This month's Ed Talk is an important message about Accessibility and the power of perspective. It was written by an anonymous blind contributor and shared by Mary Lee Vance, Director for Services for Students with Disabilities.
October is meet the sighted month. Throughout the month, sighted people will hold events where we can mix and mingle and learn about the special equipment and techniques they use to cope with the presence of eyesight. Also, many sighted people will post invitations on Facebook encouraging us to ask them questions, any questions we want, about their sightedness. To kick-off meet the sighted month, I have put together this list of things to keep in mind when interacting with the sighted.
- Sighted people are often incapable of traveling, cooking, or doing much of anything without the aid of light. While we use our other senses to enable us to function perfectly well in the dark, sighted people have great difficulty developing these skills. When you welcome the sighted into your home, don't forget to turn on the lights.
- Sighted people often cannot understand synthesized speech, and the text on a Braille display is almost always unreadable to them. They must depend on special equipment such as computer monitors and phone and tablet screens to use their electronic devices. If you let a sighted person use your phone or computer and forget to turn the screen on, they will be very confused.
- Sighted people have difficulty learning from textual and verbal explanations or tactile models. They often must be presented with pictures. A good rule of thumb, when writing instructions for the sighted, is to include a picture with each step.
- Sighted people have great difficulty distinguishing auditory cues in their environment. While we can tell when to cross a street by the sound of traffic or where an entrance is by the sounds of people entering and exiting, sighted people often must rely on visual information alone.
- Sighted people rely heavily on an inaudible code called color. They use color to safely navigate by car and perform countless other tasks we can perform using auditory and tactile cues. Also, they are often quick to judge us based on what colors we present to the world. It is important to gain at least a working knowledge of color, so they don’t think we’re weird.
- Sighted people often communicate displeasure using a secret signal called a dirty look. I’ll admit, I’m not exactly sure what this entails, except that it sometimes causes sighted people to behave in ways which seem inappropriate to the situation I.E. telling someone off for no apparent reason. As blind people immune to the effects of the dirty look, we can only try to teach the sighted to use their words when communicating displeasure with us.
So, there you have it. Keep these points in mind, and your next encounter with a sighted person should be as smooth as a brand new NFB cane tip.
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Click to submit a question or comment for next month's Ed Talk.
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Sacramento State and Zócalo Partner to Support Students
Sacramento State continues to look toward the future with the continued vision of the five-campus imperatives: Student Success, Philanthropy, Diversity and Inclusion, Public Safety, and Community Engagement.
During one of the most challenging times for restaurants and small businesses in history, Zócalo Restaurants’ commitment to the community and supporting the efforts of Sacramento State students has never faded. Noe Hernandez, CFO of Zócalo Restaurants, shares why it is essential to keep the vision of philanthropy alive and support students as they become the leaders of tomorrow. Hernandez, a recent graduate of the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program at Sacramento State, expresses his passion for this partnership.
“One of our core values is Mexican hospitality, and what that means as well, is service to our customers, to our employees, and our community. Serving our community also helps empower the next generation of leaders, and that is why this partnership with Sac State is so important to us,” Hernandez, CFO.
Zócalo has been part of the ever-growing scholarship fund for the popular Feria de Educación that happens annually. Over the last two years, Zócalo has contributed to awarding more than fifteen $1000 scholarships to our students at Sacramento State. “Not only did the sponsors give me the financial means to continue with my studies, but they also gave me the confidence I needed to surpass the financial obstacles that I am facing as a student," Brenda Lopez Romero '22. In these trying times, our students seek financial support more than ever, and partnerships like the one with Zócalo will allow our students to continue with their educational goals.
Hernandez says, “I never saw myself as a restaurant manager, I always saw myself as a business owner or entrepreneur, and I think giving other students that opportunity to see themselves as something more than they dreamed is important to me.”
Thank you to Zócalo and the staff that helped get all the scholarships out to our students so that they are able to achieve their dreams.
Enjoy this wonderful message from the CFO of Zócalo, Noe Hernandez congratulates our students who received the scholarships.
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Reach Out; We’re Here:
Peer Counselors at Sac State
Student Health and Counseling Services announce that Peer Counselors will be joining the campus counseling community this fall semester. The Peer Counselors program was initially launched in the Spring of 2020 in response to an increased need for mental health support on campus. As peers and members of the student body, Peer Counselors provide students in need a unique opportunity to find relief, healing, and acceptance.
“Life is harder than ever, and it is important for students to know they are not alone,” says Peer Counseling Coordinator, Katelyn Sandoval. A Spring 2020 Active Minds survey identified that two-thirds of students reported an increase in supporting others with their mental illness. Not all students feel comfortable speaking to professionals and, as such, Peer Counselors are uniquely able to support their fellow Hornets, helping to break stigmas associated with mental health, bringing attention to resources on campus, as well as providing timely and friendly conversations to students simply needing to talk.
The Fall team of Peer Counselors represent a diverse selection of students coming from a wide-range of academic, cultural, and social backgrounds. Sandoval believes that, “We as people have the capacity to help other people and it is crucial that we find ways to connect, virtually or in person. Simply talking about our feelings and having someone available to listen, can help provide relief and healing.”
Peer Counseling is a confidential and judgment-free space where students can come and chat with a peer about anything and everything. Peer counselors are not licensed professionals but are trained in basic counseling skills and suicide intervention.
Appointments are held virtually and can be booked from 7 days to 30 minutes in advance. Students looking to talk to a Peer Counselor can find out more information or book an appointment below.
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If you would like to learn more about Peer Counselors, contact Katelyn Sandoval at sandovalk@csus.edu or 916-278-3579 with questions.
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Student Health and Counseling and the PRIDE Center: Queer Connect
Established in Fall 2018, Queer Connect is a student group that meets weekly, where students can connect, come together to find community, and learn about resources.
Founded by Student Health and Counseling's Katelyn Sandoval and PRIDE Center's Melissa Muganzo Murphy, the group supports students challenged by stigmas around seeking mental health services and celebrates LGBTQIA+ identities. "LGBTQIA+ Health Matters," says Muganzo Murphy.
During 2018 and 2019, Queer Connect would meet weekly in the Pride Center via drop-in but now has moved virtual with weekly Zoom meetings on Wednesdays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Students looking to join Queer Connect can attend via the Zoom link below.
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Student Affairs' Halloween Haunts
Halloween is a favorite time of year at Sacramento State. It is a day that celebrates the campus community and highlights the incredible creativity and imagination of our Hornet Family. Sadly, we will not be able to be on campus and celebrate together in 2020, but we know that everyone’s passion for this holiday lives on.
As Halloween approaches, if you are planning to decorate your home office, or haunt your next Zoom meeting with spooky virtual backgrounds, we would love to see your imagination at work! Student Affairs Marketing & Communications is collecting photos of your decorated workspaces and screenshots of your Zoom meetings to share in an upcoming edition of the Buzz Around Student Affairs.
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A Stellar Fall Lineup from the
Career Center
The Career Center is excited to announce another great semester, full of opportunities for students and alumni seeking employment to engage with local employers.
Students can learn more about and register for all events through their Handshake account.
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Job and Internship Fair
The Fall 2020 Job and Internship Fair was held on October 6th and 7th and connected employers with students virtually through the Career Center's job platform, Handshake. More than 80 employers from industries including: non-profit, government, technology, construction, education, insurance, retail, and banking met with students during the two-day fair. More than 150 group sessions were conducted and 980 1:1 sessions were filled by students/alumni.
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Meet the Employer Info Sessions
The Fall Semester’s Meet the Employer info sessions feature companies Amazon, Tesla, Dignity Health, SMUD, and more, and provides a great opportunity for students and alumni to learn about industries, as well as internship and career opportunities with some of the top local and national employers.
“When COVID-19 first hit, we knew the economy would suffer. The Career Center has found that many employers are still looking to hire,” stated Mary Kober, Sr. Employer Relations for the Career Center. These events give students first-hand opportunities to hear from employers about what jobs are out there and what they look for in candidates so students can be better prepared for future opportunities.
All of the employers taking part in this year's info sessions are actively hiring for careers and internships available to all majors. Dates for Meet the Employer info sessions can be found through the link below.
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The HirEd Podcast!
The HirEd Podcast also officially launched in September as a way of bringing the conversation of career and professional development to students, wherever they are able to engage.
Listeners can join hosts Emma Wadiak and Melissa Muganzo Murphy each week and listen to members of the Hornet family and the Sacramento Business Community, as they debunk career myths, explore new industries, and uncover the secrets to career and professional success!
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CARES: Rapid Rehousing Program
The CARES office is excited to announce a new housing program. Sacramento State was 1 of 7 campuses in the CSU to be selected to pilot a College-Focused Rapid Rehousing Program. Sac State Student Affordable Housing, or officially known as Rapid Rehousing (RRH) is reserved for students who are homeless (living in their cars, staying temporarily on a friend or relative’s couch, or staying somewhere not normally meant for dwelling). This program is designed to quickly house a student without needing a deposit or first month’s rent. RRH rent ranges from $400-$500 per month in a CSUS student-only home near Sacramento State. Lease terms are specifically created around the academic school year, never to end during the middle of the student’s semester. The rent includes utilities, Wi-Fi, and case management support. A portion of students’ rent will be put into a savings account and returned to them upon exiting the program, to help with securing their long-term housing.
Sacramento State is partnering with two local community agencies that provide housing and case management. Students over 25 years old or students with unique systemic barriers such as eviction or legal history, poor credit, etc. will be partnered with Sacramento Self-Help Housing. Students who are TAY (transition-aged youth) 18-24 will be partnered with Lutheran Social Services of Northern California.
The funding for this program included resources to hire a Rapid Rehousing Coordinator. With this, the CARES Office is happy to introduce you to our new Rapid Rehousing Coordinator, hired for the three-year grant cycle, Eric Witherell (he/him).
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University Housing Services: OTM Award Winners!
The National Residence Hall Honorary’s Hornet Chapter is excited to announce that members of the Hornet family were granted Of The Month (OTM) Awards for August. OTM Awards recognize the outstanding achievements and support of members of Residence Hall Organizations across the country. Nominations are written by students and acknowledge the contributions of students and staff in more than 16 categories including Advising, Community Service, Diversity, and more.
For the month of August, the three individual winners are:
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Resident Advisor OTM: Andrea Corona ’22 (Ethnic Studies)
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Institution Faculty/Staff OTM: Fabio Terzi, Multi-Unit Manager for University Enterprises
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Graduate Student Assistant OTM: Kim Waterman ’20 (Master of Social Work)
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Kim Waterman and Fabio Terzi went on to win the Pacific Affiliate of Colleges and University Residence Halls, Regional OTM Awards and were nominated for national recognition through the National Association of Colleges and University Residence Halls.
More About National Residence Hall Honorary
NRHH is the premiere honorary supported by the leading international organization advocating for the interests and welfare of residence hall students, while also providing opportunities for their personal growth and development. If you know of a residential student looking to join, reach out to us at nrhh@csus.edu.
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Battling out Life’s Adversities:
Kamille Singh '25 (Kinesiology)
Kamille Singh is a second-year student and has endured many unexpected turns of events from her senior year of high school to the present day. Before committing to Sacramento State as a student-athlete, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in 2018 during a soccer game, which took several months for it to mend. Despite the life-changing incident, Singh realized that she wanted to continue playing soccer for Sacramento State.
While attending her first year as a Hornet, everything appeared to be going great until news sparked of the Coronavirus outbreak. When the University first announced that most courses would be taught online for the fall semester, Singh grew concerned about its decision. She shared how it would be challenging for her to learn from home rather than a classroom environment. She states, "Being online is physically and mentally exhausting… It feels weird not playing soccer every day and being on campus in general. I am always at home doing online schoolwork every day. I feel like I lose motivation day by day, but I know I cannot give up."
Luckily, her grandmother began a business selling handmade masks and taught her how to sew them herself. This distracted Singh from feeling trapped while being home. Their small business has sold thousands of face coverings. To continue the business's success, she helped her grandmother by taking care of the media aspect.
Singh is also a part of the Sacramento State Women's Soccer Club. She quickly became involved with her team and now manages their social media platform as the head "Social Media Officer." Her passion for soccer was evident; however, she began questioning whether she made the right choice in selecting Child Development as her major. She reflected on her prior injury and how her physical therapist inspired her to help others recover. Thus, she decided to major in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science. Though life may throw unforeseen curve balls our way, Singh reminds us to fuel our passions even with overwhelming adversities.
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Working Out Your Stress Workshops
for Students
Managing stress as a college student can be difficult at times to deal with alone. To help students with this dilemma, Active Minds Peer Health Educators from Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) have provided peer-led monthly Working Out Your Stress workshops since 2010. Lara Falkenstein, Mental Well-Being Health Educator is the primary coordinator for organizing the workshops and emphasizes how important it is for faculty and staff to inform their students of the free events. Students are not only benefitting from relieving their stress or anxiety, but they can also improve their academic performance by participation.
Upcoming Working Out Your Stress Workshops:
- Planting Positivity with Sustainability
October 13th, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
- Working Out Your Financial Stress
November 10th, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.
- Body Acceptance and Body Positivity Through Spiritual Wellness
December 2nd, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.
These workshops were designed to support mental health and encourage students to learn about tools and resources to manage their stress. Falkenstein and other on-campus partners, such as the Women’s Resource Center (WRC), Sac State Sustainability, Financial Wellness, and others collaborate to highlight campus resources available to support student mental health and break down mental health stigma together.
Students can register for the workshop of their interest by clicking the link below.
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ASI Aquatic Center Offers
Free Wellness Friday's
Even though this fall semester looks a little bit different this year, Associated Students Inc. (ASI) is making strides to keep students, faculty, and staff active in the Sacramento State community as well as encourage safe, outdoor fun!
The Sacramento State Aquatic Center is offering Sac State staff “Free Wellness Friday’s”, available on October 16 and October 30. These two events will offer free equipment rentals, kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards for participants. What better way to melt away some semester stress and escape the sense of isolation than fun on the water?
All participants must bring a valid employee ID to access and are encouraged to make a reservation on the Sacramento State Aquatic Center site below.
We hope to see you there!
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October Wellness Tip
This autumn season welcomes chilly weather, the turning of leaves, and maybe even some
mid-semester stress. As we progress into the fall semester, it’s still important that we keep our mental and physical health at ease.
One way of keeping some mid-semester anxieties away is putting pen to paper. Journaling is a great way to clear your head of any looming tasks, feelings, or even projects you may have been putting off. Topics for journaling range from anything to everything. Whether it’s a Trader Joe’s shopping list or the recap of a not-so-great day, the act of writing your thoughts on paper is proven to evoke mindfulness, crush writer’s block, and spark your creativity.
While we continue to work virtually, it’s imperative to keep a clear and calm mental space. As work can seem to pile, we have the power to unpack some of that load onto paper and create a more healthy happy mental state for ourselves.
Learn more about the benefits of keeping a journal by pressing the button below.
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Skype for Business is retiring. Microsoft Teams is the way to go.
On July 31, 2021, Skype for Business will officially retire. But there is no reason to worry, Microsoft is providing a bigger and better solution, Microsoft Teams! Aside from the chat, call and screen share features that Skype for Business provided, Microsoft Teams also allow you to share and edit files in real-time, create, assign, track and complete tasks related to a project, and so much more.
Online Resources
Don’t wait until Skype for Business retires, learn all there is to know about Microsoft Teams now!
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Comments, Questions, Concerns?
Don’t hesitate and reach out via any of the following ways:
- Email: sa-it@csus.edu
- Phone: (916) 278-2745
- Microsoft Teams, Skype4Business or Zoom chat: sa-it | stdaf-01
- FaceTime, Google DUO or WhatsApp: 916-984-5354
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