WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.670 So, my name is Joe Frasier, 2 00:00:01.670 --> 00:00:02.920 and I am the Assistant Director 3 00:00:02.920 --> 00:00:05.440 for the Cultural Community Centers. 4 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:07.170 line:15% How that job plays out is, 5 00:00:07.170 --> 00:00:08.950 line:15% I am the Assistant Director 6 00:00:08.950 --> 00:00:10.800 line:15% for the Asian Cultural Engagement Center. 7 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:14.100 line:15% So it's one of six community centers that we have 8 00:00:14.100 --> 00:00:16.310 line:15% throughout our department. 9 00:00:16.310 --> 00:00:17.830 The Asian Cultural Engagement Center 10 00:00:17.830 --> 00:00:19.940 just came online this year. 11 00:00:19.940 --> 00:00:21.930 line:15% And I also, 12 00:00:21.930 --> 00:00:24.630 line:15% so on top of running that center, 13 00:00:24.630 --> 00:00:28.150 line:15% I also advise three other student organizations, 14 00:00:28.150 --> 00:00:29.210 line:15% The Jewish Student Union, 15 00:00:29.210 --> 00:00:30.310 The Muslim Student Union, 16 00:00:30.310 --> 00:00:32.320 and the Asian American Student Union. 17 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:35.490 But the main thing of our cultural community centers, 18 00:00:35.490 --> 00:00:37.662 is they function as 19 00:00:37.662 --> 00:00:39.160 spaces for students 20 00:00:39.160 --> 00:00:41.350 from marginalized backgrounds, 21 00:00:41.350 --> 00:00:42.730 here at Virginia Tech. 22 00:00:42.730 --> 00:00:44.020 The spaces are really inclusive 23 00:00:44.020 --> 00:00:46.090 for whoever wants to use them. 24 00:00:46.090 --> 00:00:48.000 But specifically, they're main mission 25 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:49.714 is to serve as a home away from home 26 00:00:49.714 --> 00:00:51.430 for the many different students 27 00:00:51.430 --> 00:00:52.750 that we find here at Tech. 28 00:00:52.750 --> 00:00:55.700 So we do a lot of programming around 29 00:00:55.700 --> 00:00:57.849 diversity and diversity awareness. 30 00:00:57.849 --> 00:01:00.770 We manage a different History and Heritage Months. 31 00:01:00.770 --> 00:01:03.580 line:15% So, specifically, since I advise 32 00:01:03.580 --> 00:01:05.190 line:15% the Asian American Student Union 33 00:01:05.190 --> 00:01:07.090 line:15% and the Jewish Student Union, 34 00:01:07.090 --> 00:01:09.060 line:15% I help plan the History and Heritage Months. 35 00:01:09.060 --> 00:01:12.920 So we have Jewish Cultural Awareness month in April, 36 00:01:12.920 --> 00:01:15.150 and Asian American Pacific Islander 37 00:01:15.150 --> 00:01:16.874 History and Heritage month in May, 38 00:01:16.874 --> 00:01:18.200 middle of April and May. 39 00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:19.620 So I also plan those two 40 00:01:19.620 --> 00:01:21.330 History and Heritage Months as well. 41 00:01:21.330 --> 00:01:22.580 For the most part, 42 00:01:22.580 --> 00:01:25.320 I like to defer to the students, 43 00:01:25.320 --> 00:01:26.560 as far as what are some events 44 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:28.120 that you would like to see. 45 00:01:28.120 --> 00:01:30.050 What do you think the general population 46 00:01:30.050 --> 00:01:31.567 needs to know most about your culture 47 00:01:31.567 --> 00:01:33.250 at this point in time. 48 00:01:33.250 --> 00:01:34.720 And then how can I help the students 49 00:01:34.720 --> 00:01:36.530 make that dream happen. 50 00:01:36.530 --> 00:01:38.040 Last year, for Jewish Heritage month, 51 00:01:38.040 --> 00:01:40.620 we had Rabbi Nissen Mengel come, 52 00:01:40.620 --> 00:01:43.390 and he gave a great lecture and talk 53 00:01:43.390 --> 00:01:45.470 in the Moss Arts Center. 54 00:01:45.470 --> 00:01:47.420 He's one of the last remaining, 55 00:01:47.420 --> 00:01:48.601 you know, the fewer, 56 00:01:48.601 --> 00:01:52.510 line:15% each year there's fewer and fewer Holocaust Survivors. 57 00:01:52.510 --> 00:01:55.210 line:15% So he came and spoke about his experiences 58 00:01:55.210 --> 00:01:56.720 line:15% and what he would recommend to the youth, 59 00:01:56.720 --> 00:01:58.180 line:15% and things like that. 60 00:01:58.180 --> 00:02:01.520 So we usually try to do one big speaker 61 00:02:01.520 --> 00:02:03.870 to come for each of these different Heritage Months. 62 00:02:03.870 --> 00:02:07.250 We also have open office hours. 63 00:02:07.250 --> 00:02:09.520 So again, I advise three different student orgs, 64 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:11.450 and my door is usually always open 65 00:02:11.450 --> 00:02:14.440 for planning between the three orgs. 66 00:02:14.440 --> 00:02:15.880 What they want to do, right? 67 00:02:15.880 --> 00:02:18.250 Or if there's students that need to come in 68 00:02:18.250 --> 00:02:19.460 and have a conversation, 69 00:02:19.460 --> 00:02:21.870 or maybe they're experiencing something 70 00:02:21.870 --> 00:02:22.940 that they need help with, 71 00:02:22.940 --> 00:02:24.410 or someway I can help. 72 00:02:24.410 --> 00:02:26.360 We also handle bias incident reporting, 73 00:02:26.360 --> 00:02:27.193 through our office. 74 00:02:27.193 --> 00:02:28.890 So if students experience some form of 75 00:02:28.890 --> 00:02:32.310 line:15% bias on campus, helping them with that. 76 00:02:32.310 --> 00:02:35.340 line:15% Today, for example, I gave a presentation 77 00:02:35.340 --> 00:02:38.469 line:15% in one of the leadership courses at Virginia Tech. 78 00:02:38.469 --> 00:02:40.910 So there's a string of things 79 00:02:40.910 --> 00:02:42.503 that our days can look like. 80 00:02:42.503 --> 00:02:44.670 (silence)