You’ve been glowing! There are innumerable successes you all have experienced and I’m here to say, “CONGRATULATIONS!” One of the important aspects of the lives we live is being able to celebrate all of our life’s wins – small, medium, and big! When we carve out time to and hold space for the good that we do, it helps to remind us that even while managing a lot, there continues to be opportunity for celebration.
I’m centering celebration because I’ve heard more often than not, our community members not elevating and honoring the great strides happening in their lives. Are you one of those people? If so, here are a few steps to make celebration a more integral part of your days, weeks, months, and years!
Create a hard-copy or digital repository for your wins and if you aren’t sure if it’s a win, stash it in established space anyway. When we have a place to be reflective about our work, it encourages our brain to think of even more we have accomplished. Share your wins and successes with others! Allow others to join you in the joy of your success! There is something about being in community with others who care about what you’re doing. And, don’t be shy; sharing your success is not selfish! If you need someone to share your success with, please allow me to be a part of your sharing circle!
Celebrate in a meaningful way! It can be easy to move on to the next class, project, or important thing, so be sure to interrupt that pattern and PAUSE! What can you do to really celebrate what you accomplished?
I share these three points as a guide because I’ve used them to help me celebrate, too. There have been a number of successes this semester and I've enjoyed engaging In my reflective practice, sharing with others, and finding something exciting to do to celebrate.
What do you need to celebrate, OCU community? Join us across our social media platforms with the hashtags #ocucelebrate and #ocuodei so we can shout you out and celebrate with you!
Talia Carroll, Ph D (she/her) Vice President for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
When we think about the United States, we have a tendency to think mostly about its cities or more densely-populated areas. However, this kind of thinking can potentially leave out significant portions of the population that are currently living in our country's rural areas. For example, in Oklahoma, according to the US Department of Health & Human Services, around 59% of the 3 9 million folks that call this place home live in cities: the rest are considered 'rural ' But what does that even mean in 2023?
In the first installment of a series with the Brookings Institution, the host of Rural Matters chats with Mark Rembert, Director of Research & Knowledge and the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) Together, they discuss common misconceptions about rural America, how data and research can combat those misconceptions and deepen the broader understanding of America holistically.
The Rural Matters podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
"We don't have a clear way of defining rural America."
"In 2020, there were nearly 14 million rural people identifying as Black, Hispanic or Latino, Native American, Asian or multiracial and that population is larger than NYC and LA combined."
What are some conclusions about who lives in rural America and their dependence or independence from those who live in cities?
Concussions often create temporary disabilities which may require temporary reasonable accommodations and they can happen to anyone. I wanted to provide some basic information to help bring awareness to what a concussion is, what people may be experiencing in terms of symptoms and what steps are necessary for their recovery.
Concussions typically happen from a blow to the head, which can occur as a result of sports injuries; motor vehicle accidents; falls; bicycle crashes; intimate partner violence; hitting the head against something hard (e.g., standing up into an open cabinet); assault and military service-related injuries. In the vast majority of cases, there are no long-lasting symptoms or structural damages from concussion as long as the recommendations from the medical provider are followed. This is because the brain is surrounded by fluid (i.e., cerebrospinal fluid) that protects it and acts as a shock absorber to keep the brain safe.
Our brain is approximately 2% of our body weight; however, it consumes around 20% of our body’s energy! When the brain sustains a concussion, its ability to effectively use this energy is reduced. Stress can cause similar symptoms but as the information below shows, the effects caused from a concussion cause those symptoms to be significantly worse.
Most people show some symptoms during the first week to the first month after sustaining a concussion. These symptoms are part of the normal recovery process and are not typically, signs of permanent damage or medical complications. The majority of people with concussions recover completely in 1 week to 3 months.
During the recovery time, a person who has suffered a concussion should be resting both cognitively and physically. For example, students on our campus are typically instructed to avoid all academic work and to refrain from using screens and/or devices to avoid increasing or prolonging symptoms. This rest is critical for brain recovery.
For a student for example, while on these temporary restrictions it may be necessary for faculty to provide temporary academic accommodations for the student. Typical accommodations may be excused absences until the student can return to class and extended time on all schoolwork and tests that have already been assigned or will be assigned. There may be other accommodations that could be necessary, so these examples are not exhaustive. Also, symptoms and the need for temporary accommodations can vary from person to person, so they are evaluated on a caseby-case basis. Finally, people are not generally released to resume normal activities until they have been cleared by an appropriate medical provider.
The good news is concussions are injuries from which people can make a complete recovery with the proper medical care, rest, and temporary accommodations. This is why it is so important for us to offer temporary accommodations and supports for people on our campus who are experiencing the effects of concussions.
what have you learned about concussions? let us know @okcudas!
neighborhood. Recently she was kind enough to answer a few questions about her new role and how we can get to know The Asian District of OKC!
How does it feel to step into the inaugural role as Executive Director?
It's truly an honor. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to serve our community in this capacity. Growing up in Oklahoma City, the Asian District has always been near and dear to me. Now being able to have an active part in helping the district flourish has come full circle in many ways, so it is especially fulfilling.
What are some initiatives that you have done thus far in your role?
Lunar New Year is the biggest celebrated holiday in Asia, so I wanted to kick off this year with more LNY celebrations. We partnered with the Myriad Gardens to cohost a Lunar New Year event, and also helped the Oklahoma City Thunder host their inaugural Lunar New Year Celebration Game which was really special.
What does Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month mean to you?
Representation is so important, and AAPI Month provides visibility to our community. This month gives our multitude of cultures the chance to be publicly celebrated and embraced in a way that didn't exist even 1520 years ago. Seeing the uptick in support and recognition from outside the Asian community continues to feel very healing because we have gone under-represented and unseen for so long.
How do you celebrate your culture?
I love to cook Korean food for my family and friends! Nothing brings people together quite like sharing a home cooked meal, so this is definitely my favorite way to keep my family's traditions alive.
What are the must-do spots (shop, eat, relax, etc.) in Asian District?
The food is always the main attraction. You can't go wrong eating some authentic Vietnamese food at places like Pho Cuong, VII Asian Bistro, or Lee's Sandwiches, but I also love going to Golden Phoenix for dim sum. You can't go without grabbing boba at places like ShareTea, GongCha, or Tiger Sugar. We also have more dessert options now like Ling's Cakery and Mochinut! Military Park is always open and worth a stop to see the Brothers in Arms monument to learn more about the detailed history behind why the District exists.
What are some upcoming events in the Asian District?
We are bringing an Asian Mini Market to downtown Edmond on May 13th, as well as a full month of AAPI events such as our Youth Empowerment Conference for high school students at Mid-America Christian University on May 4th, and our partnership in the "AAPI Experiences" Series around the city including the AAPI Capitol Day on May 17th and "A Historical Journey" at the Oklahoma History Center on May 10th. Also, we're of course gearing up for our annual Asian Night Market Festival on August 19th. We have a couple other events sprinkled in-between, and those will be posted on our website and social media pages soon!
Seeing the uptick in support and recognition from outside the Asian community continues to feel very healing...
Break that vase Cut your hair Throw your phone out the window. All impulsive thoughts. Impulsive thoughts are spontaneous ideas that are short lasting impulses. You recognize them as automatic, unprompted, and don’t typically intrude on your everyday life. Impulsive thoughts are distinctly different from intrusive thoughts.
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted and unpleasant, and they make you worry and feel distressed Alternatively, intrusive thoughts are generally associated with mental health disorders. People who don’t have a mental health disorder can have intrusive thoughts as well. According to a study conducted in 2014, 93% of participants experienced a least one intrusion within three months
Often, an intrusive thought is different from your typical thoughts, as they might be uncharacteristically violent, and are bothersome and/or hard to control According to the Chicago Counseling Center, the content of an impulsive thought can be similar to one of an intrusive thought, which is the ability “to move on from it relatively quickly without significantanxiety.”
It’s best to first identify the thought as intrusive and that the thought is not what you necessarily want to do Next is to not fight with it but accept it. Often, suppression just makes you think about the thought more. "The more you think about it, the more anxious you get and the worse the thoughts get," says Dr. Kerry- Ann Williams, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School. Finally, don’t judge yourself or try to interpret the meaning of the thought. Experiencing intrusive thoughts doesn’t make you a bad person or indicate that you will do something bad or harmful in the future.
It’s important to note the different between intrusive and impulsive and use them correctly. Misusing impulsive when you use intrusive ignores the severity that intrusive thoughts have on a person and can leave those who struggle with intrusive thoughts to feel invalidated or ignored.
All currently enrolled students are eligible to use the services of the Counseling Center If you require or think you require assistance, please contact University Counseling at 405-208-7901.
“Remember that intrusive thoughts are automatic, and it is not up to you whether or not you have them. What is up to you is how you respond and whether or not you allow them to have power over you.”
- Carolyn Moriarty, M.A., LCPC Chicago Counseling Center
In 2021, Stanford University held Engineering for All, an event that included "Inclusive Design," about designing technology that is inclusive and accessible to all students and especially those with disabilities. Two of the speakers have disabilities themselves, Including Adrian Rodriguez, a blind software engineer who designs communications that work for nonsighted people, and Stanford lecturer Lindsey Felt, who is Deaf and wears cochlear implants. Their talk gave insight on how schools and workplaces could design inclusive technology. They routinely make the point that, “when engineers design for disability, everybody benefits”.
Engineers have been tasked with an important challenge that is more than achievable, but collectively, they have to be willing to go the extra mile and take the time to find someone that experiences or has experience with the type of disability they are concentrating on and invite them onto the team This person will then take on the role of research and development, giving real-time useable feedback This new way of solving engineering problems will lead to an inclusive future where everyone can use modern technology as it continues to change
The creation of intricate, inclusive technology is left up to the engineers of the world, but what about within the classroom or workplace? Have you ever thought about how your lecture class would be if you were disabled in any way? Blind? Deaf or hard of hearing? How would you manage in the physical space of the classroom? These are some simple questions that can be unintentionally overlooked every day.
Consider our campus Can you identify the accessibility features? What are the accessibility features of the technology we use here? How can you make your work more accessible? Try using the "Accessibility" function within documents you write and edit your text to better suit those who use screen readers, or simply include image descriptions when posting on social media.
There are so many ways to make life more accessible and inclusive for all kinds of folks - try one and let us know how it goes!
April is a time to recognize all those who give their time and energy to various organizations throughout the country! We also encourage you to use this month to spend some of your time volunteering at some of the non-profits here in OKC. There is an opportunity for every passion! Explore the organizations below and find out which one aligns with yours!
The CARE Center is Oklahoma County’s only child advocacy center, and we are committed to helping children find their voice and begin to heal after abuse as well as preventing child abuse through education. Our volunteers play an important role in creating a comfortable, welcoming and safe environment for those we serve. Find out more at carecenter-okc.org
Urban Bridge is creating pathways to holistic health and success to activate the potential within the youth we serve. Built on a foundation of mentorship and mental health, our programs inspire creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership. With positive influences, new opportunities, and fresh ideas, the next generation can reimagine a future of hope. Find out more at urbanbridge.org
Ronald McDonald House Charities® Oklahoma City benefits children by providing a “homeaway-from-home” for families with seriously ill or injured children receiving medical treatment in the Oklahoma City area - you can even volunteer as a guest chef for a night! Find out more at rmhc-okc.org.
The ComeBack Kid Society (CKS) is a 501C3 nonprofit agency providing free mentoring programs for youth. We are on a mission to help youth unearth potential, harness greatness, and discover their true purpose. CKS’s programs have partnerships with local schools, juvenile detention centers, and foster facilities and treatment centers where we pair youth with free mentors. Find out more at thecomebackkidsociety.com.
OKC Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering Oklahoma City’s beauty and environmental stewardship through collaboration, education, and advocacy. The Adopt-A-Park program empowers volunteer groups to adopt a park, median, or greenbelt to maintain and beautify OKC. Find out more at okcbeautiful.com
Bella SPCA is a non-profit organization based in Oklahoma City created to assist lowpaid/low-earning, aging, or terminally ill pet owners with the cost of veterinary care when it cannot be afforded and also find permanent loving homes for rescued animals. Volunteers assist with adoption outreaches, vaccine clinics, fundraising events, and community education. Find out more at bellaspca.org
National Minority Health Month is a time to raise awareness about the numerous health disparities that people from racially and ethnically minoritized groups face in the American healthcare model and encourage action through continuing inclusive medical training for our current future health professionals.
The observance originated from Booker T. Washington's National Negro Health Week established in 1915. Washington studied a critical correlation between poverty and poor health in the Black Community. He advocated for improved living conditions, including better sanitation and healthcare access for America's Black citizens.
This year's theme is Better Health Through Better Understanding, which pertains to patients and their caregivers as well as health professionals as they navigate sharing resources to address health literacy, language access, and so much more.
More resources including tips to improve your health literacy and where to find plain language training can be found at nimhd.nih.gov or search #NMHM on your favorite social media.
Healing from racism is a journey that often involves reliving trauma and experiencing feelings of shame, guilt, and anxiety. This journey can be a bumpy ride, and before we begin healing, we need to gain an understanding of the role history plays in racial/ethnic myths and stereotypes In so many ways, to heal from racism, you must reeducate yourself and unlearn the processes of racism The Racial Healing Handbook offers practical tools to help you navigate messages and privileges, and handle feelings of stress and shame. [Readers will] discover the building blocks to creating a community of healing in a world filled with racial microaggressions and discrimination.
Our friends at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK will once again host the week-long symposium on the American Indian. This year's theme is "Envisioning Indigenous Futurity" and includes a film series, keynote presentations, concurrent sessions, cultural activities and community events. Through their theme, they seek to explore the concepts of futurity within history, cultural anthropology, leadership, Tribal sovereignty, and many more! They will also be celebrating 50 years of scholarship, broadening perspectives, and communitybuilding since they began at NSU. Events are free and open to the public, but registration is required. Visit nsuok.edu for all details!
The Festival of the Arts put on by the Arts Council of Oklahoma City has been a community staple of the spring for the past 57 years! Rain or shine, artists, performers, and several food vendors will take over Bicentennial Park in downtown OKC from April 25-30. The festival itself is free and open to the public, but you'll definitely want to make plans to stop by some OKC's very best food offerings like Indian tacos and Taste of Soul giant egg rolls on the savory side of things and staples Klondike Craig's and Strawberries Newport on the sweet. If you'd like to volunteer with the festival, all of their information can be found at artscouncilokc.com.
Founded by Oklahoman and professional cowboy and recent National Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee, Cleo L. Hearn, the Cowboys of Color Invitational Rodeo will make a stop in Oklahoma City at the Jim Norick Arena at the Fairgrounds May 6 from 7pm-10pm. The largest multicultural rodeo in the United States, participants will compete in a variety of rodeo sports including barrel racing, calf roping, steer wrestling, and bull riding as for cash prizes. This rodeo was designed to educate while it entertains and highlights the contributions of Native/Indigenous, Hispanic, European, and Black cowboys through history. Live music performances will also take place Tickets are available at the door
The brand new Greater OKC Asian Chamber of Commerce invites you to its very first "A Night in Asia Gala" at the La Bella Event Center (6701 W. Wilshire, 73132) from 6-11pm on Friday, May 19! This inaugural gala will celebrate AAPI Heritage Month by highlighting the Asian community's rich and diverse cultures. Prepare for an epic night of fabulous food and live entertainment including both a silent and live auction for some fantastic packages! Presale tickets are now on sale for $150 each and sponsorship opportunities are available! Contact fundraising@asianchamberokc.com with inquires.
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 commitment 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.
