Podcasts about cal state university long beach

Cristina Salvador Klenz new photo project is called INTERSECTIONS In Time. She makes images from her car. She only leaves to talk to the subjects. We talk about the project and then for a first time I go along on the shoot to see her work her magic.Cristinaa photojournalist, freelance photographer, and Board Certified Behavior Analyst, graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism degree majoring in Photojournalism (1986). Cristina's documentary photography work on the Roma culture has been published worldwide in Aperture, Geo France, Interfacemagazine in Paris, and the textbook Photojournalism the Professional's Approach. She also received a National Endowment for the Arts/WESTAF grant for her work on the Roma culture. She was a grant finalist for the Alicia Patterson Foundation and the Nikon Documentary Grant. Her Roma images are in the collection of The Romani Archives & Documentation Center at the University of Texas at Austin.Cristina's interest in psychology inspired her to purse an additional Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Cal State University Long Beach (2005) and a Master of Education Curriculum and Instruction/Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State Univeristy (2015). In 2020 she became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).She currently works as a behavior intervention assistant for Long Beach (CA) Unified School District.

Dr. Will Wu (IG: @drwillwu) is a Professor of Motor Control and Learning at Cal State University - Long Beach. John Dunigan (T: @JohnDuniganGolf, FB: @johndunigangolf, IG: @john.dunigan) is a PGA Master Professional and one of the best teachers/coaches in the game. Together they have been helping golfers of all skill levels; beginners to tour pros improve by practicing smarter so they can play better. They've done this by using an expertise in motor learning and coaching so you can reach levels you never thought possible. Part of that collaboration has resulted in one of the best apps in golf called ‘Practice Coach' that allows you to have them at every practice session through the app. Whether you have 30 minutes twice a week or countless hours to spend working on your game the app can benefit everyone. When getting the app don't forget to use discount code GOLF360 at checkout. In addition to the ‘Practice Coach' app be sure to check out their other program called Skilled Coaching Alliance where they work with other passionate coaches to develop their motor control and learning techniques to optimize their coaching ability.   Affiliates: PAYNTR Golf Shoes - Payntr Golf delivers performance traction resulting from our shoe's ability to resist, support, & enhance – allowing golfers the capacity to leverage ground forces, control movement, and maximize speed at impact. https://payntrgolf.com/golf360 Books by Rande Somma Why Do We Call Them Leaders?: https://amzn.to/3VIhDI6 Leadersh!t: https://amzn.to/3VY4zib The Stack System is the ultimate device to use when looking to biohack your swing speed. Co-developed by ‘The Savant of Speed' – Dr. Sasho MacKenzie, and PING engineer Marty Jertsen, it is a device that every golfer can utilize to increase their swing speed. The Stack System uses AI to ensure that your development is as efficient as possible. To order The Stack you can do so on their website at www.thestacksystem.com. Be sure to use the discount code GOLF360 to receive your special discount. Sponsors: Get your 15% discount on your next order of JustThrive Probiotic at https://justthrivehealth.com/ (use code: GOLF360) Looking to play one of the best golf courses in the Hilton Head Island area? Be sure to check out Old South Golf Links and have one of your best golf experiences ever https://www.oldsouthgolf.com/  

Transition as Growth: Vaughn's Bold Leaps from Athletics to Student Services In the heartwarming and inspiring latest episode of NASPA's SA Voices From the Field podcast we welcomed Dr. Vaughn Calhoun, an esteemed academic leader, recounted his transformative journey from a student athlete with a career-ending injury to a beacon for change in higher education.  Engineering Identity Post-Injury Calhoun began by sharing the immediate consequences of his injury and the impact it had on his self-image and life trajectory. He emphasized the importance of identity reconstruction, an experience that propelled him from a series of unfulfilling jobs to the realization that he needed to embrace authentic studenthood—a leap he bravely took by pursuing a master's degree far from the world of sports he knew. Encounters That Changed His Path One of the most pivotal moments in Calhoun's life was an encounter with a stranger at Borders bookstore who saw in him a potential future as a university athletic director. This set him on a path to his doctorate, with a determined goal to understand and improve collegiate athletics from an administrative perspective. Mentorship and Its Lasting Impact Calhoun credited much of his success to the mentors he encountered, specifically highlighting an inviting university president who believed in him and guided his professional growth. This president showed Calhoun how to harness vulnerability and understanding, which in turn helped him carve out his niche in student affairs. The Student at Heart of the Leader With a robust background in public policy and the professoriate, Calhoun brought humility and an unwavering focus on student success to his administrative roles. His approach has always been about being receptive to student needs and advocating for their growth and success, a principle he implemented in his roles at various educational institutions. Innovation and Adaptation Furthermore, Calhoun discussed the rise of AI in education and the urgent need for educators to integrate new technologies. Adaptation, he stressed, is not only inevitable but essential for student support and success, highlighting the importance of ethical considerations in the digital age. Embracing the Journey Closing the episode, Calhoun imparted advice to student affairs professionals undergoing transitions, encouraging them to focus on the process and seek mentorship. He suggests that staying authentic, seeking challenging experiences, and forming a supportive network are keys to personal and professional development.   TRANSCRIPT Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:01]: Welcome to student affairs voices from the field, the podcast where we share your student affairs stories from fresh perspectives to seasoned experts. This is season 10, continuing our season 9 theme of on transitions in student affairs. This podcast is brought to you by NASPA, and I'm doctor Jill Creighton. She, her, hers, your essay voices from the field host. Welcome back to our next episode of student affairs voices from the field. Today, we sat down with doctor Vaughn Calhoun live and in person at the NASPA annual conference in March 2024, Seattle, Washington. Doctor Calhoun serves as the assistant vice president of student services and dean of Center For Academic Success at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. He's been featured on a number of national platforms, including platforms, including Fortune Magazine, Education Edition, The Chronicle of Higher Ed, Inside Higher Ed, Huffington Post, NASPA Policy Briefs, and the Student Affairs Now podcast. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:54]: A thought leader and commentator on issues related to the changing landscape of higher ed, doctor Calhoun believes critical dialogue is necessary to equip students for the future of work, which means cultivating adaptive learners who can thrive in a world that is increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. Doctor Calhoun's leadership career spans colleges and universities in the northeast from public, private, urban, suburban, small and large institutions with enrollments from 2,000 to more than 20,000 students. This experience includes public research universities, small private liberal arts, midsize Catholic universities to a predominantly online state university. Doctor Calhoun is a graduate of Rutgers University where he earned his bachelor's of science while also participating as a full scholarship student athlete on the football team. He also earned his master's of public policy and administration from Cal State Long Beach and a doctorate of education from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Von, welcome to SA Voices. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:01:46]: Hello. How's it going? Thank you for having me. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:01:48]: It's such a joy for me to be able to meet with guests in person because normally we're across time zones and on a Zoom box and things like that. So I really appreciate you taking time out of your conference to connect with us. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:01:59]: Absolutely. Happy to share anything and answer anything. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:02:02]: In our theme of transitions, when we got your story for casting, we just looked at it and went, we really wanna talk to you. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:02:07]: Okay. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:02:07]: Because your story, I think, is kind of unique in the world of student affairs, but also unique in that you've kind of been in a lot of different spaces before figuring out that your space, your professional purpose is here. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:02:20]: Absolutely. It took me a while. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:02:21]: So we know you're at Seton Hall now. We always like to know how you got to that seat, but we'd love for you to trace that journey through the beginning of sport. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:02:29]: Wow. No. That's just fantastic question. And, you know, my journey, it's something that I could not have mapped out. Yep. It it was something that really took shape while I was a student athlete. I played football at Rutgers. And in my 1st year at Rutgers, I blew my knee out. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:02:45]: And that was one of those things that you always think that happens to somebody else. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:02:50]: Yeah. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:02:50]: But when it happens to you, it's kinda like, oh my god. Like, it's happening. And not long after that, my head coach, he was fired. So these 2 big life moment events happened within 3 or 4 months of each other. And while I was at Rutgers, to compound that, at least at the time, I was steered into a major because it was athletic friendly. And that set me up on a course for not necessarily focusing as much as I probably should have on academics. And once I finished at Rutgers, I always tell people I graduated there, but I wasn't necessarily educated there. And that's a huge difference. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:03:22]: And it took me a while to kind of contextualize, well, what happened to me? And it wasn't until I read the book, The 40,000,000 Dollar Slave, The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete, that really put it into context for me. And in particular, this book, it talks about the conveyor belt theory. Essentially, you have these institutions who go into black and brown neighborhoods and extract raw black or brown talent. And you're put on this figurative conveyor belt. And when you're on this belt, 1, you never know you're on the belt until you're off the belt. And the thing with the belt is there's always someone in front of you and someone behind you. Mhmm. And you move along this belt, and you get off the belt because you blow your knee out. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:03:58]: You aren't as good as they thought you were. And the consensus is next person up. And when the next person is up, you're essentially out. And when I read that, I was like, oh my god. I was a part of a system in which I didn't know until I read that. I was like, oh, that's what happened to me. And in that process, I was still trying to figure out, well, who am I now without sport? Because sport was something that I identified with since I was 6, 7 years old. And now here I am 21, 22 years old and it and it's over. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:04:25]: So now it's this journey of recreating myself. Like, who am I? And that led me on to going through a 1000000 different types of jobs. My first job out of college was shredding paper. Literally, shredding paper. I went back from my old school district and we were going from paper student records to electronic student records. This is 2004. And here I am, these boxes and boxes of student records. I'm literally scanning and shredding. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:04:50]: Wow. Scanning and shredding for 8 hours a day. I'm like, what the heck am I doing? And it gave me a lot of time to think in the process, and then that's when I decide, okay. I wanna go and try to be an authentic student. Go get my masters. It didn't really matter what it was. I just wanna explore this other piece of me that I didn't feel that I fully tapped into. So I ended up getting my or going to Cal State University Long Beach. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:05:13]: I'm originally from California. Going to Cal State Long Beach and I did my master's in public policy. And that's when I just started reading not just books on public policy, but just all types of books. Trying to figure out who am I in relation to the world. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:05:25]: So you invested in your education for yourself. Absolutely. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:05:28]: And during this process, there were so many things that I didn't realize about the world, about myself. And also in trying to find out who I am, I started taking on even more jobs. So I sold copy machines door to door in Los Angeles. And that was just something that I think everyone should try sales at least once. Just the experience of walking up to somebody and trying to sell something. Mhmm. And I remember I had this whole script. And my thing was walking into business parks and knocking on doors and saying, hey. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:05:55]: Can I talk to the person in charge of document management? And they're like, what's document management? And that was my end. Once you ask me a question, I can give you my spiel. So that was an experience. I even got put on a do not enter list because I was very persistent. And I kept going back and back and back trying to get the business. And then from there, I thought, okay. Maybe I wanna be an attorney. Maybe so then I took LSATs. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:06:15]: And then I said, well, maybe I might not wanna be an attorney. I might wanna be a police officer. I was driving down the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles, and there's this huge billboard that said LAPD hiring starting pay with a master's degree, $70,000. So I drove home, went online, put in my application, got called back for the written exam, and then got called back for the physical exam. And after I took my physical exam, it was about a 8 month period where it's just background check. In that time, I found me another job. I started working in insurance. And it was just this whirlwind of trying to figure myself out, but it wasn't until I had this one interesting interaction at Borders bookstore. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:06:50]: Remember Borders? It was like, Dr. Jill Creighton [00:06:52]: oh, yeah. Mini Barnes and Noble. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:06:53]: Yeah. It was like it was like, you know, it was like Nike Reebok is Barnes and Noble's Borders. And I love Borders. But I walked in one day and this older gentleman looked like Bernie Sanders. Right? And he says, hey, did you play Rutgers? I'm like, mind you, I'm in Long Beach, California. How in the world does this guy know I played? And I barely even played. But I had a Rutgers Football t shirt on. He's, oh, okay. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:07:12]: He says, oh, it must have been a fantastic experience. Right? So, you know, older gentleman. So I sit down and have a conversation with them. And at the end of the conversation, you know, after I share my story with him, he goes, I can see it now. Vaughn Calhoun, athletic director, USC, Stanford, University of Texas. I'm like, oh, I've never even thought about myself in that way. Right? And he was the first gentleman, the first person who kinda put in my mind that I can maybe fix college athletics or do something about it because my experience as a student athlete wasn't the greatest one. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:07:42]: He was a total stranger. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:07:43]: Absolutely. Total stranger. Did did know him, but we spent at least an hour with each other. And subsequently, we kept talking, kept meeting with each other and he even introduced me to his network who was a sitting athletic director in Los Angeles. So he said, hey, I want you to meet my buddy. I'm like, okay. So now there's this whole world of college athletics on the administration side that I didn't know exist. Well, I knew it existed, but I didn't know, like, that was a path that I could take. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:08:06]: So now this is 2,008. I just got married and if you recall, we had the financial meltdown and crisis in the world was just going in bad places. And I decided in that period of time that I'm gonna leave my job and move across the country to pursue my doctoral degree. And everyone thought I was nuts. Even my parents, like, what are you doing? You're leaving because at the time, I was working at for a local government agency making, you know, pretty decent money. And I said, you know what? The money at that time money's important, but it wasn't important. Right? I said, this is the thing that I wanna do because I said, I wanna understand how a college works and where does athletics fit within an institution of higher education so I can be an athletic director and fix it. And then here I am moving to Boston. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:08:49]: Literally, set my car, My wife and I are now newlyweds in Boston. And I remember as I'm going through this transition, I get to my last year of my doctoral program, and my dean and I get very friendly. And he says to me, listen, Vaughn. I know what you're trying to do. You wanna fix college athletics, but the way that you feel about it, 1, are they gonna let you in? And 2, if they do let you in, do you have to uphold the system in which you don't believe in? Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:09:14]: I was like, oh, dang. Those are some great questions. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:09:16]: That's a hard hard dissonance to deal with. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:09:18]: And I was like, what do I do? He said, well, I have door number 2. I said, well, what's door number 2? He said, you can teach. I said, who the heck am I gonna teach? And he said, listen, because my dissertation was on student athletes who were academically clustered, steered into a major because it was athletic friendly. It was a qualitative research study looking at the lived experience of student athletes who were clustered. So he says, I want you to come into my undergraduate class and just give a presentation on it. Right? So I said, okay. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:09:42]: So I did it once, did it twice, and then he says, do you feel comfortable with that now? I said, yeah. I feel pretty good because the students were very engaging. I was like, oh, this this is teaching, Oh, I can do this. He says, okay. Now I want you to start applying to faculty jobs. I was like, oh. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:09:53]: Oh, he's pathwaying you. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:09:54]: I was like, oh, you we didn't say I was like and he said just start applying. So I was like, alright. Let me start applying. So here I am, and now I'm sitting in these faculty interviews. And, hate to say this, even when I was in college, I didn't read my first book until spring semester senior year, cover to cover. So now here I am in these faculty interviews talking about my academic and teaching philosophies and all these things. And, you know, not in my distant past, I was that student who was just kind of out there and and not being a real student. Right? So I get a callback and says, you're hired. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:10:27]: I was like, oh, wow. Right? And that was just, you know, my pathway into higher ed working for a business department, at a small private liberal arts outside of Boston. And as I'm going through this, it really just, one, changed the way that I just thought about just myself in this phase of just recreation that I could create a new identity outside of just sports. But interestingly, I had a buddy who was moving from Maryland up to Boston at this one particular college. And I've heard of it. I drove past it every day. I didn't know much about it. And this college had a black male sitting college president. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:11:03]: I was like, that's pretty awesome. You don't really see that in particular within, like, Massachusetts. Mhmm. So I just Google searched him and he had these interviews and articles. So he's a really dynamic individual. So literally, on a Saturday morning, pulled my phone out, saw he had a Twitter, I tweeted at him. I was like, hey, you inspire me. And a few minutes later, he tweeted back. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:11:24]: He was like, thanks. So like, oh, you answered your old tweets. This is awesome. So I said, hey. Can I so now now I was like, okay? He I got him engaged. So I said, this is my opportunity. So I said, okay. I tweeted again, can I have the informational interview? Right? And I heard nothing. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:11:37]: I was like, oh, okay. You know, people are busy Dr. Jill Creighton [00:11:39]: you know. Shot. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:11:40]: Right? Yeah. I'm gonna shoot You know, either 1 or 2 things can happen. You make it or you miss it. Yeah. But 2 weeks later, I get an email from his executive assistant that says, you know, the president wants to meet you. I was like, oh, this is awesome. So now this is August 2015. So I go sit in the president's office. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:11:56]: We were there for 3 hours literally. Wow. Just talking about his career, how he did what he did, why he did it, talked about myself, what I wanna do, what I think I wanna do. And in that meeting, he said to me, you can be a college president. I was like, woah. Again, right, just having these individuals, I couldn't plan for that. Right? So a few months later or within this interim period, we would text and talk. He introduced me to his network, and my job's August 20 15. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:12:21]: So a few months later, December 2015 and again, we never talked about jobs. Just philosophy about life and stuff. And he says, I wanna offer you a job. I want you to work for me. I was like, oh, okay. I got a job over here, but I like what you're saying just in terms of just his energy and enthusiasm. So I went and worked for this guy, and he would literally bring me into meetings I had no business being in. He hired me as an an assistant professor, which eventually I I was elevated to the chair of the chair of the department sitting as a faculty chair. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:12:51]: But I would go into these executive cabinet meetings and literally just sit on the wall with, you know, all the other VPs and they're all kinda looking at me, like, why is this guy here? And after every meeting, we would just have conversation about, okay, this is what's happening. This is why I said this, this, that, and the third. And, you know, this just happened, you know, over the next few years. And in this period of time, you know, he would bring me, like, literally into his, like, his personal life. Right? You know, he would bring me into his home with my wife and my son, you know, and and talk with his family, his wife, his kids. It it just became this this really awesome dynamic. And one day I just asked him, like, why are you doing this? Because he was just so generous. And he said, because someone did it for me. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:13:30]: I just asked that you do this for somebody else. I was like, I got you. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:13:33]: Paying it forward in mentorship. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:13:35]: Absolutely. Right? So, and one of the things he said, by you working for me you're gonna know the questions to ask. I was like, I don't know what that means. So as I'm going up from my first AVP position, I was able during the interview to really diagnose and break down some of the nuances and ask these very specific questions. And I ended up getting the job, and I remember calling him after the final interview. He was like, I understand what you mean. I knew the questions to ask. Right? And I think those questions help separate me in terms of just how I looked at the position. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:14:06]: But, you know, it was just through these events and people, I couldn't have planned this out. And when I talk about this transition, it's just a lot of constant movement but being open to that movement. Being open to being vulnerable. Being open to saying, okay. I don't know what this is, but I wanna explore it. And that's one of the things that I share with a lot of my mentees. It's put yourself out there. Ask those questions because if you don't ask, you're not gonna know. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:14:29]: So I think these are the these things that we don't often talk about in particular, leaning into your network, finding those mentors. And I think mentorship becomes very cliche, like, find a mentor, have this mentor, but, no, really build those authentic relationships. And that has helped me tremendously. I couldn't be in this position without those individuals or it would have took me much much longer to sit in the seat at Seton Hall. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:14:50]: That is an extraordinary journey from being a d one football player to weaving your way through to this dean of students path now. Do you still see yourself on that pathway to a college presidency? Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:15:02]: I aspire to higher leadership and I know that sometimes we're in such a hurry to get there. But in getting there, you're learning so many lessons. Even in in these past few years, I've learned so many lessons just about myself, about how to manage and lead people. Mhmm. So I definitely see myself on that trajectory and I definitely wanna get there. But one thing someone told me is like don't rush the process. Right? The process is the process. You know, you don't wanna end up getting there and not being ready for it. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:15:31]: So I'm very mindful of that and and making sure that I'm putting myself in positions to sit on different committees, to be a part of conversation that make me a little uncomfortable. Like, oh, I don't know too much about the nuances of finance and budgeting, but let me sit there with it. And I think if I continue doing these things, doing good work, opportunities will present itself. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:15:49]: You've had a nontraditional education path into student affairs itself. How did you get yourself up to speed with all of the student affairs literature and practice knowing you come from that MPP background, that faculty end. And student affairs for those of us who've kind of been in the field a while, I think there's generally a point of frustration when we see someone who's come from a pathway that didn't include that student development foundation, and then all of a sudden we're being led by this person. So how did you come from that place of humility while still bringing your expertise that you definitely had in the public policy space? Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:16:20]: Yeah. I think one thing for me is I know that I don't know, and I'm not afraid to tell folks that I don't know that I need your help. And I think when you lead with that, folks typically look at that as a point of humility. I'm not gonna say I know more than you. Because truth is, you know, any new job that you walk into, folks who are there know more than you about that particular institution. So earlier in my career, part of what I did was I was an assistant athletic director for 3 and a half, 4 years at a small private liberal arts and reported up to the dean of students and we were housed within student affairs. So I was always a part of those a lot of my job was around the student success on the athletic side, but it was for a division 3 institution. Mhmm. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:17:05]: So the dynamics are a little bit different than division 1 where the emphasis on division 3 is the whole student. And division 1 does that, but I think more so like division 3, it is just part of the culture and fabric of we know that. More times than not, no one's turning pro. That's not what our goal is. We're not trying to generate revenue in that sense. And then for me, I got into this because I was driven by my own negative experience. Mhmm. So student success and making sure that students are always at the top of mind is something that I always talk about and that I always lead with. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:17:36]: So when people hear my story and when when people understand why I'm doing what I'm doing, knowing that I have this background that is a little unique, but it's always toward that north star of how are we helping our students. And I think once that gets conveyed and understood, it helps galvanize people. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:17:51]: How did that student athlete experience inform how you practice in student affairs now? Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:17:56]: Being a student athlete, at least at the time, I felt that I wasn't heard, wasn't necessarily valued. So anytime I see a student engage with a student, I wanna make sure that they're heard, that they're validated. Because when in particular, if a student reaches my office, usually something didn't go right at some point along the way. Right? And whatever their challenges are is the most important thing to them in that moment. And me being a former just student athlete knowing that I wish I had an advocate, I wish I had someone who could really just stand up for me. I take that mindset. And even when I get these parent calls, knowing that I wish that my parents could have engaged with somebody and someone would have been receptive. So always taking that to heart and make sure that I never forget that. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:18:38]: You've navigated a lot of change very successfully. Change and the mindset that you bring and kind of your philosophy around how you make transitions? Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:18:55]: Yeah. You know, change is the really only constant and being open to it. Because I think so many times, generally speaking, folks are opposed to change because you always ask yourself, what does this mean for me? What am I gonna lose versus, well, what could I gain? And I always took the perspective of there are some things that I don't know that I know that I need to experience these things in order to become a better person and to elevate in my career. So if I would just sit back and what's comfortable, I'm not gonna grow. And interestingly, my son, he's 9 years old. And that's one thing that I really try to challenge him with. Right now he's doing Taekwondo and he's on the sparring team. And it can be pretty tough. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:19:30]: He has a really old school hard nose instructor. And my son always talks about, oh, this is getting tough. It's getting tough. I said, no. The tough part means that this is your growth phase. These are when the moments of you're gonna question yourself, but what are you gonna do in those moments? Are you gonna sit back or are you gonna meet the challenges? And that's something as a former student athlete, we couldn't just sit back and be comfortable. Because if we sit back and be comfortable, there's someone else that's working when we're not working. So constantly trying to say, how can we get better? How can we get that edge? Edge? And I take that with changes. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:20:01]: Things are moving. Right? And if I don't try to keep up with the change or get ahead of the change, we're going to be stunted in some way. And at the end of the day, the students will suffer for it. And I really think about this right, so when we think about AI, and I think one of the first reactions a year or so ago was this is the worst thing in the world. It's going to crush teaching. It's gonna crush learning. In some regards, it might to a certain extent, but also what are the opportunities of helping individuals? What are the opportunities in which we can streamline? And because students are going to enter a world that's AI driven, if we just turn our heads to that and pretend that it doesn't exist, we're doing them a disservice. Mhmm. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:20:36]: So how can we as a college community, staff, and faculty, educate ourselves so we can best educate our students and talk about it through through the lens of ethics. Talk about it through the lens of how these new technologies, though it could be different and scary, are gonna be the things that they're gonna need to be successful. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:20:52]: Well, and also AI is just not ChatGPT alone. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:20:56]: Absolutely. And I think Dr. Jill Creighton [00:20:56]: that's been kind of the narrative in higher ed, that ChatGPT is the end of academic integrity. But there are also institutions that are using it really well for, like, auto replies when students need information Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:21:06]: That's right. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:21:07]: At 2 in the morning. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:21:07]: That's right. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:21:08]: Or, you know, texting services or or whatever. So there's lots of cool opportunities, but then there's also ethical issues around copyrights and particularly with arts. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:21:17]: Correct. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:21:17]: Things like that, so but I also came aware recently of an AI repository that's cataloging, like, millions of research papers, which will be an incredible resource for doctoral students of the future, which which I wish I had access to when I was doing my doctorate. So it'll make the lit review process faster in some ways, but I think also will start to discourage people from reading whole articles. I mean, let's be honest, we're always skimmers anyway, but but I think that will be a fascinating evolution too. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:21:41]: Absolutely. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:21:42]: Do you have any advice for student affairs professionals that are in their own space of transition right now? Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:21:46]: I think for anyone in the space of transition, knowing that it's gonna be difficult to a certain extent, but also knowing that if you just stayed where you're at, can you really grow? And sometimes you have to go out and put yourself in those vulnerable positions. As simple as asking for a mentor. Asking someone, will you mentor me? And again, for me, it's they can either say 1 or 2 things. They can say yes, or they can say no, or they don't respond. But what I think, you know, going through transition just knowing, focusing on the process and not the outcome and knowing that the journey will be the journey, whatever that journey, whatever that process is, and just focus on doing good work, Focus on being as authentic as you can, and focus on surrounding yourself with individuals who will speak life and encourage you. And also make sure you have those individuals who tell you the truth because we don't always just want cheerleaders around. We want those individuals say, hey. Can I give you some constructive criticism or some critiques? And that's where you can learn the most so you don't have as many gaps as you would if you didn't have those individuals there. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:22:41]: And if you're able to hear that when it's given. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:22:43]: Yes. Right. You gotta be open to that. Because some people, you know, the the the Eagles can be very fragile, but you have to be able to really take that to say, okay. You know, they're saying this because they wanna help me, not hurt me in most cases. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:22:54]: Mhmm. I think that can be quite dependent on the, the provider of that advice. Absolutely. Solicited or unsolicited. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:22:59]: And if you don't ask to to solicit something from somebody, why would you listen to someone that you wouldn't solicit information from? So for me, it's making sure that you have good people around you who really care for your best interest. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:23:10]: Is there anything that you did in a transition that you look back and say, wow, I wish I would've done that a little differently? Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:23:15]: I think it's always hard to gauge what you're gonna walk into. And you have an idea of what a situation is, but you never know what it's going to be until you actually get there. So for me, it's really just ground myself in knowing who I am and knowing my strengths as well as knowing where my gaps are and just being just just very honest with myself about that. And that can be hard for folks. Right? Every time, you know, folks say, you know, I I know all these things and I can do this. And you wanna be that go getter, but also at the same time, just just knowing that constantly learn as much as you can. And learning people, learning programs, and learning processes. Like, those like my 3 p's. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:23:51]: I wish I would've known that about 10 years ago, but every institution, there's people, there's programs, there's processes. Learn those as quickly as you can. Mhmm. And knowing that the process, again, will be the process. And have a lot of those informal conversations as much as you can and just getting to really know individuals as individuals. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:24:09]: It's time to take a quick break and toss it over to producer Chris to learn what's going on in the NASPA world. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:24:15]: Thanks, Jill. So excited to be back in the NASPA world, and there's a lot of things happening in NASPA. There's a brand new Leadership Exchange Magazine that recently came out for spring 2024. And if you've never read the Leadership Exchange, you definitely should. The Leadership Exchange is the magazine for all of our chief student affairs officers that NASPA puts out a number of times throughout the year. And this Springs Leadership Exchange Magazine is focused around preserving campus discourse. Inside of this magazine, you're going to see some amazing articles throughout the entire magazine that do talk about campus discourse and what you can do on your own campus to be able to protect free speech on your campus. There are some articles about visibility and promoting Afro Latinx students, understanding professional certification, and how you can elevate your own division through professional certification, and also talking about some of the stories of student affairs and also talking about some of the stories within student affairs. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:25:14]: These magazines are not just written for vice presidents for student affairs. So don't let that turn you away from learning, from reading this and taking out of it some amazing kernels of knowledge. You can access this on the NASPA website. Go to the NASPA website, click on public publications, and you'll see the Leadership Exchange is one of the publications that is available to you as a member. Also, there's a few other NASPA books that I wanted to share with you that you may find very helpful on your own campuses and in the work that you do. 1st and foremost is a book called Small and Mighty Student Affairs at Small Colleges and Universities. This book explores critical opportunities and challenges at higher education institutions with fewer than 5,000 students. Written by a diverse group of seasoned campus leaders, written by a diverse group of seasoned campus leaders, this comprehensive text covers a range of topics relevant to higher education and student affairs while providing detailed insights and action to take for and in support of to take for in support of and alongside students at small colleges and universities. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:26:20]: Thriving in the small college culture requires flexibility, collaboration, and the ability to shift rapidly within the changing environment of higher education. Small and Mighty offers thoughtful strategies and insights to help student affairs professionals identify innovative solutions, innovative solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing small colleges and universities today. This book was written by Carol Livingston, Krista Porter, and Thomas Shandley and it is a amazing book for anyone working at a small college or university. And I highly encourage you to pick up a copy today. Now this season we've been talking about transitions and one of the big transitions that many student affairs professionals will go through in their career is supervising others. Another book that is available is called Supervised Practice Connecting Professional Competency Areas to Professional Development and Student Affairs. Supervised practice has become a hallmark of how the field of higher education and student affairs prepares future professionals. This book explores how to create the conditions necessary for supervised practice and the graduate academic curriculum to be a seamless learning experience. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:27:28]: Becoming a supervisor is a hallmark of how the field of higher education and student affairs prepares future professionals. This book explores how to create affairs prepares future professionals. This book explores how to create the conditions necessary for supervised practice and the graduate academic curriculum to be a seamless learning experience. With a focus on the ACPA and NASPA professional competency areas as the bedrock for enhancing proficiency in the field. This book is designed to introduce the competency areas as they relate to supervised practice in graduate preparation programs. Chapters examine how to design experiences for students in the workplace that align with the ACPA and NASPA professional competency areas, create condition for graduate students to understand the application of theory within the workplace, establish an environment that promotes an understanding of the supervisory role as it relates to socializing and retaining new professionals in student affairs, create learning partnerships that focus on the intersection of individual development and the acquisition of knowledge and skills for administrative practice, develop professional philosophy of practice in the digital age, and assess the professional competency areas within the graduate the graduate practicum and employee experience to ensure learning and development. If you supervise graduate students or want to supervise graduate students in the future as they prepare to be professionals in the field, a brand new book called Supervised Practice Connecting Professional Competency Areas to Professional Development and Student Affairs is definitely a book you wanna pick up. Every week, we're going to be sharing some amazing things that are happening within the association. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:29:00]: So we are going to be able to try and keep you up to date on everything that's happening and allow for you to be able to get involved in different ways because the association is as strong as its members. And for all of us, we have to find our place within the association, whether it be getting involved with a knowledge community, giving back within one of the the centers or the divisions of the association. And as you're doing that, it's important to be able to identify for yourself where do you fit? Where do you wanna give back? Each week, we're hoping that we will share some things that might encourage you, might allow for you to be able to get some ideas that will provide you with an opportunity to be able to say, Hey, I see myself in that knowledge community. I see myself doing something like that. Or encourage you in other ways that allow for you to be able to think beyond what's available right now, to offer other things to the association, to bring your gifts, your talents to the association and to all of the members within the association. Because through doing that, all of us are stronger and the association is better. Tune in again next week as we find out more about what is happening in NASPA. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:30:22]: Chris, thank you so much for keeping us informed on going on in and around NASPA. And, Vaughn, we have now reached our lightning round. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:30:28]: Awesome. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:30:29]: I have 7 questions for you in 90 seconds. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:30:32]: Oh, alright. I'll do I'll do my best. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:30:34]: Bring out your competitive story. Alright. Question number 1. If you were a conference keynote speaker, what would your entrance music be? Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:30:41]: Oh, my god. Oh, jeez. It would be something with, my favorite artist. One of my favorite artist is Jay z. I don't know what, but something within his catalog. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:30:50]: Number 2, when you were 5 years old, what did you wanna be when you grew up? Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:30:53]: I wanted to be a San Francisco 49er. I wanna be just like Jerry Rice. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:30:58]: Number 3. Who's your most influential professional mentor? Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:31:00]: Oh, that would be Dr. Robert Johnson, the current president of Western New England University. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:31:06]: Number 4. Your essential student affairs read. Anything that deals with student success. Number 5, the best TV show you binged during the pandemic. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:31:14]: Oh, Ballers with Dwayne Rock Johnson. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:31:17]: Number 6, the podcast you spent the most hours listening to in the last year. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:31:21]: Steven Bartlett, The Diaries of a CEO. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:31:23]: And finally, number 7. Any shout outs you'd like to give, personal or professional? Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:31:27]: Absolutely. I love to shout out my wife who's always been there for me, who's been a constant truth teller, but in a very loving way. And I'll also shout out my son. He's 9 years old. He keeps me young, and he keeps me on my toes as well. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:31:40]: Von, it's been just a joy to get to know you today. I'm very grateful that you took some time out of your conference to speak with us here on SA Voices. And if others would like to speak with you after the show, how can they find you? Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:31:50]: They can find me on LinkedIn, Vaughn Calhoun, or they can find me at my email, Vaughn.calhoun@shu.edu. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:31:58]: Thank you so much for sharing your voice and your story with us today. Dr. Vaughn Calhoun [00:32:01]: Thank you for having me. I appreciate you. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:32:05]: This has been an episode of Student Affairs Voices from the Field, a podcast brought to you by NASPA. This show continues to be possible because you choose to listen to us. We are so grateful for your subscriptions and your downloads and your engagement with the content. If you'd like to reach the show, please email us atsa voices at naspa.org or find me on LinkedIn by searching for doctor Jill L. Creighton. We always welcome your feedback and your topic and guest suggestions. We'd love it if you take a moment to tell a colleague about the show and give us a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening now. It really does help other student affairs professionals find the show and helps raise the show's profile within the larger podcasting community. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:32:46]: This episode was produced and hosted by doctor Jill Creighton, that's me, produced and audio engineered by Dr. Chris Lewis. Special thanks to the University of Flint for your support as we create this project. Catch you next time.

Robert Lopez Bio:Robert Lopez is a percussionist and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His background in various types of music such as folkloric traditions of Brazil, Ghana and Cuba, alongside contemporary chamber music and free improvisation, allow him to maintain a malleable approach to sharing musical ideas. He holds a Bachelors of Music from Cal State University Long Beach and a Master of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Improvisation from Mills College. Since 2011, he has been an active member of the Bay Area music community working with groups SO AR, the Oakland Active Orchestra, Quattour Elephantis, Grex and Jordan Glenn's BEAK among others. He has been a dance accompanist at Mills College, UC Berkeley, ODC and Sonoma State. Since 2014 he has maintained a close relationship with master drummer Jorge Alabê. This partnership has led to awards from the Fulbright US Student Program for projects “Cultural Transmission through the Music of Candomblé” (2022) and “Investigating the Language of Candomblé Drumming” (2020), a grant from the Alliance for California Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program (2018) and first-place in the Brazilian category with Grupo Samba Rio in San Francisco's Carnaval (2018 and 2019). He currently teaches drum set and hand percussion at the San Francisco Community Music Center and the San Francisco Waldorf High School.Links:media - @bohbbylolo San Francisco Community Music Center - https://sfcmc.org/support/donate/Iuri Passos Master's Thesis - https://repositorio.ufba.br/handle/ri/313832020 Fulbright story - https://www.kqed.org/arts/13878162/how-coronavirus-derailed-a-fulbright-fellows-musicological-research-in-brazilFICA Studio in Oakland - https://www.ficaoakland.com/Silvia Manrique's video:https://youtu.be/A7VVDJYX0gA?si=nmtq5Nh5uQDWiPDs Robert Lopez and Jorge Alabe Creative Encounters Freddie the Skinny pig! San Francisco Carnaval

Jayne Amelia speaks with artist and animator, and former foster youth Chrisie Morris.  Chrisie  is a junior at Cal State University Long Beach pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Art in Illustration for Pre-Production. She's currently working as a Visual Development Artist at Mr. Clown's Productions through the prestigious Television Academy Foundation Fall 2023 Internship Program. Additionally, Chrisie has completed two internships at DreamWorks Animation this year working as a Production Assistant on Gabby's Dollhouse, Kung Fu Panda: Dragon Knight, and Curses. Chrisie is an active scholar in the foster-youth professional development program, Ready To Succeed, and also volunteers her time as an alumnus with Better Youth, a foster-youth media art training and mentorship program. Experienced in leading teams, managing collaborative projects, and producing creative ideas, Chrisie's goal is to direct her own animated feature film one day. She hopes to continue creating art, working within the Entertainment Industry, and giving back to her community. IG@ chrisie.creation LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisie-morris/Mr.Clown Productions: http://mrclown.tv KTLA morning news with Chrisie and Ready To SucceedReady To SucceedBetter YouthSee bonusbabies.org to learn more about what we are doing and please donate to support us by making a 100% tax-deductible contribution. EVERY PENNY OF YOUR CONTRIBUTION GOES TO RECORDING AND PLATFORMING THESE STORIES. Yeah!IG@bonusbabiespodcastTW@BonusBabiesPodFB@BonusBabiesPodcast

With special guest Jennifer Fisher, Anna and Derek chat about how Aaron's magnificent sweaty anchor experience was executed on-screen, why James Brooks is a master of both dramedy and dynamic character depictions and so much more during their discussion of the brilliant Broadcast News (1987). Connect with '80s Movie Montage on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram! It's the same handle for all three... @80smontagepod.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/80sMontagePodTwitter: https://twitter.com/80sMontagePodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/80smontagepod/Anna Keizer and Derek Dehanke are the co-hosts of ‘80s Movie Montage. The idea for the podcast came when they realized just how much they talk – a lot – when watching films from their favorite cinematic era. Their wedding theme was “a light nod to the ‘80s,” so there's that, too. Both hail from the Midwest but have called Los Angeles home for several years now. Anna is a writer who received her B.A. in Film/Video from Columbia College Chicago and M.A. in Film Studies from Chapman University. Her dark comedy short She Had It Coming was an Official Selection of 25 film festivals with several awards won for it among them. Derek is an attorney who also likes movies. It is a point of pride that most of their podcast episodes are longer than the movies they cover.Jennifer Fisher is a television writer/producer whose credits include Titus, Wanda at Large, The Bill Engvall Show, and Ellen, where she was part of the Emmy Award-winning staff that wrote Ellen's “coming out” episode, aka The Puppy Episode. She's had pilot deals with Twentieth Century Fox, NBC/Universal, Touchstone, Warner Bros., Warner Horizons, and has pitched and sold multiple half-hour comedy pilots, with producers including Lisa Kudrow's Is or Isn't Entertainment and Zadan and Maron's Storyline Entertainment. A Los Angeles native, Jennifer received her BA in Film and Television from Cal State University Long Beach. Jennifer teaches TV writing in UCLA's Professional Program and does private writing consulting and personal coaching. She's currently working on a feature, a memoir and avoiding as much gluten as humanly possible. You can find her on Instagram @thejenfish.

First things first, we shout out Robert Chlala for the opportunity to speak with his class at Cal State University Long Beach’s Sociology department this past week. If you’d like to book yours truly for a speaking engagement in your classroom or community, you can make an inquiry through info@jimbotimes.com. Secondly, we note the significanceContinue reading JT SPEAKS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SOTO-MARTINEZ THIS THURSDAY + OUR NEW VOICEMAIL FEATURE →

First things first, we shout out Robert Chlala for the opportunity to speak with his class at Cal State University Long Beach’s Sociology department this past week. If you’d like to book yours truly for a speaking engagement in your classroom or community, you can make an inquiry through info@jimbotimes.com. Secondly, we note the significanceContinue reading JT SPEAKS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SOTO-MARTINEZ THIS THURSDAY + OUR NEW VOICEMAIL FEATURE →

Cristina Salvador Klenz, a photojournalist, freelance photographer, and Board Certified Behavior Analyst, graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism degree majoring in Photojournalism (1986). Cristina's documentary photography work on the Roma culture has been published worldwide in Aperture, Geo France, Interfacemagazine in Paris, and the textbook Photojournalism the Professional's Approach. She also received a National Endowment for the Arts/WESTAF grant for her work on the Roma culture. She was a grant finalist for the Alicia Patterson Foundation and the Nikon Documentary Grant. Her Roma images are in the collection of The Romani Archives & Documentation Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Cristina's interest in psychology inspired her to purse an additional Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Cal State University Long Beach (2005) and a Master of Education Curriculum and Instruction/Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State Univeristy (2015). In 2020 she became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). She currently works as a behavior intervention assistant for Long Beach (CA) Unified School District. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/matt-brown57/support

Elmer Guevara (b.1990) was born and raised in Los Angeles and is currently working bicoastally in New York City. In the 1980s, his parents fled a war-torn El Salvador finding refuge in the City of Angels. Along with South Central's vibrant energy and the culture his parents brought with them, he became inspired to reflect on his upbringing and the hybridity of cultures. He often constructs narratives by sampling family photos from his youth, reframing compositions that form dialogue about identity and concepts of inter-generational trauma.          Furthermore, he depicts observations from his own and neighboring immigrant families, who dealt with issues of marginalization. Through his teenage years he met with friends, commuting throughout the city on public transit becoming obsessed with exploring the city's crevices favoring the late nights to paint on walls and highways. This obsession later opened an appreciation for painting and an education in the arts. In 2017, he received a BFA in Drawing and Painting from Cal State University Long Beach and is currently an MFA candidate at Hunter College in New York City.  

Paul was a fun interview. He loves having fun and saying dad jokes. He is a down to earth and a very genuine entrepreneur. Paul Bahou is the author of Sunset Distortion: The Pyramid at the End of the World. Paul holds a B.A. (Bachelor Associate) in Political Science from Cal State University Long Beach with a minor in music. He began his career writing grants while playing in his rock band, eventually moving out of music and into the sustainability sector. He lives in Southern California with his wife Melissa, daughter Sophie and son Harrison. He writes fiction, music and the occasional dad jokes in his spare time. We spoke about his rock band and how he decided to transition to become an Author. Paul is very dedicated to his craft. His book has so many different genres that you would definitely love Paul's book. SUNSET DISTORTION The Pyramid At The End Of The World The Mind-bending New Novel by Paul Bahou! Lazer is an almost made it, middle-aged guitarist who plays in an 80's hard rock cover band at a Sunset Strip dive bar. While not quite a rock star, he plays to a packed house nightly. His blissful inertia is disrupted one night however when he is abducted by aliens and given a strange imprint on his hand: A key which will send him on an intergalactic journey in search of an artifact that gives its possessor "infinite life." With the help of his new friend Streek; A timid floating octopus-creature with an English accent, Lazer will have to survive encounters with monsters, robots, alien pirates, inter-dimensional brain leeches and much more. Will Lazer get back home? What does 'infinite life' actually mean? And why does everybody in space speak English? All answers await at the pyramid at the end of the world. Amazon.com: Sunset Distortion: The Pyramid at the End of the World: Bahou, Paul: 9780578804187: Amazon.com: Books Barnes & Noble: Sunset Distortion: The Pyramid at the End of the World by Paul Bahou, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com). Paul may not be in a rock band anymore but he will write about rock bands. If you want to contact Paul you can go to his social media and search for Paul Bahou or To request additional review copies of Paul's novel or an interview with Paul Bahou, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com | 403.464.6925. Thank you for listening and supporting. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/caramel-lucas/message

Overview Paul is a musician, runs a recycling business and lives with his wife and kids in California. He has spent 5 years tweaking this book to get the right blend of humor and sci-fi goodness. PAUL BAHOU is the author of Sunset Distortion: The Pyramid at the End of the World. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Cal State University Long Beach with a minor in music. He began his career writing grants while playing in his rock band, eventually moving out of music and into the sustainability sector. He lives in Southern California with his wife Melissa, daughter Sophie and son Harrison. He writes fiction, music and the occasional dad joke in his spare time. His Book https://www.amazon.com/Sunset-Distortion-Pyramid-End-World-ebook/dp/B08T3G8HWB?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=mindarchitect-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=fc1cf6c6464322afb1457754c6d37684&camp=1789&creative=9325 Lazer is an almost made it, middle aged guitarist who plays in an 80'shard rock cover band at a Sunset Strip dive bar. While not quite a rockstar, he plays to a packed house nightly. His blissful inertia is disruptedone night however when he is abducted by aliens and given a strangeimprint on his hand: A key which will send him on an intergalacticjourney in search of an artifact that gives its possessor "infin ite life."With the help of his new friend Streek; A timid floating octopus creaturewith an English accent, Lazer will have to survive encounters withmonsters, robots, alien pirates, inter dimensional brain leeches andmuch more. Will Lazer get back home What does 'infinite life' actuallymean? And why does everybody in space speak English? All answersawait at the pyramid at the end of the world. Website https://paulbahouwrites.com Favorites https://www.amazon.com/Slaughterhouse-Five-Novel-Modern-Library-Novels-ebook/dp/B000SEGHT6?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=mindarchitect-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=171429fae26c2c3d5acf46937bb8e87a&camp=1789&creative=9325 YouTube https://youtu.be/6tDM9tTdMnk Transcript [00:00:44] Stephen: Hello, welcome to episode 1 0 8 discovered. Today I have Paul bow, who he's a, from California, we bonded as musicians. It seems a lot of authors are musicians, which I think is great. [00:01:00] Uh, so he and I had a little discussion about that, but he also is the author of humorous Saifai and, uh, we had a good talk about that. He mentioned, um, Douglas Adams Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. So, you know, it's gotta be good if that was one of his influences. So before we get DePaul again, anybody, if you're listening, if this book sounds good, go pick it up. Go read it, leave a review for it. If you have other books you've grabbed and read, please help those authors out, leave reviews for them. And if you do like the podcast, Like that we get all sorts of new authors, a big variety, have some good talks. Good interviews, please. If you're thinking of podcasting, if you're thinking of doing your own, uh, thing, uh, like this, uh, click on the links, check it out. Uh, the links are affiliate links from the site in the show notes. They don't hurt. [00:02:00] Uh, when you get something, but they helped me out a little bit. If enough people did it, it helps support some of the costs for the show. So before I go any further, why don't we just turn it over and let's talk about. Let's go. Alright, let's go. So Paul, welcome to a discovered word, Smith. How are you doing today? [00:02:19] Paul: Just PG. It's a beautiful day. My son just turned one all as well with the universe. [00:02:24] Stephen: Yeah, that's a good thing. Good fun time. Birthday cake tonight. I take it. [00:02:28] Paul: Yeah. And he doesn't know he's won it just, he still eats random things. He finds on the floor. He doesn't, [00:02:35] Stephen: it'll be fun for you guys. Yeah, that's [00:02:38] Paul: right. [00:02:39] Stephen: Paul, before we get, go and talking about your book,

Do you dream about the opportunity to change your career or further your education, but you are scared you are not smart enough to make it? Most of the time, these fears come from cultural or social limitations internalized from childhood. As women, and in particular Latinas, we have been taught that certain professions are unsuitable and to silence our dreams and aspirations to the point that we believe we are not good enough or smart enough. This stigma needs to be broken, and we are the only ones who can do it. Stop listening to these old voices and start believing in yourself and your aspirations. It's never too late to change your life trajectory. Today's guest, Dr. Veronica Estrada, will tell us about her journey, her goal of healing students through education, and the various opportunities we have to connect and empower one another as women as Latinas in this multicultural space. Dr. Veronica Estrada is a doctor and a core faculty member of the School of Human Development at Pacific Oaks College. She's also currently serving as faculty council secretary at the college. Dr. Estrada has 14 years of experience teaching in higher education at community colleges. She completed her EDD in higher education, administration, and leadership at the University of Southern California. She's also completed her MS in counseling specializing in student development in higher education from Cal State University Long Beach and her bachelor's in science and development psychology from California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo. Join me for a free masterclass on April 26, 28, or 29, and I will provide you with hands-on hacks to successfully break free from old limitations and start living your epic life at full potential. Reserve your seat here: https://living-macro.aweb.page/Cultural-Limitations Some Questions I Ask:What's your family background? (9.44)How can we heal through education? (23.13)What leadership plans do you have for yourself? (34.41) In This Episode You Will Learn: How Dr. Veronica's father inspired her to pursue higher education (10.47)Dr. Veronica's goal of healing through education (18.20)Why it's never too late to give yourself a second chance (48.07) Resources:Free Masterclass Connect with Dr. Veronica Estrada: Linkedin Let's Connect!WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInJackie Tapia Arbonne website See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Residing in Southern California, PAUL BAHOU is the author of Sunset Distortion: The Pyramid at the End of the World. Paul holds a B.A. in Political Science from Cal State University Long Beach with a minor in music. He began his career writing grants while playing in his rock band. Eventually moving out of music and into the sustainability sector, Paul lives in Southern California with his wife Melissa, daughter Sophie and son Harrison. Paul writes fiction, music and the occasional dad joke in his spare time. Amazon: The Pyramid at the End of the World - https://amzn.to/3wjq0xl --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kim-lengling1/support

Dr. Will Wu (IG: @drwillwu) is a Professor of Motor Control and Learning at Cal State University - Long Beach. He has been helping golfers of all skill levels to better understand and implement what they need to so they can improve quickly and better. He is not a swing coach but works with you and your coach to determine what is missing so your growth and development as a golfer continue on an upward trend. In addition to his duties as a faculty member, Dr. Will is also the Founder of Skill City, an Associate Editor of Motor Learning for the International Journal of Golf Science and Research Quarterly Exercise & Sport, and the Director of the Center for Sport Training and Research. Last but certainly not least, he is a consultant to many top-level golf coaches and players. You can follow Dr. Wu's work through many of his lectures (on YouTube) or other podcasts. But the best way to learn more about him and his work is through his golf curriculum ‘Skilled Coaching Alliance' in unison with Coach/Teacher John Dunigan.

Dr. Brandon Gamble received his training in psychology from Oakwood College for his Bachelor's degree, San Diego State for his Master's degree, and the University of Southern California is where he earned his Doctoral degree in Educational Psychology. From 1998 to 2009, he served middle and high school students as a school psychologist in the Long Beach Unified School District before becoming an associate professor at Cal State University Long Beach, in the College of Education for the Educational Psychology program from 2007 to 2018. He has had the honor to serve as the adviser for the Black Student Union at CSULB. Also, from 2018-2021, he has was at his undergraduate alma mater to serve as the Dean of Student Success at Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL. Currently, he serves as the Charles Bell Faculty Scholar at the Black Resource Center at San Diego State University. Dr. Gamble's written work and research has focused on African American male's social capital and familial support networks that empower young men to succeed in academics. For his dissertation titled, Social capital networks of institutional agents and the empowerment of African American youth, he interviewed Guide Right program leaders for Kappa League and the African Male Achievers' Network, which are a part of the youth programs of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc. He has presented at national and international conferences regarding disproportional placements of minorities in special education, access to quality mental health care in schools, African American student achievement, and Mediated Learning Experiences. From 2012 to 2013 he served as President of the California Association of School Psychologists. He also served as the Western Regional representative of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) from 2016-2017. From 2013 to 2018, he was the liaison of the ABPsi the to CASP. Dr. Gamble also served as the Co-Chair of Leadership Development for the ABPsi in 2020. He has served his fraternity's chapter as the Guide Right Director for your program for Kappa from 2001-2003 and again from 2017 to 2018. He has also served on the national Guide Right sub-committee for mental health for the fraternity. Dr. Gamble enjoys spending time with his family, martial arts, playing guitar, and surfing, which are all the things he dreamed of doing as a young man growing up in Southern California. He hopes to help you reach your dreams and beyond. Dr. Gamble has been on CBS morning news, an episode of radiolab, NBC News, and has explored Black men and Sports through a TED Talk in 2017. www.goaldoctor.net The Goal Doctor | Podcast on Spotify Our Black History | Podcast on Spotify www.drbrandongamble.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mastermine-mrg/message

In this episode, Jeannette talks to Michael Goldstrom who is the founder and CEO of GetMotivatedBuddies. He explains how his battle with ADHD and what he learned while working as an actor, narrator, and voice artist combined to inspire him to set up a new style of support network. One that is based on behavioural psychology and has already helped nearly 15,000 people to achieve difficult goals that many had failed to achieve previously. Michael explains how acting taught him to look at and understand the motivation of the characters he played. A skill he was then able to use on himself to identify what was holding him back. He and Jennette discuss the methods he then employed to break bad habits and finally move forwards. If you have difficult goals that you are struggling to achieve this podcast will be helpful.   KEY TAKEAWAYS We can all develop into the person we want to be. Explore ways of managing your life to find what works for you. Most people suffer from information overload. The way social media algorithms work is leading to people living a life that does not align with their core beliefs. Michael explains why that is in the podcast. Not being able to filter out things so you can focus on what is important leads to information overload and physical issues. As you progress towards your goals evaluate how you are feeling as well as how you are progressing. Having buddies to support you through change greatly improves your chances of succeeding in forming a new positive habit. View yourself holistically, often improving one thing will have a positive impact on multiple areas of your life. GetMotivatedBuddies is aligning people who want to help people, with those who are actively seeking that kind of support. The platform does much more than just provide accountability partners. It also challenges you and does so in a positive way.   BEST MOMENTS ‘There are three steps – human belief, direction (a goal), and steps that take you there.' ‘The misalignment of our daily actions with our beliefs is precisely why people are lonelier.' ‘It´s very important to have a system in place to evaluate where we are at in life and check how we´re feeling.'   This is the perfect time to get focused on what YOU want to really achieve in your business, career, and life. It's never too late to be BRAVE and BOLD and unlock your inner BRILLIANCE. If you'd like to join Jeannette's FREE Mastermind just DM Jeannette on info@jeannettelinfootassociates.com or sign up via Jeannette's linktree https://linktr.ee/JLinfoot   VALUABLE RESOURCES Brave, Bold, Brilliant podcast series - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/brave-bold-brilliant-podcast/id1524278970 Free Business Seminar - https://mailchi.mp/jeannettelinfootassociates/impact-sem-sept   EPISODE RESOURCES Terms of Disservice by Dipayan Ghosh - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Terms-Disservice-Silicon-Valley-Destructive-ebook/dp/B07N8FQ347/   ABOUT THE GUEST Michael Goldstrom - Founder, GetMotivatedBuddies MICHAEL GOLDSTROM is a graduate of the Juilliard School Drama Division, The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and Columbia University, where he studied Psychology with renowned personality psychologist Walter Mischel. As an actor, some of his work includes the arch-villain Trader Johann on Dragons' Race to the Edge for DreamWorks/ Netflix, Ben 10: Omniverse (Disney), Comedy Central's first film Porn ‘n Chicken; The Lost Battalion (A&E), The Sopranos (HBO), Law & Order: SVU (NBC), Freud in Freud's Magic Powder (Locarno). He's narrated over 80 audiobooks including the landmark “Behave”, by Dr. Robert Sapolsky, and voiced numerous video games such as Medal of Honor and the Walking Dead. In addition to his Off-Broadway and regional work he's narrated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and performed at Carnegie Hall. He's taught acting at Los Angeles Opera and directed Mozart's last opera at Cal State University Long Beach and gave a TEDx talk on acting for opera. His short film Press or Say “2” premiered in over 20 film festivals. After being diagnosed with ADHD, he became certified in Tiny Habits with BJ Fogg at Stanford and began collating the vast amount of evidence-based research on behavior change, motivation, and well-being to link tiny habits to larger goals. This research led to the development of the GetMotivatedBuddies platform which integrates the principles of communal behavior change and personal transformation from the theatre. Meanwhile, he built a community of over 14,000 people desperately looking for community support with their health, education, and work goals while growing the GetMotivatedBuddies subreddit to over 90k subscribers and winning the 2 Minute Drill pitch competition on Bloomberg TV/Amazon Prime. The GMB platform, currently in private beta, has already helped hundreds of people around the world improve their health routines, work, and educational outcomes through powerful and diverse peer relationships   ABOUT THE HOST Jeannette Linfoot is a highly regarded senior executive, property investor, board advisor, and business mentor with over 25 years of global professional business experience across the travel, leisure, hospitality, and property sectors. Having bought, ran, and sold businesses all over the world, Jeannette now has a portfolio of her own businesses and also advises and mentors other business leaders to drive forward their strategies as well as their own personal development.   Jeannette is a down-to-earth leader, a passionate champion for diversity & inclusion, and a huge advocate of nurturing talent so every person can unleash their full potential and live their dreams.    CONTACT THE HOST Jeannette's linktree https://www.jeannettelinfootassociates.com/ YOUTUBE LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Email - info@jeannettelinfootassociates.com   Podcast Description   Jeannette Linfoot talks to incredible people about their experiences of being Brave, Bold & Brilliant, which have allowed them to unleash their full potential in business, their careers, and life in general. From the boardroom tables of ‘big' international business to the dining room tables of entrepreneurial start-ups, how to overcome challenges, embrace opportunities and take risks, whilst staying ‘true' to yourself i See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Desean is an actor, director, and educator. His directing credits include Gunshot Medley: Part 1 by Diona Michelle Daniel, In The Blood by Susan Lori Parks, Blues for Mister Charlie by James Baldwin, Day of Absence by Douglas Turner Ward. As an actor, his television credits include Scorpion, Southland, Shameless, ER, Monk, Harry's Law, The Night Shift, Sleeper Cell, House,Grey's Anatomy, NCIS Los Angeles, the HBO series Room 104 and several more. He is currently a series regular on The Morning Show on Apple TV opposite Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. He is a graduate of Julliard with an MFA from Cal State University Long Beach in Acting Pedagogy and Directing, where he currently teaches and directs. He is Co-Artistic Director of Collaborative Artists Bloc, a theatre company in South Los Angeles dedicated to producing culturally relevant theatre in communities of color. You can find out more about Desean and any of his storytelling adventures at www.deseanterry.com. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theactorslounge/support

In this episode Joi and Joel talk about being a #GIRLdad, the importance of a father's presence in a daughter life, how he is "raising three Queens" and the importance of "Just keep showing up, no matter how hard it gets."Joel Lovelace was born and raised in Cerritos, California; he is one of four brothers. Joel did his undergraduate work at Cal State Dominguez Hills, majoring in English; he attended Cal State University Long Beach and received his Master's degree in School Counseling with a P.P.S. credential.Married to Regina Lovelace, 11 years committed; father of three girls, Eden, Miah, and Cadence. Currently working as a school counselor in the Long Beach Unified School District and has been with the district for 15 years. He continues the legacy of his parents, Gail and Luther Lovelace, and his current life pursuit is to help others realize their inherent potential and strengths. Lastly, his favorite bible verse is all of Psalm 139; more narrowly. verse 14; “I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Yes, we are!You can connect with Joel Lovelace at:Instagram: @JPS139You can also purchase their children's book entitled, "Sister" authored by Joel and his wife Regina. Click the link below to purchase.Sister Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/Sister-Regina-C-Lovelace/dp/197377674X/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=sister+book+regina+lovelace&qid=1623340104&sr=8-2Joi Nichols is a Purpose & Cultural strategist/ CEO/ Speaker/Purpose Coach/AuthorJoi Nichols has always had a heart for women and those who desire restoration. As a Purpose and Cultural Strategist, she has made it her goal to create platforms where people can feel safe, empowered and equipped to change their lives for the greater. As a wife and mother, she understands what sacrifice truly means, while living her truth as a woman with a mission. Joi currently possess a Master's Degree of Public Administration in Organizational Leadership. She believes that education is one thing that can not be taken away from you in life; that life is a forever learning process. Joi is very intentional about living an empowered life of purpose and seeks to share that passion with women and young ladies. As a law enforcement professional and ordained Elder in the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, her faith has given her strength, uplifted her joy, and deepened her love for others. She is called to help women restore the areas that life has broken; to identify their purpose, define their identity and to create strategic frameworks for practical life use.You can connect with Joi Nichols at:FB: Joi Hunter-NicholsInstagram: @joi_nicholsClubhouse: @joinicholsNeed help with identifying your PURPOSE, defining your IDENTITY, and developing a framework to use it practically for your life. Then join the T.H.R.I.V.E. mastermind program with Joi Click the link for access: www.thriveandpurpose.com

Mike Isaacson: Da j00z! [Theme song] Nazi SS UFOsLizards wearing human clothesHinduism's secret codesThese are nazi lies Race and IQ are in genesWarfare keeps the nation cleanWhiteness is an AIDS vaccineThese are nazi lies Hollow earth, white genocideMuslim's rampant femicideShooting suspects named Sam HydeHiter lived and no Jews died Army, navy, and the copsSecret service, special opsThey protect us, not sweatshopsThese are nazi lies Mike: At the core of nazi lies is antisemitism. Since the Second World War it has disguised itself in many guises–Rothschilds, Soros, Bildebergs, lizard people. At its core is an all-powerful entity controlling the masses and aiming to destroy the nation through the corruption of culture and politics, which remains at the heart of fascist conspiracy theory. One of the ur-texts of Jew hatred in the 21st century is David Duke's book “Jewish Supremacism,” which makes the claim that not only do Jews control the world, but that our religion teaches us to do so. Today, we're joined by Ben Siegel who has his master's in Religion, the Hebrew Bible, and Ancient Near Eastern Studies from the Claremont School of Theology. (Wow, that's a mouthful.) Welcome to The Nazi Lies Podcast, Ben. Ben Siegel: Thanks for having me Mike. I'm grateful for the opportunity to trash a Jew hater's biblical scholarship. Mike: [laughs] Very good. Okay, so before we get into Duke's book, let's talk a bit about how Judaism works, because it's very unlike Christianity. Can you give us a rundown of how Jewish law and Jewish morality works? Ben: Sure. I'll do my best. Now the Jewish legal system, known in Hebrew as halakha, is a comprehensive framework that informs the behaviors of religious, and also frequently secular, Jews. It takes as its starting point the written text, the Torah, the biblical books of Genesis through Deuteronomy, from which it derives 613 mitzvot, meaning laws or commandments, as authoritative God-given instruction on how to live an observant Jewish life. So from those texts, considered the written Torah, what's called the oral Torah is derived. This comprises successive centuries worth of interpretation of the written Torah by rabbis. The earliest of these is the Mishnah, which was compiled early in the second century of the common era, and the Gemara, rabbinical commentary on the Mishnah that was put together between the second and fifth centuries CE. These commentaries were collected to produce the Talmud. Now one in the Galilee region of Israel between 300 and 350 CE, known as the Jerusalem Talmud, and the second far more extensive Talmud compiled in Babylon in about 450 to 500 CE. This is the Babylonian Talmud. This is the one that people tend to cite most. It's really these long, extensive discourses weighing legal arguments on virtually every topic that was relevant to Jews during these periods, from personal and communal religious devotion to economic regulations to laws concerning marriage, dietary restrictions, relations with non-Jews; you name it. Now the Talmud is upheld to this day by most Jewish communities across the world as the basis for living an appropriate Jewish life in accordance with halakha and in accordance with God's will and vision for the world. Halakha informs Jewish ethics to a great deal as much as it undergirds legal and political concerns–a concern for ethical treatment of one's community and one's neighbors, stemming from the collective memory of slavery in Egypt, an ethics of solidarity, really, righteousness, compassion, and justice, in effect. Mike: Okay, so Duke takes aim at our self-description as the chosen people. This is commonly misinterpreted. What does it mean when the Jews say we are the chosen people? Ben: As the old saying goes, “How odd of God to choose the Jews.” So there's this notion that God selected the Israelites for a particular theological mission, to live according to His laws, and to be a light unto nations, inspiring other people through their example. But there's also this idea that the Jews chose God. That Abraham and his descendents embraced monotheism through a special and unique relationship with the deity. Chosenness in this sense isn't indicative of inherent ethnic or racial superiority, as Duke argues. I'd feel safe saying he's projecting his own white supremacist views onto the Jews here. Mike: You don't say. Ben: [laughs] Yeah, I do.  Mike: Okay, so another thing that David Duke derides is our holidays. Specifically, he describes Purim and Pesach as a celebration of the slaughter of gentiles, which I find absolutely laughable. Do you want to clear that one up? Ben: This would absolutely be hilarious if it weren't so malicious. Pesach celebrates the liberation of the Israelite people from slavery and oppression in Egypt. Recalling the ten plagues during the seder does recognize the suffering inflicted upon the Egyptians to make this happen. But this isn't a joyful moment. It's typically somber. The recitation of each plague is followed by dripping a drop of wine from our cups onto our plates to signify how we ourselves are diminished by the Egyptians' suffering. There's also a similarly warped misinterpretation of Purim going on here, where we celebrate the prevention of genocide against us. So in the Purim story, Haman had ordered the Jews put to death. The Megillah Esther makes it clear that the 70,000+ Persians killed at the end of the book are those sent by Haman to slaughter the Jews. And the Jews were only able to defend themselves because king Ahasuerus gives them permission to pick up swords. And to be frank, Mike, defense against genocide seems to a pretty legitimate cause for merrymaking.  Mike: Yeah, no, for sure. It's a really fun holiday if you've ever celebrated it, you know. It's a lot of dress up… I've heard it described as basically a combination of Halloween and New Years all wrapped into one. It's really fun.  Ben: Sure, if you like to drink and scream, Purim is the holiday for you. Mike: There you go. [laughs] Okay, so now let's get into the nitty gritty. So, David Duke cites a whole bunch of scriptures to make the Jews out to be haters of all things goyishe, or non-Jewish, with scriptural references that appear to justify unscrupulous behavior towards them. First of all, before we get into that, what does the word “goy” mean? Ben: Well it would be prudent to acknowledge that the term “goy” changes meaning slightly over time. In the biblical text, it means nation or people, not nation in the modern sense of Westphalian nation-states, but more as a homogenous ethnic identity. The Israelites were recognized as a goy here. Most notably, Exodus 19 where God promises Abraham that he will make his people “goy gadol,” a great people, Exodus 19:6. As we enter into the rabbinic period, where the Jews in the diaspora are negotiating Jewish identity as a minority population, goy predominantly takes on the meaning of non-Jew as a distinguishing marker. This interpretation of “goy” has persisted to this day, and is perhaps the most commonly recognized usage of the term. I have seen discussions among antisemites who misinterpret it as meaning “cattle,” based on connotations in Talmudic texts. But these texts offer a strict binary worldview where “Jew” is seen as akin to human, whereas non-Jews are aligned with animals. I think it's important to make the distinction that this framework is a legal one not necessarily a political one. Post exilic diaspora Jews did not have the kind of social power needed to foster political programs that affected the disenfranchisement of other groups typically associated with rhetorics of dehumanization.  Mike: Okay, so kind of on that point, Duke points to a number of decontextualized passages from Jewish scripture which describe gentiles in various negative ways: barbarians, animals, animal-fuckers. And I've got a few passages here which I've provided to you in advance. So there's Gemara Kiddushin 68a, Yebamoth (and correct me on any of these pronunciations) Yebamoth 98a, Baba Mezia 114a-b, Abodah Zarah 22a-b, and Baba Mezia 108b. Can you give us a little exegesis? Ben: I'd be happy to, but first I want to talk about how Duke sourced these texts. There's been some commentary on him plagiarizing Kevin McDonald who is an evolutionary psychologist working out of Cal State University-Long Beach. He uses the same arguments and the citations. But it also appears that Duke took many of the translations of these texts from a book by Elizabeth Dilling, who was a far-right political activist in the 1930s, noted antisemite, who went to Nazi Germany and spoke very highly of what she saw there. So with these translations that he's using, I think it's important that we take it with an enormous grain of salt, first of all. Mike: Right. Ben: But also the thing I've noticed most about non-Jews who rage against the Talmud is that they haven't read the damn thing. And frankly, I haven't read all of it either. It's an enormous body of text. And in that body of text there are, you know, rabbis disagreeing with each other. So one view may be held, and the exact opposite view is going to be upheld a line down. Just worth noting for when we're looking at these texts that are obviously cherry-picked. Mike: Right. Ben: The first one you mentioned, Kiddushin 68a, it's from a tractate that deals with rules pertaining to marriage and engagement laws. Now what Duke says about this is the Talmud denotes gentiles as animals. So here it's forbidding the betrothal of an Israelite to a Canaanite maidservant. One thing, there's no Canaanites in third century Persia at this time, so this is purely a hypothetical situation. But it's really this legal justification for not marrying non-Jews because of the potential for them to influence a Jew's worship in a negative way, so that they won't follow halakha. And there's definitely a discussion here of identifying them as like an animal, but it's not a similar dehumanization that we see in typical nazi rhetoric of like “Jews are cockroaches” or “Jews are vermin.” It's like, here is this category of thing that is not us, and we cannot mix with that. Does that make sense? Mike Yeah, I guess. Does the issue of her being a maidservant matter in a subordinate position to the person?  Ben: Some rabbis argue yes; some rabbis argue no. But really it's more that who she is, based on this identity, is making the betrothal ineffective. It's not considered valid. Mike: Okay, so like– Ben: Yeah. Mike: Go ahead. Ben: No, go right ahead. Mike: Okay, yeah continuing right along, let's go to Yebamoth 98a? Ben: Yeah, Yebamoth deals with rules of yibbum. This is what's commonly known as levarite marriage, where the brother of a man who died without children is permitted and encouraged to marry the widow. What Duke has this translated as is that all gentile children are animals. It doesn't say anything of the sort here. It's saying that the children of gentiles don't have a father. They don't have a patrilege. Like the offspring of a male gentile is considered no more related to him than the offspring of donkeys or horses. It's just a way of saying that the rabbis don't care who the kid's dad is. It's like, they couldn't be bothered. Mike: I see. Ben: They're not interested in the patrilege of non-Jews. They're really more concerned with Jewish family ties. Mike: Okay, so moving along, there's two passages from Baba Metzia, one is 114a-b and one is 108b. Ben: Mmhmm. Baba Metzia discusses civil matters. That is property, law of usury, other issues such as lost property and damages done to it. So the issue here is again, categorizing– Duke takes issue with the categorizing of goyim as non-human. And again, it comes down to the same thing. It's less that they are not recognized as human, and more that it is an issue of ritual purity because they don't adhere to the same religious standards. Therefore, they necessarily can't contaminate certain Jewish sacred spaces. Mike: That's probably– Ben: And– Mike: Go ahead. Ben: Yeah, sorry go ahead. Mike: I was gonna say, it's probably also worth noting that like many Jews, I would venture even to say most Jews, probably don't follow a lot of these laws. [laughs] Ben: Yeah, many of them aren't even aware of them. You know, you can spend your entire life studying these texts and maybe come across it once. You know, there are thousands of these tractates. Mike: And last in this category was Abodah Zarah 22a-b. Ben: Mmhmm. [laughs] This one's funny. Duke says gentiles prefer sex with cows. What the text is actually saying is that the animal of a Jew is more appealing to gentiles than their own wives. [laughs] So, I don't know if this intentionally, you know, throwing some shade gentiles and their own marriage relations, but it seems more in keeping with a concern that's held by the Talmudic sages of how do you ensure that an animal that you are sacrificing is ritually pure. That means it has no blemishes; it is handicapped in any way; but very importantly, that it has not had any sexual relations with anybody. So Abodah Zarah, literally meaning “foreign worship” or “strange service,” it deals with how to live with people who don't adhere to the same religious convictions. And the concern of beastiality is kind of a big, overarching theme in this text to the point that there are many discussions of concern about whether or not you can purchase a sacrificial animal from a goy. Some rabbis say no; some say yes. Interestingly enough, there is one narrative in the text, where a goy named Dama– The rabbis go to him, and purchase a red heifer which is like a really big omen in the bible. It's like huge. That's like primo sacrifice. And he is upheld as a righteous goy and as someone who would never shtup his cow. So what's really interesting here is that you've got these two different voices in the text that are both preserved as authoritative. One, there is the concern that the goy will engage in beastiality. The other is this one goy Dama who is upheld as an example of righteousness in regards to being able to buy, you know, a sacrificial animal for him. Of course, Duke isn't going to look at this text because it doesn't serve his overall purpose as vilifying the Jewish people as anti-goy. Mike: And before we continue, I want to inform our listeners that shtup is a Yiddish word for “having sex with.” Ben: Yeah, literally it means “push,” but yeah, it means sex. Mike: Alright so, Duke also makes the claim that there are different laws that Jews follow when it comes to dealing with the goyim. So he specifically points to Gittin 57a, Abadoh Zarah 67b, Sanhendrin 52b, Sanhedrin 105a-b and 106a-b. Can you explain what's going on in those passages? Ben: Sure, so my understanding of his gripe with Gittin 57a is what is the punishment for Jesus in the next world, saying that he will be boiled in excrement. He's going to be punished in boiling poop, and that anyone who mocks the word of the sages will be sentenced to boiling excrement. This was his sin, as he mocked the words of the sages. And the Gemara comments come and see the difference between these sinners of Israel and the prophets of the nations of the world as Balaam, who was a prophet, wished Israel harm whereas Jesus the Nazarene, who was a Jewish sinner, sought their wellbeing. So there is this, kind of– There's some antagonism towards Jesus in the text because of its function as– Jesus's function and Christianity's function as a counter-claim to the inheritance of Abraham and of Isaac and Jacob. So there's some theological competition going on here. Mike: And what about Abodah Zarah 67b? Ben: Mmhmm. “The halakha from the case of gentiles that require purging. Vessels that gentiles used for cooking that the Torah requires that one purge through fire and ritually purify before they may be used by Jews.” You know, he seems to be indicating that– Duke seems to be indicating that the text is saying that goyim are dirty. But this isn't an argument for, like, hygienic cleaning. The ancient Israelites and Talmudic sages didn't have a germ theory of disease. What they're talking about is purifying these vessels for religious purposes, specifically. They have to be rededicated for their sacred use because they may have come in contact with forbidden food, with non-kosher food. Mike: Right, so this is about the laws of kashrut, right? Ben: Yeah, precisely. And again this is Abodah Zarah which is all about how do we do our religion properly with all of these other influences around us. Mike: Right, okay so Sanhendrin 52b. Ben: Yeah, this is another Jesus one. So Duke says that the person being punished in this text is Jesus, and he sees this as an anti-Jesus text. But the text doesn't mention Jesus whatsoever. It's a general rule for capital punishment by strangulation which is outlined in Leviticus. So this is one of your big nazi lies. He doesn't mention– They don't mention Jesus here. Mike: Is this one of the ones where he mentions Balaam or something? Ben: I believe so. Mike: Okay, can you talk about who Balaam is, because Duke misidentifies him as Jesus. Ben: Yeah he does that a lot. So in the book of Numbers, Balaam is a prophetic figure, identified in the text as a false prophet, who goes to send a curse against the Israelite people, and he is himself cursed for it and put to death. So he's kind of like this figure of those who would seek the destruction the Jewish people. He's a big bad. Mike: Right, and since he's in the book of Numbers which is the Torah, right? Ben: Yeah. Mike: Yeah, I mean, that would mean that this is, like, well before Jesus's time, right? Ben: Absolutely. Mike: Like there's no way this would have been Jesus. Ben: For sure. Granted, there are certain Christian interpreters of the text who see Hebrew bible references to Jesus throughout. Mike: Right. Ben: So they kind of see Jesus as foreshadowed in so much. Mike: Alright so, moving on, Sanhendrin 105a-b? Ben: So this one's interesting because it says that Balaam was a diviner by using his penis. [both laugh] And he's one who engaged in beastiality with his donkey. So what Duke takes to be a condemnation of Jesus, because he's misidentified Jesus with Balaam, is really kind of like textbook Talmudic condemnation of a big bad goy. Now here's a guy who sought the destruction of the Jewish people. In the book of Numbers he's got this talking donkey who prevents him– who tries to stop him from going forward with his mission. And we know that he was bad because, according to the Talmud, he had sex with his donkey. There's this major preoccupation with bestiality in the Talmud, and it is weird as hell. But it's there, and we've got to deal with it. [laughs] Mike: Okay, and Sanhendrin 106a-b. Ben: Again, this one's not about Jesus, but rather about Balaam who has been misidentified with Jesus. I think this is– this kind of misidentification is just indicative of Duke not doing his homework. My understanding is that he took these from Dilling, and he never fact-checked to see if, you know, this is what the text says or this is what the text identifies. You know, this is bad scholarship on his part which is probably to be expected from this guy who defrauded his own his own white supremacist organization and has a fake degree. Mike: Right, and he even says in the book that he's not doing anything original, that it's just collected from other sources. Ben: Right. Mike: Well, since we're on the subject of Jesus, we may as well go with the rest of the passages that I have here. So Sanhendrin 90a. I'm kind of skipping around here. Ben: Yeah this one's all about prohibition against idol worship. And you said this one is Jesus-related? Mike: That's what he said, yeah. About Christianity and Jesus, yeah. Ben: I don't find much to do with Jesus in this text. Jesus isn't mentioned in this one. It's primarily about idol worship and people who prophesize with regards to it. Maybe he's trying to say that, like, the preoccupation with idol worship is a condemnation of Christianity, but I'm just not seeing where he's getting Jesus out of this. Mike: Okay then, on that same subject Shabbat 116a. Ben: Yeah, holy books in Babylonian temples. Now is this the one where he says a goy can't read the text? Mike: It might be, yeah. Or a Christian can't read the text. Ben: Yeah, oh no, this is a really particular one. Again this one is just– There's a lot of rhetorical violence against those who do the religion improperly or don't treat the sacred texts as they should. You know, these are practices and artifacts that are very important to the Jewish people, so they hold them in very high regard. Mike: So I guess moving along, Duke refers to a number of passages in the Bible that he takes to mean that Jews are preoccupied with racial integrity. (Projection much?) He points specifically to Sanhendrin 59a, Deuteronomy 7:2-6, Ezra 9:1-2 and 9:12, Leviticus 20:24, and Nehemiah 13:3. So what do these passages say and what do they actually mean? Ben: With Sanhedrin 59a, which Sanhedrin primarily deals with criminal law, it says that “A gentile who engages in Torah study is liable to receive the death penalty. As it is stated: ‘Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.'” This is from Deuteronomy 33:4. “Indicating that it is an inheritance for us, and not for them.” So there is one sage, a rabbi Yokhanon who is arguing that goyim who study Torah, you know, they're liable to be put to death. You know, they expose themselves to capital punishment. He's arguing this because they view the Torah with such high esteem; it is their most sacred text. They want to preserve it. Now this text is followed a line or two down by a counterargument. It says, “You have therefore learned that even a gentile who engages Torah study is considered like a high priest.” So you've got one argument saying that a goy who studies Torah is liable to be put to death, and another that says that they have an incredible status, that studying Torah gives them very high regard. But this again is one of those instances where Duke does not consider that might undermine his central thesis that Jews are bad, are always bad, and will always be bad. Mike: Okay, so what about the Deuteronomy passages? Ben: Deuteronomy is fascinating. We could do a whole discussion of that book in and of itself because it is–Deuteronomy in Greek means “second law”–but it is kind of a later law code that is arguably the result of a very kind of reactionary sect of Israelite theology that does not see coexistence with people who don't worship YHWH as possible. And rhetorically, what they are saying is when the Israelites get to the promised land, they are to commit genocide against the peoples of the land. Don't intermarry with them because that could lead to apostasy, that could lead to illicit worship. You know, their daughters will lead you to serve other gods. The sense here is that Israel is a holy people, God has chosen them to be special unto him, and if they allow this foreign influence to affect them, that will be undermined. Mike: Okay, and what about the Ezra text? Ezra 9:1-2 and 9:12. Ben: Yeah, there's some scholarship to indicate that Ezra and Nehemiah represent one scholarly tradition. So after the Babylonian empire was defeated by the Persian empire, the Persians allowed the community of Israelites that had been taken into exile, the golah community, to return to the land, to rebuild the temple, and to reestablish rule. So one of the concerns of the returning community is this very specific idea that the reason they were exiled in the first place is because God is punishing them for worshipping other gods. And that sense also undergirds the theology of the book of Deuteronomy. So their solution is that, to prevent that from ever happening again, they have to divorce from the non-Israelite wives that they had married that might lead them into temptation. Now this is the view of the returning community, not the community that had stayed in the land of Israel during that time. So these would have been the intelligentsia, the priestly class, the aristocracy, skilled laborers, so it's not a normative view, but it kind of becomes normative because it becomes the dominant voice of the text, if that makes any sense. But they are saying that for the sake not just of religious purity but also to establish power for themselves, you know, the returning community has a claim to power in the land, not just because they have, you know, they have a connection to it where they are before the exile, but they are supported by the Persian imperial power. They're making this new claim of identity and religiosity to assert that power. Mike: Okay and what about Leviticus 20:24? Ben: “You shall inherit their land” (“Them” being the Canaanites.) “that I will give unto you to possess it, a land that flows with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God that separated you from other people.” So this is God telling the Israelites that they will be given the promised land because God has chosen them, has separated them. The word “kodesh,” to be holy, also means separate. So it's really a theological category, not an ethnic one. You know, the Israelites are separate from these people and are given the land because of their adherence to the covenant at Sinai, not because they are of a particular ethnic or racial background. Mike: Okay, so we talked a little bit about kind of the somewhat genocidal tendencies I guess. And so David Duke talks about massacres perpetrated by Jews in the bible. He points to Deuteronomy 20:10-18, Isaiah 34:2-3. and Joshua 6:21 and 10:28-41. And when I mentioned Joshua to you, you kind of rolled your eyes at it. Ben: Yeah. Mike: So I guess let's start with Joshua then. Ben: Yeah, I do. Good. Joshua's a fascinating text. Scholars pretty much agree that it has no, or little to no, basis in historical fact. You know, one of these is that, these texts Joshua 6:21, is the destruction of the city of Jericho which according to archeological records happened several hundred years prior to when this narrative is supposed to have taken place. But what's being discussed here in 21 is the devotion of the city to the Lord, the destruction of every living thing in it. So, you know, this is absolutely a genocidal text. It's a purification of the land by the sword and by flame. So typically in war in the ancient near east, you could take slaves, you could take cattle as war booty. But what is being done here is the destruction of all of that, saying that everything belongs to God, and as such it must be destroyed and sacrificed unto him. But it's also seen as a kind of justice because here are these, for lack of a better word, pagans who stand in the way of the Israelite mission, and who may also tempt the Israelites to turn away from the path of God. So it's absolutely this violent, theologically motivated holy war, genocidal slaughter, maintained in the text. And I do think it's important to wrestle with these notions. You know, whether or not it actually happened, it's still– It's there, and it informs a great deal of thinking. It informed the colonization of the New World, whereby settlers from Europe saw themselves as Israelites and the indigenous people here as Canaanites. Robert Allen Warrior is an indigenous scholar who's done a lot of work on this. But then, the Joshua narrative also informed many of the early Zionists, and they saw themselves as, as Rachel Haverlock called the Joshua generation. Like, Ben Gurion assembled a number of different people to do bible studies on the book of Joshua. It is a text of settler colonialism and can be used to justify that kind of political programme. Mike: Okay so back to Deutero– Ben: If that's what you're trying to do, Joshua is a good place to pull from. Mike: Okay so back to Deuteronomy, 20:10-18. What's being said in there? Ben: “When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. If they accept and open its gates, all the people shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. If they refuse to make peace and they engage in battle, lay siege to the city.” And the ban, or kherem, is in effect there. So destroy, destroy, destroy, and leave nothing because everything is for God. It's the same scenario– In this instance, the people in the land are given the opportunity to surrender, otherwise they are subject to the sword. It's very similar to the kind of warfare described in other texts from the ancient near east, whether they're Assyrian or Babylonian. So it's not uncommon to see this kind of siege warfare described, and it's not necessarily unique to the Israelite people. Mike: Right, I mean, yeah, I mean that was one of the things that happened to the Israelite people, at least in engaging the Romans, right? Ben: Yeah, precisely. Mike: Okay, what about Isaiah 34:2-3? Ben: This one's interesting because it's not actually a narrative of slaughter. It's a prophetic oracle delivered against the people of Edom, the Edomites, for betraying the Israelites to the Babylonians and assisting in their imperial endeavors. It's saying that, you know, you will be destroyed. You know, the corpses of your people will lay in the street. So it's not an actual thing that happened. It's part of a type of prophetic literature called oracles against the nations where the prophet of a particular book will condemn a specific people on God's behalf. Keep in mind that the prophets aren't really seen as their own agents. They're the agents of God; they speak God's word. So God through Isaiah is saying, here's what's going to happen to you because of your betrayal. Mike:  Okay, so this next part is probably going to need a trigger warning or something. So there's some really strange passages that he cites about rape and virginity that I honestly haven't looked at because by the time I got to these passages I was just tired of him being wrong every time I checked the passages he cited. So he cites Kethuboth 11b, Sanhedrin 55b and 69a-b, Yebamoth 57b, 58a, and 60b. So let's start with Kethuboth. Ben: Right, yeah, so here he's– The issue is Bath Sheeba, when she gave birth to Solomon, whether or not she was six years old, or whether or not she was an earlier age. It's not saying that six-year-olds are appropriate– or that six is an appropriate age for sexual relations with a girl. It's arguing at what age a child can conceive. Like when is conception possible? And it's saying that because Bath Sheeba gave birth to Solomon when she was six, it's somewhere around that time. Yeah, this whole discourse is really gnarly.  Mike: Okay, so what about Sanhendrin 55b? Ben: So here it's about a girl who is three years and one day whose father has arranged for her to be married, and betrothal is through intercourse. It's concerning the legal status of the intercourse with her, if it's like full-fledged sex. Really here the text is examining forbidden sexual acts that cause ritual impurity and calamity. And prior to this specific quotation is a broader context of unwitting beastiality, like beastiality that you didn't know you did. It's not justifying sex with minors; it says that the act renders the man ritually impure and liable to be put to death. Lucky for the child, I guess lucky, is that they're exempt from execution because they're a minor. Small condolence I guess. Mike: Okay so it's basically saying the opposite of what David Duke said. Ben: Yeah. Mike: Okay, what about 69a-b? Ben: I mean, this is probably a discussion of the legal ramifications of this act. Mike: Yeah this is actually, this says exactly what you were talking about earlier. So “A maiden aged three years and a day may be acquired in marriage by coition, and if her deceased husband's brother cohabitated with her, she becomes his.” Blah blah blah. Ben: Yeah, because it's Yebamoth– It's Yebamoth, right? Mike: No this is Sanhendrin. Ben: Oh Sanhendrin. So this is, yeah, criminal law. So this is the liability of criminal punishment, but also these rabbis debated everything. What is the likelihood that a three-year-old is going to be married to someone who then dies and then has to be– Again they have the option to be married to their brother so that the dead brother's lineage doesn't end. They're really negotiating, like, every possible eventuality that might happen just in case. You know, all of these are hypothetical situations. And, you know, they're gross. Some of them are just really fucked up. Mike: [laughs] Yeah Jews like to talk about a lot of weird hypotheticals. Alright so now onto the Yebamoth one. So 57b. Ben: Yeah, Yebamoth 57b. This one I've got, “A maiden aged three years and a day may be acquired by marriage in coition.” So yeah, the sex act is technically allowed. It's not condoning it. But because three-year-old girls cannot become pregnant, it's still technically forbidden because it's a waste of seed in non-procreative sex. So it's saying that she can't conceive via sexual intercourse, so it's really forbidden because sex in this worldview is not for pleasure; it's purely for procreation. So if you are wasting sperm engaging in this sex act, it's a bad thing. Not going to lie, this one's fucked up. Mike: Yeah, what about 58a? Ben: Um, doesn't say anything about minors. Mike: Really? Ben: Just, yeah, I didn't see anything about minors in this one. Mike: What about rape? Ben: Most likely. Let me just take a closer look. Mike: Or virginity or something? Ben: Yeah, do you have a quote on this one? Mike: Not sure. I mean, I don't have quotes on any of these because again I stopped looking at them. Ben: Yeah, and a lot of it is just like– It's kind of he said, she said. I don't know. I don't take David Duke's reading of these in good faith, and I don't think we can. Mike: This is a weird passage. There's something about “Through betrothal alone a woman is not entitled to eat.” This is so strange. Ben: I mean I would lie if I said that I understood the majority of Talmudic literature. Mike: Right. Ben: You know, people can spend seven years reading this entire work all the way through. The law of tamurah. Mike: Yeah, and, I mean, even– David Duke doesn't even necessarily quote these passages. He just references them. And I guess, like you said, he probably pulls them from other sources without reading them. Ben: Yeah, I– With this, I can't even tell, like, what he's arguing. Like, what is the– What issue is he taking here? Mike: Yeah, I would suggest that our listeners read this passage and try to figure out what the fuck David Duke has a problem with. Ben: Yeah exactly. Yeah [sarcastically] read David Duke's book. You'll have fun. Mike: Yeah, no don't read David Duke's book, but you can read the Talmud, that's pretty good. Ben: Spend seven years reading the whole thing. You can do it, a daf a day. Mike: Alright, do you have any notes on Yebamoth 60b? Ben: So this is where the Gemara cites another ruling related to who is considered a virgin. And it's not condoning sex with a three-year-old. It says that in the event of that happening, she remains a virgin because her hymen grows back. Like if it's through a sex act with an adult man or if her hymen is ruptured by wood. You know, she's still considered a virgin because it grows back. I don't know if that's medically true. Mike: Yeah, I was– Ben: Sounds like bullshit, but the issue here is virginity as it relates to being able to determine paternity in the long run. Mike: Okay, alright, so Judaism has changed a lot since these texts were written. So what can we say about the ethos of Judaism now as it relates to these texts? Ben: Right, obviously most Jews aren't concerned with the majority of the issues we've addressed here today. You know, they don't spend a lot of time thinking about beastiality, thank goodness. But I think if there is a single Jewish ethos, it's an affirmation of being the people of Israel, literally meaning “to wrestle with God,” Yis-ra-el. Engagement in argument over Torah are so central to our people's identity that even secular atheist Jews still contend with these issues. So as many different types of Jews as there are and how many different ways they approach the text, there still profoundly, proudly participating in a longstanding tradition that's engaging with and arguing with the tradition. I think that's the modern Jewish ethos, and it's much the same as the ancient but adapted to the current context: How do we live a good life?  Mike: Word, well Ben Siegel, thank you so much for coming on The Nazi Lies Podcast and taking the time to do the tedious work of debunking David fucking Duke. [both laugh] You can catch Ben on Twitter and Facebook at Anarcho-Judaism. Ben: Mike it has been an absolute pleasure. Thank you for having me. [Theme song]

In Episode 28 of the KIPS Personal Trainer Application Podcast we have returning guest Dr. Ayla Donlin. As the director of the LifeFit Center at Cal State University Long Beach, Dr. Donlin focuses on health and wellness for students, faculty and individuals from the community. She has been in the fitness industry for 15 years as a group fitness instructor, personal trainer, fitness manager, general manager, and a professor of kinesiology. In this episode we focus on the topic of wellness for the fitness professional. As fitness instructors we often focus on our clients and their wellbeing, but what about the instructor themselves? This episode will dive into how an instructor can develop healthy habits for their long-term health and create meaningful relationships. Learn more about KIPS - https://kipsonline.org/ Learn more about Ayla Donlin Wellness - https://www.ayladonlinwellness.com/

David Has been a coach for 9 years now. He started when he was 20 and has had the opportunity to work with professional athletes, doctors, lawyers, and many other high performing individuals. Growing up, he played basketball, football, and baseball where working out in the weight room sparked his interest. David went to Cal State University Long Beach where he majored in Kinesiology and also got certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He specializes in helping individuals lead their best lives that they possibly can, where he teaches them how to incorporate fitness, nutritional knowledge, mindset and other habits to help enhance their lives outside of the gym. 

Our first episode features Albert David Valderrama, an educator, as he shares reflections on his international career and his teacher credentialing program at Cal State University Long Beach. He also reacts to Dr. Kyndall Brown's, the Executive Director of California Mathematics Project, presentation on Math Through the Lens of Social Justice. He also revisits Dr. Chris Emdin's 2019 California STEAM Symposium Keynote presentation focused on the use of hip hop in education.

In Episode 12 of the KIPS Personal Trainer Application Podcast we have guest Dr. Ayla Donlin. As the director of the LifeFit Center at Cal State University Long Beach, Dr. Donlin focuses on health and wellness for students, faculty and individuals from the community. She has been in the fitness industry for 15 years as a group fitness instructor, personal trainer, fitness manager, general manager, and professor of kinesiology. Throughout this episode we discuss integrating wellness techniques and how wellness fits into a well-balanced training program. Learn more about KIPS - https://kipsonline.org/ Learn more about the LifeFit Center - https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-health-human-services/lifefit-center

Seonna Hong was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated with a B.A. in Art from Cal State University Long Beach and continued to hone her craft teaching art to children for several years. Her paintings are quietly narrative and often autobiographical and no doubt influenced by her time teaching as well as her work in TV and Feature animation. In 2004, she received an Emmy Award for Individual Achievement in Production Design for her work on “My Life as a Teenage Robot.” In 2006, she was the recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant. Her illustrated book, 'Animus' is in it's third printing and according to Ken Johnson (The New York Times), "... the paintings are beautifully made and the imagery is mysteriously touching". Hong continues to show her work in shows and galleries around the world and is represented by Hashimoto Contemporary in San Francisco.Brian spoke with Seonna in Manhattan right after her show had just opened at Hashimoto Contemporary in NYC. The gallery, of course, is not open now but you can see her work on the gallery website and follow her on Instagram @seonnahong. This conversation was recorded before the covid outbreak hit full force in NYC. Future recordings of the podcast will happen over the internet and will continue in that format until our very important distancing to help prevent the spread is lifted. It’s essential that we all do our part and we hope these conversations provide some comfort for you all. Supporting creative artists is so essential in these times and the music you are hearing is from Lullatone’s new record with you can get via a pay as you wish download on their bandcamp page. S&V is sponsored by Frederix Canvas, the New York Studio School and Golden Paints.

Amanda Samoyloff, a Cal State University Long Beach alumni, won Prose at HFO and placed 4th in Poetry at AFA during her first year of competition. She and the rest of CSULB would soon place 5th in the nation at AFA-NIET. In 2009, Samoyloff won 1st place in Prose at NFA. After graduation, she made her way into Hollywood, taking the skills and work ethics she learned from her time in speech and debate and became an actress and filmmaker. She's produced, written, and performed in multiple films over the last decade. Currently, she's the CEO + founder of the PR firm, Samoyloff PR, and is set to publish her first poetry book in Spring 2020.• In this episode, Robert and Amanda discuss how to continue during interruptions, the annoyance of high heels, and the endurance needed to be successful at nationals. Listen for free through Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Overcast, Podbean, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Ryan Taber and Katie Grinnan talk to us about Sailor's Valentines, King George III, period furniture, eversion, bastard mahogany, scale, dimensionality, specular narratives, the desert, dreaming, nature made strange, interiority, and much much more! Ryan Taber is an artist and a furniture maker living and working in Los Angeles. He currently has a show of new sculptural works at the Torrance Art Museum in Torrance, CA. He also runs the wood program at Cal State University Long Beach. Katie Grinnan is an artist who lives and works in Los Angeles. She has had solo shows at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and at the Whitney in New York, and recently she was included in the show, People, at Deitch Projects Los Angeles. She has a show coming up at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery opening on May 19th for recipients of the 2019 City of Los Angeles (COLA) Individual Artist Fellowship. She teaches in the sculpture program at Cal State University Long Beach and is currently represented by the gallery Commonwealth and Council. Our interstitial music as always is Ocfif by Lewis Keller. We go out with a track from Toronto band Tough Age from their album Shame on Mint Records released in October 2017. You can buy the album on Vinyl and on cassette and even on Compact Disc or CD, quote “for the mini van”. They have a show coming up at The Baby G on June 26 in Toronto, Ontario. And the name of the track is ... Unclean

Hey Everybody! I’m fighting a bit of a cold but I think we’re going to get through this. My commitment to you is to publish at least one episode per week and so far I’m on track. This will be the 6th episode in 6 weeks. So let’s do this!Have you ever had a mentor? Have you ever needed at mentor? Particularly as an adult. Someone you looked up to who you could turn to to help you make decisions or teach you something you were trying to learn? For some people it might be their dad or mom or a teacher or a sports coach.What is a mentor? Webster's Dictionary defines Mentor as an experienced and trusted adviser. Synonyms - adviser, guide, confidant, confidante, counselor, consultant, therapist.Thinking back to my college days that was the first time I ever had someone I would call a mentor. His name was Jim and he was my big brother in our Fraternity, Sigma Chi. I joined Sigma Chi back in the early 1980 at Cal State University Long Beach. At the time I really didn’t know anyone at school except my roommate. It was time to meet new people and build some lasting friendships. They had something called Rush Week where you could go from fraternity house to fraternity house to meet the men and get a feeling for each one on campus. Most of the Rush Week Events were parties and there were lots of coeds there as well. At least that’s how I remembered it.As you go through the week you’re supposed to narrow down your choices on the fraternity you want to join based on whatever criteria you decide but you also hope that the one you want picks you as well. Sigma Chi was always my first choice. Ultimately I received a bid from Sigma Chi and I couldn’t have been happier. Each pledge class has a trainer who takes you through the process of working as a team, learning about the fraternity and becoming a contributing Active member. Back then there was some physical stress involved but I wouldn’t call the hazing life threatening. Our pledge trainer really looked out for us and our safety. He understood the purpose. In the beginning each pledge is assigned a Big Brother who coaches him individually through the process based on his, the big brother’s, experience. He’s there to answer questions and make sure you’re making progress to become a contributing member of the fraternity. Jim was my Big Brother and he became a mentor to me and a close friend throughout college and for some time after. I really trusted him which is a huge deal in a mentor / mentee relationship. You may know the saying, “when the student is ready, the teacher appears.” He was the perfect Mentor for me at that time in my life.For about the last ten years, each time I have been in a position where I needed help and guidance the right person has appeared. I just had to be willing and open to it. But that wasn’t always the case. There was a long period of time from after college until about 10 years ago where I guess I really felt like I didn’t need a mentor. At least I wasn’t actively seeking one out. Which is strange because I knew the value of those relationships. Have you ever felt that way? Like you had it all figured out? I was going through life, raising our daughters Molly & Riley with my first wife, working and doing the family thing. We were having fun, not a lot of worries during that time. At least that’s what I thought while I was going through it. We were more of a team during many of those early years. But at some point something had begun to change in me. I became less of a team player. This was the tipping point in my life. I was having the most financial success in my life. I was traveling all the time for business. Life was really good, or so I thought. In retrospect I had really become incredibly selfish and my ego got the best of me. I sometimes joke that “I’m not much but I’m all I think about” but it's true! I started to believe that my success was because of me and I was responsible. Around 2008 - 2009 when the housing market crashed. The ripple effect throughout the economy was dramatic. Many experts called it a recession. No matter what you called it, It was definitely a crisis. My business dropped about 40% over night and I panicked. I didn’t handle it well at all. I didn’t have anyone to turn to and I began to make a series of horrible decisions. Everything I tried failed. I was financially ruined and I did real damage to my family and those closest to me. .With my track record of lack of success I needed to try something different. What I was doing clearly wasn’t working. I needed to find people who could be my experienced and trusted advisors. This was a humbling experience, I had to be willing to ask for help. I had learned that at this point in my life someone like me really shouldn’t make any major decisions unless I bounce it off of one of my mentors and especially my new wife Shannon who helped me so much. She practically saved my life. I had to be willing to take action based on their direction. At this point I hard really hit rock bottom. I was desperate and knew I needed help. Thankfully my first mentor was of the Spiritual kind. His name was Billy and he helped me understand that I really wasn’t in control of anything. That I needed to shift my perception from Mark centered to Other centered. He challenged me to work hard, to accept where I was and to be grateful. He always said “you know buddy, you’re not in charge of the outcome” and somehow that resonated with me. He helped me learn to put my family and other people in my life ahead of me. Even though we don’t live near each other any more we still stay in contact and I can always turn to him for help and guidance. I have had other Spiritual mentors over the last 10 years like Jim & Ben who I’ve been able to turn to for guidance. I have people who I consider business mentors who were very helpful throughout this last venture I was involved with. I have also found authors and subject matter experts who I respect and consider Mentors even though I don’t have direct access to them. They write books and have podcasts that I have learned so much from. I have also been involved in Mastermind Groups where we meet regularly and the group really becomes a mentor to help work through various challenges. Mastermind groups could be an entire podcast episode. Stay tuned...Over the last 10 years things haven’t always gone perfectly. I have made decisions even with good counsel and mentors and good intentions that didn’t end so well. At one point after one of these decisions my daughter Molly said to me “You always come to us and say, this is what I’ve decided is best for everyone in the family”. “What makes you think you know better than I do what’s best for me? What’s best for our family?” Ouch! But it was true! I didn’t know and I didn’t ask them what they thought. My wife used to say, at what point were you going to include me in the decision process? And this could be just picking a restaurant!Recently a business I had been working on with some partners for more than 5 years came to an end. I talked to some of my mentors about it. I had to examine my part in it. Was it something that I wanted to happen more than the partners did? Or was I relying on someone else to create success for me rather than charting my own course?I can’t go back in time and change any decision I’ve made, actions I’ve taken or the results of those decisions and actions. I can only learn from the experience and move forward. I can and also turn to my mentors to help me learn from the experience. I have also learned that I’m never to old or experienced to benefit from working with a mentor. Someone will always know more than I do and can help me in the direction of my life. It may sound like most of these examples had difficult outcomes, but that’s where the growth comes from. There have been plenty of positive results from working with the mentors in my life.What about you? Do you have a mentor or mentors you can turn to? What kind of value have you received from your mentors? Have they changed over time? Where did you find them?If this episode has you thinking that you could benefit from having a mentor. Here are some areas where mentors can be found:Spiritual or Church advisorsBusiness MentorsHealth & Wellness CoachesLife coachesPsychologistsAuthorsMotivational SpeakersPodcastersAm I leaving anything out? Who would you add to the list? I’d be really interested in your experience. Feel free to send me an email at mark@agingisoptionalradio.com and let me know. Thanks again for joining me on Aging Is Optional Radio. I hope you found some value in this episode. That’s really my goal. You can find the podcast on iTunes and I’d really appreciate it if you would subscribe and give it a rating and I love receiving comments! You can also find it in the Google Play Store, on TuneIn Radio, on Stitcher, PocketCasts, CastBox and Pippa. And I’ll be adding more channels in the future including YouTube. If you like what you hear please be sure to share the podcast with your friends and on social media. You can also reach me directly at mark@agingisoptionalradio.com if you have any questions or want to suggest any topics. Until next time, Thanks, everybody! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EPISODE Bonus Episode Day 25 TITLE My Son’s Perspective on Sensitivity GUEST Daniel Young EPISODE OVERVIEW I hadn’t really discussed what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) with my boys since I found out I was an HSP when they were in high school, so I was curious to see how my son viewed sensitivity.  He talks about how sensitivity is viewed when you play sports (he played baseball from Kindergarten through high school).  He talks about having to get “tougher skin,” which is when I believe he started to push down some of his sensitivity. BIO Daniel is a freshman at Cal State University Long Beach where he is studying criminology.  Daniel is a talented rapper who writes and performs his own songs.  He is an amazing graphic designer and photographer.  He took all the headshots on my website (and the pic of me podcasting that I use for the podcast).  LINKS To write a review in itunes: click on this link https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/unapologetically-sensitive/id1440433481?mt=2 select “view in itunes” chose “open in itunes” choose “ratings and reviews” click to rate the number of starts click “write a review”   Website--www.patriciayounglcsw.com Podcast--www.unapologeticallysensitive.com Facebook--https://www.facebook.com/Patricia-Young-LCSW-162005091044090/ Instagram--https://www.instagram.com/unapologeticallysensitive/ Youtube--https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOE6fodj7RBdO3Iw0NrAllg/videos?view_as=subscriber e-mail--info@unapologeticallysensitive.com Show hashtag--#unapologeticallysensitive MUSIC—Gravel Dance by Andy Robinson www.andyrobinson.com

EPISODE Bonus Episode Day 12 TITLE When your kidult is engaging in behavior that doesn’t align with your values GUEST Daniel Young EPISODE OVERVIEW My twins were home from college for the weekend, and my son Daniel sat down with me to chat.  I asked him what it’s like to have a mom who’s a therapist. We also talk about how we navigated when Daniel started engaging in behaviors that did not align with our family’s values.  It’s controversial since most families would probably forbid the kidult against engaging in the behavior.  My relationship with my son was more important, and since he was going to be 18 soon and heading off to college, it felt more important to have open and honest conversations with him about his behavior; how to stay safe and what my concerns were.  I also think I may have been manipulative when I tell Daniel at the end that I love him.  I think I wanted you all to hear that my son tells me he loves me.   BIO Daniel is a freshman at Cal State University Long Beach where he is studying criminology.  Daniel is a talented rapper who writes and performs his own songs.  He is an amazing graphic designer and photographer.  He took all the headshots on my website (and the pic of me podcasting that I use for the podcast).    LINKS     Website--www.patriciayounglcsw.com Podcast--www.unapologeticallysensitive.com Facebook--https://www.facebook.com/Patricia-Young-LCSW-162005091044090/ Youtube--https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOE6fodj7RBdO3Iw0NrAllg/videos?view_as=subscriber e-mail--info@unapologeticallysensitive.com Show hashtag--#unapologeticallysensitive MUSIC—Gravel Dance by Andy Robinson www.andyrobinson.com  

Robots are one indication of just how powerful our brains can be. And right now, roboticist Walter Martinez is at the cutting edge of that research, at Cal State Long Beach. Walter, who currently serves as secretary for the Robotics Society of Southern California, has built an InMoov robot--and programmed it to move in response to brain waves!  (You'll recall, from our 2017 interview, that the InMoov is the world's first fully 3D printed, life-sized robot, and that the plans are open-source.) His robot, "Evo", can move forward and backward, as a subject thinks of these motions! In addition, Walter, who teaches electrical engineering classes at CSULB, recently obtained a grant, with which he bought a "Pepper" humanoid robot for the campus.   Walter says he believes CSULB is now the first college campus with "Pepper", which is designed as a social robot. "Pepper" can read facial expressions, determine emotions and carry on a conversation, when working with a list of provided questions. Walter talked about both the "Pepper" and "Evo" robots, and what current robotic research has revealed about our brains. On this edition of Over Coffee®, you'll hear: How "Pepper" works, as a social robot; How our brain waves can cause "Evo" to move; What needs to happen to make Evo move, with brain signals; Some of the obstacles to focusing to move Evo, and how Walter deals with them; The process a scientist or an arts person can use to focus on moving Evo; Some of the implications of brain-wave research in other areas, such as stroke rehabilitation and the use of brain waves; Walter's favorite experiences with Pepper and Evo; Some projected future uses of brain-wave research findings; Some of the implications and findings of recent brain-wave research; Upcoming special events happening at the Robotics Society of Southern California (including a May 12th visit from the Mars Rover Driver, John Wright.  Everyone's welcome!; Information on the upcoming competitions RSSC is having, AND the Robotics Expo that's coming up in August! The Robotics Society of Southern California meets this Saturday, May 12th at 10:00 am in Cal State University Long Beach's Engineering Technology Building, Room 241.  Everyone is welcome, whether you're a skilled roboticist or someone who loves robots but has no plans to ever build one!  And keep the dates of August 4th and August 25th in mind, for the "Long beach Robot Showcase"!  Here's the link for more information.  

Internationally acclaimed American pianist Althea Waites has concertized extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Asia as a brilliant soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative artist. In addition to performances on concert stages around the world, she has also participated in numerous festivals including Aspen, Tanglewood, the Yale Summer Festival, the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and the Idyllwild Arts Festival.Praised by the Los Angeles Times for “superb technique and profound musicality,” Ms. Waites has a long and distinguished history of recording new music by American composers and has received several honors and commendations for her work. She has also been guest soloist for National Public Radio’s Performance Today, KQED in San Francisco, KCET in Los Angeles, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Geneva Conservatory of Music in Switzerland, Wigmore Hall in London, Merkin Hall in New York City, concerts for the World Music Program in Jakarta Indonesia, Phillips Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.Her recording credits include a CD of music by African-American composers, Black Diamonds, which was released in 1993 to rave reviews, and Along the Western Shore, featuring works by California-based composers.Ms. Waites received the Bachelor of Music degree from Xavier University of Louisiana, and the Master of Music degree in piano from Yale University School of Music.  In addition to maintaining her concert schedule, Ms. Waites is currently on the faculty of the Cole Conservatory of Music at Cal State University/Long Beach, and is in demand for recitals, residencies, and master classes throughout the United States. 

California artist, musician and teacher Gary Rich (G.Rich) was one of the founding members of the early 1970's "space music and chaos" band The Lunar Asylum, which is still active today in the San Francisco Bay area. He is self-taught on several instruments and studied vibraphone with Dave Gerhart at Cal State University Long Beach. Over the years G.Rich has committed long hours of studio time devoted to developing a unique graphic style, and several years ago began to experiment with electronic composition. The early artwork and recent compositions have merged in several videos available for viewing on Youtube (search "the25room" or follow the link available here). Artist: Gary Rich Track: Gets One Beat Album: soundtrack for "Quantum Leaps in the Spine" YOUTUBE VIDEO: Gary Rich - Quantum Leaps in the Spine Feedback: spacemusic.nl@gmail.com copy; 2010 Jukebox - spacemusic.nl [caption id="attachment_1579" align="alignnone" width="472" caption="Gary Rich: Quantum Leaps In The Spine - check it out via Youtube!"][/caption]