What is coming up at the MRC? We are partnering with Black Tie Springfield and the Student Activities Council to bring Patrisse Cullors as our Women’s HERstory keynote address on March 21 st at 7 PM in the Plaster Student Union Theater. I think that takes a lot of resiliency that I don’t know I would have had when I was their age. But I’ve been inspired by my students who despite the negative attitudes some people have here, they are still living that truth and are doing it in a way that is not hiding or being ashamed. I think no one will joke and say the Ozarks is the most open to the LGBTQ place in the county, and as someone who came from a place that was much more LGBTQ friendly, it’s been a shock for me. What is something you see we do a lot of? What I see a lot of, and this is why I love about the students I work with, is resiliency. And I think if we listen to understand each other more that would help. We aren’t listening to understand, we are listening to respond. I’d like to see more dialogue where people are getting to know each other and having hard conversations about what it means to have a specific identity and what it means to live that identity. We get so focused on that group we are a part of that we don’t realize people aren’t a part of that group. And this is a habit of all campuses across the country where people get siloed into their specific community. What is one thing that you would want to see more of at Missouri State? I would like to see a lot more intentional intergroup dialogue. Once that happens we discuss how we can make changes for good. It is a chance for people to learn more about the LGBTQ community but also work to unpack where some of their attitudes and opinions came from and realize how society puts a lot of pressure in understanding these topics. What is Safe Zone training? What do you want the participants to get out of it? Safe Zone is a crash course in base knowledge you need to know about LGBTQ identity. Back when I was applying for jobs in 2016, I saw Missouri State’s position and was excited about the fact that it melded racial justice and working with students of color with LGBTQ students. After that I moved to New York City where I went to NYU for the Higher Education Student Affairs Program where my graduate assistant position was in multicultural education.
After graduation I moved to Austin and held a job at AmeriCorps.
I majored in theater because why the heck not? I did orientation there and fell in love with that type of work. How did you get to Missouri State? I’m originally from Dallas, Texas and went to college in Houston at a small private college. My primary focus is that personal resource work with students but also a lot of programming. I work with three heritage months throughout the year and work with our general programming series. My job is to provide support systems and programming, specifically for students that come from underrepresented student backgrounds. What is your job at Missouri State? What are your everyday operations? I am the Coordinator for Multicultural Programs and LGBTQ Student Services at MSU. Matt Banks, coordinator for Multicultural Programs & LGBTQ Student Services at Missouri State, sits down with Seth Templeman, Parent & Family Programs Family Assistant, to answer the question “Why Missouri State?”.
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