[00:00:01] Speaker A: At the University of Alabama, we're committed to helping you be the best version of yourself in all aspects of your well being. The Alabama Model of Health and well Being offers a holistic approach to wellness, connecting you with resources that support every aspect of your life, providing a roadmap to thriving in college and beyond. Learn
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[00:00:23] Speaker B: And well Being and WVUAFM the CAPSO.
[00:00:29] Speaker C: This show is not a substitute for professional counseling and no relationship is created between the show hosts or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
[00:01:11] Speaker D: Welcome back everybody. This is the Bama Balance, our spring season, first episode of our spring season. We want to welcome everybody back to to our podcast and I guess before we start, we want to talk a bit about a shift that we've made.
You know, the podcast was originally intended to look at college men's mental health and it was an initiative that both Nick Smith, both two former students, Nick Smith and Johnny Foster, really felt passionate about.
An important endeavor to establish to be able to openly talk about college men's mental health here at the University of Alabama.
Just recently we learned that our podcast could be considered as a proxy program under the attorney general's memo July 2025.
And so rather than eliminating the podcast altogether, what we've done is we've chosen to be more broad ranging in our topics, be more broad ranging in certainly the folks that we invite here as part of the podcast.
The podcast is now known as the Bama Balance. Real stories about College Students Mental health. I think it gives us an opportunity to, to draw our circle even wider, to bring more folks to the table to talk about their experiences as it relates to mental health. Being a student here at the university with that, there's, I think much more that we can learn too from getting a wider range of experiences and students to talk about what they've been through. What do you think, Brooks?
[00:03:17] Speaker A: Yeah, no doubt.
And the thing is, mental health is a problem for everybody.
So you've got to look at it in that point of view. And then when we were sitting there deciding, a factor that played into my mind was all the work that you and Nick and Johnny did to get this thing started.
And then looking at last season, us being able to put out 16 episodes, you know, I think it's important that we continue on our mission now. It may be a little different, but, you know, we may be able to get two more people and, you know, serve different types of people than maybe before. So I'm excited for it.
[00:03:57] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:03:57] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, I. I call that, I think, you know, is cool to be able to kind of expand and reach new audiences. I think that, you know, while that original kind of focus is definitely still necessary, kind of what, you know, what we're able to do with adapting to this is, is, you know, reach more people.
[00:04:25] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:04:25] Speaker B: And try to help as many people as we can, which honestly, I feel like we. We probably would have tried to do with the, you know, with how it was anyway.
[00:04:33] Speaker D: Sure.
[00:04:35] Speaker B: I think a lot of what we say can be translated to anyone.
So, I mean, I'm excited for kind of the future of what we're going to get to do, and I think it's going to be a good time.
[00:04:48] Speaker D: And start doing it. Yeah. I think that if the two of you had not been open and really continue to be invested in it, I don't think we would have continued. So I'm glad the two of you are still invested in it and consider it important to talk about college students, mental health issues, how we can all benefit, how all students can benefit from what they hear from us. Last year, I don't know if I think I passed this along to you.
Some of our data in terms of listeners from last year, and it looked like we had over 200 listeners just last semester of our episodes.
Did I send that to you guys? Yeah, something. So I, I was really happy with that.
To see that, you know, we have a. A good group of folks who are listening to us and to know that we're not just broadcasting in a vacuum.
[00:05:48] Speaker A: Yeah, no doubt. I think it's important that we can at least reach.
[00:05:52] Speaker D: That's right.
[00:05:53] Speaker A: Some people.
[00:05:53] Speaker D: That's right. So plus, I'd miss not seeing the two of you each week. It's again, great to see you guys. This is the first time we've had a chance to sit down like this together again and talk like this. So it's so good to see you guys. We were talking earlier about just catching up and, you know, for the holidays and everything that happened with college football now. College basketball. Right. Alabama basketball. Yeah.
[00:06:17] Speaker B: Roll Todd.
[00:06:18] Speaker D: Roll Todd. We've got a. A stretch of games coming up that I think are we'll we'll have to show our metal. Yeah. In those games.
[00:06:28] Speaker B: Stay healthy.
[00:06:29] Speaker D: Right? Stay healthy. Let's ramp up and let's prove our worth.
It'll be. It'll be interesting. And then just talking about other stuff, like is the cold here in Alabama better or worse than the cold in Colorado?
[00:06:48] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm gonna leave that one to Brooks.
[00:06:49] Speaker D: Yeah, Brooks, you've got your spring break planned already.
[00:06:51] Speaker A: You're going to Colorado listeners. I was telling Dr. Perez that we were talking about the cold and I said that I would take a 0 degree temperature in Colorado over a 20 degree temperature in Alabama due to the fact of Colorado is a dry cold and Alabama has a lot of moisture in the air. So it makes it feel col.
If anybody can back me up, I'd love to have some backup.
[00:07:21] Speaker D: Yeah, DM us on our Instagram account. We have a balance and let us know what you think, because my contention is, is 20 degrees or 0 degrees really better than 20 degrees? I don't. I mean, that's.
[00:07:33] Speaker A: I'm sticking with it.
[00:07:34] Speaker D: Oh, you stick with it. Okay. I did say that I had recently come back to Tuscaloosa after being away for a conference in Chicago. This is a couple of weeks ago and 20 degrees in Chicago with the wind feels like 2 degrees. So I think I understand what you're saying, but I'd still like to be right.
[00:07:56] Speaker A: I think we just need to take a trip to find out.
[00:07:59] Speaker D: Oh, you know what, I wonder if we can do that.
[00:08:02] Speaker B: Wouldn't hate that one bit, right?
[00:08:04] Speaker D: We could. We'd broadcast from the lifts or something.
[00:08:06] Speaker A: Yeah, that'd be awesome.
[00:08:08] Speaker D: Or as we're going down, you would may hear some words that are pretty creative, some phrases that are pretty creative.
But anyway, no, we're glad to be rejoining. We're glad to be together again.
Glad the three of us could be together again to continue this podcast.
And you know, we'll get more into our topic today as we talk about, you know, sense of belonging and what is it that belonging means? How do you find a sense of belonging on campus as students?
And what does belonging mean to you all and to us?
With that, it's been great to be back on the mics. We look forward to continuing our conversation today.
We'll be right back for our next segment. This is the BAMA Balance. Real stories about college students, mental health.
[00:09:19] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
[00:09:22] Speaker C: This show is not a substitute for professional counseling and no relationship is created between the show host or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student.
[00:09:32] Speaker D: We are.
[00:09:33] Speaker C: We encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
[00:10:04] Speaker D: What's up, guys?
[00:10:05] Speaker A: We're back with segment one, and as Dr. Perez was saying that we're going to be talking about belonging today, and it is really good to be back here sitting around this table. So, Dr. Perez, I'll throw it to you and let you get us started.
[00:10:18] Speaker D: Well, I was going to say too, if there's any sense of belonging, it feels like, like we three belong here together. Doing this again. So, so. And I really like that, you know. So the topic of belonging came to my mind just as we were getting ready for this because it's. The Advisory Council on Wellness is doing their white paper on belonging.
And as I thought about it, you know, and particularly as we're making this shift to broader podcast, look, you know, belonging plays such an important part in college students mental health, anybody's mental health. But particularly for college students, belonging can mean a sense of security, a growing sense of confidence and acceptance, too, whether it be within a larger organization or a smaller group, that sense of belonging.
And I thought it'd be great just to kind of explore that, kind of talk a little bit about that and, and how it affects mental health, you know, for, for everyone.
So I guess maybe a question is, you know, when you, when both of you decided to come to Alabama, how did you, how did you find your, what did you, what did you feel like you had your place of belonging or what did you feel like you started to belong?
[00:11:43] Speaker A: I'd say it was honestly a path that's pretty normal here, but kind of different than, you know, most.
I'm in a fraternity here and throughout the rush process is kind of when I felt it, you know, making up your mind on where you're going to pledge and, you know, these guys that you're going to surround yourself for the next four years.
Well, when you're coming here, you know, you're getting to meet a few that may, may have already accepted bids or something like that, but you're really basing it off of the older guys that you see and get to meet in these fraternities and just kind of basing it off what type of guys they are.
So throughout my rush process, like the fraternity that I'm at right now, I loved how the seniors were, and you could just tell that they had it all together. Like, it wasn't just your crazy college party. Like, the seniors were upstairs just kind of watching March Madness at the time, I think.
[00:12:43] Speaker D: Right.
[00:12:43] Speaker A: And didn't even care about what was going on in the front yard.
So I almost automatically got a jump start to a crew that I would hang out around all the time here. And so that turned into 56 of us. And, you know, we all became really close really quick.
[00:13:03] Speaker D: So.
[00:13:04] Speaker A: Yeah, that's kind of. That's kind of my story about how I found it, and it hasn't let me down a single bit, so.
[00:13:11] Speaker D: So you found your. Your initial and maybe most meaningful place of belonging in your fraternity.
[00:13:18] Speaker A: Yeah, no doubt. I'd say most meaningful, especially on campus, just due to, you know, throughout the fraternity, too, and my experience, I was able to meet so many other people, and that's been big about finding a group, really, outside of our group. And same goes for all of us.
Most of the people I see walking around campus, you know, are ones that I've seen or ran into or maybe talked to and then throwing it back to you and Johnny.
I got the experience with y' all last year through the fraternity as well. So two of my most meaningful connections, which is this right here that we're doing and then the fraternity.
[00:14:03] Speaker D: That's great. That's great. How about for you, Edward?
[00:14:07] Speaker B: I think for me, it was, you know, I think I did a few different things that not. Not all of them all stuck, but I think a few things that did was definitely, like, being a part of the start of Farmhouse was just a very unique experience because that was.
[00:14:28] Speaker D: Right.
[00:14:30] Speaker B: You know, even though it wasn't really my idea being a part of that from an earlier stage, there's just kind of a certain bond with some guys I have because we just. The way we've seen it grow and it looks so different than it did when we were freshmen.
[00:14:41] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:14:43] Speaker B: But that's, like, a place where I felt at home here. And then also, I think just some church community, as well as just some really good friends I made.
There's, like, a couple friends that I just made by chance, like, just, like, randomly had barely any prior context. Like, met them on a whim. And then some of my favorite people on the planet.
[00:15:09] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:15:11] Speaker B: And I'm trying to think of, like, what the context even. I don't even remember, like, how it was just at someone's house.
[00:15:16] Speaker D: Huh.
[00:15:17] Speaker B: So it was. And and didn't know him at all, but, I don't know, just hit it off with them.
Just great people.
And that's where I found my belonging.
[00:15:26] Speaker D: How did you know that you belonged?
[00:15:32] Speaker B: Well, like, with any of it or with the cert. With that one group?
[00:15:36] Speaker D: Well, I guess, you know, with groups or people that you've experienced that sense of belonging. How did you know that you belonged?
[00:15:43] Speaker B: This is kind of not terrible, but when they started, like, kind of, like, ragging on me a little bit with the way they did to each other, I was like, okay. I'm definitely like, yes. You know, this is. Because it felt endearing, weirdly.
[00:15:58] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:15:58] Speaker B: Because it was. I mean, it was something that we all did, you know, to each other.
[00:16:04] Speaker D: And. Yeah.
[00:16:06] Speaker B: It was just. It was in that moment, I was like, yeah, I'm. I'm in. Like, these guys, they want me around, which is so weird to think about. That's kind of the way. But. And also with the other. I mean, you just kind of know. I think, you know, when you can tell that there's people who want you around, because there are certainly situations I've been in where I'll be there, and I'm like, I don't know why I'm here, because I feel like these people here. Here could care less whether or not I am, but the people who are.
Who make it known that they're happy you're there.
[00:16:40] Speaker D: Yeah, that's.
[00:16:41] Speaker B: I mean, which is a pretty explicit, like, obvious in your face way, but I think it's a very important way of, like, yeah, this is where I want to be, because it's where I'm wanted.
[00:16:49] Speaker D: So that sense of being wanted or valued.
[00:16:53] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. More so valued, probably better way to put it.
[00:16:56] Speaker D: Yeah. Roxy, how did you know you, like, what feeling did you get to tell you that you belonged?
[00:17:04] Speaker A: You know, I'm not 100% sure I can testify on the. On the joke side of things.
You know, when people are making fun of you.
[00:17:14] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:17:15] Speaker A: Maybe not a great thing, but when they're making fun with you.
[00:17:19] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:17:19] Speaker A: There you put it.
[00:17:21] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:17:22] Speaker A: So, I mean, and there's still a ton of jokes, but there's a bunch of joking around and pranking going on at the Kearney house.
So that was one. And then, like, you kind of said, people show an effort, and you show an effort to hang out with those people.
I think it goes both ways. Just like, the phone works both ways, you know?
[00:17:44] Speaker D: Right.
[00:17:46] Speaker A: You can't get a phone call from somebody if you don't call them.
[00:17:49] Speaker D: That's right.
[00:17:50] Speaker A: And expect one back, so.
[00:17:51] Speaker D: That's right.
[00:17:53] Speaker A: I kind of agree with you. Same. You know, you just feel. Feel good about it, feel warm, and you can just kind of tell if they're similar to you. In some ways, that's a great thing. And some may be completely different, but you just click, so.
[00:18:08] Speaker D: So it's like belonging and acceptance.
They sort of go, yes, very much so. And whatever that language of acceptance is or whatever actions kind of demonstrate that acceptance of you as part of that group or in a relationship.
It's that sense of acceptance that contributes to that sense of belonging. Like I belong because I feel accepted.
[00:18:34] Speaker A: No doubt.
[00:18:35] Speaker D: Yeah. Yeah.
I think it's. I think, you know, it's that. And that's a critical piece of it because there are certain places in certain groups where you know that belonging and acceptance doesn't necessarily happen right away or it's contingent upon certain things. And there's a different value I know that I place on those kinds of relationships with those groups if there's a sense of acceptance, but it's contingent on something. I tend to not feel like there's a great sense of belonging, but I feel more cautious being in those kinds of social groups.
[00:19:22] Speaker A: And I think belonging goes much further than just the word itself and how you feel.
Having a good support system is everything, and you have to have that to be successful and, you know, feel good about yourself. So belonging brings new friends who can both improve your mental health and a ton of other aspects of your life that we can get into in this second segment. But that'll wrap it up for segment one. This is the BAMA Balance.
Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
[00:20:13] Speaker C: This show is not a substitute for professional counseling and no relationship is created between the show host or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 34838.
If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
[00:20:55] Speaker B: Hey, guys. Welcome back to the BAMA Balance. Real stories about college students, mental health. And I think we're. We're gonna. We're kind of talking about. I don't think we are. We're talking about this topic of belonging and that sense of belonging. And we talked a little bit about where we have felt that so far in college, but I think we're going to touch a little bit on kind of where we have not felt that and really what it, what it can mean to not kind of feel that sense of belonging and how in a lot of ways detrimental it can be not to say that, you know, if someone is not feeling like they have a sense of belonging in any community, that they're, you know, have lost all hope, it's like, no, but I mean, there are definitely dangers to not trying to find that.
And I think when you are isolated in that way, that's when a lot of negative, everything kind of creeps in. If you don't have people to rely on.
I mean, it's just, it's hard. It makes life harder. Especially like whether it's stress with something like with your family or school or something, and you're trying to go through it all alone like it's hard. You really can't.
[00:22:04] Speaker D: Yeah. Yeah. You know, as I was thinking about that while you were talking, Edward, one of, for me, one of the things that comes to mind was, you know, growing up, we moved around a lot.
And so, you know, my sense of belonging I think is certainly greater, you know, certainly in college and high school, but moving around a lot, there's that sense of where do I belong? Where do I fit in?
And I think that if I think back on those times when I didn't feel that sense of belonging, it was during those times when we were moving and changing schools and that kind of thing. And there's. I remember the sense of not fitting in, not like I couldn't do anything right.
And that I don't know that I, you know, at the time, I don't know that I recognize it as feeling depressed, but I was certainly sad about it.
And at the same time, I do remember when, you know, those same feelings of sort of rejection and not feeling like I belonged opened up other opportunities where, you know, there are other people or other groups that I could feel or experience that sense of belonging. So I know, I don't know how prevalent or how much college students experience that sense of not belonging. I'm not sure exact what is it, unbelonging or non belonging. I'm not sure what the word is.
[00:23:46] Speaker A: For that, but I think those are unbelonging.
[00:23:49] Speaker D: Unbelieving.
Yeah. Yeah.
But I think again, sort of thinking about college, particularly the first year, you know, one of the questions I had is where, you know, where do I belong and where can I find my, my community kind of thing?
[00:24:07] Speaker A: That's important. But in college, like, you definitely feel at some point I think everybody probably is going to feel a sense of that unbelonging word.
Especially for me.
The end of my fall semester junior year I was kind of in between on switching my major and was with an organization and a club that did a bunch of great things for me and I'm very appreciative of and you know, I'm sitting there in these meetings and all these people are talking about oh yeah, like I'm taking my test to, you know, apply and then I'm writing essays to apply and that sort of thing. And I'm just sitting there like do I really, you know, want to do this? First of all, Second of all, I mean like, you know, I don't really have a good way to talk to these people because they're doing stuff that doesn't really relate to me at the age that I should be doing those things.
So that's when I made the move and that was kind of a self serve centered move. You know, that's one of those things that I didn't really want to consult my parents on a ton because I felt like that was a decision that's going to change the rest of my life and I want to be the one to make it so going through it without them. And I did talk to a few of my friends about it, but select few and try not to get swayed in any direction.
But there's definitely a sense of that unblonging. And then when I made the movement, belonging immediately came over me.
So I felt really good about the move after that and excited for what's to come in the future.
[00:25:48] Speaker D: Right, right. Yeah. There's that sense of, of you know, where you're in this state of unbelonging that, that I can relate to because you also feel a sense of like being alone. Like there's no one else that you feel like is there for you or no one else around you that's there for you.
And then having to feel like, you know, if making a shift like you did, having to feel like this is really my decision that affects me and be able to make that on your own is important.
[00:26:24] Speaker A: And I also feel like it's important to belong in multiple scenarios for the chance the church you do get put in an unblonging scenario. Oh I, you know, a friend group that you establish early that you feel like you belong in and you know that is your set group of friends.
[00:26:42] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:26:43] Speaker A: You know, those are the people that you're going to go and talk to about your sense of Unbelonging in another spot and get advice from and ideas from. So I think it's important to try to belong in as many different places as you can for that one sense of I'm belonging so you can get some help and advice out of it.
[00:27:04] Speaker D: That's really good. I thought about it that way. I mean, to be able to not limit yourself to, you know, where you find your community, but to kind of grow that community.
Right. And that sense of belonging. Where have you found your community here, Edward, other than maybe the fraternity or like how did you grow your community of belonging?
[00:27:29] Speaker B: I mean, I think it just comes down to like, like growing it.
And I talked a little bit about like people I had met just by happenstance. But I think one thing that I, I think I've always been, I've always found interesting is seeing how different groups, people interact with like, even in high school there, you know, you kind of have like circles of friends. And I would be interested to be like, I wonder, like I'd always think, I think this person would get along with this person. They don't. The only common thread they have is me. But I think they'd get along and I would, you know, sometimes like try to just experiment, I guess, but I think like just trying to, you know, getting people connected with each other and, and trying to build that community in that way. Yeah, I think that's, that's a big, big way to help help like kind of grow your, you know, your, your people increase that sense of belonging. If, if you, you know, having a community of, of people who are all, I mean, like minded, they're not so the right word. Better for each other.
[00:28:40] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah.
[00:28:41] Speaker B: I mean, a lot of what I said earlier, I think just the same thing applies. Whether it's when looking for, trying to grow it, it's just different aspects of the same thing.
[00:28:51] Speaker D: Right. So if you were to, if, if you were to both sort of give advice to incoming freshmen or to new students here who might be transferring to Alabama from another school and you know, they were in search of a community or in search of developing a sense of belonging, what would you say to them?
[00:29:14] Speaker A: I think it's pretty challenging as a freshman coming into something a lot bigger than a high school and you've got so many different people with so many different backgrounds.
But my thing is find the organizations that interest you and see what you can do to join those organizations.
Um, another big thing that helped me was talking to a lot of people, random people that you have never met before.
The people you sit beside in class and then freshman forum. Sga. Those sorts of things apply to those.
Because if you can get into those, you know that that automatically gives you friends and.
[00:29:50] Speaker D: Right.
[00:29:51] Speaker A: Stuff like that.
First year councils, another good one that I know a bunch of my buddies have made impacts with. As far as people go, just be yourself.
[00:30:02] Speaker D: So good advice.
[00:30:04] Speaker B: I would say can all. Pretty much all that. I mean, just. I would say get, you know, get involved, but in the things like Brook said and the things you want to do, like if you're. I know, like, there's how many clubs over, what, 600.
[00:30:16] Speaker D: 600.
[00:30:18] Speaker B: So, like, let's say, you know, you're really into boats.
[00:30:23] Speaker D: Mm.
[00:30:24] Speaker B: I'm sure there's a boat club out there.
[00:30:25] Speaker D: There is a boat.
[00:30:26] Speaker B: Join the boat club. There's ski club, if you're into classics. If you're like, I love reading classical literature and philosophy and all that. There's. I know there's a classic club join that.
You know, put yourself where you'll have something in common with somebody. And I also think that, like, everyone has more in common with each other than they realize.
But that's sometimes harder to kind of ascertain.
[00:30:51] Speaker D: Right.
[00:30:52] Speaker B: When on paper, you're very different people. But I mean, just, like, talk to people. And I say that. And I'm kind of the worst at this because, like, I go to class and I'm like, I don't want to talk to anyone.
Class is not a place where I'm trying to make friends. But, like, despite my best efforts to not, like, I've made some friends through classes.
[00:31:09] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:31:10] Speaker B: And you never really expect it and you'll meet some interesting people.
I mean, at least in my. I've had some characters. I'm sure you have as well.
No, your time. But, you know, I think that's just what it comes down to.
[00:31:25] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:31:27] Speaker B: Put yourself out there.
[00:31:28] Speaker D: So what would you say to, you know, to a student or someone who, you know, comes to you and says, there is no place for me here at the university?
[00:31:41] Speaker B: Like, in the nicest way possible. I'd say you probably didn't, like, try.
Well, and. And I will say that because I definitely think there is certain times where, like, I don't think UA is for everyone. I don't. I think there. There are times where maybe you need to go to a different college because it's just like, generally a different speed. If Troy's replaced. Troy's replace. If states replaced State's replace. If Auburn's replaced. No, it's not, because it's all right. But, like, everywhere else couldn't pay me.
[00:32:13] Speaker D: I mean, really, that's pretty clear.
[00:32:16] Speaker B: You know, I think there are certainly situations in which.
Yeah, like, maybe UA is not for you, but I think that, you know, if you give a lot of effort to finding your people, like, you'll find somebody. Even if you don't find a. A grand community, like, you'll find someone that shares some sort of interest.
[00:32:35] Speaker D: So it takes some effort.
[00:32:37] Speaker B: It does. But, like, all good things do.
[00:32:39] Speaker D: Yeah. Community is not going to come to you.
[00:32:42] Speaker B: No.
[00:32:43] Speaker D: You got to go seek it out. And they will seek it out. And it's a mutual thing, it sounds like. Yeah, if you seek it out, they'll also seek you out.
[00:32:50] Speaker A: And it finds you in weird ways, too. If you can, like I said earlier, if you can find that one group of belonging through your friends and stuff like that, you never know what could come out of that.
[00:33:00] Speaker D: Right.
[00:33:01] Speaker A: You know, whether that's a Bible study. One of your friends has another group of friends that he does it with, and they invite you. Like, well, there's you.
[00:33:09] Speaker D: Right.
[00:33:09] Speaker A: So it's all. I mean, definitely take some effort. And like you said, every single good thing that will ever happen in your life is going to take some type of effort.
And if you do get really lucky, hit the lottery or something, it's still going to take some effort to figure out what you're going to do with that money. Exactly, exactly. Just a little bit of effort. And, you know, I mean, like, like you said, this isn't the place for everybody.
And I've seen that in a few cases on campus, and people have left and gone to other schools and been really happy.
But personally, I can say that coming here was the best decision for me.
[00:33:48] Speaker D: Sure.
[00:33:48] Speaker A: That I've ever made.
And I've definitely found my belonging and a ton of benefits that come with that.
[00:33:55] Speaker D: How has that sense of belonging then help you to succeed as much as you have? Because, like you said that we have over 6, 700 organizations on campus.
We're a little bit over 42,000 students. And so UA is a big place. And sometimes even finding your way to one or a handful of those six or seven hundred organizations can be pretty daunting.
[00:34:27] Speaker A: Yeah, no doubt.
And like you said, do what you love.
I'll use this podcast as an example.
For me, when this opportunity presented itself, I really liked what we did last year with the freshmen, and I was like, man, I could really see myself, like, enjoying this. And, you know, truth be told, I think I've gotten More out of this podcast that I've given.
But this is, like, one of those things that, you know, you put on your resume and you have people to fight for you if needed, you know, to back your intelligence or whatever it may be that you need.
And that's the beauty of this school. There's so many opportunities like that.
And all of these clubs, chances they have an advisor or somebody that is older and can help you out. Maybe that's finding internship opportunities or job opportunities.
But 700 clubs is something special because there's a place for almost everybody and definitely some good people that come along with it.
[00:35:31] Speaker B: Yeah, I agree with that. I mean, I also would say, like, on a practical level, like, we have resources. Try to find that, too.
[00:35:36] Speaker A: Like, we have the strength. Source.
[00:35:37] Speaker D: Good point. Yeah.
[00:35:38] Speaker B: You know, you can. If you're interested in something, but you don't know where to look, look there.
UA provides the means to. To find belonging, to find your people in a very organic way. There. There's always. I mean, you never know who you're going to meet.
It's the beauty of college. You'll meet some people. You're like, wow, that is a.
Just a crazy, like, just. I don't even know.
Just funny people.
And it gets me thinking about, yeah, like, did y' all see the email thing that happened last year?
[00:36:17] Speaker D: Oh, I saw that. That was pretty.
[00:36:19] Speaker B: That's what I think about, like, so many random people who are just so funny.
[00:36:22] Speaker D: We need to get Hector on here just to talk about that experience.
[00:36:25] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:36:25] Speaker D: Hector, if you're out there, that'd be great.
[00:36:27] Speaker A: And then everybody starts responding. I'm like, guys, this is not helping the problem at all.
[00:36:31] Speaker B: No, it isn't.
[00:36:32] Speaker A: Two or three of them saying, okay, I don't think I was supposed to receive this email, but now we have a. I mean, I hide people.
I hope I never have to email whoever sent that, because I blocked him because I was like, I was trying to study, and my phone is ding, ding, ding, ding. I'm like, all right, I can't do this anymore.
[00:36:50] Speaker D: I saw that at the CW this.
[00:36:51] Speaker A: Morning, and, yeah, some of my friends are like, oh, yeah, we got to get on there and respond. I'm like, y' all are part of the problem.
Like, no, exactly.
[00:37:00] Speaker B: So that.
[00:37:01] Speaker D: Those stuff like that.
[00:37:02] Speaker B: Those kind of, like, people.
Random people and random experiences. That's what. That's what makes college, in my opinion.
[00:37:09] Speaker D: Hector, we're coming after you. We're coming after you.
[00:37:11] Speaker A: Yeah, we will find you.
[00:37:12] Speaker B: We're gonna get you on the Mic to explain yourself.
[00:37:15] Speaker D: But that's.
[00:37:18] Speaker B: This has been our. Our second segment and we'll be back after a short break to round out our first episode of, you know, the first episode of the. Part two of season two 17.
So this has been the Bama balance.
[00:37:33] Speaker D: We'll be right back.
[00:37:50] Speaker A: Wvuafm, Tuscaloosa this show is not a.
[00:37:54] Speaker C: Substitute for professional counseling and no relationship is created between the show hosts or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
[00:38:35] Speaker D: Welcome back, everybody, to the BAMA Balance. Our last segment here. And you know, again, we, we started off by talking about how we've taken a turn and really opening up our podcast so that we welcome more students and be able to cover sort of a greater range of issues related to college students, mental health. And when I thought about it, just talking about this topic of belonging, I think sort of fits in with what we're trying to do here.
You know, as large as the university can be, sometimes it's also hard to relate to different groups or kind of find your sense of community.
But I oftentimes feel like, you know, if there are those groups or those communities that I can relate to or that share the same kind of interest or passions or focus, that then it provides me with a sense of not only belonging, but understanding too. Like I feel understood in that kind of way.
And I guess my takeaway from this is that belonging can be found in, in a lot of different ways, different organizations and different relationships. But also I have to also be active in seeking it out. Right.
It doesn't necessarily come to me, but I have to make an effort and seek it out for those who. So I, and I know for there are some students for whom it's tough to, to engage and just to seek out communities.
And I guess maybe that's what I was trying to get at before when I asked, what advice would you give?
But if you think back, Edward, and for those students that you've run into that haven't had a sense of belonging, how would you, how would you. You not coach them, but how would you guide them?
[00:40:53] Speaker B: I mean, I, I would say that it, I mean, you got to do it at your own pace.
[00:40:59] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:40:59] Speaker B: But like, you can't.
[00:41:00] Speaker D: Right.
[00:41:01] Speaker B: You can't take that and then run with that to then to where you're never trying at all. Like, it might take you a little bit longer to. To find your people. And that's not a bad thing. It just means it might. It just takes you longer because maybe you value different things. Maybe you're trying to be more intentional about. Which again, like, not saying people are being superficial when they find friends quickly. I don't. Some people find their best friend immediately, and they just are great friends. True, sometimes. But other people just take some longer to open up.
[00:41:31] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:41:33] Speaker B: So it's about finding that balance between, you know, making sure that you are making an effort and pushing yourself, but also understanding your own pace and who you are and that maybe it's going to take you a little bit longer.
[00:41:44] Speaker D: So as you were talking about that, one of the things I wrote down is that belonging, while belonging can be found in communities and in groups, they're really found in relationships, 100%.
[00:41:53] Speaker B: I mean, I think, you know, I can go to class and. Yeah, that's a group that I'll see on the regular. I don't really feel like I belong there, you know, but I'll. I'll go hang out with my roommates and my friends and. And that's a place where I feel like I belong.
And, you know, if we go throw the baseball around or we do stuff, like, it's just, you know, it.
[00:42:22] Speaker D: Right.
[00:42:23] Speaker B: It's that intentionality aspect to it, and it's. Yeah, it's relational because you can be with a group of people. There's. There's been multiple times, especially since. Since I've been to ua, that. That I've been with a group of people and not really felt like they're my people. I think that. I mean, I wouldn't take my SGA FYC experience back at all. Like, I learned so much, but there were certainly times where I was.
I found myself in this group of. And they're good, great people.
[00:42:50] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:42:51] Speaker B: Just not my people. You know, I'd be there and I'm like, yeah, like, glad to be here, guys. But I'd be kind of, like, ready to leave.
[00:43:00] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:43:01] Speaker B: And you know, always wished the best for them then. Still do now.
Great people. But, you know, I found my belonging elsewhere.
[00:43:10] Speaker D: Sure.
[00:43:11] Speaker B: And they found theirs.
[00:43:12] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:43:12] Speaker B: Right where they were. Or sometimes for them, it was also other places.
[00:43:15] Speaker D: Sometimes other places.
[00:43:18] Speaker B: And especially coming as a freshman, everyone seems like they have their people. No one does.
No one does.
And yes, There are people that I met freshman year and I've been friends with since I've been a freshman, but I wasn't friends with them to the level that I am now.
Two weeks into college or even two weeks into second semester of freshman year.
It just. It takes time. It takes time, it takes effort.
[00:43:42] Speaker D: Right.
[00:43:43] Speaker B: But it also. You have to understand who you are and your pace around it and what it requires out of you.
[00:43:49] Speaker D: So would you say you maybe changed in terms of how you've experienced your sense of belonging now as a junior compared to freshman year?
[00:44:02] Speaker B: I mean, I don't think that that's really changed.
[00:44:05] Speaker D: Okay.
[00:44:05] Speaker B: I think the way I like what I value out of people and what I value out of community is still the same.
I may be more aware of it and I know more about kind of what that means for me, but I don't think the core of it has really changed.
[00:44:19] Speaker D: Okay. Okay.
So that at its very essence, then.
What. What we search for when we search for our community and a sense of belonging is that sense of relationship and relationship understanding and being valued and accepted in relationships. Yes. Yeah, that. Gosh, you know, if we could sum it up that way, it almost shifts a sense of belonging because if you place then the value of belonging on the relationships you make, belonging follows in that way.
I think that, you know, for. This has been a great, I think a great start to the spring semester. In our first episode for the spring semester in this. In our second season. Brooks couldn't be with us for the rest of this.
[00:45:17] Speaker B: Brooks ran away.
[00:45:18] Speaker D: Brooks ran away.
He still belongs here.
He still belongs to us, Brookie. Brooks. He still belong.
[00:45:26] Speaker B: He wanted to go to Colorado.
[00:45:27] Speaker D: He wanted to go to Colorado.
[00:45:28] Speaker B: Zero degree weather.
[00:45:30] Speaker D: I'm gonna give him such a hard time for that. He had to vote for an extra credit thing for class and. And so that's where he's gone to.
But he's still with us in spirit.
And we appreciate all of you for continuing to join us for the Bama balance as we've sort of expanded our look into college mental health. And we look forward to having you join us the rest of the season.
Until now. I'm Dr. Todi Guerraz.
[00:46:00] Speaker B: And I'm Edward Fountain.
[00:46:02] Speaker D: And Brooks.
[00:46:03] Speaker B: Brooks is here.
[00:46:04] Speaker D: You're here with the spirit. That's right. And this has been the Bama balance. Real stories about college students, mental health. We'll see you next time.
[00:46:27] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa this show was not intended.
[00:46:31] Speaker C: As a substitute for professional counseling. Further, the views, opinions and conclusions expressed by the show hosts or their guests are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Alabama, its officers or trustees. Any views, opinions or conclusions shared on the show do not create a relationship between the host or any guest and any listener, and such a relationship should never be inferred. If you feel you're in need of professional professional mental health and are a UA student, please contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis Service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
