean, even our group X classes. I went upstairs and I walked by yesterday and or the other day, and I was like, holy cow, there's like a lot of people up here. Like, I mean, they're having to do certain protocols, be certain distance away, wear a face mask. No one wants to exercise in a face mask. It's awful. But they're doing it because they want to continue to be a part of things and a part of the university. So I think that. I think it's great, all the things that you guys have done. And I'm curious, you know, you know, what kinds of events and series do you guys have planned for this semester? Anything specific?
[00:20:48] Speaker C: So, yeah, we actually, we just kicked off an event series yesterday that we're calling Home from the Holidays. And I have to always really make sure that I say it correctly because so many times I've said home for the Holidays. And I'm like, no, no, no. Home from the Holidays. And we're kind of just playing on the words of we're welcoming you back to ua, back to Tuscaloosa.
We recognize they've been gone for a really long time, and kind of like you said, students are wanting to be around each other, but they're also, you know, contrary to what some people believe, students are willing to follow the rules and do what we're asking of them to be able to continue to have these experiences. And so Home from the Holidays, it will definitely be focused more on virtual and GR and go things.
We're gonna have some virtual movie nights, which is where we can. We kind of pay for exclusive streaming rights, you know, for something that's not on Netflix or Hulu or that kind of thing, where students can get together with their peers and kind of have a movie night. We're gonna be doing some of those Grab and go options with some local Tuscaloosa businesses where they can come and get something and create something at home on their own, but not necessarily alone. Right. We really want them to do it with their roommates, with the people that are in their, you know, in their suites on campus.
And then what I'm really excited about is we're doing kind of for the first time, welcome Back weeks. And so that will take place January 31st through February 13th. And hopefully, obviously, as we know, I feel like it's always important to say, given what we currently know at this current moment, this is our plan. We're always willing to adjust. That was something I learned more than anything in the fall was we need to be able to just roll with it. And so right now, our plan for January 31 to February 13 is to do welcome Back weeks and that will feature some in person events. They will obviously be small, but we're hoping to do maybe some art classes in the fall. We were able to partner with Campus Rec and Campus Recreation and do some fitness classes on the Ferg lawn. Now, obviously it's a little cold, but I still think that if we do some things during the day, I think students will dress up in their warm clothes and come out and do it with us. So we're hoping to do that. We're still kind of in that planning process because as we found, we plan too far ahead. Because if you do that, then everything you've planned, it just doesn't apply. And so that's kind of what we're looking at. And something also I just kind of want to say is all of our events that we do, everything we do through our office is free and open to all UA students, undergrad and graduate level. And so if anybody, you know, thinks that they aren't invited or aren't welcome to be a part, it's for everyone. We want everyone to be involved.
And so the best way to kind of know what we have going on is to just kind of follow us on social media, ua, what's up on all platforms.
But we're kind of seeing that if we can create even just little pockets of experience, that's what students are really drawn to. And so that's what we're gonna, you know, try to do.
[00:23:47] Speaker B: I love your emphasis on the fact that these events are free because I think that there certainly can be this misperception of like, oh my gosh, this is gonna cost money. But I've been really blown away at the fact that our students really trust us as A university that when we're providing these experiences, we're providing them in a very safe manner so they feel encouraged and attend, you know, whether that is an event with university programs or going to student rec or the Witt center to engage in a workout class. So to me, I think that just speaks to. I love that our students, you know, trust our campus and trust the individuals that have been involved. And with all the programming that you've talked about, Paige, I have so many more questions in mind, and thankfully we have you on for another segment, but I know we're, you know, winding down to another break, so we are going to take a quick break, and then when we get back, Paige, we've got more questions for you so you can talk more about university programs.
So y' all sit tight, grab something to drink, as I always like to say, and we will catch you after the break.
[00:24:53] Speaker A: Wvuafm, tuscaloosa.
Hello, friends. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Whitney, and we are talking about university programs and guests.
[00:25:05] Speaker C: What?
[00:25:05] Speaker A: It's the perfect time to get involved because it's a new semester and it's a new year. This is like my little sales pitch for all things a student life engagement.
So Paige Acker is with us, and she basically is running the whole show by herself. Actually, not by herself. She's got her team, but as a professional staff, she is kind of running the show.
You know, getting involved is so important. And when I was in undergraduate, my way of getting involved was the student rec center, because I knew that I gravitated to fitness and exercising, working out. And that's kind of where I found, like, my little group of people. And what I'm starting to learn now from university programs is there's these little pods that y' all have created. The students get to kind of find things that they're interested in. The one that sounded really interesting to me was the dancing and snacking that me and Sheena were both like, do.
Because, like, if we can, like, you know, dance around and then snack, I can't think of an better way to get involved with a group. Do they need advisors? I'm just kidding.
That's okay. I've got, like, three or two groups. I advise. I don't need any more. I'm good, but I'm always happy to do it. But, you know, speaking of that, like, faculty and staff, there are ways for us to get involved. And I think that's really important for us to stay connected with students because as you kind of work yourself up the chain at the university.
And you move from coordinator or manager, assistant director, you kind of keep moving up.
You can kind of lose touch with students. And that's something that, you know, we're in this business. We don't really want to lose touch with students. And so I like to, you know, do advising and reach out to students and talk. So what are some ways that faculty staff at UA can get involved with university programs?
[00:26:49] Speaker C: So I think the number kind of, number one way that we see faculty and staff getting involved is when they are doing an event or an engagement opportunity, virtually or otherwise, that they reach out to us as a campus partner.
And we really love to do that. And it kind of looks differently for every kind of partnership. Some people are looking for, you know, they want someone to kind of come along in the planning process and maybe financially contribute or do some marketing or whatever.
And we love to do that. And then some people are like, hey, we have this event and we just need some students to maybe help work the event or help us advertise and that kind of thing. And so really, kind of our goal this semester is to be able to highlight any kind of engagement opportunity on campus. And so if a faculty or staff member has something that they want to kind of get off the ground, we have been really fortunate. That kind of our social media engagement and things like that has been high over the years. And so that's something that we definitely want to be able to utilize and of kind of feature different departments. We were really lucky. One of my favorite things that we got to do in the fall was we got to work with a lot of academic departments, which we hadn't done before, just to kind of highlight some of their open houses in the fall at the beginning of the semester and kind of welcoming their new students. But we definitely work with a lot of departments in student life just to kind of make different events and different engagement opportunities happen.
[00:28:18] Speaker A: Yeah.
And, you know, with partnerships like we've kind of talked about before, the rec has done different types of partnerships. And, you know, I'd be curious now that I'm kind of hearing about these different, like, groups I get together, like, if there's some type of random partnership, like, and I guess this wouldn't be random, but, like, our rock wall is hopefully going to be opening soon over at the Witt Center. We're kind of just fingers crossed, like, waiting for the word, because we've been doing all these precautions to get ready and to, you know, make sure it's as safe as possible. And it'd be cool to have, like, some type of rock climbing group or just to get more exposure.
[00:28:51] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:28:52] Speaker A: And using different places on campus and just trying to. I mean, like you said, it's just basically getting the word out because we want these students to be involved as much as possible. And when faculty and staff are involved as well, it just creates a better community. You know, it's not so separated. And I like the idea of getting faculty involved or doing things with academics because sometimes in student life, we kind of get in our own little bubble of just, like, our partnerships of like, oh, yeah, of course I'm going to call Paige for university programs or Sheena over at the health center. But then thinking a little bit more like, oh, I could reach out to Lucas over at biology.
And thinking of all those different partnerships, and it's more exposure because I know for the rec center, there's a lot of students that we actually don't even see just because, I mean, we still have, like, tons coming in and our swipes are high and our classes, but there's still a market and a group that we just don't see a whole lot. So it's good to kind of cross, you know, I guess exposed, maybe. So.
[00:29:51] Speaker C: Yeah, no, absolutely. I mean, I. The students are always asking, you know, how many people, you know, what's the goal for university programs of how many people know, like, what we do and who we are and attending our events? And I said, I want every UA student to at least know that we're an option. I want them to know that we're here. They may not need our services. They may not need our resources, but I want that to be something that they select, not just they get to their senior year and they're like, oh, I wish I would have known about this kind of thing.
[00:30:19] Speaker A: I think, oh, go ahead, Sheena.
[00:30:21] Speaker B: Oh, no, I was just gonna say, I do know. I feel like you guys in many ways have a cult following as far as folks that I've seen at every single event or, you know, the ones that all participate in. And I'm like, I can, like, count on this one student that I know who he is gonna come and he's gonna bring his posse of friends, and I love that. And then seeing all the new faces. So I love that it's this mix of students who have relied on your programming during their undergraduate career. But then you have these new f are coming along because you created an event or program that has particularly piqued their interest. And now you've got them plugged in, too.
[00:30:58] Speaker A: And with university programs, I mean, y' all do so many different things. So, you know, for me, even when I was in college, I remember going to events with university programs that were like, the movie. Like, going to the Ferg Theater, like, watching a movie.
And it seems like y' all just, like, constantly have stuff going on. I mean, I hear about y' all stuff. You're very good at marketing and getting that stuff out there. And even when you, of course, haven't really been inside the Ferg in a while, just work. I'm either, like, at home working or in my office, and I don't talk to anybody, like, face to face ever.
But, like, you know, even when we would have our divisional meetings in person and y' all had stuff on the doors, do y' all still do, like, the bathroom doors? Like.
[00:31:39] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, the bathroom flyers. They're definitely people.
[00:31:42] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:31:43] Speaker C: They hear a lot about our stuff from that. Yeah. Now, my student team will tell you that's probably their least favorite task is changing those out, because everybody kind of forgets that somebody has to change those. But. Yeah, but we don't want that job. So they're good words about it. So it's always. We try to do it anytime. When we used to have weekend programming, that was the time that we would try to do it. So, yeah, that's always creates a big laugh in our.
[00:32:05] Speaker B: It's effective because I was engaged.
[00:32:08] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean. Yeah, you read it, and then it's like, you know, it's right there in front of you. I was thinking back to when you were talking about having, like, the movie nights and stuff like that. And I don't know if y' all have had a chance to watch one of the new Pixar movies on Disney plus Soul. Have y' all seen it yet?
[00:32:27] Speaker C: I haven't, but it's good.
I know a lot of people have.
[00:32:32] Speaker A: It's. It's one of those movies that, as we came off the end of 2020, kind of going into 2021, and it was perfect, like, with the message, and it was just awesome.
[00:32:46] Speaker C: So
[00:32:49] Speaker A: are we slowing down? Did we just have a little zoom? Sure.
[00:32:53] Speaker C: Doesn't do too many things wrong, so I imagine it was fantastic. Yeah.
[00:32:59] Speaker B: Well, no, I was gonna mention another May and just say that I will thank university programs. During my time in undergrad, when I got to watch Napoleon Dynamite for the first time in the Ferg, it was like it was the transition from when it was in a few independent theaters and then was not on, like, video or DVD yet. And so, yes, it was featured in the Ferg Theater. So anyways, yeah, those are my random undergrad memories.
Sorry. So that's where I say, that was not a Pixar movie, unlike Soul, but,
[00:33:33] Speaker A: you know, it was pretty. There's another movie on Netflix right now that really reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite. It has that same quirky humor, and it takes place in New Zealand, and I don't even know how I found it. My brother found it. We watched it, and I was like, oh, my gosh, that was, like, the cutest little movie. And it's called something about the. Like, the Wilder People or something. I'll have to find out. I'll tell you all next show. I'll look it up. Well, I mean, I have the Internet right in front of me. I guess I could, but I'm just being really lazy on this lovely Sunday afternoon.
But it was, like, the same type of premise, just like a dorky movie. But anyway, you can learn about all these things when you go to the movies and get yourself involved with programs. Because that's how Sheena found out about Napoleon Dynamite. That's right.
[00:34:14] Speaker B: Well, you know, Paige, we're having so much fun talking with you, and, you know, the segments just keep going quickly, and then I continue to have these questions. You know, normally at the end of the show, it's just Whit and I. But if you're willing to stay on with us for our last segment, see if you can give a shout out to let students know how they can get involved, whether it's volunteer or employment opportunities. Would you be okay with that?
[00:34:37] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely.
[00:34:38] Speaker B: All right, well, you guys, we're going to take another quick break, so catch us on the flip side. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone.
[00:34:53] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
Welcome back. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied, and we have had a wonderful show, but, duh, we're back. And of course, it's gonna be wonderful because I know you guys have missed us.
Oh, my gosh. No one listens. I'm just kidding.
[00:35:10] Speaker C: Everybody listens.
[00:35:11] Speaker A: Anyway, but Paige has been on the show with us today talking about university programs, and we just wanted to keep her on for the last segment because there's so much information, so much knowledge, and to kick off the semester with opportunities. I mean, what are some ways, you know, that these students can look for jobs or get involved? Like, if they're listening to our show and they're thinking, oh, I've never heard of that. I mean, first of all, get out from underneath your rock. And second of all, you know, join some programs at university. Programs.
[00:35:43] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. So, I mean, we would love for students to get involved in any way that kind of works for them, for them and for their, like, commitment level, interest kind of thing.
The biggest thing I would say is just. I know it sounds like a shameless plug, but follow us on social media. That is where we put all of our information. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Um, what's up?
And we post all of our events. We also post any kind of job opportunities. We will be hiring later in the spring.
We typically hire kind of towards the end of the spring semester as we get ready for the summer and fall.
And so we hire and we hire students who do a variety of things. All of our graphics are designed by students. And so kind of everything we do is by students, for students. And so, so we've got graphic designers, photographers, event planners, brand ambassadors. So any kind of interest level that you might have, we, you know, we want to find a way to get you plugged in.
And then also, if maybe you're not looking for a job, just kind of come and be a part of our events or maybe you want to lead an engagement pod, all of that. We would just love to kind of see you if you want to just volunteer, just to kind of see what it's about, maybe meet some new people, reach out to us.
My information is on our website, which is at UP sl UA Edu, and you can get my information, my email, or if you want to stop by our office in a safe, socially distant way. We're in the Ferguson Student center on the third floor. We're usually here five days a week, Monday through Friday.
And so really kind of any way that you're wanting to get involved as a UA student, we want to help make that happen.
If you're not sure what that looks like, set up a meeting with me and we can find it. Maybe it's with our office, maybe it's with someone else, but that's kind of our goal, is to find a way for students to have that community on campus. So whatever we can do to help, that's what we're here for.
[00:37:39] Speaker B: That's awesome. And I think that with how you mentioned there being so many different ways to be involved with UP as far as the different roles, you probably get a lot of students that just have different majors, you know, because at first I was thinking like, oh, there's probably all these restaurant and hospitality management, event planning majors, but then when you talk about photography, you know, graphic arts, brand ambassadors, I'm sure you guys have a little bit of everything as far as what program students are involved in academically.
[00:38:09] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. We don't have a major requirement or anything like that. And so some students there, they have the role because it's what they kind of want to do long term. And some people just enjoy it and have fun. And so we're happy with either option. Whatever brought you to us, we're not worried about it, just happy that you're here.
[00:38:27] Speaker B: Okay, awesome.
[00:38:28] Speaker A: You know, and I have a. I was just kind of thinking, you know, we haven't really talked New Year's resolutions yet. And so I don't know if, you know, just kind of totally segueing, but y' all have New Year's resolutions. I'll tell you what I think, and then I'll be interested to hear what you guys think. I had this idea, and I'll make it quick because I know we're about to get off the air, but I had this idea that I'm not going to be specific, even though we talk about being specific. I'm going to have concepts and ideas that are going to just be here, and if I want to choose to do them, it's going to be like my outline and framework for what my year may look like. I'll choose to do it that way. There's no plan pressure. So I'm curious to know what you guys are going to do if you have a New Year's resolution or if you were just kind of like, flying by the seat of your pants like me.
[00:39:18] Speaker C: Mine, I think. And I will be the first to admit that I saw this on Twitter and I was like, I love that. That's what I want to do. And I don't remember who said it. It was just one of those things as I was scrolling by, but somebody kind of the concept people were talking about, you know, don't sweat the small stuff.
My, I guess, kind of mindset for 2021 is to sweat the small stuff, meaning following through with my word, being on time when I say I'm going to be somewhere, being really kind to the people in my, like, inner circle of who I'm around all the time, like, really focusing and following through.
Because I think sometimes, for me, at least, when I have New Year's resolutions, it's like these great intentions, like you said. Oh, they're very specific. But then If I get off course a little bit, I'm like, like, well, too bad.
And so just like at the end of the day, like, working hard and being kind to people is kind of my 2021 goal.
[00:40:11] Speaker A: Gina, what about you?
[00:40:13] Speaker B: So I, as I was writing an email earlier today, I had to, I was going back and proofing it and I realized how many exclamation points I use and also that sometimes they're very long winded. So I'm going to be more intentional with my emails not being so fluffy but also not going on the extreme where they read off as unkind. So I'm going to try reduce my exclamation points and smiley faces. So maybe some people.
[00:40:38] Speaker A: Exclamation points. Exclamation points.
[00:40:41] Speaker B: Yeah, but we're gonna balance it out. But so that's mine, listeners. You guys be thinking about yours because we're probably, you know. Oh, also too as a show and I'm totally running us over. Maybe wit, our New Year's resolution can be to make our social media a little bit more interactive for the show and then we can be getting you guys to share your New Year's resolutions with us.
[00:41:03] Speaker A: That would be great.
[00:41:04] Speaker B: Yes. So on that note, you guys, we've had a great show this afternoon. Paige, thank you so much for joining us.
Listen to us next week. Enjoy your Sunday. You have been listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone.
[00:41:28] Speaker C: Sam.
