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This past Friday night I had the joy of hosting a dinner party for some of my closest friends. I was intrigued when one of the attendees complimented me on the diversity represented by the attendees. I didn't think it was that diverse of a crowd so I asked her how she meant...
She saw:
1 Woman in her early 20s, looking to figure things out, college student
1 Lesbian with her stuff together who's spent her life fighting to get ahead - well employed, mother, graduate student and so on
1 Nicaraguan with little in common with anyone else at the table
1 well employed guy in his late 20s employed in the study of brain waves
1 host in her late 20s with a professional job at a non-profit
I saw:
4 white folks educated by the same university, 3 of which had the same major - at least part of the time
1 boyfriend from Nicaragua
Then I started thinking about all the ways this group of five could be divided based on religion, income, family, gender and so on. How we can be divided is not important though, so....
My thought process then drifted to questions about what diversity means, and how we see diversity and how our own backgrounds affect our ability to see diversity. To me, my friends are my friends and I see much more what we have in common than I see our differences. When I bring people together, I focus on what people have in common, how people can be included and what people can gain by getting to know one another.
When I think of diversity, perhaps because of my employment, I think specifically of minorities based on ethnic background or country of origin. I rarely think of the actual diversity in our life experiences, which can be just as important - especially for expanding one's mind!
So, was my dinner party diverse, or not?
Comments welcome, as always!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
A Day at St. Louis Public Radio
I am an avid listener and fan of KWMU, 90.7 - my local public radio station. In fact, I'm listening right now.
If you're a listener too, then you've probably heard the "my source" pieces that others have recorded. I decided I wanted to record one too so I emailed the station to let them know what KWMU is my source for and I in return I was invited to tour the station and record my piece.
It was very exciting to see the layout of the station, meet the people behind the scenes and participate in a project that makes an impact on the station. As a listener and member, I value the station more than words can possibly describe and I found myself in a position to give back even more, without actually spending more.
By now you may be wondering what KWMU is my source for and I'll tell you...
I listen all the time and I love Diane Rehm, Talk of the Nation, Market Place, Science Friday, Tell Me More and St. Louis on the Air. During the national programs I find myself waiting to hear, "...and now to a caller from St. Louis, Missouri..." Listening daily for over a decade, I've come to realize there are a lot of public radio listeners in town and they usually call in with pretty smart questions. St. Louis Public Radio is my source for pride in my local community!
Do you listen to public radio all the time too? If so, check out their my source page and send them a note to share why you listen too. This is a remarkable way to give back to our source for balanced news reporting and intelligent talk. Not to mention, if you're sick of hearing the same "my source" pieces repeated, here's your chance to change that. The more stories they have, the less they need to play the same ones repeatedly.
Support public radio.
If you're a listener too, then you've probably heard the "my source" pieces that others have recorded. I decided I wanted to record one too so I emailed the station to let them know what KWMU is my source for and I in return I was invited to tour the station and record my piece.
It was very exciting to see the layout of the station, meet the people behind the scenes and participate in a project that makes an impact on the station. As a listener and member, I value the station more than words can possibly describe and I found myself in a position to give back even more, without actually spending more.
By now you may be wondering what KWMU is my source for and I'll tell you...
I listen all the time and I love Diane Rehm, Talk of the Nation, Market Place, Science Friday, Tell Me More and St. Louis on the Air. During the national programs I find myself waiting to hear, "...and now to a caller from St. Louis, Missouri..." Listening daily for over a decade, I've come to realize there are a lot of public radio listeners in town and they usually call in with pretty smart questions. St. Louis Public Radio is my source for pride in my local community!
Do you listen to public radio all the time too? If so, check out their my source page and send them a note to share why you listen too. This is a remarkable way to give back to our source for balanced news reporting and intelligent talk. Not to mention, if you're sick of hearing the same "my source" pieces repeated, here's your chance to change that. The more stories they have, the less they need to play the same ones repeatedly.
Support public radio.
Twitter Basics Part 2
As a follow up on “Twitter Basics” here are some screen shots which show exactly how usernames may be hyperlinked in twitter posts and how effective use of this tool will ensure your post is seen by those you mention.
These screen shots were taken from Tweetvisor.com, which is the tool I use to view and manage my tweets. There are many tools out there. I use this one because it’s web based and I like what shows up on the screen - a status update box, my replies (or mentions), my direct messages and my twitter stream. This Twitter Cheat Sheet is helpful for exploring a multitude of Twitter tools.
These screen shots were taken from Tweetvisor.com, which is the tool I use to view and manage my tweets. There are many tools out there. I use this one because it’s web based and I like what shows up on the screen - a status update box, my replies (or mentions), my direct messages and my twitter stream. This Twitter Cheat Sheet is helpful for exploring a multitude of Twitter tools.
HYPERLINKING A USERNAME IN YOUR STATUS UPDATE
Here you can see I typed the @ before the username “paperdress” and I used the built in URL shortener to include a hyperlink to the blog post I refer to in my status update.
Once I post my update, @paperdress is hyperlinked to http://www.twitter.com/paperdressgirl which will take one to paperdress’ Twitter stream, where one could then chose to follow her:
REPLIES & MENTIONS
Below you can see samples of my replies section. This is where I see every tweet with my username, which includes mentions and retweets. This first one shows me thanking @gmatlinks for mentioning me in his follow Friday tweet.
In the next tweet, @cristinacr wants to get my attention so she’s used the @ symbol and my username to ensure that her tweet will show up in my replies section instead of getting lost in a stream of countless tweets. Anyone who views her stream may click on my username and be taken to my stream to see who I am and why she’s tweeting me.
Follow Friday tweets are a way to tell your followers of others who they might want to follow. In this case, the usernames suggest that all these users are tweeting about grad school preparation. Each is formatted so that it will appear as a hyperlink to those users’ twitter profiles.
RETWEETS
In following two tweets, @akilbello and @riordanprograms have been kind enough to retweet my message. By doing this, their followers see my initial tweet. With only 140 characters to pass on a message, you can expect that liberties may be taken with your original message. Here you can see @riordanprograms shortened some of my words and added context but the point of the message remains clear.
Etiquette calls for me to thank both of them, which I usually do through direct messages.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Twitter Basics
When creating your account and username, keep in mind your personal brand. You will see a lot of people use aliases or avatars instead of their name. This is not recommended. Use your name if you want to build your brand.
Second, don’t tweet until you are comfortable. You can follow and get a sense of what’s going on, what kind of stuff you find interesting, what bores you (for me, it’s people who go to Vegas for the weekend and tweet the entire time about how their poker games are going).
To make the most of twitter and social networking, don’t protect your updates. Keep an open profile so anyone interested in getting to know you can. At the same time, be mindful of what you tweet and recognize that it goes on your permanent record. All of it.
And some basics:
@username
The “@” plus a username equals a hyperlink, e.g. @racheldelcau
When you reply to someone, your tweet will begin with @theirusername.
If you want to get someone’s attention, you can also put this at the beginning or in the body of your tweet. It’s sort of like saying “Hey Rachel!” Any tweets with your @username will appear in a section of your profile called replies. Most mobile applications have a similar section.
Mentions
This is when a username is placed in the midst of a tweet. Generally speaking, if you refer to someone using twitter you should include their username in the aforementioned format so it’s a link for others. Here are a few examples of using mentions to refer to individuals and other entities.
Racheldelcau: Chatting with @onethatcan about setting up an Entrepreneurs group for Consortium members.
Racheldelcau: listening @onpointradio on @kwmu – great show!
RT = retweet
This is like a forward. An example of when to use this:
Racheldelcau: The Consortium offers full ride fellowships to full-time MBA students at 15 top-tier institutions.
Onethatcan: RT @racheldelcau The Consortium offers full ride fellowships to full-time MBA students at 15 top-tier institutions.
My initial tweet is viewed by my followers. When you retweet it, all your followers see the message. Etiquette calls for including the original tweeters username and making clear any additions you’ve included. Etiquette also calls for thanking folks when they retweet your message.
Onethatcan: RT @racheldelcau The Consortium offers full ride fellowships to full-time MBA students at 15 top-tier institutions. [I’m a Consortium alumnus!]
DM = Direct Message
This is what you do if you want to send someone a “private” message. Example of proper format below:
DM @racheldelcau Help me learn how to tweet pleeeeze!
This message would show up in my DM “folder” on either twitter or my mobile app but not publicly. Also, all your tweets except your DMs show up in your “twitter stream” which is what’s on your profile page. If you click on any of the hyperlinks to my profile above, you will see my most recent 25 tweets. Under my name you can chose to follow me if you’re logged in.
Follow me @racheldelcau.
I hope this introduction to Twitter helps you find your way. Please feel free to provide feedback!
Second, don’t tweet until you are comfortable. You can follow and get a sense of what’s going on, what kind of stuff you find interesting, what bores you (for me, it’s people who go to Vegas for the weekend and tweet the entire time about how their poker games are going).
To make the most of twitter and social networking, don’t protect your updates. Keep an open profile so anyone interested in getting to know you can. At the same time, be mindful of what you tweet and recognize that it goes on your permanent record. All of it.
And some basics:
@username
The “@” plus a username equals a hyperlink, e.g. @racheldelcau
When you reply to someone, your tweet will begin with @theirusername.
If you want to get someone’s attention, you can also put this at the beginning or in the body of your tweet. It’s sort of like saying “Hey Rachel!” Any tweets with your @username will appear in a section of your profile called replies. Most mobile applications have a similar section.
Mentions
This is when a username is placed in the midst of a tweet. Generally speaking, if you refer to someone using twitter you should include their username in the aforementioned format so it’s a link for others. Here are a few examples of using mentions to refer to individuals and other entities.
Racheldelcau: Chatting with @onethatcan about setting up an Entrepreneurs group for Consortium members.
Racheldelcau: listening @onpointradio on @kwmu – great show!
RT = retweet
This is like a forward. An example of when to use this:
Racheldelcau: The Consortium offers full ride fellowships to full-time MBA students at 15 top-tier institutions.
Onethatcan: RT @racheldelcau The Consortium offers full ride fellowships to full-time MBA students at 15 top-tier institutions.
My initial tweet is viewed by my followers. When you retweet it, all your followers see the message. Etiquette calls for including the original tweeters username and making clear any additions you’ve included. Etiquette also calls for thanking folks when they retweet your message.
Onethatcan: RT @racheldelcau The Consortium offers full ride fellowships to full-time MBA students at 15 top-tier institutions. [I’m a Consortium alumnus!]
DM = Direct Message
This is what you do if you want to send someone a “private” message. Example of proper format below:
DM @racheldelcau Help me learn how to tweet pleeeeze!
This message would show up in my DM “folder” on either twitter or my mobile app but not publicly. Also, all your tweets except your DMs show up in your “twitter stream” which is what’s on your profile page. If you click on any of the hyperlinks to my profile above, you will see my most recent 25 tweets. Under my name you can chose to follow me if you’re logged in.
Follow me @racheldelcau.
I hope this introduction to Twitter helps you find your way. Please feel free to provide feedback!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Summer in The City
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| From Drop Box |
Relevance
Not too long ago, someone told me they didn't know if The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management (where I work) is still relevant. Going back to my own personal experience with jury duty, let me just say that I think our mission is incredibly relevant.
We work to promote diversity and inclusion in the business world by providing educational opportunities to top tier MBA programs. We recruit underrepresented minorities and offer fellowships to those (regardless of ethnic background) who can demonstrate a commitment to our mission of diversity.
There are many ways in which our program attacks the lack of diversity found in the business leadership, though what we do, I believe, also impacts the way the majority thinks of the minority. As our members take on leadership roles after graduation they demonstrate that are smart and capable, thus breaking down stereotypes.
So yes, even this day in age, our mission of diversity and inclusion is important. There are still barriers that need breaking down and mindsets that need to change.
We work to promote diversity and inclusion in the business world by providing educational opportunities to top tier MBA programs. We recruit underrepresented minorities and offer fellowships to those (regardless of ethnic background) who can demonstrate a commitment to our mission of diversity.
There are many ways in which our program attacks the lack of diversity found in the business leadership, though what we do, I believe, also impacts the way the majority thinks of the minority. As our members take on leadership roles after graduation they demonstrate that are smart and capable, thus breaking down stereotypes.
So yes, even this day in age, our mission of diversity and inclusion is important. There are still barriers that need breaking down and mindsets that need to change.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
GUILTY (Jury Duty part 2)
In my last post about my civic duty, I shared with you my own deep seeded and horrible prejudice when I told you that "Guilty" was my first thought upon seeing the defendant whose fate I could have potentially played a part in.
As one who "knows better" and firmly believes that one can not be judged on the color of their skin or the style of their hair, the clothes they wear or their religion, I was shocked by my own thoughts. Which clearly meant I had some thinking to do.
Guilty or not, there was no reason for me to think such a thought without even knowing what the man (boy, really) had been accused. It's likely that many have looked at this man over the years and thought similar thoughts, and thus this man, who may have had potential, was never able to see the opportunities in front of him.
What's worse? Other potential jurors had the same thought.
So what do we do? We know that having prejudice is wrong, on so many levels and yet on some level, it exists within us all. If injustice lies deep within my own heart, how can I also be the one who fights for justice?
As one who "knows better" and firmly believes that one can not be judged on the color of their skin or the style of their hair, the clothes they wear or their religion, I was shocked by my own thoughts. Which clearly meant I had some thinking to do.
Guilty or not, there was no reason for me to think such a thought without even knowing what the man (boy, really) had been accused. It's likely that many have looked at this man over the years and thought similar thoughts, and thus this man, who may have had potential, was never able to see the opportunities in front of him.
What's worse? Other potential jurors had the same thought.
So what do we do? We know that having prejudice is wrong, on so many levels and yet on some level, it exists within us all. If injustice lies deep within my own heart, how can I also be the one who fights for justice?
Jury Duty
This past week I served my civic duty after being called up for Jury Duty. As in the past, the experience has brought up a lot of thoughts related to diversity, race and prejudice, city living and our justice system in general.
After much waiting my number was finally called. Once the pool of jurors was gathered we were marched up to a courtroom.
Upon entering the room and seeing the defendant, I was appauled by my first thought:
GUILTY.
If you have ever had any dealings with courtroom dramas or a jury, you know the whole idea is that you're meant to be impartial and free of prejudgement. But of course we as people are not and therefore the jury selection process began.
It turns out that the guy on trial was being charged for possessing a concealed weapon without a permit. The jaw dropping fact for me was that he was caught at the scene of a shoot out that took place ON MY STREET!
Immediately my brain started remembering what few details I knew: the 3 victims, who lived, and those suspected of the shooting, were all "familiar" to the police. My neighborhood is one that is not unfamiliar with violence, though for the past decade has been going through, for lack of better term, gentrification. The neighborhood has been on the rise, forlorn property has been rehabbed to it's former glory, violent crime has decreased and there's a general since of community. A big improvement over 15 years ago or even 10 years ago. So this crime rocked the boat. At the time, I was disturbed but tried brushing it off... "at least they were "familiar" to the police - common criminals - not "random violence" - nothing that needed to affect my personal feelings of safety." DENIAL, anyone?
So as I sat there in the courthouse, listening to the questions and thinking about how to best proceed, I decided, like most others in the room, that I wanted on that jury. NOT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD was the message I wanted to send. Apparently most others did to and in the end, the defendant decided to go ahead, change his plea and admit his guilt.
After much waiting my number was finally called. Once the pool of jurors was gathered we were marched up to a courtroom.
Upon entering the room and seeing the defendant, I was appauled by my first thought:
GUILTY.
If you have ever had any dealings with courtroom dramas or a jury, you know the whole idea is that you're meant to be impartial and free of prejudgement. But of course we as people are not and therefore the jury selection process began.
It turns out that the guy on trial was being charged for possessing a concealed weapon without a permit. The jaw dropping fact for me was that he was caught at the scene of a shoot out that took place ON MY STREET!
Immediately my brain started remembering what few details I knew: the 3 victims, who lived, and those suspected of the shooting, were all "familiar" to the police. My neighborhood is one that is not unfamiliar with violence, though for the past decade has been going through, for lack of better term, gentrification. The neighborhood has been on the rise, forlorn property has been rehabbed to it's former glory, violent crime has decreased and there's a general since of community. A big improvement over 15 years ago or even 10 years ago. So this crime rocked the boat. At the time, I was disturbed but tried brushing it off... "at least they were "familiar" to the police - common criminals - not "random violence" - nothing that needed to affect my personal feelings of safety." DENIAL, anyone?
So as I sat there in the courthouse, listening to the questions and thinking about how to best proceed, I decided, like most others in the room, that I wanted on that jury. NOT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD was the message I wanted to send. Apparently most others did to and in the end, the defendant decided to go ahead, change his plea and admit his guilt.
Welcome To My Blog
Thank you for reading my blog. I've been thinking of starting a blog for sometime now and a recent experience has pushed me over the edge to begin writing, publicly. I have kept a journal for more years than I can remember and now am a bit nervous about taking my personal thoughts and putting them out there for everyone to read.
On the other hand, I often find I have personal thoughts that I'd like to share with the world, as I'm sure others have had similar thoughts. In my own efforts to be self reflective, I hope that I will lead others to being self reflective as well.
On this blog you can expect to read my thoughts about a variety of things, including my work life, my educational pursuits and my inner dialogue regarding tough issues.
I hope you enjoy reading and get something out of it. Please always feel free to comment and provide feedback. All in all, it is my goal to start a conversation and I can't do that without you!
On the other hand, I often find I have personal thoughts that I'd like to share with the world, as I'm sure others have had similar thoughts. In my own efforts to be self reflective, I hope that I will lead others to being self reflective as well.
On this blog you can expect to read my thoughts about a variety of things, including my work life, my educational pursuits and my inner dialogue regarding tough issues.
I hope you enjoy reading and get something out of it. Please always feel free to comment and provide feedback. All in all, it is my goal to start a conversation and I can't do that without you!
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