I was given the opportunity to attend the Diversity Summit last week. I have learned about diversity in many of my classes here, but I was excited to learn more about the many different elements of diversity. It was inspiring to listen to the keynote speakers’ talk about their life experience and how their battles made them stronger individuals.

The sessions that were held throughout the 2 day conference had great content and helped me see aspects of diversity that I had not considered before. The session that had the greatest impact on me talked about the power of language. There are so many things that we say on a daily basis, without knowing, that determine our status and position in the world. Language can be used to empower people but it can also be used as a tool for dominance. I am currently making a conscious effort to eliminate words in my vocabulary that unintentionally put others down.

One of the main themes that I took away from the conference as a whole was the concept of intent versus impact. The things we say and do with good intentions can end up hurting others if we are not mindful of our surroundings and the people we are interacting with.

I am so glad that I was able to attend this conference. I have become much more aware of the numerous elements of diversity, even within Oregon State, and I am working hard to make sure the things I say and do have the impact that I intend on.

If you want more info on how the Diversity Summit went, make sure you check out their blog site: http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/care/

I am finding that many of the offices that I have worked with, or that I will be working with, are interconnected. A perfect example of how these offices all work together is the Community Care Team. I was invited to sit in on a meeting for the CCT and I enjoyed seeing yet another behind the scenes aspect of Student Affairs. The Community Care Team is a group of representatives from many areas of student life; they meet a couple of times every term to discuss upcoming and current campus events and make sure all offices are on the same page in order to best support the students here. There are so many resources at Oregon State that encourage healthy living and learning; the Community Care Team is here to make sure they are available for all students.

I am only with Healthy Campus Initiatives for a couple more days this week and then I am returning to work with the Office of the Dean of Student Life. I have learned a lot with HCI and I am happy that I am able to be a part of making this campus a healthier place.

2. Give and/or receive a big, hearty hug. Nothing is as healing as a snuggly hug. Some studies show that hugs can be therapeu- tic, and at least they allow us to remind ourselves of the people with whom we share meaningful connections.

3. Laugh out loud. There is truth behind the cliché that laughter is the best medicine. You relieve stress, you increase oxygen flow to your body, and you get yourself into a positive thinking mindset. Go ahead, make it a belly-shaking jolly laugh, for best results.

4. Eat breakfast. Like beyond ce- real breakfast. Honor your spe- cific dietary needs, and reconsider what you think of as breakfast food. I recently started eating boiled mung beans and rice with spices to my taste, for breakfast, and I find myself fulfilled in a way I never knew was possible.

5. Breathe. Deeply. Fully. And then, fill your lungs some more. We have gotten complacent with the idea that our deep breaths are really deep… and often we have only breathed in about 2/3 of our lung capacity. If you feel inspired, try inhaling (and internally) count to a number that is comfortable to you, and then on the exhale, regulate your air flow to exhale for the same count as your inhale. Try this while closing your eyes. Don’t think about the laundry, or the next email. Just focus on your breath. Now do this for about 10 minutes.
So there you have it- 5 tips to fol- low daily, for the next month. Let me know how it turns out, and I wish you a glorious term!

Some amazing things I have to share:

Black History Month was absolutely amazing.  Kudos to the students and staff in Intercultural Student Services, and the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center, for gifting our campus an ENTIRE month of activities!  I have never experienced such depth of amazing events for an entire month.  I learned about the Black Greek system, as well as Black LGBT leaders, and so much more.

I finally went to my first OSU Women’s Basketball game!  I have a daughter, and supporting  women’s athletics is really important to me.  I was lucky enough to be invited by Beth Rietveld as her guest during one game, and then as a guest of Kirsten Tilleman, one of the members of the team.  I haven’t had so much fun in a long time.  I truly love the competitive spirit of our team, and I particularly was inspired by the interdependent and optimistic approach of our women athletes during the game.  To me, our women showed up with a champion spirit that I hope I can instill in my own daughter.

I also had a chance to attend a leadership conference put on by the Memorial Union Program Council and The Center for Leadership Development, called “Life After College.”  I was so impressed with the attendance, and with the high quality of presentations from the Career Services office, Greek Life, and the Women’s Center.  It was a truly rich day.

The winter term is also a time when my own professional organizations have their national conferences, so I had a chance to spend some time in Chicago, for the NASPA conference, and also in Boston for the ACPA conference.  These organizations are ways for me to network with colleagues and mentors across my profession, so that we can learn better ways to serve students the way they deserve to be served.  I was also in Washington, DC for Gates Millennium Scholarship read, where I had the chance to read scholarship applications for  in partnership with the Asian/Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund.  I am truly humbled by the the persistence of our students with modest/low incomes to attain a university education.

Oregon State University is such a special place, because our students are priceless.  Over the past year, I have really enjoyed serving, and learning from our Associated Students of Oregon State University (ASOSU).  While our student government works tirelessly to improve the lives of students here at OSU, I want to highlight something that ASOSU has done for you recently.  As of Sunday April 4th, the Valley Library will be open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week because of a proposal by ASOSU.

Which brings us to today.  Friday.  Last day of Spring Break.  I come to you with a promise- a promise of better communication, more stories, more moments of hmmm.  I come to you recharged and ready for the upcoming Spring term.

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Later on in the day, I had the chance to connect with first-year students in a Fireside Chat (shoutout to the U-Engage students- woot!woot!).  While we did talk about Oregon State University, and how OSU serves our students, I think I cherished having this time to talk about wellness, managing a full job-full life in a healthy way, and the replication of botulism (you had to be there…).   From that event, I went to the grand opening of the International Resource Center, located in the MU.  If you haven’t visited the IRC, I highly recommend it.  Kudos to all of our campus community members that come together to create such a wonderful environment for our international and internationally-minded students.  So many students connecting with each other in such powerful ways.

As I walked home, in the pouring rain, I thought to myself, it can rain and pour like this every day if it means connecting with our amazing students.