A STLR Transformation

Yesterday I participated in the Intern UCO end of the year showcase.

            I've served as the Research and Assessment Intern for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion for two years. Through Research, Creative and Scholarly Activities, I have gained a greater understanding of Global and Cultural Competencies and Leadership. 

I dissected the structure and objectives of the following theories: Identity Diversity Development, Social Change Model of Leadership, Miami Spectrum of Service, Marginality and Mattering Theory and Intercultural Knowledge Value Theory.

I  discovered how these theories correlated with the mission of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and tied into the levels of transformation utilized in UCO Student Transformative Learning Record.

     I have combined creative and technical skill to fulfill the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s artistic vision: the quantifiable assessment of student growth in “knowledge, skills and attitudes,” which is usually qualitative and often intangible. 

            Through research, attention to details, appropriate contextualization, cross-referencing information, and tolerance for ambiguity in considering various possibilities I have become transformed in the UCO STLR Tenant of Research, Creative and Scholarly Activities. 

         This has been a great experience, and I believe the UCO Student Transformative Learning Record does give a competitive edge in the job market.

Though I'm Wrong, I Write

I think critically, I share my thoughts and I grow. I better utilize my strengths and I am more aware of my weaknesses.

“To be aware of a single shortcoming within oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in somebody else." His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

I enjoy studying cultural competency and the importance of diversity. Though I condemned echo-chambers in my last post, I  realize that I may reside in an echo chamber myself.

How can you say, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while you yourself fail to see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Luke 6:42

Self-reflection is essential to growth, but it is often difficult. Outside noises, influences, ideas and comfort impede our ability to think critically about well- how we think. 


Plato describes our confinement to our perceptions through an illustration of a cave, which shows how our culture influences our view of reality.

My blogging has grown more personal. Instead of covering cultural topics that I am familiar with, I write about my personal learning experiences, shortcomings and situations that have forced me to think differently.

My life application blog posts are more fulfilling than the more comfortable topics that I began with. I am stretching myself to see beyond my own perspective and include the perspectives and thoughts of others.

Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood, let alone believed by the masses. -Plato

Blogging is important to my major because free, open and inclusive thought is necessary to all ethical communication.

Blogging is important to my career because marketing strategies and ideas never come from conformity. Success comes from deviation from the norm, pushing boundaries and thinking differently. We often marginalize creative pursuits to what one does, but creativity comes from how one thinks, and learning to think about how you think is the highest form of intelligence.

Everyone wants to be a better person, but we rarely dedicate the time necessary to bettering ourselves. This class helped me to better myself, by setting aside a few hours each week solely for reflection and growth. I plan to continue to blog once this semester ends, challenging myself with new topics and always striving towards personal growth.

Most importantly I have learned to think, to think for myself, to think about myself and to think about others.

I think therefore I am. Rene Decartes

I experience therefore I think. Kalen Russell 

 

microaggressions – BIG SCREEN

LATimes.com

Get Out was the number one in America last weekend. Written by comedian Jordan Peele, Get Out uses satire to discuss racism and its subsequent prejudices and microagressions.

This film combines fiction and reality to make the topic of race more palatable/ comfortable. Microaggressions are a common phenomenon. They plague the media, relationships and conversations.

Microaggressions: 

the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership.

They are typically are conveyed through back-handed compliments or comments that just feel off. Intentional or unintentional,  micoaggressions leave the receiver of a message feeling confused and degraded.

Most microaggressions are created through making an assumption about someone based on a component of their identity.

For example:

• Telling an international student that they “speak English really good.”- Why wouldn’t they?
• Telling a young lady that the is “pretty for a black girl.”- Is prettiness reserved for certain races?
• Asking if they “drive cars in your country?”- Why assume the development of a country is lesser than America just because you haven’t heard of it?

Sometimes those who utilize microaggressions do so unintentionally and mean no harm. But regardless of the intent, microagressions are hurtful and indicative that prejudices are still a prevalent part of society.

I liken the satire of Get Out to that of a modern The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Though humorous and entertaining, the audience is cognizant of a deeper underlying issue.

Mark Twain and  Jordan Peele have both used their platforms to bring awareness to racial inequality.

Microaggressions stem from assumptions and you know what they say about assuming…

So don’t assume. Be intentional. Be inclusive. Be thoughtful. If you make a mistake (as I often do) apologize, and try not to make the same mistake twice.