Fit2BTide S08.E04: University Programs

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloosa. [00:00:09] Speaker B: Happy Sunday, y'. [00:00:10] Speaker C: All. [00:00:10] Speaker B: You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 the capstone. And here we are again. Yes. [00:00:17] Speaker C: Hello, my friend. I know, it is very nice to get to see you so much. [00:00:22] Speaker B: I know, it really is, you know, and I. This has just been like such an interesting semester. And also, too. I don't know if you're the type of person that does this, Nika, but oftentimes, like, even when I'm just casually writing the date and I write the numbers 2025, I'll pause and think, what did I think life or the world was going to look like in the year 2025 when I was like a teeny tiny tot in the 90s and the 80s? You know, you would think things from Back to the Future with like the flying cars and the hoverboard and it's just, it's. I don't know. I mean, yes, we have AI and all of these different things, but it was a different type of futuristic landscape. [00:01:03] Speaker C: Yeah. Since. Yeah. [00:01:04] Speaker B: Than what I thought. So. So it sounds like you kind of had visions of the Jetsons when thinking the year 2025. [00:01:12] Speaker C: Correct. Yeah. I grew up watching the Jetsons in the Flintstones, so I thought it was going to be more like that than, I guess, Back to the Future. I mean, I watched Back to the Future, I guess, a little bit. Yeah. I don't think I ever made it all the way through. Yeah. Am I really a child of the 80s if I admit that? [00:01:28] Speaker B: Oh, you still are for sure. [00:01:29] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:01:30] Speaker B: Because I feel like there's still probably some good classic 80s movies that you've seen, like some good John Hughes movies. [00:01:35] Speaker C: Like ST. Stuff like that. And the Goonies. Yes. All that good stuff. But, yeah, I don't think that I picture 2025 as. As it is now. [00:01:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:01:48] Speaker C: About you. [00:01:49] Speaker B: Yeah, we'll just say that. And I think that whenever I think about older movies from, again, the 80s, 90s, even maybe early 2000s as it relates to talking about the future, it seemed like the color scheme of the world also looked different too. Was either a lot of, like, metals to show futuristic things or pastels. And I know that I'm just digging us in the biggest rabbit hole, but I mean, truly. [00:02:17] Speaker C: Okay, so let's talk about that. I went into a McDonald's last week to purchase a Happy Meal. [00:02:26] Speaker B: Okay. [00:02:26] Speaker C: For my sweet, my sweet baby. And I was trying to explain to her about how the happy colors were when we were Little. Because it literally looked like you were saying the grays and the steel and the very modern. [00:02:40] Speaker B: It was like, it's like this, like, sterile, dystopian kind of look she has. [00:02:45] Speaker C: And she didn't understand that. I said McDonald's used to be like this really happy place when I was little. She's like, what? So I had to show her some pictures from Google. And she's like, why did they change it? And I said, that's the million dollar question. [00:02:56] Speaker B: I know. Or I don't know if Russell was like, for Payne with having a McDonald's in the Walmart, but I remember when they put a McDonald's in our wal. Walmart. Lord have mercy. [00:03:10] Speaker C: And then replaced it with a subway. Yeah, yeah. But yes, we did have one. And it had a bench outside, plastic Ronald McDonald sitting there crossing his legs so you could sit beside him. And yes, picture in Walmart. I know your baby book. [00:03:29] Speaker B: I know the closest thing that my kids have to that now is when they go into Target. And then there's that little Target bullseye dog. [00:03:36] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:03:36] Speaker B: And so there's like a statue of it at random ones. And then, you know, my kids are all about a good photo op. Are your kids all about a good photo op? [00:03:43] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, yeah. [00:03:44] Speaker B: So all of the things. And I'm sure for our listeners today, they're just like, oh, my Lanta, I really hope this is not what the show is about, but you guys know us, we always tend to go a little bit rogue in the first segment, and then we bring on our fabulous guest, and then we actually talk about things of substance. So I will say it is the same today. We're just. We just kind of go a little. [00:04:06] Speaker C: While, have to thaw our listeners out. That's all. You just got to defrost, warm up to it. And then we hit you with the. The really good stuff when we bring our guests on. [00:04:15] Speaker B: Yes, absolutely. And now I know for our listeners who may be listening to us live on air, you don't necessarily get the. The luxury of fast forwarding through our first segment, but if you listen to us in the podcast format, you can totally skip this part, which is really, really great. But with all of that said, we're just gonna go ahead and take a break so that we can quickly bring on our fabulous guests. We're gonna give you a little teaser in that sense, but grab, run to the restroom. Do the things you gotta do. You are listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7. The capstone. [00:04:56] Speaker A: WVUAFM, Tuscaloosa. [00:05:05] Speaker C: Welcome back listeners. You are listening to fit to be tied with Shayna and Mika on 90.7 the capital. [00:05:11] Speaker B: That's right. And if you are just now joining us, we will let you choose your own adventure as to whether or not you go back to our first segment where we were kind of, you know, Nick and I, we were talking about our vision for what we had thought 2025 would look like when we were wee little young ones back in the day in the 80s and 90s. But that is not what we are talking about today. As usual, we are having another fabulous guest on the show today. Today we have Ms. Paige Acker Price who serves of university programs here at the University of Alabama. Paige, thank you so much for being on the show today. [00:05:48] Speaker D: Thank you. Happy to be here. [00:05:49] Speaker B: Yes. And so you know, I don't know how many of our listeners who have been with us over the years, but we have had the opportunity in the past to showcase university programs and we know it's been a bit. So we wanted to have you on again. And so Paige, tell our listeners a little bit about you. We'd love for you to share hometown, your academic background, maybe even what you did professionally before your current role here at ua. [00:06:15] Speaker D: Absolutely. So I'm originally from Louisiana, grew up there, but then my family actually moved to Tuscaloosa when I was 13 and so went to high school in Tuscaloosa and then graduated from the University of Alabama with my undergraduate degree. So I definitely consider Tuscaloosa to be home. My family's here, which makes that fun. And as far as, I guess my professional background, I kind of joke that I've been working with 18 to 22 year olds since I was a 22 year old and I keep getting older and they say the same age. So. [00:06:46] Speaker C: Matthew McConaughey, throwback right there. [00:06:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:06:49] Speaker D: So I, I before I've worked with the University of Alabama and university program specifically for the last seven years. And prior to that I was at Samford University and did events. And so I've been planning events and staying up way too late and doing that for a long time and got my master's degree from Florida State. So really have kind of dedicated my career and kind of life to serving college students, which has been really fun, tiring, but very fun. [00:07:19] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:07:20] Speaker C: Yeah. So I have to ask, our guest on the previous show was a Tuscaloosa. [00:07:25] Speaker B: Oh, yes. [00:07:26] Speaker C: So we have to ask you, where'd you go to high school? [00:07:28] Speaker D: I went to high school At Brookwood High School. [00:07:30] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:07:30] Speaker D: Go Panthers. [00:07:31] Speaker B: Okay. [00:07:31] Speaker C: Very nice. [00:07:32] Speaker B: I think so. I think we had another previous guest, Alex Live Oak, I think, went to Brookwood as well. [00:07:38] Speaker D: We were friends in high school. [00:07:39] Speaker B: Okay. How fun. Okay. I wondered if your time together had overlapped. Well, that is so fun. [00:07:46] Speaker D: Now he's a little older than me, though. [00:07:47] Speaker B: He's a year older. Well, yeah. Well, we have to make that clear. You know, that is always very important. Now, another thing, another fact that you dropped, Paige, was the fact that you went to Florida State. Do you root for them to any capacity? And how was life in Tallahassee? [00:08:03] Speaker D: So ending up at Florida State was kind of by chance. I was working at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Started there right after undergrad because I just knew I wanted to get a job and kind of fell into higher ed. And so I was working there and had really incredible mentor who said, hey, higher ed is a. It's a thing. It's a career that you can pursue. And her sister had gone to Florida State, and so I started looking at it and learned a little bit more. And then they said, hey, we'll pay your tuition if you'll come here and work for us. And I said, all right, I'll see you soon. And I definitely. The first cut runs the deepest. So I, you know, cheer for Alabama, especially now, because I'm here. But I made a lot of good friends and really good memories at Florida State. So Tallahassee was a good place. It was a really good experience for me, and the program there was incredible. So I have no regrets. But it wasn't somewhere I needed to be more than two years. But I have definitely enjoyed my time. Enjoyed my time there, and definitely look back on it really fondly. [00:08:59] Speaker B: Yeah, I appreciate that answer. [00:09:00] Speaker C: I do, too, because I'm sure you were a little torn during the game. [00:09:04] Speaker D: Wasn't that torn? I was very upset. Was very upset that we lost. [00:09:07] Speaker C: But that's the answer we like. [00:09:08] Speaker D: Yeah, was very upset we lost. Actually, the two years that I was at Florida State, though, we won the national championship both years, so I was a bit. A bit obnoxious coming into the spring semester. But what's kind of funny is people often ask, oh, you must know so many Florida State fans. But I was there for grad school, so a lot of my friends had come from other SEC schools or, you know, other institutions. So every Saturday, we didn't really go to the FSU games. We, you know, all hung out, and we watched all the other football games because we were cheering for our team. So I definitely have a affinity and a loyalty to the college of education there and the people I worked for. But the institution as a whole, you know, it was a little bit different because I was there for grad school and not undergrad, but both my parents went to Alabama. So I. Yeah, it's a long legacy for me with the Crimson tides. [00:09:56] Speaker B: Yeah, Crimson blood runs deep. [00:09:58] Speaker C: I know. Mama called. [00:09:59] Speaker B: Yeah, she came home. So, you know, kind of thinking about your role now, Paige, with university programs. Kind of tell us about your role and really what drew you to this opportunity. I know that you, you were in some different roles within the department before ultimately becoming director. So as far as just coming to university program programs as a whole, what kind of drew you to this specific department? [00:10:25] Speaker D: So I, I guess I've got to think back, you know, aging myself here. But back in 2017, I started working for the city of Tuscaloosa and did special events for the city, so things like the Air show or Live at the Plaza, which is our free concert series in town, and really liked it. But I was really starting to miss working with students. That was my first job where I hadn't worked in higher ed. And so in 2018, I said, OK, you know, maybe this is, you know, this is. I'm good at planning events. That sounds, you know, not to sound too prideful, but I was good at it, but it just didn't have that same passion. And so a job came open with university programs that I realized was an opportunity to get back doing what I really loved, but also using my skill set. And so I guess it, it took hold of me and I haven't. Haven't been able to let go since. So I've seen the department really change and then served as the assistant director for a couple of years and then have been the director since 2021. [00:11:22] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nice. [00:11:24] Speaker C: It is nice. Yes. [00:11:26] Speaker B: So, you know, I know soon we will have to go to a break, but you know, Paige, I do want to ask you, especially as, you know, you kind of acknowledge just the difference between what you did at the city to what you're doing here on campus. You know, certainly there's some similar elements with the event planning and everything else and a lot of the large scale nature, but I think we would be remiss if we didn't acknowledge that component that all of us get to experience when it comes to student mentorship. I know we have had guests in the past who have worked in different industries before coming to work in higher ed and they feel like that. That piece about mentoring a student worker or a student volunteer or just having student employees in general, it can be a learning curve where you can either really love and enjoy it or be like, oh, man, like, I'm not used to doing this. So for you, do you feel like that's something that's very fulfilling to you? [00:12:22] Speaker D: Absolutely. I think that coming back. And again, it's hard for me to even remember what it's like to not work in UP because I've been here now for seven years. But I do remember it kind of felt like coming back and coming home and stepping into something that was so comfortable for me that I was able to be that person for them on campus. And really kind of my goal and our goal as professional staff in university programs working with students is to be that kind of safe place for them to fail and to learn and to grow so that when they do leave with their degree, that they're more successful and able to kind of see the ways that they've grown over the years with their time with us. [00:13:02] Speaker B: What I will say for both of you, so both you, Nika, and as well as you, Paige, is that I have seen both of you love on your students so well, as far as being personal cheerleaders and then being there on the sidelines, literally, Nika, like, I've seen you with Devonte when he's brought you before. And then, Paige, anytime your student has won an award within the division, like, it is so clear the level of pride that's there for that student. And I think that, you know, when we think about students being employed on campus or having campus volunteer opportunities, that's something that they get to experience that's outside of the paycheck or outside of the experience hours, but someone who is truly mentoring them and has that pride for them. And so I feel like I'm overly gushing about those things, but I think that's just a reality of working in higher ed. I don't know. For unique, you know, I'm putting you on the spot by being like, hey, I have seen you, like, especially with the athletes that, like, love on you and, you know, consistently select you to come be that faculty member that they bring to the game. Like, does it feel rewarding for you, too? [00:14:12] Speaker C: Well, you're so kind to say that it does, because I remember myself as a student, and I remember, and I can't speak that this is their experience, but my experience was I felt as though I was looked at and nobody did anything. So I don't want to say that I just, in my own way that I, you know, internalized it is that I was still a child because I was a student and everybody else was professional. And so I always felt like, but I want to be a professional. I want to learn. And, you know, not every job out there has somebody that's willing to say, I'm not looking at your age. I'm not looking at, you know, your title. I'm looking at you as a human, and I want to grow know you. And I remember finding those people who were like, hey, I don't care that you're 20 and a student, work study student. I want to treat you as like, you know, a colleague or a professional. And I was mentored so well here at the university through those opportunities that I still remember that now that I am that older adult. And I don't want anyone to feel like that they cannot get, like, what you said, the love and the cheerleader leading and the support. Because, what, you're just a student? [00:15:32] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [00:15:33] Speaker C: No, I mean, yeah, you are. But one day, very soon, you may be sitting in the desk, you know, in the office beside me. [00:15:40] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:15:41] Speaker C: I mean, college is very short, and you go out into the world and then your colleagues. I'm gonna start treating you one like that now. [00:15:47] Speaker B: Absolutely. You know, again, I think that theme of mentorship. I know. You know, Paige, you acknowledge having a mentor early on, too, and so it's so pivotal. I. We've got to take a break, you guys. [00:15:59] Speaker C: I'm. [00:16:00] Speaker B: I'm putting a hard pause on myself because I'm like, oh, my gosh, we got to take a break. But I definitely want to revisit this. And then also, too, we got to tell individuals, we got to tell our listeners what is university programs, because we've not completely talked about that yet. But you guys take a quick break. We are with you. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone. [00:16:26] Speaker A: WVUAFM Tuscaloosa. [00:16:35] Speaker C: Happy Sunday. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone. And we are joined today by a wonderful guest, Paige Acker Price, who serves as the director for university programs here at the capstone. [00:16:48] Speaker B: That's right. And so, you know, we've talked about university programs, and because we know how fabulous it is, like, we like to make the assumption that everybody knows. But, Paige, can you tell our listeners what is the mission of university programs? What is it all about? [00:17:04] Speaker D: Absolutely. So the mission of university programs is to create engaging events where all students feel welcome, find support and build community. That is our literal mission statement, but that really encompasses everything that we try to do. We want students to find a place to belong on campus and we do that through hosting events. We host anywhere between 150 to 175 events per academic year. And everything we do is free and open to all UA students. We have a student team that is responsible for planning and executing these events that we like to say were events for students by students. And so they are kind of the vision and kind of behind everything that we do. And so we like to say that we like to keep the main thing. The main thing. And so the main thing is how can we make people feel a part of the UA community? [00:17:53] Speaker B: Nika, I saw your face when she dropped how many events we do. [00:17:58] Speaker C: That is amazing. But also, do you have to be at every one of them? [00:18:02] Speaker D: I don't. We have a very great student team and we have a really good professional staff. But I have, I guess in my time at UA, I have been a part of over 700 events on campus. So it's really fun. Especially our students who work for us for a few years. We can go back and calculate how many events they've done and it's cool for them to see kind of the meaningful engagement that they've been help. Helping to facilitate. [00:18:26] Speaker C: I mean, talk about dedication. [00:18:28] Speaker B: Yeah, truly. And you know, I. While I would like to make assumptions about this, I am curious, Paige, do you know how most students learn about up on campus? Like, are they getting the messages early on as when they come to Bama Bound? Are they getting more immersed at Get On Board Day? You know, I'll go ahead and let the cat out of the bag that you guys are the movers and shakers of weeks of welcome. But you know, as far as just familiarity with your brand, lack of better words, where do most people hear about you guys? [00:19:01] Speaker D: So I honestly don't know that I know the exact answer. We do really, really heavily promote and market at Bama Bound. So we try to get them right as soon as we know that they're coming here. We have a table at Bama Bound. We have a Bama Bound session. And so we're constantly talking to them and we try to make it seem really exciting. As you know, during any kind of orientation process, they're getting a lot of information, so we try to really stand out. But I mean, by the that Get On Board day rolls around, we've already had our two largest events of the year, and so we have to get them early. And I think part of it is we try to create traditions that they have heard about from friends or siblings or people that they know that have come here, and so we then utilize that platform. So our Script day tradition, which is our annual class picture on Saban Field at Bryant Denny Stadium, we try to. They learn a lot there. And so if they know about that, then we can. Can kind of try to promote. But we send emails, we have social media. I have a whole team that is dedicated to digital marketing to try to get them to know what we're doing. I like to tell everyone that everybody doesn't have to come to university of programs event, but I want everyone to know that it's an option for them. That's kind of my goal. [00:20:13] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. I don't know who came up with the idea of the class picture, but I love it and I so wish it was there and it was around when we were there. She. I know. [00:20:24] Speaker B: So, okay. So, Paige, was that your idea? Like, what year did you that story? [00:20:28] Speaker D: It was not. We are actually in 2026 going to celebrate our 10th year of script Day. So next year is an anniversary year. I wish I could give the credit. I'm not entirely sure I would imagine just based on everything we do, it was probably a collection of people coming together and saying, hey, we need this. But it has definitely grown and evolved. And I've been really proud of the way we've evolved it, that we have a lot of upperclassmen participation because they're the ones that actually make the outline. And so that was a change from, I guess, my tenure at. [00:21:00] Speaker C: So for listeners that don't know exactly what we're talking about, you may have seen the really cool script a that is made up of students on Bryant Denny Field. At the beginning of every fall semester. How many students does it usually take to make that amazing outline? [00:21:17] Speaker D: About 3,000. [00:21:18] Speaker C: Wow. [00:21:19] Speaker D: So it's about 3,000. And it's. Our team coordinates that and we work with, you know, different partners across campus from athletics to strategic communications, but we all work together. And it's actually very quick. It's one of our. Our fastest events because it's hot and everybody's ready to get in there, take their picture and get out of there. So. [00:21:37] Speaker C: But that's a memory you keep forever. Like, you're like, look, I'm that little dot right there. [00:21:41] Speaker D: Yes. [00:21:41] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. [00:21:42] Speaker B: For sure. And then, you know, and I think about events like Bama Jam and just the caliber of acts that you guys get for that. And really just I think just the, the scale of that event as well. And you know, and I think that our team at the University of Alabama does such a good job in terms of really with photograph geography, capturing the energy from that. I would think that that is an event that you're equally proud of as well too. [00:22:11] Speaker D: Absolutely. Yeah. This year it was really fun. We had over 5,000 students attend, which was a pretty large growth. I always tell our staff when we talk about different things, I'm super proud of those large scale events. But I'm also equally proud of the work that our students do for smaller events because from my experience I've seen that events like Script Day, Bama Jam, those really large traditions, those help you feel connected to institution, like you're a part of something that's bigger than you. But the smaller events where they're getting to have that intentional one on one time, maybe they're meeting a new friend, that's how you feel connected to one another and that's how we feel connected to the community of people here. And so I think that those are both kind of equally necessary in order to have a really well rounded experience. [00:22:57] Speaker C: Love that. What would be for our listeners listening, some of the signature programs that you are that you guys will put on and post this fall. [00:23:09] Speaker D: So we're wrapping up our last week of weeks of welcome in October and I just realized, yeah, okay, I'm gonna do that again. So this fall we are actually about to have our Halloweek event coming up and so that will start tomorrow and on October 20th and we will have five days of fun spooky and, and fun themed Halloweek events and that's open to all students. And again, it's really our goal is not necessarily everything doesn't have to be super educational, but it's really just meant to create that connection. And so we'll have that. We have our stress free days partnership at the end of every semester which is our partnership with the counseling center. And it's during the week before finals. And that's really meant to just provide kind of a break and a kind of recharge before that last final academic push of the semester. And then next semester we'll go right back into welcome back weeks. [00:24:11] Speaker C: I love that our last guest, Sheena on our last show was talking about the academic portion or the career portion of our health. [00:24:23] Speaker B: Yes. [00:24:24] Speaker C: And we're focusing on the social. I love how you said not everything has to be Academic or educational? No. Social is supposed to be fun. [00:24:32] Speaker B: Absolutely. No. And I think, you know, again, this really showcases just the holistic nature of our Alabama model of student health and well being. Because we do specifically and explicitly have that social dimension. Because, you know, Paige, just like you alluded to or just directly said, you know, there's that importance of feeling connected to the community and the institution, but then feeling connected to each other because you could have someone who is thriving so well academically but then feel so lonely and feel unconnected or not be able to feel like they've had those experiences to really find what their interests are outside of the classroom. So, you know, just the fact that we're able to talk about these opportunities today is really fantastic. And Paige, I feel like I remember at some point in time, whether it's been on the show or when I have heard you talk about university programs, I think that you've mentioned that you guys are consistently doing programming. Is it Thursday, Friday, Saturday, like after hours programming? I'm trying to remember, yes. What typically is for you guys? [00:25:40] Speaker D: Yeah, so we do programming during the fall and spring semesters every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. But then we also do daytime programming during the week and that could be Monday through Wednesday. It's very regular that we will have five to six events in a week. And that might be a pop up event, which is kind of a daytime, you know, come by. I always love to see the videos where students post and they're like, Alabama's not a real place. And it's because we've put up inflatables on the student center lawn. But I think that goes back to what you said is just, you know, sometimes you just want to feel, you know, have some fun and you get a break. And that's what, that's what we're here for. And that's our mission. And we try to, you know, we want to provide resources and we have a lot of resources and work with campus partners to let them be successful. But sometimes you just need a free food and have a good time. [00:26:27] Speaker C: I love that because I think there is this misconception that every college student is 90% spending time having fun and 10% maybe doing academics. Yeah, that could be true for some people. But there are a lot of students on this campus that have their nose down grinding and you ask them, when's the last time you took a break? When's last time you did something for yourself, self care or had fun? And they'll just look at you because they're like, well, that's, you know, my goal is to get out and, you know, get out early or to get into the next phase of my life, a grad graduate school program. And I love that you guys are like, hey, it's okay to have fun. [00:27:05] Speaker D: Yeah, well, and I think too, a lot of our students are working hard. Some of them are putting themselves through school. And so I think another thing that we try to do is make fun accessible and make it affordable. [00:27:14] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:27:14] Speaker D: And so what we offer to students is free. And so it's a little less guilty to come and get some free food and have a little fun when it doesn't cost you, you know, extra money and. And that kind of thing. So we try to do that as well. [00:27:26] Speaker B: No, I love that. You know, I think free and accessible is so fabulous. There's actually some pieces to that I wanna. I want to hop back to once we take a break. But, y', all, we've gotta take another break. Grab a drink of water, run to the restroom, do what you gotta do. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 the cap. [00:27:49] Speaker A: WVUAFM, Tuscaloosa. [00:27:58] Speaker C: Hi, listeners, you are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 the capstone. [00:28:04] Speaker B: That's right. And if you are just now joining us, you have got to go back and listen to our earlier parts of the show because today we have our fabulous guest, Paige Acker Price, who is director of university programs. And so we were just talking about all of the fabulous events that university programs does and why these programs exist. And I did want to mention, you know, because I think that part of this history predates all of us from a professional aspect. But I know that when campus was initially implementing alcohol Edu, which is our modules that we encourage our incoming students to partake in before they start their journey at the capstone. This was around 2006. You know, I think one of the things that came out of those modules where students were able to put their input is just having an interest in alternative programming that did not involve alcohol. And I think that that really birthed university programs and the evolvement of that, as well as the initial forms of the alcohol free tailgate, that was done with university programs and originally with some other departments and now kind of exclusively hosted by your team, Paige. And so I guess I kind of want to use that as a segue that that is still. So for listeners who don't know, we still have that tailgate. [00:29:26] Speaker D: We do. And we Typically see anywhere from 4 to 500, sometimes 900 students that come through our tailgate. We have free food, free water, which is very hard to find on game day, and especially when it's hot. And so that's always a fun. And then we have, you know, Fun swag and TVs to watch the other games. So it's a great place and a good opportunity for any student that's interested in coming to the alcohol free tailgate. [00:29:51] Speaker C: Yeah, I love that. Something for everybody. So these students who are listening or their parents who are listening, and they're like, you know, this is something that my student needs to get involved in. How, you know, I know we were talking about how they can come to. [00:30:07] Speaker D: An event, how they can find that. [00:30:08] Speaker C: Out, but, like, let's say they want to be part of putting on the event. How can they get involved with up? [00:30:14] Speaker D: So there's really two great ways that students can get involved with university programs besides attending events. We always want them to come, but the two things would be joining our student team. So we have about 36 students that work for us, and that number kind of fluctuates each semester, but about that many. And that is everything from our event programmers to our graphic designers, our brand ambassadors, all of that kind of stuff. And those applications will actually open on November 1st for the spring semester. But we also have an opportunity that we just started about a year ago that is our UP Ambassador program. So that's an unpaid position, but it's definitely not as big of a commitment. But it's a great opportunity to be a part of our team. There's professional development opportunities, there's the opportunity to shadow members of our team and work events to kind of see, is this something that I'm really interested in? Is this something that I want to do long term? But it's also another opportunity to kind of meet a community of people that want to get to know you. And again, making campus smaller is kind of our goal. And those applications will also open on November 1st. So every semester we have new ambassadors and we also hire new students each semester because we want to make sure that we're consistently adding new students to our team. One to replace our students who are graduating. Cue the tiers. But also that we want new ideas and we want to make sure that we're not getting stale in what we're offering to campus. [00:31:36] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. So I'm kind of curious. How does your team navigate having to kind of like, tone down or say no to the wild and enthusiastic ideas of your Team members that you're like, y', all, like, I love the enthusiasm and the energy, but, like, this cannot fly. I don't want to crush your soul. But, like, you know, like, I don't know if we can, like, legally do this. Or maybe this is a scale of an event that isn't necessarily appropriate for this audience. And maybe this is me just making assumptions that you have to make. You have to have those conversations. [00:32:12] Speaker D: Yeah, sometimes I do have to be the fun killer. But for the most part, our team does a really good job of training the students. And so kind of the way it works is they get a budget, and so that usually helps. We don't just say plan any event. They get a budget, but we do tell them to dream a little bit big and, and see what other campuses are doing and see some things we've done before. Maybe it's been a few years, but we have students. The way our student team is set up is we have an exec team. So these are students who have been with us for a few semesters, and they are kind of advising and mentoring our incoming new staff. And so they're kind of the ones that have to say, that's probably not going to work, or, you know, our risk management or legal office. We love them. Thank you so much to them. But they want to prove that, and so they kind of know what we've. What we've gotten away with before. But you'd be surprised what, what you can. What you can do. We, you know, I held a huge snake at an recently so signed a waiver, and, you know, you can do a lot of things. We've had amusement rides, you know, lots of different. Lots of different things that we can bring to campus. And there's a lot of companies that do a lot of really cool stuff and have learned how to do it safely. So we just try to find the companies that are doing it the right way. [00:33:22] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:33:22] Speaker C: Oh, no. [00:33:23] Speaker B: I like that for sure. [00:33:24] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. And then if you're, you know, you're a part of the team, you're going to see so many cool things in the background and probably getting to meet so many people and network in the industry, like, if that's what you want to do, like with you being in event programming, you know, if that's somebody's end goal for career. Talk about on the job training. [00:33:47] Speaker D: Yeah, it's really fun to see, you know, what our students are interested in, but you'd be really surprised with how they have really varied interests. And so we've Got students that are in everything from pre med to accounting to education, some going into higher ed, which is, you know, secretly always a little fun when you, you're like, we got one. We really try to see if they're going to an accounting degree, going for an accounting degree. Then we try to say, okay, can you work with our budgets? Can you help manage that? Because it costs money to do events and so helping them get that experience. But any experience is working with a team and communication. And we go through the different leadership outcomes and things like that. So we try to really help them learn. How can they apply this long term, no matter what they. They're trying to do? [00:34:38] Speaker C: I'm looking at Sheena. [00:34:39] Speaker B: I know our buzzword. Three transferable skills. Yes. So we. That has kind of been like a recent theme with a lot of our guests where, you know, we people have these diverse experiences, whether it is professionally, after they graduate and then there's a pivot in their career, or for our students that are in different roles on campus, whether in the division of student life or otherwise, you know, how do we equip them to really tell their story of experience in a way that's meaningful to the industry that they're applying to? And so, you know, Paige, I feel like, again, you. You have one of those areas where there is so much opportunity for that building of transferable skills, regardless of, you know, where somebody is going into. And so I, I want to just, you know, kind of thinking about our remaining moments in this segment. You know, one of the questions I wanted to make sure that we asked you also, aside from what opportunities are available for students, is what would you give a student who's struggling to meet new people on campus? So just for you, as, as a wise individual on campus who's had your own campus experiences and you have the role that you have now, if a student came up to you and was like, I'm struggling to meet people, what would you tell them? [00:35:58] Speaker D: Yeah. Well, first of all, thank you for calling me a wise individual. I'm glad we have that recorded. But I think first I think I would ask them. I think I would want to know what have they been trying that hasn't been working? Because I think sometimes in conversations, because I have this conversation a lot with students, anytime I talk in front of a group of students, I tell them I'm embarrassingly easy to find where I'm at in the student center, and they can come talk to me. But I kind of ask them, what are you trying? I think that sometimes it's just figuring out that first step. I would say figure out what you're interested in, because I guarantee there's someone else on campus that's interested in that too. Whether that's finding a student organization or coming to one of our events and talking to people that work for us. That's kind of my biggest piece of advice is just having that first conversation. Anyone that works for my team, anyone, whether they're a student or a professional, have committed to being a resource and being kind of a community member for everyone on campus. And so that's an expectation on our team, that that's what we're here for. That's our whole purpose. Yes, it's great to get the picture with 3,000 people, but my favorite mom, or when people come up and say, hey, I met my best friend at a UP event and we are still friends four years later, I'm like, that's why I'm here. That's the, that's the point. And so I think that just if they're struggling, I am. Our office is on the third floor of the student center. Come and find me. [00:37:27] Speaker C: And we will. [00:37:27] Speaker D: We can, we can fix that. [00:37:29] Speaker B: Yeah. Now, you know, as people are hearing about all of this, they're probably thinking, okay, how can I keep up with knowing what this fabulous team is doing? So where can people find you on social media or the interwebs in general? [00:37:42] Speaker D: Yes, they can look at our website, which is up sl, ua edu. But probably the most exciting thing would be to follow our Instagram, which is at ua. What's up? So what's up? Yeah, here's what's up this week. So that's what we always say. [00:37:58] Speaker B: Well, I, we've had so much fun with you specifically talking about university programs, but if you're okay with it, we would love to keep you on for our last five minute segment. Would you be okay with that? [00:38:09] Speaker D: Absolutely. [00:38:09] Speaker B: Okay, perfect. Well, we've got to take a break, you guys. You are listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and n on 90 points capstone. [00:38:21] Speaker A: WVUAFM Tuscaloosa. [00:38:30] Speaker C: Welcome back, listeners. You are listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and NA on 90.7 the capstone. And we are wrapping up our show today with our amazing guest, Paige Acker Price, who serves as. As the director of university programs here at the University of Alabama. [00:38:45] Speaker B: That's right. And you guys, I was just telling the ladies on the break, so let me give our listeners some context. So a handful of years ago, we actually had Paige on the show before. And at that point in time, we had recorded a fabulous show. And because, you know, humans be humans, and sometimes we make mistakes, the audio files were accidentally deleted, and we were never able to air one of those episodes. And so we were trying to find a date to rerecord. And, you know, we're all just busy bodies and we couldn't make it happen. But at this point in the show, last time, Paige, what we asked you was, what gets you hype? Like, what kind of energizes you? Like, is it a song? Is it, you know, is it a certain scenario? And I'm asking you this because I distinctly remember what your answer was before a few years ago. And I'm just trying to gauge if it would. If it's going to be similar or not. So, like, what kind of excites you? Like, what just gives you the. Like, whether, like, I'm gonna kill it today or I just, like, feeling. Feel really good and accomplished today. [00:39:55] Speaker C: Oh, man. [00:39:55] Speaker D: I feel like this is a lot of pressure, listeners. I also feel like that what excites me and what gets me hyped for the day might be two different things. [00:40:03] Speaker C: Okay. [00:40:03] Speaker B: And you can share both. [00:40:05] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:40:05] Speaker D: So I think what gets me hyped when I'm thinking about, like, a work day, when something gets me hype is a, you know, a no meeting day where I just get to hang out in the office and have a great time with the students and get a lot done and feel accomplish. [00:40:16] Speaker B: That's. [00:40:17] Speaker D: That gets me hyped. But I think what excites me and what if I'm thinking about, you know, my favorite thing is just, like, a good book and I'm, like, an avid reader, embarrassingly so. When I was walking over for this interview, I was listening to my audiobook and I, like, can't wait to, you know, put it back in when I leave. But a good hike with my husband and our dog, a good book, spending time with friends, really just getting outside, I think that's pretty probably what. What gets me the most excited. I don't know what I said, though. Now I'm curious. [00:40:47] Speaker B: So first, I love both of those answers. And I feel like from what I do know about you as a beloved colleague, like, that definitely tracks with you. But I will tell you that what you shared a few years ago is that what gets you hype or excited or feeling accomplished is like, marking things off of your to do list and, like, highlighting things off and like, being like, dude, I got this done like this, like, checklist of like you. And I just. I really loved that because it was such an unconventional answer in a good way because we've had previous guests that, you know, they'll mention a specific song, which I think, you know, would probably be what I default to. But also, too, several years ago, we had a. A guest who is no longer at UA. Mr. Charles Burrows, who worked in University recreation. And he was saying what gets him hype is when he had a. There was like a meeting scheduled on his calendar, but then the other canceled. And so then it was like unanticipated free time where he was not the person that pulled the plug, but it's like, oh, my gosh. [00:41:55] Speaker D: Like, and then they are, like, apologizing and you're like, it's okay. I understand. Yes. I think. I think my staff feels that way. When I, like, cancel a one on one, I'm like, hey, are you. Or move it, you know? And they're like, yes, we don't have to meet because a meeting, let's be honest, is just probably going to be more work. But I probably. I do love a good checklist, but I'm going to be honest. It's this time of year. It's been a long time since my checklist has been empty, so I don't know. I don't know a empty checklist right now. [00:42:22] Speaker C: But yeah. [00:42:24] Speaker D: Accomplishment. [00:42:25] Speaker C: It's. [00:42:25] Speaker B: Well, I feel you on the books, so you know that for sure. [00:42:29] Speaker D: But I just ever need a recommendation. Happy to help. I think I've read 115 books this year, so. [00:42:36] Speaker C: Wow. [00:42:36] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:42:37] Speaker D: Yeah, I know. [00:42:37] Speaker B: Okay. Isn't that embarrassing? Yeah, I'm gonna know. [00:42:39] Speaker C: That's amazing. I don't know what, you know, makes you a wise. [00:42:43] Speaker D: Yeah. I hope my. I'm hoping my dissertation chair isn't listening to this because she'll be wondering why she hasn't got the last chapter. [00:42:48] Speaker B: So be like, what's happening? With that said, we'll probably. We'll go. There'll be a little mic drop moment. But Paige, again, thank you for being on. [00:42:57] Speaker C: Thank you. [00:42:57] Speaker B: Yes. Okay. Well, Nika, as always, I love you. Love you. [00:43:02] Speaker C: It's been a pleasure. [00:43:03] Speaker B: You know, we're just rocking and rolling and listeners, thank you for rocking, rocking, rocking and rolling with us. You have been listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 the capstone. [00:43:20] Speaker A: WVUAFM Tuscaloosa.