THE VERMONT THECONNECTION VERMONT CONNECTION THE. STUDENT VAFFAIRS JOURNAL. OF THE. UNIVERSITY OF. VERMONT VOLUME 31 2010 30th Anniversary E D I T O R I A L B O A R D M E M B E R S : The Editorial Board of The Vermont Connection is elected by members of the Full Board, consisting of all students in the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration (HESA) graduate program at the University of Vermont (UVM). The Editorial Board is responsible for coordinating all editorial functions for the journal and to ensure the continuity of future publications, as well as serving as a link between current students, alumni/ae, and faculty. Executive Editor Lorriz Anne Alvarado Managing Editor Matthew J. Van Jura Co-Content Editors Stacey Banfield-Hardaway Adam J. Ortiz Alumni/ae & Public Relations Chair Valerie Garcia Social & Professional Development Co-Chairs Caitlin Bjellquist Jimmy Doan F U L L B O A R D M E M B E R S : Lorriz Anne Alvarado ’10 Amanda Flores ’11 Nathan Panelo ’10 Stacey Banfield-Hardaway’ 10 Kirsten E. Fricke ’10 Viraj Patel ’11 Amarildo Barbosa ’11 Valerie Garcia ’10 Salomon Rodezno ’11 Caitlin Bjellquist ’11 Michael Griffith’ 12 Katelyn Sadler ’11 Kailee Brickner-McDonald ’10 Payne Hiraldo ’10 Nydia Santana ’11 Leah Charpentier ’11 Jackie Hyman ’10 Wendy Schneider ’10 Erin Craw ’10 Jennifer “J.J.” Jang ’11 Sarah Surgala ’11 Xavier DeFreitas ’11 Jason Johnson ’10 Vay Van ’11 Jimmy Doan ’11 Laura E. Megivern ’10 Matthew J. Van Jura ’10 Dustin Evatt ’11 Christine Nguyen ’11 Mon!que Wright ’10 Alicia Ferrell ’11 Adam J. Ortiz ’10 S P E C I A L T H A N K S T O : ALANA Student Center Deanna Garrett- Dorian McCoy DeMethra LaSha Bradley ’05 Ostermiller ’99 Robert J. Nash Department of Student Life Jennifer Garrett- Cover Design: Development & Alumni Ostermiller ’05 Lester J. Manzano ’99 Relations Phil Gramling & Queen Advisors: Division of Student & City Printers Deborah Hunter Campus Life Jackie M. Gribbons Tricia Rascon ’06 Deborah E. Hunter Alissa B. Strong ’07 Kathleen Manning The Vermont Connection welcomes manuscripts addressing concerns of common interest among higher education and student affairs professionals. Of particular interest are articles exploring current issues, suggesting creative programming, and presenting original research. The opinions and attitudes expressed within this journal do not necessarily reflect those of the Editorial Board. The Vermont Connection acknowledges that scholarship is ever-changing; we include both traditional and non- traditional scholarly works in this volume. Copyright © 2010 by The Vermont Connection The Vermont Connection Higher Education & Student Affairs Administration The University of Vermont The University of Vermont 208 Mann Hall, 208 Colchester Ave. 208 Mann Hall Burlington, VT 05405 USA Burlington, VT 05405 USA http://www.uvm.edu/~vtconn Printed at Queen City Printers, Inc. THE.VERMONT CONNECTION VOLUME. 31 2010 T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S 7 Editor’s Note HESA: Privilege, Transition, and Support Lorriz Anne Alvarado Articles 10 Dispelling the Meritocracy Myth: Lessons for Higher Education and Student Affairs Educators Lorriz Anne Alvarado 21 Universal Instructional Design: Tools for Creating an Inclusive Educational Experience Stacey Banfield-Hardaway 29 Modern Colonialism in African Education: The Wave of Foreign Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa Amarildo Barbosa 37 The Influence of Society on Queer Identity Development and Classification Kirsten E. Fricke 46 First-Generation College Students: How Co-Curricular Involve- ment Can Assist with Success Valerie Garcia 53 The Role of Critical Race Theory in Higher Education Payne Hiraldo 60 Political, Not Partisan: Service-Learning as Social Justice Education Laura E. Megivern 72 Challenging the Monolithic Asian American Identity on Campus: A Context for Working With South Asian American Students Viraj Patel 4 • The Vermont Connection • 2010 • Volume 31 82 Art as Activism and Education: Creating Venues for Student Involvement and Social Justice Education Utilizing Augusto Boal’s Theater of the Oppressed Katelyn Sadler 96 Where Do We Belong? Addressing the Needs of Transgender Students in Higher Education Wendy Schneider 107 Tradition Today: How Student Affairs Professionals Can Strengthen and Preserve Campus Traditions Matthew J. Van Jura The Moral Conversation: Think Globally, Act Locally, Care Personally; Connecting Personal and Professional Discoveries in Student Affairs. 118 Two Student Affairs Professionals’ Journeys to (Un)Cover Joshua Gonzalez & Khristian Kemp-DeLisser 128 The New Multiracial Student: Where Do We Start? Jackie Hyman 136 Transnational Student Identity Development through the Cosmopolite Lens: Benefits and Challenges of Straddling Cultures Jennifer “J.J.” Jang 147 The Model Minority Student: Asian American Students and the Relationships Between Acculturation to Western Values, Family Pressures, and Mental Health Concerns Nathan Panelo 156 Breaking the Silence: Examining Personal Preparedness of Supporting Students Living with HIV/AIDS Christopher Purcell 164 The Invisibles: Reparative Forms of Scholarly Expression Mon!que Wright Reflections 167 A Tribute to Excellence Jackie M. Gribbons • 5 169 Looking Back at 30 years...What I Have Learned Michael Dunn 171 The Gift of Error Kristi Jackson 173 Staying Open to Transformation Paula Myers 176 The Kenneth P. Saurman Award The Tao of Student Affairs: Ruminations of a First-Time Hall Director Laurel Dreher 182 The Final Word TVC: Getting Older and Getting Better Deborah E. Hunter 185 New Connections 194 Acknowledgements Tricia Rascon & Alissa B. Strong 196 Donors 199 Guidelines for Authors 6 • The Vermont Connection • 2010 • Volume 31 Editor’s Note • 7 E D I T O R ’ S N O T E HESA: Privilege, Transition, and Support Over the past few years of my burgeoning student affairs pro- fessional career, I have noticed how much “support” is empha- sizedV in our field. Whether it is supporting (and challenging) our students, col- leagues, or ourselves, we are in a helping profession where giving and receiving support is incredibly important. How do we learn when, how, and what support is needed? At the beginning of our Capstone course entitled, “Ethics, Values, and Meaning Making in Higher Education,” Robert Nash looked around the quiet room and noted how much of a privilege it was for us to be able to sit in a classroom and discuss such topics. There is so much chaos going on in the world and in our lives, while we temporarily put our lives on pause (at least we try) to be fully pres- ent and engaged in our coursework. In class, I took a deep breath and pushed my to-do lists, worries, and outside thoughts aside. It was the first time I felt like it really hit me: we were in our last HESA class together as a cohort. Reflecting while writing my comps, TVC article, and this Executive Editor’s Note, looking through pictures, job searching, and being in the Capstone class, I have realized how it has been an absolute privilege to be in HESA. If you were to ask alumni/ae and current students about what the HESA program means to them, you would hear a different answer from each individual. Yet I believe every person would agree that they appreciate(d) the opportunity to be paraprofession- als: to ask questions, make mistakes, and practice skills (like support) during this unique transition point in their lives. Nancy Schlossberg’s “Transition Theory” (1981) cited the need for a supportive environment to foster development during transition. The HESA faculty, student affairs staff, and all other members of our community contribute to the pro- gram’s uniqueness and intimately supportive nature, while providing a challeng- ing and extremely rewarding experience. We are able to see wonderful models of student affairs educators, practice these skills with our students, colleagues, and cohorts, and have a better understanding of what we need in order to support ourselves. 8 • The Vermont Connection • 2010 • Volume 31 For the 30th Anniversary of The Vermont Connection, we wanted this volume to reflect on the past 30 years, gain an appreciation for where we are now, and to en- vision our presence in the future. The following articles are exemplary examples of the quality of our program and breadth of interests and talents of current and past HESA students. From gaining a better understanding of the identities of our students, to a deeper examination of campus culture and the institution of higher education, TVC continues to be a venue in which to showcase our abilities and an opportunity to learn more about our field from our colleagues. Reflections from TVC’s first, 10th anniversary, and 20th anniversary editors and our esteemed Jackie Gribbons were invited to give context to how far we have come and lessons they have learned along the way. I hope that TVC lives on to educate and show the world what we are capable of for several more decades. I would like to thank our dedicated Editorial Board who powered through the planning and implementing our fundraising, production week, and receptions. It is because of them and our Full Board, who spent many nights editing, that you are able to view and hold this thick journal in your hands. I appreciate that we remained optimistic, always laughing, and supportive throughout; I feel so much closer to each of you after this experience and will never forget the time we have spent together. I am very grateful for our staff advisors, Tricia Rascon ’06 and Alissa Strong ’07, who enthusiastically invested so much time and effort throughout the year. Thank you to our faculty advisor, Deb Hunter, who shared her time and wisdom and provided much needed historical context. Lastly, thank you to our donors and far-reaching Vermont Connection; it is because of you that this journal has its scholarly reputation and longevity.