you up,” or “I don’t like using microphones...can myself included, believe we can hear us clearly. What we cannot anticipate, though, is knowing who is in the room. What their specific needs are isn’t always known either. Often our own privilege can determine how we engage in spaces, and it is critically important we think about those whose life experiences are different from ours.
As someone who does not currently have any limitations regarding my hearing, I regularly think about those who may not be able to hear in a space and choose to use a microphone wherever possible. It is not my preference to require someone in a situation where they need to request that I use a microphone. Why, you ask? It may mean someone outing themselves as someone with a temporary or long-term disability.
While it may not seem necessary, I strongly encourage you to use a microphone to amplify your voice and create spaces where people do not need to strain to listen and can be fully engaged.
Want to engage more about this topic? Contact me at dei@okcu.edu
Sincerely,
On October 10th, President Evans shared a proclamation that the day was recognized as Indigenous Peoples Day at Oklahoma City University (top photo). ODEI team members were also present to hear the city’s mayor and OCU alum, David Holt, read a proclamation at the IPD celebration at the First Americans Museum (middle photo) OCU proudly co sponsored the events at FAM's IPD celebration and supported by attending in person to watch the stickball tournament (bottom photo), learn about traditions, and engage with folks from across the state. Don’t miss next year’s celebration and make sure to visit FAM as soon as you’re able! The museum is located at 659 First Americans Boulevard in Oklahoma City. To learn more about what the museum has to offer and to reserve tickets, visit famok.org.
The ODEI hosted a celebration for Hispanic Heritage Month by tabling in the University Center on October 13. All students, staff, and faculty were welcomed to enjoy fresh beef and chicken empanadas from local Columbian restaurant El Fogón de Edgar as well as to participate in a raffle with giveaways for one lucky student, staff, and faculty member to win items from the locally Latina owned boutique, Mi Rincón de Moda! DEI Director Danielle Pullen guided folx to the ODEI website to learn theimportance of Hispanic Heritage Month and why we celebrate Lastly, DEI launched its Luminary spotlight which highlights a student, a staff member, and faculty member from the Latinx/Latine community to share their experiences. Dr. Jason Flores of the Meinders School of Business, Miriam Ortega of Career Services, and third year Acting student Angie Peña served as DEI's very first Luminaries.
Each year, the third Monday in January is celebrated nationwide for the life and legacy of Revered Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and in Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma City MLK Coalition hosts a parade. On January 16, 2023, OCU will be a part of it! The theme of this year's celebration is "MLK HIStory: Our Legacy" with a concentration on the virtues of unity and overcoming challenges relentlessly All OCU community members are encouraged to get involved to join the wider community of Oklahoma City in this growing celebration Keep reading our social media pages to get details as they become available and make a plan to join us!
Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations at OCU and FAM on October 10, 2022.On September 21, the ODEI welcomed Danielle Pullen onto the team as the Director for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. A graduate of Oklahoma State University in Human Development & Family Science, Danielle is currently pursuing her master's degree in Human Relations at the University of Oklahomaandissettograduate thisupcomingMay.
ArecentrecipientofOklahoma's NextGen Under 30 Award, Danielle has previously served as a program coordinator for a DEI office and as a mentor for disenfranchisedyouthwiththe
Comeback Kids Society, as well as a Young Professional Board Member for the Child Abuse & Response and Evaluation (CARE) Center.Sheislookingforwardto interacting with students, staff, faculty, and community members as she begins her journeyasanOCUStar!
As part of her introduction to campus, she was asked a few questions so that folx can get to know her a little better (some of which have been adapted from Bernard Pivot's famous Apostrophe's questionnaire made more famous by James Liptonat The Actor's Studio)
Where are you from? IamfromEdmond,Oklahoma.
What are your pronouns? Mypronounsareshe/her.
What is your favorite spot in OKC? It's a tie between Midtown and ChisholmCreek!
What did you study in college?
I studied Human Development and FamilyScienceatOSU,butforthefirst threesemestersofmycollegecareer,I was a Zoology major! My childhood dreamwastobeaveterinarian!
What's your favorite word? Lately,it'sbeen opportunity. What's your least favorite word? Definitely plethora.
What sound or noise do you love? I love the sound of a fan or rain especiallyifIamsleeping.
What sound or noise do you hate? I can't take the sound of someonespitting What
Recruiting and hiring new employees at OCU is an exciting endeavor! The Offices of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Human Resources partner to provide educational opportunities to educate committee members and hiring managers about best practices regarding mitigating bias in the process and the laws that need to be adhered to for an inclusive, diverse, and equitable search.
With the guidance of both DEI and HR, attendees get to explore how individual and group biases influence decisions and affirm commitment to established employment laws All search committee members and hiring managers are invited to request a workshop by completing the request found below:
We all make decisions every day for ourselves. We can choose what to wear, what we eat, and sometimes we make them for a person or group of people without having adequate or all of the information necessary to do so Here are three questions for you to consider when presented with decision making:
"Who is missing from this conversation? Have those who will be affected by the decision been included in the decision making process in some way? "
"How can I be wrong about the decisions I am making or have made? "
"How flexible can I or will I be if changes need to be made based on feedback that highlights harm that has been caused?"
Bethany Children's Health Center provides pediatric rehabilitation and 24-hour complex care to children with disabilities or serious injuries. It offers both in- and outpatient services and is the only inpatient pediatric rehabilitation facility in the state of Oklahoma. The multidisciplinary teams work with patients and families to maximize every child's potential and ensure that everyone has the training and resources needed for a smooth transition from hospital to home.
Last year, OCU sponsored a toy drive to benefit the patients of Bethany Children's Health Center and this year is no different! Assistant Director for Disability & Access Services, Kara Morrow, is organizing this year's initiative. A wish list is available and donations can be dropped off at the library through December 6. Please do not wrap any items and don't worry if something has already been purchased - some will be used as gifts and others will be used for therapeutic purposes.
If you have any questions or would like to be involved, please contact Kara Morrow at kamorrow@okcu.edu.
Created by Indigenous writers, starring a mostly Indigenous cast, employing Indigenous crew, and filming on Indigenous land, FX's Reservation Dogs is doing the work of amplifying Indigenous voices both in front of and behind the camera. Tulsa-based co-creator and showrunner, Sterlin Harjo, brings his lived experiences as a Native teen in rural Oklahoma with big dreams of making it in the mysterious and exotic California, to every episode of the show's two completed seasons. A true ensemble dramedy, the story arcs include everything from dumb jokes to existentialism to family and cultural traditions and back to the dumb jokes (with some smart ones mixed in for good measure).
2 seasons of RESERVATION DOGS are currently available on Hulu.
Instead of Telling sets out the basic principles of asking the right questions in the right ways and examines how your approach to such inquiries affects the interpersonal relationships within your workplace and ultimately your own success as a leader or just an employee. Communication is absolutely essential in a healthy organization and this simple read can help turn the prism of conversations for all involved and help folks realize things from multiple perspectives. It's this agility and flexibility that helps you build trust in work relationships and create a culture of curiosity and interest in humanity.
The entire Humble series is available wherever books are sold.
Each year, the Oklahoma Federation of Indian Women (OFIW) hold a pageant to award a Miss and Jr Miss Indian Oklahoma as a fundraiser for their organization to promote the on going preservation of cultural heritage and the to portrayal of American Indian woman. Contestants must possess cultural knowledge of their tribes and compete in categories such as a personal interview, their specific tribal greeting, traditional talent, tribal dress, and must complete an essay and the presentation of a platform on a current issue facing Indian Country. The pageant is Nov 12 at the First Americans Museum. Visit ofiw.org for more information!
To cap off its year of shows, the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma brings its traditional A Christmas Carol production to Oklahoma City's historic Harn Homestead. Experience Dickens' timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his three ghostly visitors in this unique venue. All performances are held outdoors and patrons are required to walk from scene to scene during the 75 minute performance with tickets limited to 200 patrons per performance. The role of Scrooge will be alternated between OCU alum Jonathan Beck Reed and the Associate Dean of Theatre at the School of Theatre, W. Jerome Stevenson Tickets are available at lyrictheatreokc.com
Are you staying local this holiday season?
Make plans to cruise down historic Automobile Alley on NW 9th Street and Broadway for a holiday open house and experience its stunning light displays during the 7th Annual Lights On Broadway event Each Saturday from 4 7pm, many retail shops and restaurants will feature buzz worthy window displays, in addition to pop up activities, special promotions, and giveaways. Attendees can also enjoy family friendly programming along the sidewalks such as live music, balloon art, performances, photos with Santa Claus, and more! Admission is free!
Ring in 2023 at OKC’s largest family friendly New Year’s Eve celebration, Opening Night 2022. The festivities begin at 3pm with the annual Finale 5K run with f entertainment and refreshments provided for nonrunners by the OKC Thunder. Then, at 7pm, the celebration transitions to Bicentennial Park. Admission is $8 and includes access to live music, food trucks, a mural competition, a children's area with hands on projects, and a front row seat to the best fireworks display in OKC! All the details about wristbands or how to volunteer at the event can be found at artscouncilokc com/opening night
As an educational institution, we continually aim to center education and learning as an important and critical component of the OCU experience for students, staff and faculty. What are you doing to engage in your own education and learning related to DEI?
We acknowledge that policies can deeply influence the experiences of those in our community Policies centered in equity and that thoughtfully incorporate inclusive language are necessary as they signal our commit ment to equity and inclusiveness not in word only, but action, through expectation of policies being followed We encourage our campus community members to take time to review policies and ensure that what’s written aligns with our mission and core values as a university
Belonging and feeling like a true member of community is important! Our connections and experiences are vital to our success as OCU Stars What does it mean for you to experience belonging? How do you create or build community in your sphere of influence?
We desire for our OCU community and supporters to think of intentional ways they are considering education, policy change, and belonging & community in their everyday experiences throughout our in-person and virtual spaces.
What are your individual needs? We want to identify opportunities for us to connect intentionally and continue to build upon what makes OCU great What will you do to commit to our foci? Want to share your commitments? Email us at dei@okcu.edu so we can support you in your efforts.
Oklahoma City University would like to acknowledge that we gather on land indigenous to the Osage, Caddo, Kiowa, Comanche and Wichita tribal nations, and that lands extending throughout the state were originally inhabited by many tribes, including those that were forcibly relocated to Indian Territory under harmful federal policies.
We acknowledge that the 39 sovereign tribal nations inhabiting what is now Oklahoma originate from all four corners of the North American continent, and that indigenousness is hemispheric in scope. We honor the land and the people who have stewarded it since time immemorial, and we commit to continuing to learn how to be better stewards of the land we inhabit for future generations.
