Weekly Geek Outs - 03/11/16

Greetings!

Here is what I am geeking out about this week:

• Major Life Announcement

So many of you may have already heard through social media, but I proposed to my partner, Jenn, during our trip away (more details on that below). She said yes and we are very excited to start our lives together. We've been together for over two and a half years, and as she graduates and we job search together, I felt inspired to let her know how I felt about her and our future. I was really nervous in the moment when I asked her and forgot a lot of the things I wanted to say, but I eventually got out of my head and laid it all out to her. We're so pleased with everyone's joy about our engagement, and it was nice to hear from so many people from our lives congratulating us and wishing us well. Now, onto figuring out wedding plans!

• Spring Break Retrospective

I had a great time over the past few days with my partner taking our road trip around New England. We stopped at Portland, ME, Portsmouth, NH, and Burlington, VT. We ate good food, visited some breweries, saw five new college campuses (University of Vermont was especially cool!), and toured the Ben & Jerry's and Cabot creameries. It was an awesome time together, and I am happy to relax a bit more before work starts back up in full next week.

• New Captain America: Civil War Trailer

A new trailer dropped this week and it was amazing! We got our first glimpse of Spider-Man (I liked it!) and somewhat of how he will figure into the story. We're less than two months away from this movie coming out, and it is looking to be an intense one, with our heroes going full force at each other. I'm expecting more twists and turns to happen in this movie where anything is possible and the future of the MCU is at stake!

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 03/04/16

Greetings!

Hope all is well with you all! Here are my geek outs for this wonderful week:

• Spring Break

I'm definitely excited for this break to be here. After a busy week, I'm taking some time away with my partner to go on a little road trip around New England to do a bunch of different little things we want to get to while we're still living close by in Maine. We're going to eat a lot of good food, drink some cool beers, and see some awesome stuff. It will be a lot of fun and I always appreciate the quality time and the adventures I get to have with my partner. Stay tuned for a recap next week!

• Fitbit

I finally got a Fitbit Flex for me and my partner last week after much deliberation. They've been working pretty well for us so far. I bought them refurbished and while there have been some hiccups, when they work, it is seamless and they're comfortable to wear all day. I've been getting a baseline of how many steps I take, how well I sleep, etc. While I don't walk around as much as I like right now, it will be nice to see the improvements over time. I definitely recommend getting one to anyone who is interested!

• Podcast Anniversary

Two years ago today, the first episode of The Student Affairs Spectacular Podcast premiered. Now, I've recorded the 100th episode of the show, and we're moving onward to 100 more episodes. It has been an honor and a privilege to be a part of this endeavor, and I am very grateful for all it has given me. We have had so many great guests and talked about a lot of engaging, important, and thought provoking topics. I can't wait for you all to hear the very special 100th episode. We look back at everything more in depth and we flip the script with a super secret guest interviewing me. Thanks to all of you who listen to the episodes. I greatly appreciate it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: Likeable Social Media

I finishing reading this book over weekend after it was sitting in my Amazon Wish List for the longest time. Likeable Social Media (I read the new, revised edition) is a book by Dave Kerpen, who works with Likeable Media and Likeable Local to help companies of all kinds maximize word-of-mouth marketing as well as inbound marketing via social media (as the title would imply). Kerpen covers an array of tips and stories on this broad topic, and the end result is a pretty easy read with some great actionable ideas.

I read another one of Kerpen's books, Likeable Leadership, which was a collection of his personal and professional blog posts. I liked that book, which turned me onto this other work of his. Some of the stories are the same but their helpful impact was only furthered through their inclusion here where they are put into a more thoughtful context. The body of the book focuses on 18 tips to help utilize social media in a "likeable" fashion. Kerpen includes advice on how to use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and more. The advice can be summed up as being authentic, friendly, responsive, and relevant to your audience. Provide content they enjoy, can get value from, and want to share. This will help them have a positive impression of your business and want to be a paying customer. A lot of this stuff was familiar to me from the education I've gotten recently about inbound marketing from places like Hubspot.

I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to brush up on some baseline tips for social media use. Whether you're a nonprofit, small business, or higher ed institution; you can find something useful here. While to me, it started to get redundant at the end, it served to further emphasize the solid points made earlier.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 02/26/16

Greetings!

Here's what I'm geeking out about this week:

• Love on Netflix

My partner Jenn and I blew through this show over this past weekend, and we loved it (pun intended)! An atypical romantic comedy series from Judd Apatow, Jenn and I really connected with the main characters. The whole show is very unique, engaging, and funny. Sharing a similar space to its Netflix sibling show, Master of None, Love is a very real look at modern relationships and how we make decisions about who to be with. I highly recommend this show! We'll get season two next year and I can't wait!

• Vixen on Arrow

We were treated to the live action debut of Vixen, who was originally featured in the CW Seed web series set in the DC TV Universe. She brings a fun attitude, an awesome female character, and cool mystical powers. I'm glad they got the same actress who voiced Vixen in the animated web series to depict the character in live action. Just provides some nice consistency and the actress nails it. I hope we can look forward to more Vixen on Arrow and Flash in the future!

• Legends of Tomorrow

This week's episode takes us to the Star City of 2046, a dystopic wasteland with an older, grizzled (and one-armed!) Oliver Queen who has become a recluse in the wake of the tragedies that have befallen his city. This glimpse was a tease of a potential future that would be really neat to explore more as a sort of what if scenario. This week's episode of LoT struggled a bit with a weird romantic subplot, but otherwise it was a cool episode and I'm always eager to see where the team ends up next!

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: Hannibal Buress Standup Cluster

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week, I'm highlighting three standup comedy specials from Hannibal Buress that are all available on Netflix, Animal Furnace (2012), Live at Chicago (2014) and Comedy Camisado (2015).

I've really enjoyed Hannibal Buress anytime I've seen him pop up on shows like Broad City or talk shows. These stand-up specials are all great and distinct shows with different material and bits. Hannibal's style tends to be a collection of smaller, quick one-liners and stories with a hyper focus on daily life and its quirks. His casual, dry demeanor also works in his favor do, since his delivery is so chill and simple. Other comedians may be more animated and energetic, but Hannibal succeeds with his low energy and unique perspective on things around him.

Each of these specials are equally strong, which is rare, as some comedians will have one strong set and once they do another special with all new material, it just never reaches the heights of their previous work. Hannibal's stand-up game is strong, and with more television and movie work coming down the pipeline, I hope he continues to foster his craft, since he is one of the best comedians out there right now.

Netflix is really upping their stand-up comedy game, and these three specials are some of the better ones they have available. They're helping to highlight all sorts of comedians, everyone from Hannibal, to Aziz Ansari, Chelsea Handler, and Bill Burr.

I definitely recommend checking out any and all of these Hannibal Buress comedy specials. They're all very fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 02/19/16

Greetings!

Here's what is on my mind this week:

• The Walking Dead

Walking Dead came back from its mid-season break this week, and wow, it came back in a big way! Picking up right where the last episode left off, we were treated to an epic episode with a lot going on, but it all worked. It is easily one of the best episodes of the series so far, and I'm really excited to see where the rest of the season goes from here. I enjoy watching this show as it airs with my partner, since it gives us one more thing to share and it is a nice Sunday night ritual before the work week begins. I've been with this show since the beginning, and I'll (most likely) be with it until the end.

• Valentine's Day

Connecting to the previous item, this past Sunday was also Valentine's Day, which I spent with my partner, enjoying a nice, quiet day at home. We had a tasty breakfast, wonderful dinner (that I made, which is a rare occurrence), and some of our favorite wine that we have held onto since we were in New Jersey for Winter Break since we can't find it up here in Maine. We also enjoyed The Walking Dead together to cap off the night. It was really great to be able to spend that quality time together, and it continues to reinforce the importance for us of making the time on our schedules to have this with each other.

• RA Interviews

Something that has been (and will continue to) keeping me busy lately is rolling out this year's hiring process for Resident Assistants. I'm taking a bigger part in this for this cycle, and it has been quite the learning experience. It is fun to see all of the raw enthusiasm from the students involved, and it is helping me be more detail oriented organizing everything. We just started a few weeks ago, and the process will go until about this time next month, so there is still plenty to come, but so far it has been a positive experience and I look forward to see how the rest of it will go!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tips to Connect Your Students to Mental Health Resources

* This post was originally featured on The OOHLALA Blog.

Our students deal with a lot of stress, anxiety, and social pressures. And they’re not alone. According to a report cited by a Huffpost College article, the number of students who report suffering from depression, anxiety and social anxiety, is rising. These students need guidance to develop the skills necessary to cope with their mental health issues.

Here are some tips to help students utilize mental health services on campus and set themselves up for success:

Use Mental Health First Aid

Every student affairs professional should take a  Mental Health First Aid course. This training helps you to gauge the intensity of someone’s depression, substance use, anxiety etc. It also trains you on what to listen for and what to ask.

One of the things this training provides is “mental health literacy.” It teaches you to define terms like “depression,” “anxiety,” “trauma,” and “substance abuse.” Through understanding these terms you will be better prepared to assess your student’s needs.

The Mental Health First Aid course also provides tips on how to have conversations with students so that they feel safe and able to open up. For instance, they recommend trying to avoid “why” questions. “Why” questions often come off as accusatory, or judgmental. Put your students at ease by not questioning their reasoning or actions. Be patient, welcoming, and empathetic.

Offer Personal Support

Some students won’t want to go alone to get help, or just don’t know what the experience is going to be like. The more you can ease their concerns, the better. Perhaps go with them or explain how a typical session will go. If you know any of the counselors you can give a personal recommendation or help the student figure out who they’d be most comfortable talking to.

The more we can personally guide students towards connecting with mental health resources, the better. The trust you’ve built through assessing where they are, listening to them, and validating them will help you guide and support them as they take the emotional risk of connecting with a mental health professional.

Follow Up Afterwards

It’s important for us to continue to support our students as they connect with mental health support. You should check in regularly to make sure everything is going well and to see if there is anything more you can do to help.

Troubleshooting the Mental Health Process:

• If the person or place they’re going to isn’t a good fit:

  • Help them find someone or somewhere else to go.

• If they’re having difficulty opening up:

  • Explain how important this process is and how much help it can be.

  • Help them set goals for their discussions so the student feels more prepared going in.

Students might give up if they feel frustrated. Being there to support them in getting counseling is important. You need to help your students commit to the process so they can get its full benefit.

It’s important that the student receives continued validation and recognition for making the effort. It can be emotionally exhausting to put yourself out there and to work through some perhaps deep seated emotional baggage. Make sure your students know that you support them.

Getting mental health support is a great undertaking for anyone. Students, especially are particularly vulnerable due to the amount of independence they’re currently figuring out. You play an important role in helping students. It’s up to you to communicate the value of mental health resources; connect students to these resources; and ensure the process is going smoothly for them. The stresses of modern college life are certainly a heavy burden, but with the right support, every student should be able to shoulder them and succeed.

Movie Review Monday: Deadpool

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the recently released Deadpool, starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, and TJ Miller.

I wanted to highlight this movie as it is the first big movie of 2016 that I have seen in theaters and it is something special indeed. Focusing on the fan favorite character from Marvel Comics, Deadpool is an origin story movie to get the movie-going masses acquainted with this unique character. With a hard R rating, the movie does the character justice, showcasing his full range of violent acts, vulgar language, and all around silly fun.

What I appreciate about this movie existing, is just that really, that it exists. It took a long time to get out of development hell, and we all should be thankful it did. It shines as a unique, original movie among the current comic book superhero movie landscape. It is like you mixed the awesomely visceral action of Netflix's Daredevil series with the fun and humor of Guardians of the Galaxy, and added a little self-aware meta material for good measure. Plus, it allows Marvel (or Fox more specifically) to explore another uncharted corner of their comic book universe. Deadpool's wacky adventures can be smaller scale and exist outside (and alongside) the exploits of the X-Men or possibly The Fantastic Four (since Fox owns movie rights to both of these).

I'm really pleased that Deadpool is opening very strongly this weekend at the box office. I highly recommend any fan of the character, any fan of comic book movies, or any fan of fun to go see this movie. You will not be disappointed. While it is not a perfect movie (and hardly any are) the good stuff far outweighs the weaker spots.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 02/12/16

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Mad Men, Season 7

Now that Netflix has finally made the entire final season of Mad Men available to stream, I've began to finish up this modern classic, of which I have been a fan of for a while now. I love the historical perspective of the entire series, and the character study of Don Draper, which has really come to a head in this last string of episodes. I've gotten through the first half of season 7, and I'm eager to see how they wrap everything up. While it doesn't hold the same high place as Breaking Bad for me, Mad Men is still something special and unique. It is an acquired taste I feel, so just know that if you check it out, it may not be for you.

• Job Search

I'm currently continuing my search for the next step in my career, and as it stands now, it's two years removed from when I was undertaking this process as I prepared to graduate from my master's program. It's funny to think back to where I was then, and where I am now, and how these searches are similar as well as different. This time, I've allowed myself to be a bit more picky, I'm less region bound, and I have had more leads now than I did before. I hope to have some positive updates soon, as I'm struggling a bit being patient. Searching can be enjoyable in some aspects, but the waiting around really gets me all worked up.

• Spring Break

I'm currently planning on how to spend my spring break with my partner. Everything is on the table from me needing to get my wisdom teeth out (no fun) to possibly going to Canada together, us finally visiting some of her extended family and friends in upstate New York, or something else entirely. It's about a month away and it's tough to figure out how we want to spend this valuable time. Do you use it to take care of personal stuff or do you take time to get away? Neither answer is entirely right or wrong, you (and we) just have to make a call and go with it. I'm really hoping I am able to get my wisdom teeth out before and not have too much recovery time, so that I can try to just enjoy my break.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Learned About Perspective from Marvel's Civil War

Marvel's Civil War was a 2006-07 crossover event that involved the entire Marvel Comics universe choosing sides in the aftermath of a national tragedy. The United States government, faced with growing public pressure, sets a mandate that all super-powered people must register (and reveal their identities) or face imprisonment. It divides the large roster of heroes and villains right down the middle, with Captain America leading a rebellion against registration, and Iron Man leading those who have been tasked with enforcing this policy.

What I really enjoy about this event (in addition to the prominent featuring of Spider-Man) is the depth of storytelling, where we get perspectives from individual characters on each side as well as the civilians on the front lines. Also, there is such a deep moral and philosophical quandary being played out a midst the epic superhero fights. From a certain point of view, Civil War was ahead of its time, dealing with the overreach of the federal government, surveillance, privacy, and freedom before such matters were national debates in light of recent revelations surrounding things like social media, and our government listening to our phone calls.

While reading through the different comics in this event, you witness the debate between Captain American and Iron Man especially, as they try to reconcile with each other. Both have their own values and beliefs, but as they take their stances, neither is entirely right or wrong. It's all a matter of perspective, which makes the dilemma that much more intriguing to me.

I love having these sorts of debates. I'm a very relative person when it comes to taking sides on things. I can see stuff both ways and understand where people are coming from. Often people can get very dug into their points of view, and can't relate at all to where someone else is coming from. It's important to be open to different perspectives, and even if you don't agree with each other, you can perhaps get to a compromise since typically each side will want the same thing in the end. Patience, open-mindedness, and empathy are all traits we all should embody as we work together to improve our teams, our departments, our communities, and our world.

We'll see this story arc adapted for the upcoming film, Captain America: Civil War, which I am very excited for. I hope it does the comics justice, and from the first trailer, it seems like it has the right angle.

Thanks for stopping by!