64: Junior Peña & the Future of Student Affairs

This week’s guest is Junior Peña. Junior is the Assistant Director for the Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy, & Diversity Office (LEAD) at Salem State University. Junior and Craig have a great conversation about Junior’s journey through the field of higher education and what keeps him here through all of the ups and downs we experience. Junior went to UMass Boston for undergrad - which is where Craig works - so they had some things to discuss about that connection. The conversation evolves into a larger look at professionalism and the future of the field - as the two of them feel they are the new guard of Student Affairs amid a field that is often resistance to change and the new ways of doing things. Hope you enjoy this one - it was fun to record in person because Junior is currently Craig’s house guest, so they’ve been hanging a lot lately.

MUSIC NOTE:
- This week you got to hear tunes from the fantastic new Sirius Blvck EP, “Moon Talk,” which comes out on March 29 through Near Mint.
- Sirius Blvck is a veteran and a paragon of the Indianapolis hip-hop scene; A scene where you’re as likely to see stagedives as anything else. His music and live performances are stepsiblings to the DIY punk community that occupies many of the same dingy Indiana basements and clubs.
- We played the song, “WHOA’ on the episode this week, which is the lead single for the EP. The EP comes out as a quick follow up to Blvck’s 2018 LP, “major threat.” which was also released through Near Mint.
- You can preorder “Moon Talk” today by visiting Near Mint - there are vinyl copies and cassette copies available! So jump on it right now!

THE CONNECTEDU NETWORK
- This week, you got to learn about the ConnectEDU Network, of which this podcast is now a contributing member!
- ConnectEDU Network connects the unique perspectives and expert insight of higher education through podcasting. If you’re affiliated with higher education – from professor to director of marketing – you’ll be able to find a podcast that fits your style. Our podcasts are produced and hosted by passionate and innovative members of the field, all fueled by the excitement of the future of higher education.
- You should check out all of the Network’s content creators and podcasts right now if you’re looking for some new education-based pods!

And you can now join our Facebook community by CLICKING HERE!

THE ART OF SURVIVAL UPDATE

We've officially rebranded The Art of Survival and launched a revamping of our website - artissurvival.com! Check out the MANY resources we have available and please feel free to read our stories and share your own!

We are also excited to announce a brand new Patreon account - so if you would like to support our work, please check out your options of how to do so! Even $5/month can go a long way!

Check out the link here:
https://www.patreon.com/artofsurvival

And if you haven't noticed, we're dedicating ourselves to the music scene moving forward - so if your band/venue would like to work with us, please reach out!

FOLLOW, RATE, REVIEW, SUBSCRIBE, AND SHARE!
- Any love on the iTunes app helps! CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE ITUNES STORE!
- Don't forget, Android users - we are now on the Google Play Store!!
- We're also FINALLY on Stitcher, so head over there if that's your preferred platform!
- Follow along on Instagram and Twitter @eduPUNXpod!

Thanks so much for tuning in - we will be back next week with another great chat!