2014 Music Review, Part 02 (Albums 100-76)

Here we go!

Counting down my top 100 albums of 2014!

In this second section of my 2014 music review, I am covering the first quarter of my top 100 albums. This section was as difficult to narrow down as the other sections. Just narrowing down my honorable mentions was a big challenge for me.

So I offer these as my humble suggestions for what I felt were some of the best releases of the year.

As always, there is a song suggested with a link to either Youtube, Bandcamp, or Spotify for you to check it out! I hope you find something you enjoy!

Let’s do this!

100. Oh, Common Life, Fireworks

Release Date: March 25, 2014

Fireworks doesn’t feel like pop punk—even though I keep being told they are pop punk. I feel they have found a way to break away from that genre restrictions because they have created a unique sound that stands out in the scene today.

Play: “Woods”

99. Relief, Vacationer

Release Date: June 23, 2014

Kenny Vasoli has played a major role in my musical development. I grew up with the pop punk gloriousness of The Starting Line, and then sharpened my musical tastes with personL—which I think is his best project. And now I get to chill out and live it up with this new summery/indie group, Vacationer.

Play: “Shining”

98. Don’t Wait Up, Bane

Release Date: May 13, 2014

It took nine years, but Bane returned with another incredible hardcore album to add to their discography. A powerful display that while this may be the band’s last album, hardcore will never die.

Play: “All the Way Through”

97. Arc Iris, Arc Iris

Release Date: April 01, 2014

I snagged this album on LP on a whim because 1. It was on sale and 2. I had heard the track, “Singing so Sweetly,” and thought it was a fun jazzy arrangement, so I wanted to hear the rest of the album. Little did I know, this band, fronted by Jocie Adams (the Low Anthem), would sweep me away with her sultry vocals and brilliant instrumentation.

Play: “Swimming”

96. Die Without Hope, Carnifex

Release Date:

When I run, I often listen to metal mixes. This Carnifex album kept popping up for me this year and it gave me all sorts of motivation to power through. So brutality. Very metal. Wow.

Play: “Condemned toDecay”

95. Bazaar, Wampire

Release Date:

I went to high school with Eric and Rocky, the two masterminds behind Wampire. They have always been on the fringe of music trends, so it makes perfect sense that their shoegaze dance-crazed sophomore album would cause a stir this year.

Play: “Fly on the Wall”

94. Young and Courageous, Tides of Man

Release Date: February 04, 2014

What happens when your lead singer leaves to front Dance Gavin Dance? Well, I guess you just go instrumental! I was surprised by how well Tides of Man made the transition to being an instrumental band. This album has many great pieces on it.

Play: “Young and Courageous”

93. Dialects, Snowmine

Release Date: February 04, 2014

I listened to this album early in the year and kept coming back to it—a perk of an early year release. Snowmine has crafted an essential listen for anyone that enjoys chill indie rock. Plain and simple.

Play: “Rome”

92. LOSE, Cymbals Eat Guitars

Release Date: August 26, 2014

I turned on this album after I saw the album cover in a record store—and I was not disappointed. This is such a great complex blend of post rock/post hardcore. There’s something for (almost) everyone to love.

Play: “Laramie”

91. You Will Eventually Be Forgotten,

empire! empire! (I was a lonely estate)

Release Date: August 19, 2014

So, emo is back and it is awesome. This empire! empire! album has potential to become an emo classic. Lots of feels, lots of incredible writing—necessary listening for anyone needing to vent about anything.

Play: “A Keepsake”

90. Sonic Highway, Foo Fighters

Release Date: November 10, 2014

It took me a few listens to fully grasp this concept album based on the major music scenes of American history. Dave Grohl wanted to be ambitious with this album and that is the best way to describe Sonic Highways—ambitious. There is a lot going on in this album, and some parts feel phoned in, but it is still a rockin’ Foo album.

Play: “Outside”

89. Language, The Contortionist

Release Date: September 16, 2014

The Contortionist has been known to explore and push the boundaries of prog-metal. My first few listens through this album weren’t great. I was distracted. It took a solid sit down effort to realize that this album has a lot of intricate details working to its advantage.

Play: "Language I: Intuition"

88. Devil, Chiodos

Release Date: April 1, 2014

We did it! Craig Owens is back with Chiodos! I guess the drama is over! And Thom Erak is along for the ride this time! Even with all of this good “news,” I was nervous for Devil. Yet, surprisingly, this album did an incredible job rebuilding the Chiodos sound (minus “3AM,” which is a terrible song).

Play: “Behvis Bullock”

87. Wovenwar, Wovenwar

Release Date: August 05, 2014

What would you do if your lead singer was arrested for plotting to murder his wife? Well, you start a new band, apparently! That’s what the members of As I Lay Dying did—as they teamed with Oh, Sleeper lead singer, Shane Blay, to create this all new metal force to be reckoned with.

Play: “All Rise”

86. Our Love, Caribou

Release Date: October 07, 2014

This is such a chill album with great beats, soft vocals (when there are vocals), and some absolutely stunning compositions.

Play: “Dive”

85. Shelter, Alcest

Release Date: January 17, 2014

I did not expect to fall in love with a shoegaze band from France this year. But it happened. This album is uplifting to the point that it feels like a religious experience when you listen to it. Such a light and airy listen.

Play: “Shelter”

84. Heavy Fruit, He is Legend

Release Date: August 19, 2014

When I heard there would be a new He is Legend album, I thought of the first time I saw them live back in 2007—their energy, their rawness, their talent. This album is a great return to form for these southern metal heads.

Play: “This Will Never Work”

83. Mitau, Audrey Fall

Release Date: January 14, 2014

Audrey Fall has crafted a very full post metal instrumental sound. It’s hard to tell where the band will go from this debut LP, but listen to this one while lying on the floor on a rainy day. Trust me.

Play: “Courland Aa”

82. Splinters, Vallenfyre

Release Date: May 13, 2014

I got a headache while head-banging to this album the first time I went through it. So, that right there should be a clear indication that this is a powerful extreme metal album from a dominant British supergroup that contains members of Paradise Lost, Doom, and At the Gates.

Play: “Bereft”

81. Love of Cartography, Sleepmakeswaves

Release Date: July 04, 2014

This was one of my most anticipated albums of the year and it didn’t disappoint. SMW has been cemented among the best in post rock instrumental tunes—they use this album to explore some uncharted heavier sounds and experimentation, which pay off greatly.

Play: “Traced in Constellations”

80. More Than Any Other Day, Ought

Release Date: April 29, 2014

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I will never have At The Drive-In again. I’m okay with that. For now, I am more than happy to have the art-punk stylings of Ought—who have crafted this masterful album that made me wish I could be in the band.

Play: “Habit”

79. Lost Forever // Lost Together, Architects

Release Date: March 11, 2014

So, holy shit—Architects performed most of this album when I saw them live this year and I loved every second of it. I am a big fan of their previous albums, and this release is another strong metal album from one of Britain’s finest acts.

Play: “Naysayer”

78. After the End, Merchandise

Release Date: August 25, 2014

It’s hard to explain Merchandise’s sound. It has a throwback 80s Brit-pop feel to it—if I had to compare it to anything, I would say Interpol mixed with the Cure. But I’m probably wrong because I just can’t pin down a way to describe the way this album makes me feel.

Play: “Enemy”

77. Once More ‘Round the Sun, Mastodon

Release Date: June 24, 2014

Has Mastodon made a bad album yet? The answer is no. These men continue to release dominant metal albums that will motivate other metal bands to step their game up.

Play: “The Motherload”

76. Island Intervals, Death Vessel

Release Date: February 25, 2014

Joel Thibodeau and his team worked with Jonsi from Sigur Ros to create this incredible folksy/ambient album. I found this album endearingly powerful in its delivery of a loveable—yet, dynamic sound.

Play: “Velvet Antlers”

There is the first quarter of my list!

Get ready for the next section in just a few days!

In the meantime, if you haven’t already, check out the last post:

- Part 001 (EPs & Honorable Mentions)

2014 Music Review, Part 01: Top EPs and Honorable Mentions!

Welcome to a new year of blog posts!

I like to spend January recounting the top music of the previous year.

So I will dedicate my next FIVE posts to this very cause.

This year I listened to well over 650 albums in pursuit of becoming more informed about what music is being made today! I'm not a big fan of radio/popular tunes, but I give them a try in comparison to the other music that takes some digging to unearth!

I am starting with my favorite EPs of the year.

EPs are shorter music releases that are often between 3-7 tracks and/or less than 25 minutes in length. They often must be characterized as such when released by the band or label due to contract obligations. For those unsigned, these releases are often used as a debut or sophomore release to explore the development of a sound.

That being said, I find that EPs follow a different structure when released, compared to a full length LP. This is why I judge them separately.

I hope you find something that interests you!

NOTE: Each album has a suggested track to listen to, of which you can click to open up Spotify, YouTube, or bandcamp, depending on the accessibility of the track.

Here we go! 

20. While I Stay Secluded, Knuckle Puck

Release Date: October 28, 2014

2014 was the year I revisited the pop punk scene to realize that I was way behind and that many new players have taken over the scene. This EP from Knuckle Puck is a solid portrayal that pop punk is not dead.

Play: “But Why Would You Care?”

19. Broods, Broods

Release Date: January 31, 2014

I latched onto this EP when it was released because it is an infectious poppy demonstration that is great for spring/summer listening. However, I was disappointed by the full length release.

Play: “Never Gonna Change”

18. EP II, Alice Boman

Release Date:

Yes, Alice Boman appears on my top EPs list again this year! She returns with slow-burning and methodical songs that feel like sketches, with piano arrangements accompanied by her quaint vocals and subtle storytelling.

Play: "What"

17. Nothing Here For Us, Cult Leader

Release Date: April 15, 2014

This is an absolutely punishing EP. These Ex-Gaza members create an extraordinary hardcore/metal experience. If you’ve slept on this release, wake up!

Play: “Skin Crawler”

16. Woohoo!, CHON

Release Date: March 04, 2014

Chon gave us another EP this year and it was pretty damn good. These instrumdjentalists create some powerful pieces that keep guitar enthusiasts on their toes.

Play: “Knot”

15. Chapajuby, Their Dogs were Astronauts

Release Date: August 23, 2014

Guitar virtuosos are apparently hard to come by in Austria—yet, these brothers have crafted a beautiful prog post-djent (Yes, POST-DJENT) album that speaks volumes without uttering a single word.

Play: “Droids Choir”

14. Resist, Hundredth

Release Date:

After seeing Hundredth live this year, I was convinced they are a group that has many elements that could make them huge in the post hardcore scene. This quick EP is merely an extension of what the band is capable of—as it serves as a companion to their heavier effort on the Revolt EP.

Play: “Shelter”

13. Belong ≠ Betray, Devil Sold His Soul

Release Date: November 17, 2014

Some damn fine post hardcore tunes that sort of came out of nowhere for me. I have since gone through some older tunes, and despite some changing within the band, their sound doesn’t suffer.

Play: “Devastator”

12. Ocean Death, Baths

Release Date: May 06, 2014

Baths followed up its 2013 release, Obsidian, with this brilliantly dark electronic display of heartbreak and yearning. This was released in the mid-Spring, but it feels more suited for winter listening.

Play: “Yawn”

11. And Then The Moon, NTNT

Release Date: January 23, 2014

I’ve been following Dustin Brown since he hit me in the head with a guitar during our junior year of high school—the man is a musical force to be reckoned with. His latest group, NTNT, has gained a lot of attention for this dance-filled indie-rock explosion of fun.

Play: “Good Heart, Bad Lungs”

10. Clear, Periphery

Release Date: January 28, 2014

This release wasn’t necessarily an EP or an LP. It sort if just is what it is. It’s a seven song powerhouse of one of today’s best metal bands creating dazzling tunes. Each member of the band wrote a song for this release, which gives it a unique feel. Cannot wait for the Juggernaut: Alpha/Omega in a few weeks!

Play: “Feed the Ground”

09. Infinity(zero), symmetry/symmetry

Release Date: December 19, 2014

Hailing from Salem, Oregon, these experimental genre-bending dudes have been melting my brain with tunes for many years. They return with a follow-up to their debut LP, Have Cake, with this brutally honest and expansively vast array of exploration akin to Radiohead meets Sigur Rós.

Play: “Machine”

08. Ultramantis Black, Ultramantis Black

Release Date: July 08, 2014

Do you think you’re hardcore? Well, are you a straight-edge vegan masked professional wrestler that fronts a hardcore band? No? Well…time to educate yourself. Note: This vinyl release has one of the most intricate etchings ever.

Play: “West Siberian Plain”

07. Dragon Mouth, Dust Moth

Release Date: April 22, 2014

Here is another Pacific Northwest band that has given me a lot of feels this year. This band has a perfect blend of O’Brother’s sludgy tone mixed with older 30 Seconds to Mars experimentation, and a female vocalist that gives this release a very unique sound. Sounds weird? No. Sounds incredible!

Play: “Selector”

06. Meridian, The Helix Nebula

Release Date: August 29, 2014

Instrumental djent and/or metal take over much of the time I spend walking around during the day. Helix Nebula makes me feel invincible when I listen to this debut EP. Plini  guests on this release because obviously. Give it a listen!

Play: “Convalescence”

05. Side 02, Caleb Hawley

Release Date: November 18, 2014

If you enjoy soulful, Mo-Town rock with a groovy/jazzy feel—this is EP is perfect for you. I met Caleb a few years back in Wisconsin and knew he was an incredible dude. Having just penned a recording deal with BMG, he is set to take over the radio airwaves.

Play: “Bada-Boom, Bada-Bling”

04. Wild and Waste, How the West Was Won

Release Date: April 11, 2014

This hardcore metal outfit out of Corvallis, Oregon absolutely dominates on this sophomore EP. The future is bright for these dudes.

Play: “Sons of Perdition”

03. Kauai, Childish Gambino

Release Date: October 03, 2014

It took me a while to enjoy Because the internet. However, Donald Glover came out of nowhere with this incredible new EP that further cemented his talents as a hip hop artist. NOTE: This release was a multi-collaborative dual LP/EP mix-tape release—yet, I chose Gambino’s EP as the shining demonstration.

Play: “Sober”

02. Little Histories, Cloudkicker

Release Date: December 01, 2014

So, Cloudkicker finally got to do a live tour and it took the scene by storm. Alongside Intronaut, Ben Sharp was able to assemble his one-man-show into a full-fledged, powerful instrumental force. This new EP only furthers the impressive collection that Sharp has amassed to this point.

 Play: “Chameleon”

01. Between Bodies, The World Is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die

Release Date: October 07, 2014

The band with the longest name in music today teamed up with slam poet, Chris Zizzamia to create a whole new vision for this group at the forefront of the emo revival movement. Zizzamia brings in an added energy to the band, as well as a sharp-tongued approach to social justice and living a pleasant life. I consistently came back to this EP whenever I needed to remember why I love slam poetry enmeshed with dazzling musical accompaniment—I’m a sucker for it.

Play: “If and When I Die”

Honorable Mention ALBUMS of 2014 (In Alphabetical Order by artist):

“Lowborn,”Anberlin

“Principio de Incertidumbre,” Audiolepsia

“Yamadori,” Bear the Mammoth

“Phantom,” Betraying the Martyrs

 “Versus,” Emarosa

“Beneath the Brine,” The Family Crest

“Lions,” William Fitzsimmons

“In Roses,” Gem Club

“Life Lessons,” Handguns

“Moiety,” Helios

“Wolverines,” I Am the Avalanche

 “Life Reaper,” I the Breather

“Never Hungover Again,” Joyce Manor

“Evolve,” Jackiem Joyner

“Little Machines,” LIGHTS

“Slingshot to Heaven,” Margot & the Nuclear So & So’s

“The Amanuensis,” Monuments

“Foundations of Burden,” Pallbearer

“The Endless River,” Pink Floyd

“Atlas,” Real Estate

“Colouded,” This Wild Life

“Blissfucker,” Trap Them

“We Have a Ghost,” We Have a Ghost

“Sway,” Whirr

“Atomos,” A Winged Victory for the Sullen

There is the first part of my music review of 2014!
Stay tuned for part two in just a few days, when I start counting down my TOP 100 albums of 2014!

Be well.

-Craig.

[GUEST POST] Student Affairs is Validation: #SAReflects

Hello everyone!!

As most of my consistent readers know, this has been a fun, active, and invigorating year of growth for me! I am so thankful for 2014 being a year that I desperately needed for my personal and professional growth.

The great people at the Student Affairs Collective asked me to write a reflection blog post about my year. So I did!

I decided to write about how the year 2014 was full of validation for me, which has made me feel so at home in this field. I could not have asked for a better field to enter.

As usual with my guest posts, I want to spread the love to the original posters, so make sure to head over the the Student Affairs Collective website to view the FULL ARTICLE!

Here are some of my favorite pieces from the bog post I wrote, called, "Student Affairs is Validation."

Hope you enjoy!


"Many individuals pursue a career to reinvigorate an industry.
Many individuals pursue a career that influences the lives of the current or next generation.
Many individuals pursue a career that does both of those things, while making the individual feel validated that their work and purpose is important."


"Becoming a leading voice in this online community has been such a brilliant form of validation because I feel that many grad students now have a space to call their own each week. I am glad that I was given the opportunity to create this space. I am glad that each week my colleagues are able to validate each other’s experiences and share something new about themselves and their life as budding student affairs professionals."


"I never knew how validating having a partner in student affairs would be for me—until I had one.

Since we come from very similar backgrounds—white, low-SES, first-gen—we are able to have some very empowering conversations of how we hope to work together to support students from similar backgrounds. We are able to validate each other’s experiences and feel as though we are not alone in this field."


"The recognition I speak of is when I won the NASPA Region 1 Richard F. Stevens Award for Outstanding Grad Student in the state of Massachusetts. When I heard my name read, all I felt was validation. A year of hard work, dedication, and late nights had paid off in this form of recognition. I was completely honored and blown away by the support I received through winning this award."


"So validate your co-workers, your colleagues, your partners, your friends, and your students!
Make people feel like their work is important and be grateful for the effort people in your office put into their daily lives. One small “thank you,” or “good job,” or “you’re doing great” can change any one’s day!"

Again, Click here for the full article!

I will see you all again very soon as I prepare to write about my top albums of 2014! January is definitely fulled with music posts, so get ready for that fun stuff!

Be well and enjoy the new year!

-Craig.

Home is Where the Hard Conversation Lives...

Discussing Racism, Privilege, and the (White) Elephant in the Room Regarding the Ferguson/Eric Garner Discussion—Challenging & Supporting White Students

So, I started three other ideas for blog posts before deciding that I needed to write something about the current state of student affairs work in the post-Ferguson/Eric Garner grand jury decision discussions.

This topic has permeated our work as student affairs professionals because many of our campuses are now serving as beacons for discussion, activism, and demonstrations.

Even many of our student affairs colleagues have written about this topic and how it shapes our work and the ways in which we can support our students of color on campus. And that’s awesome. I think this is a powerful time for our field to step up like this and become leading voices in the conversation on racial injustices in our country.

And yet, there is one facet of this conversation that I want to focus on: Challenging and supporting our white, socially just students that simply want to show their support, but have difficult (i.e. uneducated and/or racist) home lives that challenge them from moving forward in their journey of social justice education.

I am going to share a personal experience, talk about getting to TA this semester through the model of Challenge & Support, and then explain my philosophy of how to support white students during this time.

(Note: This post is IN NO WAY meant to discredit the other very real racial work happening on our campuses and in society today. If you read it with that lens, I challenge you to read this again. At no point is that my intention. This post is merely meant as an extension of the larger conversation. One that I think some of our students need to hear/can relate to.) 

Ferguson is quite the taboo topic right now.
As is an discussion white students as well.
How do we support them?
IMAGE: Michael Ramirez (Investors Business Daily)

PERSONAL CONTEXT

I was adopted into a white, low-SES, uneducated, and slightly racially ignorant home life.

Having just turned 27, my closest sibling is NINE years older than me—with my oldest sibling being 50 years old. I am the only person in my family to attend college, let alone graduate from college and/or even understand the concept of graduate school. Therefore, as the youngest person in my family, I am the only one with any understanding of how the academy works. And, by extension, how privilege works.

This is quite challenging—as you could imagine.

However, it is never more challenging than when the holidays come around. I basically have no support when it comes to virtually any conversation whatsoever. And the scapegoat that my family ALWAYS retreats to is the fact that I’m young(er than them). I mean, I’m 27. I feel I’ve been an adult for a while now.

Now, I assume there are many white students, and white student affairs professionals, that have to go home during the holidays and listened to their “old fashioned” relatives explain why Obama is Hitler, how the liberals are destroying the economy, and how the gays are killing the sanctity of marriage—yes, ALL of these are conversations I have recently had with my relatives.

And it’s hard to listen to your family members say these things, or often worse things. Because when we are in the early stages of development—diffusion, as Marcia might explain it—we don’t question these things. We just accept them.

However, for those of us who develop into free-thinkers—those of us with a little bit of social justice education—we don’t like to keep out mouths shut. So we argue, or we get frustrated and things get tense during the holidays.

It’s always like this for me at home.

And I live over 3,000 miles from home, which makes it even more difficult for me to make the trip. Regardless, each visit goes something like this:

- Relative says something racist/homophobic.

- I get frustrated and challenge them.

- Relative says something equally alarming while trying to explain they aren’t racist/homophobic.

- I get frustrated at their explanation and explain how it is racist/homophobic.

- Relative calls me young and/or pretentious and that my education is a waste of time.

- I realize this conversation is a lost cause and leave to play with my nieces or nephews because they don’t talk about political stuff.

Essentially, going home is hard for me.

And the thing is—I know I am NOT alone in this experience.

Many students experience this!

Many of my colleagues experience this!

My partner and I have been talking about this for weeks!

So what do we do for our white students that still don’t have the tools to question their relatives or even engage in meaningful conversations with their peers?

Image: Steve Breen (U-T San Diego)

CHALLENGE

With seemingly everyone in the nation discussing the Ferguson/Eric Garner grand jury decisions, we, as educators, are in a difficult situation because many of our students are looking to us for answers/guidance.

This semester was my reentry into teaching, as I stepped back into the classroom (I taught High school in a past life) to TA for UMass Amherst’s Education 115 course, Embracing Diversity—which is essentially a Social Justice 101 course, as you can hear some of our students explain in a video I’ve linked at the end of this post. (Note: This classroom context is simply an example of how I practice my approach to educating and supporting white students on these issues. I have many other examples I could use to discuss how I do this with the students I advise as well.)

In being able to TA for this course, I was given the opportunity to educate students on social justice topics like race, class/socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender, privilege, white privilege, oppression, Ray Rice and sexual assault, and even the Ferguson/Eric Garner cases.

The catch of all of this was that I was the only white male TA (of five TAs) teaching the whitest and most male-populated discussion section for the course—88 percent of my classroom was white, over 60 percent were men. I had four Asian students (all women) and one Latina student in my class. The other 35 were white.

I had a classroom full of students from all over New England—two from New York, and one lone student from Georgia. All of these students brought vastly different perspectives on many of the topics we discussed.

However, what I ultimately found was not shocking, but it is something we might take for granted since we have social justice conversations almost every day.

I will try my best to be as clear as possible:

MANY OF OUR WHITE STUDENTS

HAVE NEVER HAD TO THINK ABOUT THIS SHIT!

Campuses have always been incredible landscapes for activism.

We cannot assume all of our students are in the same place developmentally OR that they will agree with or absorb everything you teach them. That’s not how learning and/or development works. 

You aren’t going to change a student, who was raised in a racist home, that racism is bad by simply telling them that racism is bad. They’re just going to go home—where racism is practiced—and not think about racism being bad anymore.

These topics MUST be broken down carefully over time.

That being said, I made it my purpose for the semester to teach my 40 students about the realities of the world around them. I constantly told them, “you’re already ahead of me by being in this class,” because I didn’t have my first privilege conversation until I was 23. I wanted my students to understand that white privilege is not something to feel guilty about—it’s out of their control—what they need to do is understand how their privilege functions in society so they can become better allies/advocates for change.

I took this one hour out of the week to do things like ask my students to Google the phrase, “race is a social construct,” and then they would report their findings and we would discuss how this affects them at a predominantly white institution. I would challenge my students to think critically about the world around them instead of simply regurgitating all of the information they’ve been fed throughout their entire lives. It caused for some awkward silences, but we pushed through it as a class.

One of the first activities I did with students was the privilege walk.

(Note: You can click link for an example of how to do the privilege walk.)

If you haven’t done the privilege walk with your students, I suggest you to do so. I make my own list of phrases for them to respond to (e.g., starting with "If you are a man, take a step forward," and later using "If you are a woman, take a step back."), with the caveat that they aren’t allowed to look back until we’re finished. When completed, this activity demonstrates to students that most, if not all, of their privileges are invisible.

Another way to do this is with an exercise called, "Step in, Step Out," in which all students create a circle and step when they can agree with the statement being read. This is often an equally apt way of demonstrating the privilege and inequalities in your group. I chose the privilege walk simply due to the massively white class that I had.

I had my four lone Asian students and the Latina student (reminder: all women) in the back of the class. When I asked one how she felt being there, she responded,

“I just stopped even trying to move forward. Because every time I did, I would have to take another step back. It made me want to give up.” 

This resonated powerfully with the rest of the class, which was all white, and demonstrated to them where they might stand in relation to the rest of the students in their institution, since UMass Amherst is a predominantly white institution. Her reaction is also another reason why some might opt to utilize the "Step in, Step out" activity instead of the privilege walk.

Moving forward with the class was a much easier task because this was the first time many of my white students had ever had to think about their privilege or their other dominant identities.

Making the effort to discuss these issues in a very approachable and intentional manner with my students made a major impact on them this semester. Many of them commented on my individual course evaluations that learning about white privilege and racial oppression were two of the major topics that challenged their thinking this semester.

Reading through my evaluations made me happy because I could tell that some serious change happened over the course of 14 weeks.

But now they are no longer my students—so I worry about where they go from here.

  

SUPPORT

On Thursday, the final day of class, I addressed the upcoming holidays amid a larger conversation about Ferguson and Eric Garner. I told the students that I had a very difficult conversation with my parents about the grand jury decisions, in which I challenged my parents on their stances—which caused my mother to hang up the phone on me.

Some of my students explained that they encountered some difficult conversations with family on their recent Thanksgiving visits home.

I asked them how they handled the conversations. A number of the students said they sat there listening, trying to think about how to respond—using their knowledge from this course. Others said that they challenged their family for the first time and it felt empowering, while also scary because they were met with similar responses that I receive from my family.

On that last day, I told my students to not be silent.

I told my students that it is okay to challenge the views of their friends and family.

On that last day, I also told my students the importance of picking their battles and to recognize there is a time and place for everything. 

On that last day, I told my students to speak out against injustice and prejudiced if they ever encounter it on or off campus.

On that last day, I told my students to always question the world around them.

Be curious. Discover their own knowledge.

On that last day, I explained that since race is a learned social construct, racism is also a learned social construct. Therefore, we have the power to unlearn these constructs.

On that last day, I gave my students an example of a conversation I had with my sister—in regard to some of my father’s remarks one year.

Sister: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Me: But you can teach a dog to not be racist.

While they laughed at this example—because I’m hilarious—I made sure to bring it back to a very real feeling that what many of our white students are fed from their families can cause a lot of cognitive dissonance.

On that last day, I told my students that I struggle with these topics with my family all of the time, but that doesn’t mean I give up on my family. I love my family. I just have to separate myself from their reality in order to spend time with them, which comes with time.

On that last day, I acknowledged how some of their families might even be paying for their education, which is an even more difficult experience when picking a social justice battle with their family. Sometimes financial support can be more worth more than an argument. This is reality I had to recognize. I know that many LGBTQ youth are exiled/cut off financially for standing up for their identities, and this circumstance can possibly find a similar end result. Again, pick your battles.

On that last day, I told my students to change the subject or lay down ground rules if they don’t want some things being discussed—or to simply leave the room. I have to do this often while at home. It saves me from some tears or from shouting various obscenities. Or to simply save face.

On that last day, I told my students that they might get conflicting information or confusing articles thrown their way, and that’s natural. There is always going to be doubt with every major issue that happens in our country.

That doesn’t mean we can’t question everything.

I'm not sure what will come of this, but I do know that we cannot do nothing.

CONCLUSION

I hope this post demonstrated some ways in which you can support white, socially just students that just want to be allies/advocates on their campuses. Keep in mind that many of these students might come from homes that either aren’t very socially just, or just aren’t open to discussing these bigger topics.

Also remember that my classroom context might be somewhat of an anomaly, but with as much student leadership training that happens on a college campus, I can assure you that there is somewhere to fit in my suggestions.

Naturally there are going to be many white students that will come to you looking for some sort of guidance when they possibly fear going home (like I often do) or simply supporting their fellow students of color on their campus. I suggest giving them space to talk just as you would any student. There is bound to be a lot of confusion, frustration, and probably anger toward their home situation. Be there for all of your students, regardless of race.

I don't want the work we do educating white students to be for nothing. And you shouldn't either. We need to support our white advocates so that they can educate their families and possibly inspire new tricks in some old dogs.

If we are able to affect and educate today’s white college students that come from historically racist backgrounds, we can potentially alter the course of history. If we can educate on the realities of prejudice, oppression, and injustice in this country as early as possible, who knows what sort of impact we can have as student affairs professionals?

In order to support these students, we need to consider our entire student populations when moving forward in how to approach these large racial issues.

I recognize that my approach/philosophy will not resonate or even work for all students and/or professionals. I don’t expect it to do so. However, I do expect that we can support all of our students as valued members of society and recognize that they all come from varying backgrounds that may require us to read and flex according to the needs of each individual.

Thank you for reading.

I hope this helped in some way.

-Craig.

  

BONUS!

Here is the video that three of my classmates and I put together with the support of our EDUC115 students in response to their learning throughout this year. Check it out!

[GUEST POST] Men, music & mental health: #MenInSA

Hi everyone!

I was asked by the folks at The Student Affairs Collective to write a quick blog post about an aspect of masculinity for their November #MenInSA series!

I decided to write about a topic that I love: music.

I expand upon my views of how mainstream music and its messages perpetuate harmful masculinities for men who may need something deeper in their music. So I explore the beauty and necessity of emotional music.

Click here to access the full blog!


Here is a quick preview:

"When I was in high school—and didn’t have the wherewithal to discuss my depression issues—I turned to music. I would ugly cry into the darkness of my parent’s bathroom mirror while listening to The Weak’s End, by Emery because they made my emotions and my feelings make sense.

Music made sure I didn’t feel alone.

Instead of trying to discuss my “struggles” with my parents or friends—seeing as I felt couldn’t because I didn’t want them to think any less of me—I retreated to music because I was afraid to share my emotions with people.

Music didn’t judge me for having feelings."

&

"I find that these mainstream radio messages also stifle male development. Naturally, men are always at different stages of development. But men aren’t taught how to question these messages.

So where is the space for men to question these messages?
Where can men go when they don’t want this lifestyle?
I say we create this space on our campuses.

Messages of mainstream music are just distractions so that men are kept from discussing the actual issues that may trouble them—possible depression, anxiety, suicidal ideations, and/or the loss of a loved one. So, instead of seeking support or intervention for their possible mental health issues, we have an allegiance of men repressing themselves further into oblivion."


See you all next time!

-Craig.