Let's Talk UNLV

0:00:00
Welcome to another segment of Let's Talk UNLV. You are here with co-host Dr. Tanya Crabb flying solo today. I'm excited to have joining Dion McDonald, Special Assistant to the Associate Vice President and the Director for Special Projects. Both of those jobs fall under student life. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Since Keith is not with us today, I think you and I should check in on how our weekend went. So how was your weekend? What did you do?

0:00:33
Well, thank you for the welcome. Happy first week of classes. Happy New Year. This weekend I decided to do something different and actually explore Solo Dolo. And so I actually went down to Town Square to enjoy some of the festivities, relaxed, and it actually took some time to sleep. Solo dolo. Yes. Please tell more. Sure, so generally I will try to have a partner in crime, I'll say, and go somewhere and do something. And so that didn't happen this weekend, and so I said, let's be a big girl. Let's go

0:01:07
and explore the town on our own. Oh, I think somewhere between 400 and 600 students attended the event and I staffed their wellness room. And the day after I did more solo activities where I hung out and decorated my home office, you know, my sanctuary, my space, you know.

0:01:44
That's on my to-do list. So that encourages me to try to do that sooner than later.

0:01:49
Nice. That is wonderful. So we typically like to start the story, start the podcast by asking about your origin story. So what brought you to this work and what brought you to UNLV?

0:02:02
So my journey to UNLV in Las Vegas started in August of 2019. Being in higher education for several years, the opportunity became available as the Director for Centralized Services in Student Life. And so exploring that and having that opportunity after recruitment, coming on board. And a part of that being a new position on campus, it also wouldn't tell the implementation of the MSISC. And so that was started by Dr. Renee Watson. And upon her departure in summer of last year, I was already serving as her co-advisor to the group. And so that led me to come in as the official advisor July 1.

0:02:53
Okay, yeah, Dr. Watson was one of our co-hosts here.

0:02:56
Yes, yeah.

0:02:57
Yeah, so for those who aren't familiar, MSI stands for Minority Serving Institution, and UNLV hosts a Minority Serving Institution Week, which features a full slate of educational opportunities designed to connect students, foster conversations, and celebrate the richness of our UNLV's diversity of students. UNLV is a dual designated Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander serving and Hispanic serving institution. So we're in the process of gearing up for our second annual minority serving institution week. It starts February 27th and it ends on March 3rd. And this year's theme is Evolve to Serve. I really like that. And there will be a host of activities taking place throughout the week. But before we get into what's going on and what's happening, I would love for you to share the events that are happening.

0:03:52
There are several events this year, and we're actually excited because we have recently opened up to campus asking various departments and colleges to partake in the week of events. So it's not just on the MSISC, or it's not just on the task force, so that it can be a plethora of things going on. And we love that there might be some overloading, as one might say, the more the merrier, because that means we're able to connect with more people on campus, and them to be able to fill a part in some form or fashion. And so there's the things we started last year, which was a taste of UNLV, there's RebFest. This year, there was strategy behind putting the MSI Student Success Summit in the same week. So that will be the Friday event. And there are several others that are to come. I don't want to spoil those, but we will have a long list of calendar events going on.

0:04:42
Okay, no spoilers here. So, you know, the event that I think I'm the most familiar with is the food related event. And I feel like I didn't even really know it was happening because I was still brand new. I got here just before COVID. And so I just kind of wandered into this food extravaganza that made my soul smile. So can you tell us about that?

0:05:08
I believe you said it was called a Taste of UNLV. It's a Taste of UNLV and we strategically went and identified different cultural foods to incorporate that day. And so there's various stations from Hispanic foods to Asian food to Mediterranean food and more that we're going to incorporate again this year. We're actually looking to even try to do it over the week in some form or fashion. I have a special MSI week feature in the cafeteria or the dining commons every day versus just that one day. So just to be clear, we will have the big event on that Wednesday, but we're looking to expand it so we can have something every day as well.

0:05:44
That sounds, so eating every day is absolutely something I co-sign. Yes. That sounds wonderful. So what about RebFest? What is entailing RebFest?

0:05:54
So I wanna go back to the taste of UNLV just for a hot second so people know, we will have some vouchers available for those that do not have meal plans. So we'll be passing those out again. We'll first come, first serve, but those will be available in the Student Union. Okay. In regards to RevFest, we are doing the concert again. It will be outdoors, and there will be a lineup of a variety of genres of artists and performances that will be available to students, campus in general.

0:06:22
Wow, that sounds super exciting.

0:06:25
We want to have some fun. We want to do it in a festive way where people are able to explore different things, things they're very familiar with, and just be more accustomed to the variety on a regular basis.

0:06:37
So food and music.

0:06:39
Yes.

0:06:40
Yeah. You had your food, but now you're keeping me with the music. I know that you've reached out to my department and to Wellness Zone department. My department is being the student counseling and psychological services. And we are planning to match your funness by coming up with some mental activities that are interesting and engaging and that involve not just your mind but also your body. But no spoilers here as well. Just come prepared to have a good time all the way around. Tell me more about the MSI Student Success Summit. So that is a summit that's going to take place on that Friday. We have a couple of special guests that will be joining us. Okay. And so the materials for that will actually be coming out very soon. It would be the half day of Friday, so roughly that 8 a.m. to 12 30 time frame is what we're gathering that will be. You know it's so funny it reminds me of I don't even know whose commercial advertisement it is. Hopefully, they won't come for me for copyright, but come hungry, leave happy.

0:07:46
Okay.

0:07:47
You like food. But that's what it sort of reminds me of. It's a full body experience. You feed all of your senses simultaneously. So I really like the idea of that, yes. So I have another question for you. Is there a particular event that you tend to like most about those MSI events that take place that week?

0:08:12
This is the second, so actually this is the third year of MSI week. This will be the second year where we've had the larger events going on like the Taste of UNLV and RebFest and the Student Success Summit in a general time frame. And so those I like because it's something different. It's something that's forward facing and it is directly there. It's like right in your face. And it's something that brings a different vibe to campus because people are like, oh, I like this. It's a variety. And so the cultural differences that are in that people on campus and even in the community tend to really enjoy and want more of.

0:08:56
And it's a really wonderful way, I think, to get introduced to different cultural perspectives.

0:09:01
Yes.

0:09:02
It's a wonderful way to sort of just get invited to be part of a cultural experience that you may not necessarily be familiar with.

0:09:09
Did I hear you correctly in your saying that this is your third year for MSI week. Yes, so I must say I went back to look and I originally was saying the second week but I realized it was a difference in what the activities were. And so this is actually the third year but the second as far as these larger events. Okay, so this is the second revamped year. Yes. This is the second reboot year. Yes. Okay, okay that makes sense. So what would you say to students who are considering coming to these events?

0:09:43
Why should they show up for these things?

0:09:45
I say why not? It's a part of the college experience. And that's where you're able to explore yourself, explore other areas, and it's right there for you. It's specifically for the campus, and it allows you to be educated and entertained and involved all in one to have a sense of belonging.

0:10:01
So an opportunity to expand your mind, yes, expand your understanding of other cultures, yes, to connect with other students, yes, and just have a

0:10:10
general good time. And I'll even say to connect with faculty, staff, and others that are part of the UNLV community because it's about all of us. And so it is primarily for students but a part of the student experience is everyone that's in the environment. And so we want everyone to have that sense of belonging and connect with the different activities that are going on. We're gonna have some activities that are even welcome to families. And so it's again, making sure that we're part of and including those that are in different facets of the different environments.

0:10:42
I love what you said about this sense of belonging, right? A sense of belonging in terms of, I can be part of this university experience. And I also like what you said about family peace. But the thing that stuck with me is inclusion. Yes. You know, this ability to feel included and part of not just the university, but just the whole campus and the whole community feel of it as well.

0:11:08
Yes, and one thing I try to get others, especially the MSISC, to think about are thinking outside of the box. What are those experiences outside of the classroom that are just as important as those inside the classroom, because that's all a part of the experience. And so during this week, hopefully that will gain more traction to do more things more frequently and definitely have a larger turnout for various MSI weeks and events that are to come.

0:11:37
So you mean they're not just here to spend hours in the library and take tests?

0:11:41
That's not the full college experience?

0:11:44
No, no.

0:11:45
It is to have a holistic development. So you have various areas that you're able to say, whether you're here one semester or multiple years, these are various things that I was able to be exposed to and be educated on while I was at UNLV.

0:12:00
I don't know.

0:12:01
I don't remember fun. Being on the curriculum.

0:12:05
Yes, yes, yes.

0:12:06
This is wonderful. So, what if a student wants to get involved with the MSI week? How would they go about doing that?

0:12:13
So, there's various ways. They can do it as just a participant. They can do it as a group. They can do it if they want to host or sponsor something, as well as if they want to volunteer. So there's not just one way, there's multiple ways. And so it's a matter of how they want to do it.

0:12:33
So if they wanted to say, for example, participate and or sponsor, what's the best way of getting connected?

0:12:40
So I can be reached for those type of arrangements and I can be emailed at my email address, which is diana.mcdonald.unlv and we can discuss those further to make it happen. Wonderful so can they also participate as an organization versus? Yes and that's what I'm and sorry let me clarify that's what I meant by student groups so it'll be an organization it can be just a group of friends that want to do something because when we had the Rebel Wonderland activity, the MSIC did a passive program asking students what do they want to see at UNLV as an MSI. And so there were various ideas that were thrown out there that we're exploring and so we understand that yes we will have activities and ideas but there are also some from students that may or may not be heavily involved on campus.

0:13:40
And so we want to be open to all suggestions. Can you talk to me about why these kind of activities matter? Why host an MSI week? Why take the time to invite students to explore other cultural connections?

0:13:55
I think we have to be intentional. We definitely are and say we are one of the most diverse institutions. And so we want to stand by that, by our actions, by our intentionality, and making sure that we can show, not just say, this is who we are and this is what we're doing. And it all goes back to, again, making sure that that student college experience is the best that we can make it, and that they're feeling a sense of belonging in and outside of the classroom.

0:14:23
You know, the other thing that crosses my mind is that we have a fair number of international students and that certain populations, unless they run into each other or know each other, may not get connected in those real ways. Yes. So I think, as I think about it, I think this is a great opportunity to see our diversity on full display and a wonderful opportunity to get connected with groups that you may not have known even existed on campus. One day I was out walking and I passed the Hawaiian clubs table. I was like, wait a minute. This whole time.

0:15:01
And I recognize there are so many groups on campus. And so I think sometimes just to have it. And when I say being intentional, it means even to go where students are, not necessarily pick a room and then hope they come there but go where they are to gain traction and get their exposure and help them understand who's here. So when you say you just walk past that club, that may not have happened if they weren't

0:15:23
wherever you were at that particular time. Oh yes it was divine, it was divine because you know Nevada, Las Vegas is called the ninth island so I know that there's a large percentage of Hawaiian people that come here. Okay. But I don't think that I, it's the intentionality, right? I don't think that I had even thought to look for those groups there. There are certain people that you know, like for example, I'm the advisor to the Habesha group. So I know about that population. And I think it's really wonderful that other students can also know about those and get an opportunity to sort of understand the food, the culture, the vibe, if you were,

0:16:06
of those populations. And to see it. I think that's the thing of we see them, we hear about them in other areas, but to actually see them in the flesh, as one might say, is a different experience, because then you get to engage and network at that point, to even ask more questions if there's something you're not aware of, or to learn something different for that day.

0:16:26
Yeah. And the other thing that I think about is this gift of diversity. You know, and that's the way I envision diversity. Diversity is just, it's a gift. It's a gift to be able to step into other people's universes. It's a gift to be part of other people's experiences. It's a gift to look around you and see all of these new things that you can learn that you may not have been exposed to without, say, leaving the campus. So the gift of diversity, which I think, you know, that is our hallmark is we're a diverse university. So I love that we're giving this gift of diversity to the students.

0:17:01
And I would even say not just to give it, but also embrace it. Yes. To embrace it. Yeah. Because that's a different piece. It's one thing if I show you something, it's another if you embrace it and there's a genuine interest to do that, because that again helps with how we are interacting and learning from each other.

0:17:19
OK. I'm curious as to the question of how can we continue to build on and grow in this way? How can we continue to have this be something that's highly visible and at the same time just into the fabric of who we are as a university. What are some of the ways in which you see A, this contributing to that, and B, ways we can expand on it?

0:17:52
So it sounds simple and repetitive, but I think it goes back to being intentional and and understanding that as we go through with time and things are changing throughout the world and things are changing with individuals, what does that look like and how do we incorporate those changes that we all can have some sense of connection with that and education with that. You know, it's funny you should mention that.

0:18:21
I remember a long time ago reading a statistic that said that multiracial kids were the fastest growing population in the world. So it's almost as though in these moments, they get to see all the parts of them on display simultaneously, which is wonderful in and of itself.

0:18:42
And I think that's where the, and I keep saying it, but we have to be intentional. We can't just do the same status quo things. And it's what does that look like? Because that's a part of retention. That's a part of the actual experience and satisfaction of students and those that are here on campus.

0:18:59
I have a quick question.

0:19:01
Oh.

0:19:01
Oh. Oh.

0:19:03
Because I want to talk about intentionality.

0:19:05
And it's so funny that you should mention the word intention. Because that's been on my radar since probably late December. And living life with intention and moving through life with intention and doing things with intention. And I want to unpack the intentionality that you speak of and what intentionality looks like on a university setting. Because I think that there is truth to that. I think there is that passive, we're diverse because of location. And then there's this, we're not only are we diverse because of location, but because we invite diversity into this space. We welcome diversity into this space. So from a university leadership perspective, what does intentionality require of us?

0:19:50
It requires leadership. It requires discomfort because it's unfamiliar at times. and it will be some spaces that are explored or even challenged in the ways of one might think or do normally. And so with change, there's various experiences and feelings with that. And so managing that and being more, I want to say, inclusive in how we're doing things and inviting more people to the table, not just the same few people at the table, or the same few ideas, or the same few things that we are providing to campus, is what makes me say we want to be intentional because of thinking outside of the box. And, again, with the changes and all of that, it is how do we shift with that. That makes sense. Um, say a little bit different way I want to say that.

0:21:05
You know, when you say shift, I, my body goes growing pains, like, like there's a there's a certain amount of growing pains that go with expanding beyond your comfort

0:21:16
zone, right?

0:21:17
Yeah, and that's why I guess trying to, that's why I said earlier discomfort, because when you're intentional, and there's not necessarily so much flexibility in how you might make decisions or do things, or it's not as favored, that all goes with that. But there's a particular goal or goals in mind that you are going for that may not be the standard or the normal.

0:21:43
You know my brain immediately went to yoga. So I'm, because you know yoga requires certain positioning and your body's like no thank you. You know and I've seen like people do the upside down poses and but before you get there you have to decide you want to get there. And then you have to actively try to get there. Yes. And you have to stretch yourself literally and figuratively to get there. And the end result is more flexibility. So that's how my yoga metaphor ties into it. I appreciate that. I'm sure that helps give

0:22:18
the other visuals of what I was trying to articulate a moment ago. So definitely appreciate

0:22:22
that. Yeah, more flexibility. And with this flexibility comes this sense of ease in your body. So I'm really glad that UNLV is one of those spaces and places where not only do we have the vision, but we actually want to move towards the vision. because it means that it will be a better university, a better world, a better experience for our students at large. Yes. And they're the reason that we're here. Yes. You know, and that they're the reason that we're here. So I'm also glad that you are here. Thank you. Happy to be here. Because you're one of the reasons that our students have the freedom and the flexibility that they have on this space. So I appreciate that. So now moving on to questions that are sort of a segue-ish. I see the terror in your eyes. As I mentioned, segue, you're like, we had a plan.

0:23:26
That's okay. That's okay. I'm ready. Why does diversity matter to you? Like, why does inclusion matter to you? What is it about? Because, you know, we take jobs because we're attracted to aspects of it. So something about this job spoke to you. So tell me, what is it about this job, this role, this idea of building space and embracing other cultures? How did you get there? We are humans. We're not robots. We're not items. We have feelings. We have different thoughts and with that there's no cookie cutter or one-way approach. And so I always look at it as we are humans or we are a piece of a puzzle going into a larger picture. And how do we all fit? It's not the same size, not the same shape. And so understanding that in the world of diversity, not just by what we look like, or how we think or where we come from, there's multiple things that make us diverse. And so when we look at all of those is how do we respect the differences, embrace the differences, and coexist with differences.

0:24:53
Had a Shrek reference in my mind of the onion, but then I was like, no, the parfait.

0:25:00
Because parfaits are much more delicious than onions. And now even I always like to use the analogy of an apple. At the end of the day, an apple could be a certain color. It could be a certain shape. It can have a certain taste. But at its core, it's still an apple. Yes, and ultimately delicious and it and all, you know, nutritious. Yeah, yes. Yeah, ultimately good for you. So thank you for indulging my random question that just popped into my mind. No words. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Not nearly as terrifying as you thought. I survived my first podcast appearance. So hey, I think I did pretty good. Well, you know, now you have to come back.

0:25:41
Okay. I appreciate the invitation. You've been birthed in the fire. Now it's time for you to come back. Okay. I accept that. I accept that. Wonderful. So we have a few minutes left. So I just wanted to give, any, you know, whether it's a reminder of the dates of the event, general invitation to the population, whatever, this is your moment to shine.

0:26:13
So I'll keep it simple with just a quick reminder of this year's MSI week. It will be February 27 through March 3. There will be various activities going on on campus, and we're actually hoping to expand out to various locations, not just be at the student union or something like that, because we want to capture more areas where we have a lot of interaction of students, faculty, staff, and others that are in the community. Well, soon there will be more marketing materials with more details. I know I don't want to have a spoiler alert, but there will be more details, so registration for the Success Summit, as well as just details as far as other events taking place, will be coming here in the next week or so. So keep an eye out. Where will they be finding these details? Where can they look for more information? So we will be doing the old school paper route of flyers. We will also be doing some things on social media, as well as having some email blasts to the UNLV official, to Rave and other UNLV Today outlets, things like that. Old school versus post-new school.

0:27:25
Are you on social at all?

0:27:26
Maybe? I'm like, wait a minute, what?

0:27:30
The MSISC has Instagram. And so we'll be putting the things there as well. As far as I know right now the MSI task force does not so that's why I paused like wait a minute. So you heard it and they're like these are everywhere you want to be. Flyers, socials, Facebook, email, there are a lot of different ways to get connected. It sounds like it's going to be an amazing time with amazing activities and food. You knew that was coming. So I hope to see you all there. I will be there. CAPS will be there. Student Wellness will be there

0:28:15
with some wonderful activities yet to be disclosed. So with that, I think that's a wrap.

0:28:25
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0:28:50
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Transcribed with Cockatoo