Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Wvuafm, tuscaloosa.
[00:00:13] Speaker B: Happy Sunday, y'.
[00:00:14] Speaker C: All.
[00:00:14] Speaker B: You are listening to Fit to Be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone.
[00:00:18] Speaker C: And hello.
[00:00:19] Speaker B: I missed you last week.
[00:00:20] Speaker C: I know. You know, it's funny because when you said, oh, I've got a sick kid, I was like, I got this. I got this. And luckily, I had Charles on the show with me. And we kind of, like, we recorded in our offices because I was like, well, it's kind of rainy. We don't have to go across the street. I can just pull it up. And we recorded, and apparently it worked out well. So we missed you. Well, but having Charles around was so nice. Cause I was like, oh, my gosh, I have, like, a second co host.
[00:00:45] Speaker B: Yeah, it works out perfectly. And that's why. Not that I was like, oh, I don't feel bad that I'm, like, leaving her high and dry, but it just made it easier for me to be like, dude, my kid is sick.
[00:00:55] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, totally.
[00:00:56] Speaker B: I can't. Don't wanna bring the germs. But thinking about, since it has been a while since I've seen you, we Easter the other weekend. How was your Easter? What did you do to the Huntsville area?
[00:01:11] Speaker C: We stayed in town.
It was actually one of those things where it was so rainy and dreary. And I think I was sleep deprived because I think I've been doing so much lately at the end of the semester that, I mean, I was just, like, on the couch watching tv. Most of the time I would get in the floor and stretch a little, but then I was like, I just kind of want to lay down. But it was good. I mean, it felt good to rest.
I'm glad that it's getting pretty outside. We kind of had, like, a little cold snap earlier in the week. But I love being outside, so I was glad to see it kind of get a little. Little warmer.
[00:01:41] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah, I totally know what you mean.
[00:01:42] Speaker C: Yeah. What about y'?
[00:01:43] Speaker B: All? We actually. So, you know, my parents from the North Alabama area, and my mom had randomly texted me prior to Easter, and she's like, hey, if y' all aren't doing anything on Sunday, the. And I want to make sure I get the name of this organization right. The Filipino American association of Greater Birmingham is having an Easter picnic in New.
And she's like, we were invited. And we thought about driving down for that. If y' all want to come up from Tuscaloosa, they have a lot of activities for the games. And so I think they had this, like, catered Filipino lunch, and then everybody brought a dessert. Yeah, so it was nice. Like, it was really. I don't know. Honestly, I think I really enjoyed it because my kids got to see other children that were also half Caucasian, half Filipino like them. So it was, like, nice just seeing, like, kind of that mix and everything. I geek out about weird stuff like that.
[00:02:38] Speaker C: No, I love that. So, so was this, like. So this is an organization that put it on. Was it at a church community center?
[00:02:44] Speaker B: It was actually at one of the city parks in Hoover. I think it's called Sartoma Park. Really beautiful pavilion. Of course, it was raining right when we got there, but probably within the first 45 minutes we were there, it got hot and sunny.
[00:02:57] Speaker C: Really?
[00:02:57] Speaker B: It was a little hot and steamy for a second. Probably a little steamy outside, but it was beautiful. So I was excited about that. And, you know, just to get to meet other Filipino Americans in the area. I know in Tuscaloosa, there's a West Alabama association also. And my husband was like. You know, honestly, he's like, I really like to go into that because you were not cooking as much Filipino food as I would like you to at home.
[00:03:21] Speaker C: So I was gonna ask you that. Does Terry like Filipino food?
[00:03:24] Speaker B: He does.
[00:03:25] Speaker C: Really?
[00:03:25] Speaker B: And, you know, and if you guys are like, why are they talking so much about this? Actually will tie in eventually into our show. But, yes, you know, my husband grew up in the Bronx, Birmingham area, and then moved to Tuscaloosa when he was in sixth grade and actually had a lot of friends that were Filipino. And he remembers, like, eating certain dishes.
And so I think he was probably just excited when he married me. Like, oh, man. All of my favorites are gonna be served up on the regular. And they're not.
Not to say that I can't cook them. I just don't as frequently as I probably would want to.
[00:04:02] Speaker C: It's kind of funny because Jason's mom's Vietnamese. And so when out that he was half Vietnamese, I was like, oh, my gosh, I get to eat pho, like, all the time. And he never. And I was like, seriously, dude? And he was like, no. Growing up, I only wanted to eat, like, American food. And I'm sitting here like, you have this wealth of culture. Why are you not eating it? And so it's this funny. So it's always an inside joke, because every time we're around his mom, his sister, and himself, they are very traditional, just like Southern kids. And they like eating, like, the Southern foods. And I'M over here. Like, I want egg rolls, I want pho. I want all these fun things. So I think it's kind of fun. I think it's kind of a funny little ha ha moment of, like, I mean, I can relate to Terri. Like, man, make some Filipino food.
[00:04:44] Speaker B: You know, like, here we go. No, and honestly, being around there, that did inspire me to make that part of our meal plan routine throughout the week. Well, first we need to create a meal plan.
[00:04:54] Speaker C: Sure.
[00:04:55] Speaker B: We don't really do kind of eat on the fly, but that's not all we're talking about today, y'. All. We actually have a fabulous guest with us. We're gonna leave you on a cliffhanger so that you can kinda guess what we'll be talking about today. But we've gotta take a quick break, grab a beverage, run to the restroom. Do what you gotta do. You are Listen. Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 capstone.
[00:05:18] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
[00:05:24] Speaker C: Welcome back, friends. You're listening to Fit to be Thai with Sheena and Whitney. And I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of geeking out today because, you know, my love for Asian culture. And I feel like just sort of the things that we're tying into our conversation today, I mean, some of it's relating, some of it doesn't. But that's kind of what's fun about our show is have health topics. We talk about things, and then sometimes it relates. And overall, we just hope that we're good entertainment for you guys in the Tuscaloosa area.
[00:05:49] Speaker B: Exactly. And if you are one of the rare folks that this is the first time that you are listening to our show and you're like, what is fit to be tied all about? You know, we like to discuss wellness from a very holistic standpoint. We also like to use the Alabama model as a way to frame our conversations. And so when we think about our areas of student health and well being, we like to make sure that our campus partners within that umbrella are represented and we get to talk about all of the fabulous things that they are doing. So today we have the pleasure of having Devin Longstreet, who is the student engagement coordinator at the women and gender resource center. And so, Devin, welcome to the show today.
[00:06:30] Speaker A: Hey. Yeah, it's great to be here. Thank y' all for having me. I'm super excited to start.
[00:06:33] Speaker C: I will have to say, y' all can't see Devin, but he's smiling, and his shirt even says smile. And you're just kind of like a ray of sunshine. Thank you. Thank you so much.
[00:06:42] Speaker B: I mean, you really are.
[00:06:44] Speaker C: I just noticed that your shirt said smile, and I was like, oh, my gosh. And he's smiling. That worked out perfectly.
[00:06:49] Speaker A: Yeah, I love smiling.
[00:06:51] Speaker C: Is it your favorite smiling thing?
[00:06:53] Speaker A: Is my favorite. But no. I mean, I'm always really just happy to kind of do new things. This is my first time kind of doing one, like a talk show and. Yeah. So forgive me for being so happy and smiling and all this stuff.
[00:07:05] Speaker C: I know.
[00:07:06] Speaker B: We will forgive you for that for sure. And now, Devin, we know that you are at the Women and Gender Resource Center. Tell us, give us some deets on you. Tell us a little bit about your academic background, professional background, hometown, anything you feel led to share.
[00:07:21] Speaker A: Yeah, sure. So I am originally from Orlando, Florida, but my mom is actually from Vietnam. Really? She was actually really born.
[00:07:28] Speaker C: Really?
[00:07:28] Speaker A: Yeah, she was born in Vietnam.
And of course my grandmother is from Vietnam. And they actually came during the Vietnam War to America.
And so my grandfather was from West Virginia. But then they ended up going to Florida, living in South Florida, like, lived everywhere South Florida, Miami, but they ended up going to a Daytona. And then after that, me and my mom, we traveled a little bit throughout central Florida, and now they kind of ended up. And now my family is now in Geneva in a small town called Mims, Florida.
So, yeah, so it's really cool, Florida all the way.
It's a crazy state, but I love it. It's home. It's great.
And so. But yeah, but as a student throughout my undergrad, I did have my bachelor's in social work, and I recently just graduated this past Dec.
So really utilizing some of those different skills throughout the Women Gender Resource Center.
But I actually came on as nursing originally.
[00:08:24] Speaker B: Really?
[00:08:24] Speaker A: Yeah. So I was originally a nursing major. Went two years through it my freshman year, sophomore year, took the, you know, both chems, did horribly in them, went into anatomy, and I was like, I don't like science.
Science is not what I want to be doing to help people. Because it's always one of those cliches like, you know, you want to help people? How do you want to help people?
And so, you know, after talking with some friends and some mentors, some advisors, I wound up in social work and came out there for my junior senior year. I really thrived in it. Learned a lot within human development, how to interact with people, a lot of interpersonal skills that you need as a social worker.
And it's been really great. I'm really appreciative to have that experience in my life.
[00:09:07] Speaker B: That's awesome.
Now, Devin, I know that before we started this show today, you and I, we were kind of chit chatting a little bit and you were quite the involved student. Now I had completely forgotten that you literally just graduated. So I think that is amazing. But tell us a little bit about the types of things that you were involved with as a student.
[00:09:28] Speaker A: Yeah, so my freshman year, I was a part of the Million Dollar Band. I was a tuba player.
[00:09:33] Speaker C: Good for you.
[00:09:34] Speaker A: Which is great because it was also 2017, which is when we won our national championship. So what a great way to start off your college career.
Went there, went through, traveled a ton, went to Atlanta a few times and saw TUA throwing that game winning catch in overtime. So it was a really cool experience I spent on some of videos. But, you know, but after that, I really kind of got engaged in kind of that ua, you know, model lifestyle. I was an orientation leader, also known as an Avanti for those new listeners.
And I did it for two years. I was started off as an avanti, and then I ended up being a student coordinator, which is the, you know, supervisors of those new avantis.
I was an ra. I did student government. I was one of the senators for the School of Social Work.
You know, I was an ambassador for the school of Social Work. And then I ended up being a student assistant. My final kind of UA student assistant was with the Women's Union Resource center, being a mentor facilitator. So it was really great.
[00:10:29] Speaker C: I mean, Sheena, I think I need to up my game because I'm thinking back, like when I was a student, I was like, yeah, I taught classes at the rec center. Come to my hip hop class.
But okay, I have two burning questions. This has nothing to do with what we're even talking about. Okay. You lived in Orlando.
[00:10:45] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:10:46] Speaker C: Were you an annual pass holder to Disney?
[00:10:49] Speaker A: Not for Disney.
[00:10:49] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:10:50] Speaker A: Universal. Yes. Universal for a few years.
Sea World for a few years.
But, yeah, but I mean, I've had my fair share of Disney, I'm sure. Of course. You know, and back when it was, you know, not what it is now,
[00:11:05] Speaker C: back when people could afford to go.
[00:11:06] Speaker A: Right.
[00:11:07] Speaker C: That's a whole other topic.
[00:11:08] Speaker A: Yeah, that was great. And I'm super fortunate for my mom because my mom actually, when she worked at one of her. I think she worked at an architecture, like, firm of some sort. Yeah, it was really cool. They would actually give out free tickets and things like that. So I was really fortunate to, you Know, have that kind of opportunity to really enjoy Disney. And even still now, you know, we have Disney Springs, which is, you know, which is really great.
And. But, yeah, no, definitely love Disney. But you don't go there. As a Floridian, you don't go there as much as many people think you do.
[00:11:34] Speaker C: I'm doing this, like, personal poll that every time I know somebody's from Orlando, I'm like, tell me something about Disney. And y' all have all said the same thing, right?
[00:11:41] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:11:41] Speaker C: Universal is, like, a thing. You're like, yeah, we know these things. But you're like, I mean, we're not really, like, we don't go to Disney all the time. And I'm like, what?
[00:11:47] Speaker A: I think there's so much to do. You know, like, Tuscaloosa is great, you know, especially when it comes, like, the hiking, outdoors things, you know, it's really great. You know, I love the outdoors and things of that nature. But, like, in Florida, like, not only do you have theme parks, but you have the beach.
[00:11:58] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:11:58] Speaker A: The shoots, which is mostly free other than, like, parking. You have the beach. You have, like, the festivals. You have the food trucks. You have the cool, like, local restaurants culture. It's so much. Yeah, right. And that's the thing, right? You can go down South Florida, get some nice Cuban food, Spanish food, things like that, right? You go to Central Florida. Great. You have Vietnamese food, you know, Asian food, Chinese food. And then, you know, you can go up, you know, a little more north to, like, Jacksonville, get that good Southern food.
[00:12:21] Speaker C: Yeah, that's true.
[00:12:22] Speaker A: You know, so it really is a melting pot, and it's a lot of.
Of diversity. It's a lot of not interesting, just, like, of cultures, but just of minds and experiences, because people can have experiences on the east coast versus the west coast. And it really is its own kind of entity.
[00:12:36] Speaker C: I've always liked Florida, and I could see myself ending up down there, not just because of Disney and Universal, but just in general. Okay, my other burning question. I've totally taken this slide. Rogue. Okay, so you have Vietnamese heritage.
[00:12:48] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:12:48] Speaker C: Can you speak Vietnamese?
[00:12:50] Speaker A: I cannot speak Vietnamese.
[00:12:51] Speaker C: Can you understand it at all?
[00:12:52] Speaker A: No, I cannot.
[00:12:52] Speaker C: It's a hard language.
[00:12:54] Speaker A: It is. It's super hard. But also. So, you know, when my grandmother can speak and understand it somewhat, definitely has lost a lot of it. But the thing about it, you know, is when you're coming over from America, you know, back in, like, the 70s, 60s, and even throughout the 80s, it wasn't important to have a second language, you know, what you wanted to do was speak, you know, English.
That was really the American way, you know, and so. And of course, you know, once you have that. And my mom. My mom was brought over very young. I'm talking, like, one or two years old, which was really incredible that they were able to do that. But having, you know, again, that culture, the priority of learning that second language wasn't there for my mom. My mom, you know, we, of course, we like the foods, like the greetings and things of that nature, but really, you know, at the baseline of it, it just kind of. It did lose a lot of its, you know, value.
[00:13:43] Speaker C: I wonder with you, Sheena. I mean, your family speaks Filipino.
[00:13:47] Speaker B: They do. And it's one of those things where, especially when I thought about what I want my children to learn there with the Philippines, and I know with many other countries, there's the national dialect, but then a lot of times my parents speak in their local, like, a dialect from their province.
And so, like, when they're watching the Filipino channel that they get on their roku, it's in the national language, which is Tagalog. And then when they're speaking at home or talking to my kids, they're talking in their local dialect. And so I realized more that I understand more of, like, the local dialect. I can't speak either of the languages, but there are certainly certain phrases where I'm like, oh, they're talking trash about me. Or they're like, you tell your parents, I always know the context into which they're talking about something. But.
But, yeah, I just. Oh, my gosh, Devin, we are geeking out at the fact that you're here today. And, you know, we've got to take a quick break, but when we get back, we certainly want to talk more about what your current role is at the wgrc, some details with that, some things that you have going on. And then we'll get into Asian Pacific Islander Desi, American Heritage Month. So. Super pumped about that. But okay, y', all, you gotta take a break. We'll catch you on the flip side. You are listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone.
[00:15:12] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
[00:15:19] Speaker C: Welcome back, everybody. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied. And actually, this is our last show of this semester. Last show of our spring 2022 semester. And then we'll be back in the fall.
[00:15:28] Speaker B: Yeah. So we had to save the best.
[00:15:30] Speaker C: We had to save the best for last.
[00:15:31] Speaker B: You were bringing the energy today.
[00:15:33] Speaker A: I Appreciate it. I appreciate it. I mean, you know, you always gotta end on a good note, especially, you know, whether it's school, classes, work, and apparently radio shows now.
[00:15:40] Speaker B: I mean.
[00:15:41] Speaker C: And you know what's funny? People don't know that we do this. And when they do, they're like, wait, what? And I'm like, yeah, we have a radio show. We've been doing it for a while. We have almost seven years, maybe.
[00:15:50] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:15:51] Speaker C: Yeah, six years, something like that.
[00:15:52] Speaker B: Yeah. And I don't mention it often, but then when I'm like low key, like, I'm like, oh, snap, work at radio host.
[00:15:59] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:16:00] Speaker B: And I just have to laugh about it sometimes.
[00:16:02] Speaker C: I mean, it's kind of crazy. But anyway, Devin, thanks for just kind of like telling us about your life and, you know, humoring me with my questions about annual passholders at Disney.
[00:16:11] Speaker A: All that good stuff and critical it
[00:16:13] Speaker C: is to wellness, right? I mean, it is because I feel super well when I go to Disney World and I eat like fun foods and I get excited.
[00:16:19] Speaker A: That is self care. That is self care, doesn't it? For sure. Treat yourself.
[00:16:23] Speaker C: Treat yourself. I don't know if I'll go this year because. Cause they've done raised the prices on everything. But anyway, anyway. All right, so I kind of want to talk more about what you do in your current position because, I mean, we might have gotten to that, but clearly I was thinking about Asia. So I don't know.
I mean, who knows? But so your current role at the wgrc, first of all, for our listeners that are like, wgrc, no, that's not a radio station or TV station.
What is that? What do you do? And yeah, just enlightenment.
[00:16:52] Speaker A: Yeah. So my role is a student engagement coordinator. And WGRC stands for Women and Gender Resource center for those who did not catch in the beginning. But yeah, but my role is really cool. It's very dynamic. And of course in its name is I engage with students in a multitude of ways. So I like to kind of split it into two different parts. So one of, like the first part of my responsibilities is throughout the academic year, we go through each Heritage Month and awareness month and we put on different programs.
Some are a little more generic than. Than others, but with our center being the Woman and Gender Resource center, we like to have different gendered aspects to it that really highlight either significant women or people or different individuals that comprise of this awareness or heritage.
And so my main responsibilities are, I have Native American Heritage Month, Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, Black History Month, and then I also Asian Pacific Island Desi. American Heritage Month.
[00:17:53] Speaker C: I was gonna say that's a mouthful because I was literally looking at it and I was like, I clearly don't know what this is. And so when I was reading it, I was like, first of all, I don't know what desi means. Yeah. I mean, can y' all explain this? Because I'm like, as this white chick sitting here, I'm like, hmm, what does this mean here? Yeah, yeah.
[00:18:10] Speaker A: They recently changed it and it was actually new to me when I kind of first stepped into my role. Yeah. Cause, you know, it's always been.
What has it been? It's always been Agent Pacific Islander.
[00:18:20] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:18:21] Speaker B: Heritage Month or even Asian American Heritage Month too.
[00:18:24] Speaker A: Right?
[00:18:24] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:25] Speaker A: And so, yeah, so the fact that it's been changing, it's the main kind of source of it. It's being more inclusive. Right. And so because it's not just like, when you think of predominantly, you know, Asian, you think of more like Eastern, where it's like, you know, you have your Chinese, Japanese, you know, Vietnamese kind of sectors. But Asia is a large continent, right. And so really where that desi kind of comes in, it comes into again, you know, we have Pacific Islanders, but also like, we have our Indian heritage as well, and as well as some of those kind of sectors that, you know, really trying to have that holistic, you know, Taiwanese.
So that's really kind of where it's coming from.
[00:18:59] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:19:00] Speaker A: But yeah, but it's really great. And so that's just, you know, really the first part of my kind of job is, you know, coordinating different events, working with different campus partners, and really kind of showcasing both the, you know, the heritage of different cultures and the awareness of different events. Because we have a lot more. This is something that I do. We have three different, different coordinators in our office. So we, you know, we touch on, you know, Breast Cancer Awareness month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and things of that nature. But then, you know, on the other side of my job, I actually am responsible for a program called the Young Men's Leadership Program.
[00:19:35] Speaker C: Oh, nice.
[00:19:35] Speaker A: And so this is a really interesting program that I really appreciate. It's actually what I began with as a student assistant, as I was the facilitator for this. And so what it is, essentially is a. It's a 10 week training program in the fall where we take college aged men and we teach them how to have conversations with, you know, of course it's one of those things, like it's, you know, you think it's easier to talk to children than it really is. But, you know, as college students, you know, it's one of those things where you can always do the higher math, but then it's like, you know, write down how to divide, you know, two by four, you know, whatever, all that kind of stuff. So, you know, really kind of, you know, explain to them, like, what conversation with a child looks like, how to actually engage with them, you know, really speak their language, go on their level and communicate with them, which is really special to me. And then we also, you know, go through kind of the different lenses of social justice and how it pertains to different gendered issues, Especially when it comes to toxic masculinity, how to use our strength and things of nature. And so that's what that 10 week program looks like in the fall. But then in the spring, we have a 10 week mentoring program where we meet each Wednesday at skylah elementary school, which is a local elementary school in Tuscaloosa county.
And we take those same college age men and we actually go to those schools. They're paired with some of those different children through third through fifth gr and
[00:20:48] Speaker C: they
[00:20:50] Speaker A: mentor them through that program on the different pillars of identity, leadership, and strength.
So it's a really great program. We do lots of fun activities, but it's all centered around how to use your strength for good, how to be a good person.
And we're not really here to change lives because it's only a 10 week program. You can really only do so much. But at the end of the day, our unofficial slogan is, we're planting seeds for that better future.
[00:21:14] Speaker C: That's great.
[00:21:15] Speaker A: So it's really awesome. I love my job, especially coming out of it.
I start kind of backtracking a little bit the day after graduation, which was, I think, December 12th. I started that very next Monday. Wow. Yeah.
[00:21:28] Speaker C: So it was 2021.
[00:21:30] Speaker A: Yeah, 2021.
[00:21:30] Speaker C: So you're. Oh, your brand's.
[00:21:32] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. I'm like four months in new.
[00:21:34] Speaker B: So I'm sure Elle and Jackie were like, we cannot lose this person.
We have got to get him on the payroll. Like, here we go now with the mentorship program. I'm in reality with a lot of the things that you do with students in general as far as student recruitment and us.
I guess I heard on the news today we're starting to call this new era post pandemic. Do you feel like there has been an excitement for students to get back into involvement like this, where they're actually getting to interact with humans face to face as opposed to virtually. Because I don't know what the mentorship program looked like kind of during COVID times and that kind of stuff.
[00:22:14] Speaker A: Yeah, it was definitely challenging last year during COVID Of course, it was all virtual.
And anybody that works with children knows that it's really been impactful for all of us.
It's really been impactful, not just from an academic and learning kind of spectrum, but as well as just a social lens developing those social skills. It's really key to our development, especially as children. I mean, granted, college age students are adults, but they're still developing, and that's really important to keep note of.
And so I think it's, for me, the way that I approach a lot of my programming and a lot of my coordinating with students is I do based on their comfort level. I always try to provide some type of zoom or hybrid kind of option when it comes to my programs. And I think we're leaning more towards being more in person, slowly but surely.
But I think students are really excited to get back to it. I think students are really excited to get back in person, start making those connections again, seeing their peers in those social settings in person.
And I think it's been really exciting. I think, again, just comparing the two, it's been such an incredible year this year. We've had a few hiccups here and there, but overall, I'm super, super proud of my mentors. They have just, you know, they've really had a huge impact. Not just like on, you know, the children at Skyline, but really on myself. It's really awesome to kind of see them go and, you know, not just achieve big things here, but being able to witness them achieve great things in the future.
[00:23:38] Speaker C: Man, I thank Devin for president.
You're very motivating.
I see the future happening before I eyes, you know, and I think it's interesting too. I was just kind of thinking about, you know, when I work with college kids and just the developmental side of how, you know, now we're in post pandemic, Sheena, as you said, and when we were in the pandemic. People crave human interaction, and you crave it the most when you're a kid, because I don't have kids, but at least the kids I've been around that haven't had the interaction you're gonna act out in some way, and so why not give them?
And we really couldn't help it. It was just kind of the way things were. But it's so good that you guys get in there with them and try to give them access to talking and learning about other things and mentoring. I mean, it's gonna really play a huge role in their lives. And they're gonna look back and they're gonna see that because they're gonna be in high school and go, yeah, I remember that mentoring program. And now I wanna be a part of it when I get to college.
[00:24:32] Speaker A: And that's kind of the vision that we have. You know, it's like, again, we're not trying to change lives, but, you know, plant those seats.
[00:24:38] Speaker C: You might be changing lives, though, Devin.
[00:24:40] Speaker A: I sure hope so.
[00:24:41] Speaker B: You might be.
[00:24:41] Speaker A: I sure hope so.
[00:24:42] Speaker B: Well, I. So I, for one, to continue this conversation. And also too, one thing we haven't touched base yet with the WGRC is the counseling and advocacy services that y' all provide. You know, that was actually the thing that I became the most familiar with when I was a student learning about the wgrc. I know we've got to take a quick break, but as we hop back in, I'd love for us to jump into that. But you guys, grab something to drink, run to the restroom, do what you got to do. You are listening to Fit to be Tied with Sheena Whitney on 90.7, the capstone.
[00:25:17] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
[00:25:23] Speaker C: You're listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Whitney. And I feel like our conversation, it all makes sense. Like if you've listened to the beginning of our show, like, everything is making sense in the way it fits, but we are talking about life and pieces of life and different parts. But we just got done kind of learning a little bit more about the wgrc. But Sheena, you were asking specifically about the counseling and advocacy program.
[00:25:44] Speaker B: Yes, yes. And I know, you know, Devin, with your area specifically being in student engagement and internships and programming, there's this whole other side to the WGRC in terms of what it offers for that one on one experience for those that are victims of sexual assault. So tell us a little bit about that, because I know we have listeners that have probably not been aware of that service before.
[00:26:09] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. It's a really great service, actually.
And what this kind of service is, a counseling, therapy kind of service. And this is actually not just for students. It's actually for staff and faculty as well, which is really incredible. And so even for students, once you step foot on campus and you're in that UA school system, you can actually receive services for interpersonal violence, sexual assault, abuse, and even abuse that has not occurred on campus. If you have something that's prior trauma, whether it be at home, you know, even just going on a springtrap trip, you can actually come and see the WGRC to, you know, seek counseling services and kind of, you know, work through those different, you know, coping mechanisms and solutions to get you kind of back on track. And so, and so what we have, we have six staff therapists. We have six.
We have six staff therapists and then one victim advocates.
And they can see all those different clients.
And so what's really kind of incredible is.
Sorry, I lost my thought. Welcome to our world.
[00:27:15] Speaker C: Literally half the time we go off topic is cause. Oh, yeah, what were we talking about? Oh, that's right. And then we start talking about Disney or BTS or something.
[00:27:23] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, no, for sure, for sure. Yeah. So it's, you know, but, you know, but it is a really great, you know, opportunity, and it's a really great service for really, the greater Tusk Schools community is one that's for.
And so, yeah, I don't know why I'm working out.
[00:27:38] Speaker C: I'm telling you, it's just. This is what we do.
[00:27:40] Speaker A: It's Mondays.
[00:27:41] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
[00:27:42] Speaker B: Well. And you know, and when I think about too, just the way that you all have really, you know, put those clients on the forefront in terms of meeting their needs.
I remember when the staff kind of shifted timing of coming into work so that they could accommodate students that needed early morning appointments before classes or something later in the evening. Because in my prior work on campus, working one on one with students for nutrition counseling, especially those with eating disorders, I had developed a really great relationship with a lot of your staff therapists, just a lot of those referrals there. So I wanted to make sure that we mention that. So I'm glad that you plugged that in. And I know that the details are on the WGRC website for how students can get plugged in that way, and our faculty staff as well. And I feel like it might be a good time for us to transition into talking about Asian Pacific Islander Desi, American Heritage Month. And Devin, I know you mentioned earlier, that's one of the heritage months that falls under your wing. So tell us a little bit about that and what's planned for this year.
[00:28:51] Speaker A: Yeah, so this is actually the first year kind of in a while that we've kind of dived back into it. It's, you know, being this month, being in May is always kind of tricky for us, especially when it comes to student engagement, just because the last week or the first week of May is the last week of the semester. It's finals week of students are in and out, whether it be finals or going home or what have you. So we're really kind of testing the waters this year. We're really trying to see where everybody is at, where the student interests are and things of that nature. And one of the really great things that I think that we're kind of taking hold of is one, we're having an event with our Chinese culture club, which is going to be tea and tai chi, which is really great.
[00:29:34] Speaker C: Right.
[00:29:34] Speaker A: So we're going to be exposing some students to be types of tea and then also having a little bit of a tai chi kind of session.
[00:29:40] Speaker C: Who's teaching the tai chi? Do you know?
[00:29:42] Speaker A: Yeah, so we're gonna have.
We're kind of just planning on having a video, but if you know any.
[00:29:47] Speaker C: I have a tai chi instructor.
[00:29:49] Speaker A: If the instructor is really in person. Yeah, yeah, let me know.
[00:29:52] Speaker C: We need to coordinate this.
[00:29:53] Speaker A: No, absolutely. No, we absolutely should. It'll be next week. It'll be next Tuesday. From 6:30 to 7 at night? Yes. In the evening on Tuesday.
[00:30:02] Speaker C: You might. Okay, here's something interesting. If you're okay, we're just gonna plan this on air. Y' all be a part of it. You have a tai chi group. It used to be a class, but it was really hard to get participants to commit to it because of all the steps in tai chi. There's like 24. I think 24 pieces. And so we kind of just had a group of people that want to do it. So we're like, well, we'll just kind of let y' all be like a little private group. And then anytime someone's interested, you can kind of like bring them on in. So they actually meet Tuesdays at the rec center at 6:30.
And so maybe we can work something out. And if we can't work something out this year, for sure.
Rocky does a great job teaching tai chi. He's been doing it for, like, for a while for us now, but.
[00:30:39] Speaker B: Okay, cool.
[00:30:40] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. We can really plan it out. Yeah, yeah. Okay.
You bring the tai chi, we'll bring the tea.
[00:30:45] Speaker C: Sounds great. I'm bringing the tea too.
I visit Mr. Chen's quite often.
[00:30:50] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, It's a great place. Please go. You know, not a paid advertisement, but definitely go. So support your local, you know, Asian stores.
[00:30:59] Speaker B: Absolutely, absolutely.
[00:31:00] Speaker A: Yeah. But that's really great. Yeah. And so that's one of them that we're kind of hosting along with a few other different Partners. We have. I know we have some different keynote speakers coming up throughout this week and next week, but one thing that I'm really excited. I don't know if Sheena has told you, but she's actually hosting a cooking demo.
[00:31:16] Speaker C: She put up with a Filipino dish.
[00:31:18] Speaker B: Yes. I'm gonna do it virtually. It'll be next Wednesday during the lunch hour, and so we'll have a zoom link so people can just hop in. I want to do that, but. Yeah, but I'm gonna do Filipino pancit bihon, which. Which is basically using rice noodles.
And so just kind of showing how you do that.
[00:31:39] Speaker C: Cool.
[00:31:39] Speaker B: Also kind of putting in the budget friendly message, but then also talking about utilizing your local Asian markets, like a Mr. Chen's or something else to buy those ingredients, just in case the Asian section of a normal grocery store doesn't have those.
[00:31:53] Speaker C: I'll tell you right now, rice paper is a saving grace because. And I never knew this because I would always eat, like, spring rolls and stuff like that. Like the Vietnamese, like, spring wraps. And then Jason was like, oh, yeah, mom used to always, like, cook eggs and put eggs in there and wrap them up. And I was like, what? So, like, I was like, the versatility in a lot of these ingredients, and it's really. You can shop on a budget.
[00:32:17] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:32:18] Speaker C: You know?
[00:32:18] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, I mean, you gotta think, you know, And I definitely speaking from more of, like, my Vietnamese kind of background, you know, you always gotta go on a budget, you know, like, things are always readily available, you know, so you really have to kind of work with what you have, you know, and using different ingredients, using different methods, using different sauces and taste and profiles, and that's what makes it really special, you know? And so I'm very excited to come along with you.
[00:32:41] Speaker B: I'm just excited to participate in that way. And then my husband will be like, oh, y' all gonna cook for them, but you're not gonna cook for me? So maybe I'll get him to come too. But, you know, Devin, I think you and I, we've talked about this in the planning committee for this how food really does bring. Bring people together, and it's a way for so many entities to express their culture. And, you know, food is certainly a love language. So, you know, I love the fact that we can do this, and I appreciate that you are spearheading these efforts. And I think I was telling you, too, that I've seen from other universities. I didn't realize until this year that a lot of universities will sometimes celebrate this Heritage Month a little bit earlier in the semester so that they can get that student engagement. So I thought that that was really cool.
[00:33:28] Speaker C: So.
[00:33:28] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, no, it's incredible. And I'm very appreciative of all of our partners, especially when it comes to students, because, I mean, really, I'm just. I kind of the way that I'm facilitating my role is just acting as a guide, right? Connecting them to these different resources, you know, going on things like this and learning and, you know, helping them guide through their own experiences. Because it's really important, right? Like, you know, I am just one piece of that cultural pie, you know what I'm saying? And so I think it's really important to kind of, you know, highlight our students and let them take that lead, take that initial, take that leadership and guiding their own kind of, you know, their path for expressing their own heritage and culture. So that's something I'm really excited for.
[00:34:07] Speaker B: Absolutely. Well, I know that we are coming to an end of the show. We've got one last five minute segment and actually, Devin, we're gonna keep you on for that five minutes. We have a burning question that we ask all of our guests, so you gotta get prepared. But, y', all, we're gonna take a quick break. You're listening to Fit to Be Tired with Shane and Whitney on 90.7 capstone.
[00:34:30] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
[00:34:36] Speaker C: Welcome back to Fit to Be Tied. It's our last show of the semester, but what a way to end. We always end with a bang. It's actually making me, like, really hungry right now.
[00:34:44] Speaker B: And I want a big bowl of ramen.
[00:34:46] Speaker C: Like, I'm not kidding, I want to chop some tofu. Green onions on it. Anyway, Devin, thank you for being on our show.
[00:34:52] Speaker A: Thank you for having me. It's been great.
[00:34:53] Speaker C: It's been awesome. You'll be back, trust me. Okay. Okay. So we always want to ask our guests this because we're just curious, you know, we're all different. We have different ways of living life and going through our day to day. So how do you practice self care? What does that look like for you?
[00:35:08] Speaker A: Oh, man. Self care. What a great question.
[00:35:11] Speaker C: It is.
[00:35:11] Speaker A: You know, when you get so busy, you know, what do you do with all the extra time that you have doing everything? And so. So one thing that I do for self care is I'm a very big. I love music.
Really, really love music. Of course, you know, being the only band, you know, classically trained and tuba, the most musical instrument, they would say. But I really love music. I love finding new songs. I love going on my Spotify, checking out new radios through there, different people. And I actually have a really great friend who actually makes music. And so, yeah, he's really great.
[00:35:43] Speaker C: He.
[00:35:43] Speaker A: He's from Bessemer, lives in Tuscaloosa, and we used to work together, and he does great things. And so him and I will sometimes just collab and make certain beats and things like that. So it's a really great way to kind of just go through there.
But then my second, and this is kind of a fun fact, but I love playing Dungeons and Dragons.
[00:36:04] Speaker C: Do you?
[00:36:04] Speaker A: I love Dungeons and Dragons. Yes. I'm a huge nerd at heart. For those who are listening.
Love, love, love Dungeons and Dragons.
[00:36:12] Speaker C: I always find it really fascinating when people play Dungeons and Dr. Because it's so involved.
[00:36:16] Speaker A: It is.
[00:36:17] Speaker C: And I don't think people realize, like, I think I haven't ever played it, but, like. And I understand it, but, like, I don't think people get it. Like, it's a whole thing.
[00:36:27] Speaker A: It really is.
[00:36:27] Speaker C: It's a story. I mean, and you're playing the pieces. I always find it really fascinating when people say they play that. Do you have a group of people you play with?
[00:36:33] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, I have a small group right now. And so it's really great. And they're all just people that I used to work with and all these great things, but they're really great. And it's really kind of interesting of going into it because, you know, you see it on, like, you know, different media platforms, whether it's like Stranger Things or whatever, you know what I'm saying? But it's like, you know, you roll and you have to add the different things, but it's a lot more involved in that. You have to create your own character and you have to, you know, explore the world that's kind of given to you by somebody else who's essentially building that world, you know, as you kind of go along. So it's really interesting, and it's a really great way to kind of escape. I was just, you know, it's a really great way to escape. Kind of, you know, the everyday kind of, you know, stresses, and that's. And that's a really great thing, and I love doing that. And we do that every other weekend.
[00:37:15] Speaker C: Does the game continue week to week? Like, you start where you left off?
[00:37:18] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:37:18] Speaker C: So how long does the game go?
[00:37:20] Speaker A: Yeah, so, I mean, it can go. It can go years.
[00:37:22] Speaker C: Yeah. Really?
[00:37:23] Speaker A: It can literally go years at the same time. Yeah, it can go. If everybody's committed and dedicated, it can go on for years.
[00:37:29] Speaker C: So this current game that you have right now.
[00:37:31] Speaker A: So we just started.
We just started it. And we are essentially a guild that's kind of, you know, in this town, trying to build our reputation.
[00:37:40] Speaker C: I love it.
[00:37:40] Speaker A: So this is. Yeah, this is a. This is really gonna be a long campaign for us to kind of go through. I think the DM was saying that it's gonna be at least a year campaigning. Oh, yeah. So it's really great. But then you can also have one off. So we can have ones that. And there are different, like, board games that you can also kind of get into.
But it's just one single story you can play for. You know, it's probably five hours and get through that. Stories.
[00:38:02] Speaker C: But what kind of snacks do you have? Because for five hours, you've gotta have a snack.
[00:38:05] Speaker A: Oh, snacks.
I mean, you know, definitely our pops for our listeners over the age of 21, you know, some other beverages.
But it's really great, though. You know, it's really great. You know, just kind of come back and, you know, whether it be chips or we, you know, order in, like, McDonald's or whatever. Yeah. Which is not super healthy, but it helps the mind.
[00:38:25] Speaker C: But you know what? It's an escape from reality, and it's self care. I love it, dude.
[00:38:29] Speaker B: No, I'm like. I'm like, okay. I need my kids to grow up a little bit so that mommy can
[00:38:33] Speaker C: start some dentures with me.
Want to start a campaign? We'll do it. Yeah.
[00:38:39] Speaker B: Oh, man. Well, we have gone full circle today, y'.
[00:38:42] Speaker A: All.
[00:38:42] Speaker B: Devin, thank you so much for being on the show with Whitney and I today. And, y', all, this is it for spring 2022. We will catch you in the fall. Hit us up on our reruns over the summer. You have been listening to Fit to Be tied with Tina and Whitney on 90.7, the capstone.
[00:39:02] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
