Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
Happy Sunday, y'all. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone. And you know what? We're in February. I know it's, you know, several days out or a week or so out from Groundhog's Day, but how do you feel about this whole allegedly having, was it six more weeks of winter? I honestly, I don't know the logistics of Groundhog's Day, but that's what the interwebs was telling me.
[00:00:33] Speaker B: Yeah. So, you know, the only person that I rely on is Mr. James Spann for my weather.
You know, Span's the man. But I will say I love Phil the Groundhog.
[00:00:47] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:00:47] Speaker B: So cute.
[00:00:48] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:00:48] Speaker B: You know, I don't care what he says. He's not James fan. But I still want to, like, hug him and kiss him, even though I think he would take my head off if I got married. But he's so cute. But no, I don't really think there's going to be six more weeks of winter from what James Span says.
[00:01:03] Speaker A: Yes. And, you know, I think the weather this past week. And again, I'm speaking in terms of when we know listeners will be listening to the show. We've been in the 70s, which is so crazy.
[00:01:12] Speaker B: So nice. Yes, so nice. I think, looking out to the future, that the day after Valentine's Day is really supposed to be kind of our coldest day. And then we're done.
[00:01:24] Speaker C: Really?
[00:01:25] Speaker B: It's what I have read.
[00:01:26] Speaker A: Okay, so we've got that recorded. We've got that on air. Let's see if it.
[00:01:30] Speaker B: We'll see.
[00:01:31] Speaker A: Yeah, let's see if it transpires each other.
So, you know, Nika, honestly, as I was thinking about today's show, and I was like, what are we going to talk about in this first five minutes? Because listeners, I will disclose that we normally don't have plans.
[00:01:45] Speaker B: I bet they can't tell at all. I don't think so.
[00:01:48] Speaker A: I was like, what can we talk about? So I wanted to ask you, out of all of the different health topics that are usually covered by health educators, public health professionals, what health topics are you the most passionate about?
[00:02:02] Speaker B: Personally, few of them. Women's Health.
[00:02:06] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:02:07] Speaker B: 1. Prevention. I'm a big prevention person. So, you know, any kind of get your screenings, know your signs or your symptoms, listen to your body. But I kind of gravitate more towards, like, the fitness and the dietary because that was, you know, that was what I really focused on in undergrad and grad school, but really I love it all. You know, the only thing that is probably pretty much not my jam, and I think it's because I'm not a number numbers person, is the financial aspect. Yes, I see that. I mean, don't hear me incorrectly. It's not that I don't think it is uber important. It is. It's just I don't get into like teaching it and getting passionate about it because I think it kind of scares me a little bit because I don't know what I don't know. You know, I do know that I didn't go to school and take a lot of math or business classes. So that area is still like, I have to. I have to defer that to the professionals.
[00:03:02] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:03:02] Speaker B: But I like all, you know, the mental health, spiritual health, sexual health. I mean, every bit of it is very interesting to me. No dietetics for you, because that is your bread and butter, pun intended. But what else, what else do you love?
[00:03:15] Speaker A: Yes. So definitely the nutrition. I think alongside that, naturally, probably mental health, mostly because so much of my career was dedicated and still is dedicated to eating disorders. And it's always a great opportunity for me to let folks know that eating disorders are first and foremost a mental health disorder. So that tie in there. But I will say one of the topics that I've started to become even more interested in as a health professional, and I'll attribute this to you and the many times you had been on Fit to Be Tied in the past, even just as one of our regular guests, is sleep. And talking about how that ties into so many other aspects of our health in terms of immune function, metabolically, how it affects fertility, mental health, fertility, all of these things. And so it has been fun to add that to more of our programming as we educate students and just the public in general.
[00:04:10] Speaker B: Yes. Sleep is so odd, isn't it? We really don't know a whole lot about it because we, you know, it's not in. We keep talking to you about it in real time. We have to, you know. Yeah. So I think it's so cool. I do love sleep too.
[00:04:22] Speaker A: Well, and, you know, and it's funny because whenever I talk to a class, I'm always asking them when you are really stressed out during this semester or it's a very busy week for you, out of eating, sleeping, or moving, what tends to be on the back burner for you when you are in those very busy weeks? And it's interesting to kind of hear the variab for some students Eating goes on the back burner. For others, that may be a non negotiable for them. Same thing with sleep. Others may consider that a non negotiable. Others may say, actually, that's where I really probably put a lot of the sacrifices to sleep or maybe moving their body.
[00:04:59] Speaker B: Right.
[00:05:00] Speaker A: And then I think it's even still a new concept for students to think about joyful movement or movement in general contributing to their academic success and what that looks like. So I know we've got to take a quick break, but I will tease and say that with our guests today, we'll probably be asking them which of those three kind of, you know, is their sacrifice of choice, for lack of better words during those busy semesters. But you are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nneka on 90.7 the capstone WVUAFM Tuscaloosa.
[00:05:46] Speaker B: Welcome back, listeners. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Neeka on 90.7 the Capstone.
[00:05:51] Speaker A: That's right. And if you did not get to join us last week, first we want to encourage you to do so because we got to talk all about SGA's Capstone Wellness Explorer. And it always gives us a really great opportunity to have student guests with us. And I'm excited to say that this week is no exception. We also have two very fabulous, very involved UA students who are joining us today representing UA's Project Health Peer Education Program. So we have Mr. Aiden Flanagan, who is our Health Ambassadors Director, and Ms. Zara Jadal, who is VP of Recruitment. So both of y'all, thank you for being on the show.
[00:06:27] Speaker D: Of course. Thanks for having us.
[00:06:29] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, I think as we kind of get into the show, one of the things that we like to do with all of our guests is basically kind of get an Aiden and Zara101. Like, where are you from? What's your major? What brought you to the capstone? And so y'all kind of paper or rock scissor between the two of you and decide who wants to answer that question first?
[00:06:53] Speaker C: Yeah, I can start. So my name is Zara again.
I'm from Collierville, Tennessee originally and I am a biology major on the pre med track. I have a double minor in psychology and an interdisciplinary premedical studies. Me and Aiden are also both in an honors program at ua called the McCullough Pre Medical Scholars Program. So super cool.
And the reason I picked UA that set aside other colleges for me is the honesty and the genuity that I felt whenever I came to tour on campus here, whenever I asked the person that was my tour guide about questions that might be negative, like have a negative connotation towards them, they weren't scared to be honest with me and be like, okay, yeah, what's one thing that you don't like about ua? And they would say, like, parking or like something like that. But then when you go to other college campuses, they kind of have a show and they're like, oh, well, I love everything about this campus. And it kind of just seemed a little bit too showy where it was like, eh, they're just doing it because they want to sell campus. But here at ua, everyone is super genuine and honest. And you see that throughout your four years here too as well.
[00:08:07] Speaker A: Okay, nice. Thank you. Aiden, how about you?
[00:08:10] Speaker D: I'm from Hope Valley, Rhode island originally, which is a small town on the Rhode island and Connecticut border, so about 18, 19 hours away from home.
I am also a biology major and I have two minors in French and then interdisciplinary studies in medicine along with Zara.
Like Zara said, I'm a part of the McCullough Institute.
And I picked UA because I'm actually the third one of my siblings to come down here. One of my older brothers and my older sister both graduated from the capstone Roll Tide. So. Roll Tide, it's getting to be a little bit of a family tradition.
And, you know, I wasn't always 100% dead set that I was going to come to Alabama, but I saw, you know, how much success they had while also just like loving their life on campus. You know, they had so many opportunities to advance their career while also so many opportunities to make such great friends. And when I came to visit, I got the exact same feeling that I would really thrive here and knew that I wanted to be here.
[00:09:15] Speaker A: Nika, we have some very smart people sitting at this table.
[00:09:18] Speaker B: We do have some very smart people.
[00:09:20] Speaker A: Sitting at the table. I mean, I think we're intelligent, but I think these people at the table might be more intelligent.
[00:09:24] Speaker B: So I think I have to agree with you on that. And our listeners probably have already picked up on that as well and said yes.
So, okay, so I love how you're telling me about, like, what, you know, like your academic pursuits. Tell me about your other areas, involvement on campus that may not have, may or may not have anything to do with academics.
[00:09:42] Speaker C: Yeah. So other than Project Health, I'm also involved in student admissions ambassadors. We work with undergraduate admissions and we take prospective students and their families on lunches and do admissions events like admitted tide day university days. And then I'm also involved in my sorority, which is Tridel. I'm the director of philanthropy there.
And then also in student organ donation advocates. I'm a member of that club. And then I'm a part of a lot of other organizations, but they're off campus and they're non profits that I work with.
[00:10:18] Speaker A: Very nice.
[00:10:19] Speaker B: Cool. So Wendy Slate? No.
Is that one.
[00:10:24] Speaker D: That's a lot burner.
[00:10:25] Speaker C: I swear I do sleep okay.
[00:10:26] Speaker A: Good.
[00:10:27] Speaker B: Aiden, what about you?
[00:10:29] Speaker D: I am an assistant coach for the men's rowing team through Alabama Sports Clubs. That takes up a lot of my early mornings because we have practice at 5:15 as the morning, so there goes my sleep a little bit.
[00:10:42] Speaker C: He actually doesn't sleep.
[00:10:45] Speaker D: So I had practice this morning. So I've been up for a few hours now.
And then I am also heavily involved in undergraduate research. So I have been working in the lab in the biology department since I was a freshman. And because I loved it so much, I ended up joining the office for Undergraduate Research and being a research ambassador. So I try to guide other students who are looking for research opportunities and they can come in and make an appointment with me and I can kind of point them in the right direction, which I really enjoy. And then obviously we are both in Project Health and.
Yeah, that's about it for on campus.
[00:11:27] Speaker A: That's about it. That's about it.
[00:11:31] Speaker B: Just come with me.
[00:11:33] Speaker A: So, you know, clearly both of you have such a depth and breadth of experience at ua. And so I'm kind of curious. What do each of you love most about being here at the capstone? Like if, you know, if you had like your elevator pitch of like, oh my gosh, what do you love about UA? What would you tell people in that 10 seconds?
[00:11:53] Speaker C: You know, I think for me it would definitely be the sense of community that you find in every aspect of ua. No matter that's academics or sports or music, every single member within that organization is passionate and driven about what they love.
And like growing up, I wasn't a huge college football fan. My family, we were Tennessee fans because we were from Tennessee. We loved Knoxville. And then coming here, the sense of community that you find within football, I didn't think I would fit into that because that just wasn't something I was used to growing up. But now you can't find me at an Alabama football game without me screaming my head off.
And my mom too, which is crazy because she is. I mean, she grew up in the Philippines. She's not really sports oriented at all. And now she's one of the hugest college football fans too. So I think that's something that I love most about ua, is that every single person, whether it's academics or sports, they're just super passionate about what they do. And it really resonates with everybody else, too.
[00:12:55] Speaker A: Yeah. So I'm just gonna have a personal geek out with you mentioning where your mom is from, because my parents are also from the Philippines and it's crazy for them to think that they are these, like, rabid Alabama fans. And my dad actually made the move to the several months before my mom, and one of the first things he sent her was, I think, like an Alabama football jersey. And she was like, what is this? He goes like, I have no idea. But apparently this is a thing in Alabama, so I wish I knew where that jersey was. They have no idea where it is. But when you said that, I was.
[00:13:26] Speaker B: Like, oh, my gosh, look at that full circle moment.
[00:13:29] Speaker A: I know it. Yeah, yeah. You know, Yeah.
[00:13:32] Speaker B: I didn't know at the time.
[00:13:33] Speaker A: I didn't know that UA would give their daughter scholarship and then she'd work here for, like, forever.
And now, Aiden, how about you? What is your favorite thing about the capstone?
[00:13:46] Speaker D: Really along the same lines as Zara? It's the people.
Since day one, I have made my best friends.
And whether it's in the dorm, in the class, on the quad in the fall for the football games, everyone is just so willing to be your friend. And there are so many different types of people around. It's such a diverse campus. There's people from all across the country, all over the world. And everyone, you know, we're all, like, united, you know, under our love for Alabama.
But everyone brings something different to the table and everyone's willing to share that and talk about that. And I feel like I've grown so much from meeting other people from different parts of the world and the country and who have their own opinions about things. And, you know, everyone. There's just so much respect all over campus. And I've just grown close with so many different people that I never knew I would, I would meet, I would ever encounter in my life. You know, I've lived with my roommate since freshman year and he's from Washington State. And so that is as far across the country as you can get from me up in New England.
And it's the greatest thing ever.
[00:14:56] Speaker A: I love that.
[00:14:57] Speaker B: I love that especially for those who are not here and they think, oh, it's so big close to 40,000 students. How am I ever going to find my people or my place? I love hearing that. You do. I mean, you just got to put yourself out there and you will.
[00:15:10] Speaker A: Yeah, I know. And I know that later on in the show we'll have Aiden and Zara kind of, you know, speaking your own words of wisdom of how to get plugged in, how to find your community. But it's really great to hear both of you really talk about the people. It's not like, oh, their campus was beautiful or, oh, they have the number one program in xyz, but it was really that sense of community and the people. And I know we've got to take a quick break, you guys, but we are listening to. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 the Capstone WVUAFM Tuscaloosa.
[00:15:55] Speaker B: Welcome back, listeners. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Neeka on 90.7 the Capstone.
[00:16:00] Speaker A: That's right. And if you are just now joining us, we have the greatest honor and pleasure of having Mr. Aiden Flanagan and Mrs. Era Jadal, who are both leaders within the Project Health peer education program. And so with that said, you know, for our listeners, they may be thinking, oh, my gosh, what is Project Health? What is peer education? What are all these things? So can y'all tell us a little bit about your roles and responsibilities with Project Health and even just what Project Health is in general?
[00:16:30] Speaker D: So Project Health is, I think it's one of the biggest student organizations on campus. And it is tasked with spreading information about health and wellness to members of the campus community.
And so there are a bunch of, there are a few different branches and I'm the director of one of the five branches and that's called the Health Ambassadors. And so what we do is we each week we have a different health topic that we have picked as important for our campus to learn about. And so every week on Wednesdays, we have a table set up in front of the student center, out in front of the Starbucks, and we are giving information to the members of the campus community that walk by. So we, you know, sometimes we just pull people as they're walking by and we're like, hey, do you have a few few minutes to learn more about our health topic of the week? You know, ranging from financial well being to sexual health to sun safety around spring break. And so that's our weekly responsibilities. And then specific to the ambassadors, we also create presentations called external programming that can be Requested by pretty much anyone on campus, whether it's other student organizations. A professor can request a presentation to their class RAs, and student life can request them as well. And so we create those every semester, also under a variety of different topics.
[00:18:02] Speaker A: Awesome.
[00:18:03] Speaker C: Yeah. So going off of. Aiden, I serve as the VP of recruitment for Project Health alongside Ty Murphy, so I have to share my role.
But my role entails making sure that all the recruitment events go well, like get on Board day. We have tabling out there, and then making sure that we have all of our recruitment materials aligned, like, our flyers that we set up all over campus, and then just ensuring that the members that we accept during our recruitment interviews and during our application process, that they're passionate about what our mission is in Project Health.
[00:18:41] Speaker A: Very nice. I. You know, I think one of the things that I wanted to ask y'all today, that I was like, oh, I could go back and look at this in the records, But I was like, we'll just ask them, how many semesters have each of you been in Project Health? And kind of what got y'all interested in being in an organization like this?
[00:19:01] Speaker C: Sorry. We're both, like, counting in our heads.
[00:19:04] Speaker D: I joined my first semester sophomore year.
[00:19:07] Speaker C: Yeah, so we both did. So I think that's, like.
So six semester.
[00:19:12] Speaker D: This is our sixth. Yeah, this is our sixth semester.
[00:19:15] Speaker B: Okay. I will have to say I am a bit salty that this didn't exist when we were in undergrad, because I would have been all about some Project Health.
[00:19:27] Speaker A: You would have been star Project Health person, and I would have probably been.
[00:19:31] Speaker B: Skipping class to do Project Health. I'm not gonna lie.
[00:19:34] Speaker A: So I will say now, and this will show how old I am and how long I've been in the department. So I've been in the department a little over 50, 15 years now. And when I was in undergrad, I think it was during the time I was in undergrad, perhaps when I was a professional, but I think during the time I was in undergrad, which was in the early 2000s. So, Nika, you know, I know we had overlap with some grad school stuff back then. Project Health existed as a group of 11 students, and it was obviously totally different from how we operate now. And so I think to hear from students like y'all, as well as other students that we interact with that have been in the organization for multiple semesters, really speaks to the value that you all see from being part of the organization, which I think is great. And so, you know, Aiden, I think it was you earlier that was talking a little bit about using peer education. And so when we think about what peer education is, why do we think that that's something that's helpful for reaching college students in particular?
[00:20:38] Speaker D: I think that, you know, peer education, it's usually coming. It's, you know, information that's coming from someone that is your peer. It's someone that's kind of in the same shoes as you. And I think when it comes to talking about health topics and wellness topics, some of these conversations could be a little awkward. Say, if the information's coming from a faculty member going to students, students may not always take it as well.
[00:21:09] Speaker B: And so I think it's like your parents telling you. Right. So hearing it from you guys.
[00:21:14] Speaker D: Yeah, I think it's a little easier. They're more willing to listen, or at least they just feel more comfortable having that conversation, and then they'll think about it. Not necessarily that I have a better job at. Better chance at convincing them, but it sets the foundation for them to think about it later.
[00:21:31] Speaker A: Absolutely. Zara, I see you kind of nodding your head. What are your thoughts on that?
[00:21:36] Speaker C: Yeah, I think peer education, especially in college, is super useful because there comes a sense of relatability between the two of you because you're in the same age group, especially with the different health topics that we talk about that could be more sensitive, like sexual health and mental health. And knowing that the other person might have gone through those experiences or is going through them in that moment, I think is super helpful to the other student because they can relate on that level.
[00:22:03] Speaker B: Right. I love that. Now, before we go too far, you said it started with 11 students. Do you happen to have an idea for our listeners how many students are involved in Project Health at this point?
[00:22:14] Speaker A: Yes, I know that actually this semester in particular, we've had one of our largest groups. And so I think. And Zara, you probably are familiar with this, too, like being VP of recruitment. I think that we. That number was, like, around, like, 170.
And I know that, you know, we may have had some shifting numbers as we went through, like, our spring training and everything else, but I know after y'all did the latest fall recruitment, we.
[00:22:39] Speaker B: Had 170 students snap some props. I know, because, I mean, think about it. That shows that it's working and that it is. It is of value. Yes.
[00:22:50] Speaker A: And one of the things that I know we didn't explicitly talk about, but I want our listeners to know specifically about Project Health and how we approach that with our students is that you guys are using evidence based information to create your materials for students. I think, you know, again, as public health professionals, we really like to make sure that our listeners know that. So it's, you know, utilizing that strategy of peer to peer, but we're using, using evidence based information. And so I think when you're talking about it in a lens that is practically acknowledging that season of life that other students are in, like in that undergrad experience, it sounds so completely different than somebody reading something on the Internet where maybe the author of that information is completely disconnected from what it would be like to be a 20 year old in college.
[00:23:41] Speaker B: Right? Yes.
[00:23:41] Speaker A: I love that. And so, you know, thinking about the time that y'all have spent in Project Health, what has been some of Yalls most favorite memories being part of the org?
[00:23:52] Speaker C: I think for me it's not really a memory. It's like a weekly thing we do at our meetings. It would be the shout outs that our president does for our organization. So there's a Google form that you can fill out and you can shout out a member or a peer in the organization. And there was one time sophomore year where the same person got shouted out like 10 times and he would put it up on the board and he got so embarrassed watching his face get red. It was something so small, like he went on a duck hunting trip or something. But he would get embarrassed every single time and he'd be like, stop. And actually get mad. So that was really funny. We looked forward to that the whole entire semester just watching his reaction.
[00:24:31] Speaker D: So we'll give another shout out to Tyler. And for me, I think it's also kind of a weekly thing. I can't really just pick one. But I love tabling. I love getting out and getting interactions and meeting a bunch of new people. I think that it's really rewarding because I feel like if it were to just happen even once in your day, if you were able to have a conversation with someone new, teach them something meaningful and hopefully put a smile on their face and give them one of our promotional items or something like that, that would make my day. And then on a shift I get to do that 10, 20, 30 times if I'm lucky. And so Tabling has just every shift I've ever worked, I've loved. And I think that's probably my favorite part.
[00:25:20] Speaker B: So I know you both are pre med, correct. So that would kind of lend itself to why you would be interested in Project Health. But not everybody who wants to be, you know, in health care is a fan of the preventive side of it or the educational side of sometimes they just want to diagnose and treat. So what led y'all to be interested in it?
[00:25:44] Speaker C: I think for me, the aspect that you not only learning the information, but learning how to convey it in an effective way and in a digestible way with words that college students will actually understand. Because especially with health topics, you know, you're including medications or symptoms and stuff like that. And it could be hard to digest with such big vocab and jargon that usually comes with whenever you're in the professional world. But here we're learning how to effectively communicate it in ways that people like me and Aiden in our age can understand.
[00:26:20] Speaker B: And that's transferable skills. So when you're on the behind, you know, the prescription pad and the code and the stethoscope, you will be able to talk to any patient that comes in.
[00:26:30] Speaker A: Yeah. Aiden, how about for you?
[00:26:32] Speaker D: Yeah, I mean, I think Zara and I have worked. This has been kind of a passion of ours since our freshman year. We've worked on projects together about promoting health literacy and, you know, spreading access to information even before we were part of Project Health. And that was something that we've, you know, really cared a lot about and we learned kind of how much, how big of a burden is placed on the healthcare system about like by patients missing something, like something getting lost in translation between a provider and the patient. And we both want to be physicians and I think learning the ability to kind of get that early practice of like learning how to educate others on health related topics has been incredible. And I really hope that they are transferable skills for us.
[00:27:22] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:27:23] Speaker D: For our careers.
[00:27:23] Speaker A: You are right.
[00:27:24] Speaker B: They are smarter than us. Snaps and props. Let's look at that.
[00:27:28] Speaker A: Y'all are already building the foundation for having that great bedside manner.
[00:27:32] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:27:32] Speaker A: With your patients holistic. Yeah, I'm just like, I'm geeking out.
[00:27:37] Speaker C: A little bit, y'all.
[00:27:38] Speaker A: Like, before we go like even more in. I'm not gonna call it the weeds, like in the, like in the vines of like all this good stuff we've been talking about. We've got take a break, you guys. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 and Capstone WVUAFM Tuscaloosa.
[00:28:05] Speaker B: Happy Sunday. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone.
[00:28:11] Speaker A: That's right. And if you are just now joining us, you need to go back and rewind this Podcast. Do what you can to get up to speed because we've had an amazing afternoon with Mr. Aiden Flanagan and Ms. Zara Jadal, who are both part of the Project Health student organization here on campus. And before the break, each of them was talking about what Project Health is, what is peer education. And I know we're going to be kind of taking a deeper dive into how to get involved. But I'm curious, you guys, how has being involved in various areas of campus enhanced your own health and well being as a student?
[00:28:50] Speaker C: So I think for me, being involved in various areas, whether that be academics or leadership or community service, it's definitely enhanced my health and well being as a student because I've been able to meet people from different backgrounds and learn from different perspectives. And I am definitely somebody that loves to see the world through someone else's eyes. So taking those different perspectives has been able to help me learn how to communicate effectively with other people. And I'm also very empathetic and such an empath. So being able to be sensitive to how someone reacts to a different situation has been helpful for me to grow as a person.
[00:29:28] Speaker B: Very nice.
[00:29:30] Speaker D: And I think, you know, all of what's there is absolutely true and I agree. But I think for me, I am someone who's very energetic and is passionate about a lot of different things. And so I've kind of done my best to stay busy. Staying busy is really important for me. I like being tired at the end of the day, you know, if not, I feel like I have trouble falling asleep. And I, you know, so being involved in, you know, a lot of different things, working my brain out in different ways and also physically, you know, being involved with the rowing team and things like that has been really important to me. And.
[00:30:10] Speaker B: I love how like you guys are getting the academic part in the classroom, but when you're getting out in all of these different organizations, what I'm hearing is your people skills, your soft skills, your life skills. So you're marrying the two.
Speak a little bit about that for students who think, no, I came to college to come here to get a degree, I'm going to class, I'm going to get a 4.0, I'll make friends when I get out of here and I'll make money. Kind of speak to the importance of, like being involved and how having that community makes you a better student, but makes you healthier while you're here.
[00:30:46] Speaker A: Yeah, finding your people while you're here.
[00:30:48] Speaker B: It makes you healthy and in the ways it does that, like you have community, you have social support.
[00:30:55] Speaker D: Yeah, I think that those are lofty goals, you know, to try to come and say you're only gonna focus on your school, get out as fast as you can. I don't think it's possible to really do that without that social support around you.
While the material itself you might be super passionate about and it might come naturally to you, there's so much other change that happens when you come to college. And without that social support, without people who are feeling the exact same way and knowing that you can reach out to them and have them support you like you support them, you all get through it together. And that makes. That's. That's what makes it easy. I think the people that I know that are the most successful in classes, way more successful than I am, have the greatest friend groups as well. And I know that because they're in my friend group. You know, it's. It's. We're all working through it together.
[00:31:54] Speaker A: Right.
[00:31:54] Speaker C: And I think something I special that me and Aiden share too, is that not only is our friend group also academically inclined and all passionate and determined and have the same goal, but outside of that, we kind of have an escape. Even though we're the same friend group, we have an escape outside of academics, where we can lean on each other if something happens in life or just go have fun, go bowling, do something fun. So I think it's super important, too, to just. Just step outside of your comfort zone and make friends in college, because you need that support system.
[00:32:27] Speaker D: Turn your brain off a little bit because you can get burnt out if you don't.
[00:32:32] Speaker B: You can. Which is kind of leads us back to Sheena's first question. Like, what do you put on the back burner? Do you put food? Do you put exercise or sleep? I think a lot of people put social, and they tend to put social as well. I'm not going down here to the Strip or I'm not going out to a party. That's.
That might be where our brain defaults to. But that's not all social support. There's what you just said.
[00:32:54] Speaker A: And, you know, I think when you. When people think about the objective of college, you know, I think it's a given that, yes, I want to get a degree in xyz, but I feel like so many students see college as that timeframe where this is where they're going to find themselves and find out what kind of adult they want to be. So, like, learning all of these different skills and how the experiences, you know, there's so many more experiences that are happening outside of the classroom. And then it's also, you know, learning how to be a good friend. One of the things that I think that we've included in our general wellness presentations in the department is talking about how to build resilience when a relationship or friendship naturally comes to its end, and knowing that sometimes that's just the norm, too. And, you know, and, you know, kind of having the maturity of, like, assessing that season for what it was and then not letting it put a burden on your mental health and everything else. But I think if students are thinking about, like, goodness, like, I feel really challenged and inspired in today's show to find my people. What kind of advice would each of you give a new student who's trying to figure out their place or passions on campus?
[00:34:11] Speaker C: I think my biggest piece of advice would just. Just to be, get out of your comfort zone. I know that's definitely easier said than done, but college is a place where you can reinvent yourself, try something new, go on that date, go kick rocks.
[00:34:26] Speaker B: I don't know, stop by your table.
[00:34:28] Speaker A: And get on board day.
[00:34:29] Speaker C: Come to get on board day, go join that club. Just do something that'll get you out of your comfort zone, because this is where you find your dislikes and your likes. So this is where you find what you're passionate about. So without. Without having the opportunity to join different things, you're never going to be able to do that.
[00:34:45] Speaker A: So, yeah.
[00:34:47] Speaker D: And I think what's really important to remember is that there's nothing that's too much of an obligation in terms of. Especially think about clubs. I think about get on board day. You go on to get on board day at the beginning of the semester, and there are hundreds of student organizations out there, all at their tables. They're giving out stuff. You get Frisbees, you get cups, you get T shirts, you know, scan QR codes. You get added to 90 different Groupmes. And that's okay. You can do that. You can. If you find something that you think you might be interested. Interested in, go to a meeting or two. If you find that you don't really like it as much as you thought, no one's forcing you to go. You can. You can try out, you can experiment. You can figure out really what is gonna be your fit. And so I think, you know, don't think of something like, oh, if I go to this first meeting, that's just gonna be another thing I have to do for the rest of my life. It's not. You can only go for a couple if you find you don't like it. You figure out what you prioritize in life and then that's what sticks around.
[00:35:53] Speaker B: You're dating them, you're not marrying them. There you go. I love it.
[00:35:57] Speaker A: Oh, I like.
[00:35:58] Speaker B: Do you like it? That's what I tell my students the first week of class for addrop. I'm like, hey, you're dating my class. And if you don't want to commit, you can drop it. No hard feelings.
That's what you do. Sometimes you figure out, is this the major I want? Is this the class I want?
[00:36:16] Speaker A: I mean, I think you all bring up a really good point because I think that we do live in this society that's this go big or go home, this all or nothing mentality. And that, that has not served any of us well mental health wise.
[00:36:28] Speaker C: Right.
[00:36:28] Speaker A: You know, it puts a lot of pressure. So I think for us to all really support the fact that we want to encourage flexibility. And again, this being a time of experimentation and, you know, and I actually really love the amount of students now that are comfortable changing their major during their time at the capstone where, you know, some people could be wired to be like, no, no, no, this is what I put. And then they get that degree and they're like, oh my goodness, I just wasted this moment.
[00:36:56] Speaker B: They commit to a commitment they made when they didn't have all of the information in front of them. They come out of high school going, but I've always said I'm going to be this. And then you get here and you're like, why did I even say that I didn't have all the information that I should have had. That's fine. This is the time to do it.
[00:37:14] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. Now for our listeners who are thinking maybe Project Health is for me.
[00:37:21] Speaker B: What?
[00:37:21] Speaker A: Like, how do they go about thinking about getting involved? What does the recruitment timeline normally look like? And also for our listeners, they might be listening and thinking, oh, my goodness, both Aiden and Zara sound very extroverted. I am not that way. Am I even Project Health material? Like, how would you address any of those statements?
[00:37:42] Speaker C: Well, so to begin, getting involved with Project Health is super easy. We recruit the entire semester. There's flyers all around campus, on the bathroom stalls, even. There's QR codes on there where you can find the application link. We also have social media on Instagram. I think it's Project Health. Ua correct me if I'm wrong, Aiden, but there's information there about how to get involved in the application process as well. So super, super easy to get involved. And what was the next part of that question?
[00:38:12] Speaker A: So if somebody thought they have to be extroverted to be part of the org, what would you say to them?
[00:38:19] Speaker D: I don't think it's. It's a requirement. I think, you know, there are a lot of different roles within Project Health. You know, at the beginning of the semester, our focus, you know, during training and orientation is creating all the materials for the semester that we're going to use. And that is just, you're doing your own research, you're finding good sources to back it up and just creating this information, creating the materials, sending them to your topic coordinators, and then escalating that throughout until finally they get approved and printed by the office and sent out. And then when you're on your shifts, usually there are about four people at a table with you. And so you kind of work as a group. You might not necessarily be the person right in front of the table trying to get people to come in and talk. You might be waiting to hand out promotional items, ask a couple questions. But you're not necessarily, you don't have to be the most extroverted person to recruit people to come talk to you. You can let the extroverted people on your shift do that. And then also it's a thing. I think it just takes practice where you just get more comfortable talking to other people. And that's what's so good about this organization is it's. You get more comfortable with it and you're not going to become the most extroverted person ever.
[00:39:33] Speaker B: But.
[00:39:33] Speaker D: But you can talk to people.
[00:39:35] Speaker A: Yeah, it's good practice. Well, I think both of y'all have been such amazing spokespersons for, for Project Health. We've loved having you on the show.
[00:39:44] Speaker B: And ua UA as a whole.
[00:39:46] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely.
[00:39:48] Speaker B: We need them in last week's guest on a commercial asap.
[00:39:51] Speaker A: We're, we're gonna create like a VIP list to suggest, like admission.
These are the ones that need to.
[00:39:57] Speaker B: Be on a commercial.
[00:39:58] Speaker A: But you guys, we've got to take a quick break. We have loved talking to y'all, so we're going to include y'all in our last five minute segment, if you don't mind.
[00:40:06] Speaker D: Thank you.
[00:40:07] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:40:07] Speaker A: You are listening to Fit to Be tied with Sheena and Neeka on 90.7 the Capstone WVUAFM Tuscaloos.
[00:40:26] Speaker B: Welcome back, listeners. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone. And if you've missed any of our segments, earlier segments of today, I would implore you to please go back and listen because we've had some phenomenal guests on our show today from UA's Project Tale.
[00:40:42] Speaker A: Yes, we have had Aiden Flanagan and Ms. Zara Jadal. And so, you know, I. During this last five minutes, we tend to kind of ask. Ask our guests, like, some random questions. And so knowing that y'all are both such busy people, y'all have brought the energy today despite having a very busy day. I just want to know, like, what. Like, what gets you hyped or what gets you amped? Like, is it a song? Like, what gets you pumped for the day to just be like, okay, I'm gonna kill today. Like, it is so busy, but, like, you know, here we go. Like, is there, like, a jam out song? Is it. Like, what do you do? Do you, like, dance in your room right before you, like, leave for campus? What does this look like for either of y'all?
[00:41:28] Speaker C: Honestly, for me, it would be my quiet time in the morning that really pumps me up and gets me through my day, because I, like Aiden, also get up super. Not as early as they do for rowing, but I get up early, too, to go work out. But I have my quiet time before that and do my devotional. So that gets me going through throughout the day and pumps me up.
[00:41:47] Speaker A: Okay, nice.
[00:41:49] Speaker D: I think breakfast, I love eating. Yes, Food. Just food. I feel like a lot of my day is built around looking forward to my next meal, and it kind of, you know, motivates me through. But breakfast, good cup of coffee, and then I think I always listen to music. It doesn't really have to be the most upbeat music necessarily, but just music in general. It kind of. It calms me down and just gets me ready. And I feel like I can kind of coast through the day off of that high from the beginning, from my coffee, my eggs, and some good music.
[00:42:28] Speaker A: Solid answers.
[00:42:29] Speaker B: Very good. I'm so glad they didn't say, which I know they would never. But, like, you know, five Hour Energy and Rockstar and I mean, you know, they have their places in the world.
[00:42:38] Speaker C: I do have to shout out my Celsius.
That also gets me through the nose.
[00:42:46] Speaker A: Don't drink.
[00:42:49] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:42:49] Speaker A: So on those super busy weeks, you know, we talked about earlier, a lot of times, students either put food, sleep, or movement on the back burner or the social piece. What is that piece that tends to be sacrificed during your busy weeks?
[00:43:03] Speaker C: For me, it is definitely the social Piece.
I live in my sorority house now, so it's easier for me to go see my friends without trying to or making the effort because they're just there.
But on busy weeks, I definitely try and put myself to sleep early. So having less time after a whole school day, it's difficult to make time and scheduling to see my support system and my friends and talk to my family because all I want to do is eat dinner and then go to bed. But I definitely try to prioritize that, especially now about to enter med school. Want to get in a routine about that?
[00:43:43] Speaker A: Okay, nice. Aiden, for you.
[00:43:46] Speaker D: Mine is definitely sleep.
That definitely kind of hits the back burner.
[00:43:52] Speaker B: Never the eggs though, right?
[00:43:54] Speaker D: Never the. Well, no, no, I try my best. No, it's non negotiable. I just like food too much and.
But I think it's sleep because one, I get up early most mornings of the week, but I'm also most productive later in the day. So that's a dangerous game to play because then that window to sleep gets a lot shorter and then some of my responsibilities also spill into the night.
I work at a hospital. I work up at UAB in Birmingham and that often those are 12 hour shifts and the only time I can really squeeze those in is a night shift. So that's often after class, an hour drive, an hour drive, hour back. So sleep gets a little lost in the commotion there, But I always try to catch up. I know it doesn't really work like that, but I try to sleep as much as I can, but sometimes it just gets a little lost, you know.
[00:44:53] Speaker A: You'Re telling us with a smile.
[00:44:54] Speaker B: So. Still have a life of a position though. Really though, let's be honest. Well, what about you, Shana? Do we have any time you to answer?
[00:45:02] Speaker A: I have been better about sleep, I really have because that normally would be my, my one thing. So I guess nowadays it might be food and it's not necessarily not eating, but maybe the quality or the intention is a little bit more haphazard because I want to make movement like a priority for me. Just with having like really young children compared to how old I am and so trying to like be strong enough to like let them and do the things and run. So I would say probably quality of nutrition in this season of life. How about for you?
[00:45:38] Speaker B: Depends on the day. I was listening to everybody and I think every day it's like today it's going to be probably social and movement. But then yesterday was food, you know, I think it depends on the day because I start out with good intentions, which I'm sure we all do, and something always seems to take the back burner, but it's all about the intention. As long as we're trying, I think, you know, we listen and we don't judge.
[00:46:02] Speaker A: Exactly. And on that note, you guys, we have had a great show with Aiden and Zara. Thank you guys again for being with us today.
[00:46:09] Speaker C: Thank y'all for having us. Yeah.
[00:46:10] Speaker D: Had a great time.
[00:46:11] Speaker A: Absolutely. Well, we are so grateful for y'all listeners. We are grateful for y'all as well. You have been listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone WVUAFM Tuscaloosa.
