Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Welcome to season three of the ASCA Viewpoints Podcast, the podcast where we talk about the student conduct profession in higher education. I'm Alexandra Hughes, your Viewpoints host. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of the ASCA Viewpoints Podcast. As always, I am your host, Dr. Alexandra Elise Hughes. And good morning. It's 7:00 AM and I'm recording this. It's funny because I've noticed, as of late, my sleeping patterns and habits have changed, and I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed the same thing. And I know, 7:00 AM really isn't that early when you think about the fact that I used to literally get up, go to work, do all of these things, and get ready in the morning and straighten my hair and do makeup and put on real clothes and heels, and make smoothies, and go to the gym, and drive and get to work by 8:00. Who am I kidding? 8:15, 8:30. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: And then now, this year, waking up in the morning, I'm like, "For what?" I can't believe that I did that every single day. It's interesting to see how my sleeping patterns have changed. So, for some strange reason I have been getting up, or waking up rather, anywhere between, I don't know, 3:00 to 4:00 to 5:00 in the morning. And it's really crazy. I've done everything that I can do, from taking melatonin, to working out before bed, to just everything to make myself tired. And I will be exhausted when I hit that pillow, but then I wake up super wired. So, who knows? It is 2020, pandemic is everything. But I've actually found myself starting to enjoy, once I kind of changed that habit and I'm waking up around 5:00, just being up in the morning and kind of the quiet and the alone time that I'm getting. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: And I don't know if this is maturity and age and just growing up, my birthday is New Year's Day, so I don't know if it's that or pandemic or stress. Who knows what it is? But I'm trying to be positive with it, I'm getting things done in the morning. I'm cleaning, I'm mopping, I'm making coffee, and I'm recording podcasts. So, if you wanted an update on how I'm doing, that is what is currently going on outside of everything else. So, I don't know if anyone else has experienced that, but if you have, go ahead and DM me. Let's talk about maybe some suggestions that you've found that have worked for you because it's also getting kind of old a little bit. So, we'll see. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Anywho, I hope your week is going well. I hope that this episode finds you well. I will get off my tangent of sleeping and my sleeping problems and instead go into our episode. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: So, this week I had the opportunity to interview Nick. Now, this episode actually takes place before we knew the pandemic was a real thing, before, well, I think we knew at the conference, because this was actually at the conference when we recorded this episode. I think we knew it was a real thing, but I think that we didn't realize the extent because I remember some people, including myself, having conversations about some type of COVID, something in China. We were like, "Is this real? Is it not real?" And we were all flying anyway, so this was kind of before everything. So, you'll be able to tell the difference, where we are, we're clearly talking about what's going on and stuff at the conference. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: But this episode actually talks about Greek life. And it talks about Greek life from a very different perspective. I don't really want to give it away. So, I'm just going to have to let you listen to it because I don't want to tell because it'll come out in the episode. But it features Nick Diakos. And Nick, whom is one of my favorite people in the world, just throwing that out there, Nick has been working in higher education for three years now and is passionate about student conduct and development. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: He believes that student conduct is an opportunity for growth, challenge, and learning that can add value. Nick is an active brother of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated, and received his Master's in Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Rider University. In his spare time, Nick loves to spend time in the kitchen trying out new recipes from TikTok. And if you know, you know I have been obsessed with TikTok. I talk about it literally in everything that I do. So, I love TikTok, I'm glad that he loves TikTok as well. I really think that you will enjoy this episode and I hope to see you all on the interweb soon. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Hello. Nick Diakos: Hi. Hello. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: How are you? Nick Diakos: I'm good. I'm good. I'm tired. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: You're tired? Nick Diakos: I think we both are. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Yes. So, we tried recording this a few minutes ago, and then people came in. So, we're going to try to redo this and do this podcast thing all over again. All right. I'm excited. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: So, hi. Nick Diakos: Hello. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Will you please introduce yourself to our listeners? That way they know who you are, what you do, and all the great things that you do in the world of conduct today. Nick Diakos: Sure. So, my name is Nick Diakos. I work at Penn State in the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Compliance. I primarily work with NPHC and MGC students, which are Greek letter organizations, or fraternities and sororities. And I work closely with student conduct for Penn State regarding its organizational conduct and what it's like to be an org on campus. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay. Okay. All right. So, what led you to this path? How did you get here? Can you tell us a little bit about your story, a little bit about your viewpoint for ASCA Viewpoints? Nick Diakos: So, I think like most people in student affairs, we sort of just tripped into it. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: This is true. Nick Diakos: I graduated with my Master's in Counseling and I had a great experience in undergrad with student conduct. My mentor, I still call him my mentor, even though it's been 10 years now, he sort of got me into student conduct, and then from there, my path sort of diverged. I was a paralegal at one point. My previous job before Penn State, I was a fraternity property manager, or house dad, and now I work at Penn State. And then my next step from here is hopefully [inaudible 00:00:07:08]. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay. Okay. So you definitely have some experience when it comes to Greek life. Nick Diakos: Yeah. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: For sure. So, do you have any personal experience when it comes to Greek life, Nick? Nick Diakos: Yeah. I am a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay. Yes. Yes to the full title, I completely understand. Nick Diakos: You do have to say that because that's what it is. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: That's what it is. Okay. All right. So, tell me about Phi Beta Sigma and what type of organization it is or it falls under, because I know that there's different types. So, I'm not Greek myself, but I know that there's different types and classifications. Nick Diakos: Sure. So, Phi Beta Sigma, we're known as "Sigmas," it's a member of the Divine Nine, which is encompassing all of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, NPHC like I mentioned earlier. And it was primarily created as a... It was created at Howard University back in 1914 as a way for black scholars to come together to do things for their community, for themselves, and to better themselves and the community as a whole. My coworker, actually, in South Carolina, he grabbed me one day and he was like, "This is going to be weird, but I think you should at least go to the interest meeting and see what happens." Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay. So, why would he say it's going to be weird? For those people that are listening. Nick Diakos: Because I am a white man. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Are you? Okay. I was just wondering I can see you. Nick Diakos: I happen to be Caucasian, despite what some people might say. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: This is true. Okay. Nick Diakos: And he was just like, "Listen, I know this is probably not your thing, but I want you to go and check it out." And so I went to the interest meeting and my Dean was, I guess, my pledge master, somebody what you would call them, I met him there the first time and he's like, "I want you to do it. I think you'd be great for this. Apply and see what happens." It was actually hilarious because I went to the interview with them and I told him that Sigma is the sum of all the parts and he looked at me and was like, "That's what I said in the interview." Dr. Alexandra Hughes: So, you knew then that it's like, "This is where I want to be, this is the fraternity that I want to be a part of, here we are"? Nick Diakos: Yeah. For sure. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay. Okay. So, you definitely have a personal connection when it comes to fraternity and Greek life and what that is. And then even being able to have a different experience, like you said, so NPHC organizations are a part of the Divine Nine, typically historically black organizations. But being able to use your privilege, like you said, you're a white man, to be able to have these conversations and talk about things, I think, is fantastic. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay. All right. So, you mentioned a couple words, you said "Dean," "pledge master," and I know that there's some different terminology because language is important in the field of higher ed and even when it comes to Greek life. And so do you think maybe that you could expand upon maybe a few things that are different between the NPHC and maybe the, what, traditional, would it be IFC type of Greek letter organizations, what that is, maybe give the listeners a couple of different examples? Nick Diakos: Sure. So, when it comes to IFC, which is Interfraternity Council, and NPHC or MGC, there are some distinct differences. So, for IFC, it's primarily white, they are probably the oldest organizations in general, fraternity-wise. And they typically range from tons of different things. At Penn State, a fraternity made specifically for agriculture, we have two or three predominantly Jewish organizations. Fraternities are made specifically for groups of people who didn't feel like they belonged had wanted a support system wanted people to help them through their education. Nick Diakos: And in terms of NPHC and some of the lingo and the vocabulary that we have is when we're talking about initiation. Initiation for IFC is very different from NPHC. NPHC, we have something called Probates or now called New Member Presentations, but that's not something that IFC would have. A New Member Presentation is typically something that that's the first time someone's going to see them as the New Member Class, they call alliance. That's the first time the public is going to see them as a member of that organization. And that's a pretty big deal for many chapters nation. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: That's something that's different than, like you said, an IFC organization and what that is, and just how people become part of these organizations, it's very important. And the value in that I think is important for people in our positions as administrators to understand when it comes to communicating with these organizations. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: So, what do you see in your role when it comes to working with Greek life and the work that you do in compliance, and what do you see that needs to be changed when in regards to NPHC organizations? Nick Diakos: So, when we're talking about NPHC organizations in terms of student conduct, many of these organizations might not know what the process of student conduct or organizational conduct is going to be. I think back to last year, one of our organizations went through the student conduct process because they thought there were some hazing allegations involved. And a lot of the stuff that they were going through, they felt like they weren't being listened to, or the people who were investigating them, they didn't really understand what was going on. Nick Diakos: And I think that's important to understand the vernacular, to understand the vocabulary, because there are things where, I would say daylong, right? And for IFC, a daylong is easily can a party. A daylong for a different organization might seem something different. In terms of one of the more common things that IFC might go through the conduct process on are socials, which are parties, and having an unregistered social. Nick Diakos: Typically, when you tell an NPHC org that they had a social, they look at you like you're crazy. And they let you know that "We don't have socials, but we do have kickbacks and it's just small things like that that we do need to pay attention to because we can't help our students without understanding where they're coming from and what they're trying to say. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Well, that's important, because we need to know. I think we talk about that a lot as administrators. And we always use, I guess, the comparison of, for example, social media and knowing what the students are doing, because we need to be able to understand the world that they live in. But it's the same thing when it comes to these Greek organizations because we're not necessarily understanding the world that that these students are living in. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Do you see that when you have an NPHC organization go through the student conduct process? Maybe my question is how do we make our students aware of the process and make it one where they can be an active participant that's going to be something that's impactful and it's going to be educational in this process? Nick Diakos: So, I think there needs to be some type of outreach, some type of buy-in between the students. We really do, at least on campus, we really do need to sit down and talk about what the resources are, go to the counsels, go to the general meetings, have a conversation with these students who, to be fair, Penn State, it's only recently where we're really trying to get them involved, really trying to get them to understand that it's not just IFC, Pan-Hellenic, MGC, NPHC, it's the whole Greek community. And how do we get that community together? Nick Diakos: And that's one of the A) the reasons I was hired, but B) one of the things that we're still struggling with is having the opportunity to talk to these students and having them understand, "All right. Here's, what's going on, here's how we can help you." There's also some things that, yeah, you might not have... Some of these rules, you might not think they're important to you, but there are some risks involved in terms of just being in an organization in general. So, that's just an ongoing conversation. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: So, almost like the idea of Greek unity, going back to kind of what you were saying, you have these different organizations on campus apart these different councils, but they're really not reaching everyone. And so basically looking at how we can do that, how we can get them to understand that and understand really where they are at campus. I think, as somebody who does conduct, really anyone who does conduct knows that it's like, "Okay, Greek life," and it's almost like this like eye roll that you kind of get or give, it's like, "Oh, yeah," the hazing, alleged hazing, the "this," the "that," it's almost like, "Okay, where are the parties? What's going on?" But I think that that's part of it, where it's like we're giving these organizations bad reps to begin with. And so it's almost like someone coming into a meeting in conduct, we can't have them coming in already looking at them like they're guilty, right? Nick Diakos: So, yes. But we also have to keep in mind, in my opinion, this is one of the first values-based decisions any student's going to make. You're joining an organization for the values of the members you're talking to, but you're also joining an organization, you're representing their values. One of our mottos as a Sigma is "culture for service and service for humanity," and what that means to each individual member and what that means to me. And sometimes the students don't understand that, you are representing yourself, you're representing the school, but you're also representing the letters that you have on your chest. And that's a big deal just in general. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: So, basically any organization, what that is. But you're right, because you are a representation of that. And even getting students to understand that when you join an organization, people are going to see you as, for example, you said you're a Sigma, they're going to say, "Oh, well, that's the Sigma. You're over there." So, depending on the way that you carry yourself and how you behave, other people in the campus community are going to look at you and say, "Oh, these are the Sigmas. This is what they're doing." So, it's always making sure that I think students remember that in the roles that they have on campus, in the work that they're doing. I know that there's a lot of community service work that organizations do to really get out there and spread the positivity, and I think that it's important that we definitely focus and talk about that, too. Nick Diakos: Yeah. A lot of the stuff that, even just talking to my family, when I tell them I work with fraternities and sororities, they're always asking me, "Are people getting hazed? Are they just drinking? Is it just parties?" Or, the more common one, "Oh, people just join fraternities because they wanted to buy their friends." Like, no. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Stereotypes and misconceptions that aren't accurate. Nick Diakos: Yeah. So, in terms of just working with students of color, and especially working with the PHC orgs, there's already a just wall, a wall of distrust, a wall of "I can't trust you with what I'm trying to do, therefore I'm not going to try to talk to you as much." Even for me, it took a lot of time to build that trust with as many students as I could have, but that's a work in progress. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: So then, I'm going to ask this. In your opinion, you said that you identify as someone who is a Caucasian man, or a white man, I think we have a lot of listeners who span really our diversity spectrum, and so you may have someone that is, as you say, a Sigma, who is a black man who may be able to connect, you may have someone that's outside of the organization, and so I think it's important. How would you, in your opinion, recommend that someone who maybe does not identify with the traditional race of that group, in your case, how would you connect to NPHC organizations? What are maybe some ideas and some things that you would suggest for maybe some of your counterparts? Nick Diakos: Sure. Well, first and foremost, show up. They have all these events, they have all these things. Some of them might be after work hours, which, that happens. They're students. But just show up, that's the most important thing. Because when you do show up, they know you're there. Nick Diakos: Another thing is, sometimes you just need to have a conversation with them. It's simple stuff, but sitting down and asking them how their classes are growing, not being in a professional level, but just having a normal conversation. Because a lot of my time as a Sigma, a lot of the relationships are just casual, sitting down and talking with them. Because not everyone is always working all the time, some people just want to relax, some people just want to hang out. And that's what I learned from my chapter down in South Carolina. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay. So then, what about for someone, would those be the same tips that you would give just anyone? So, for example, like me, I am a black woman and I identify as that, but I'm not Greek. So, that's still a level outside of understanding because I didn't go through that process. Would those be some of the same tips that you would give someone who is an administrator in conduct? Or would you say it from a different perspective? Nick Diakos: I think you would have a little different perspective because you are a person of color. You might have similar experiences, but there's still some different stuff, especially because you aren't in a Greek organization. But that's also an opportunity to educate yourself and understand, "All right. Your founding father three founding fathers, these are the people, your values are this, this is what you're trying to do as an organization." And that's really easy, you can look that up really easily, just type in the organization and it will be right there and that's something that really clicks with a student. They're like, "Oh, you took the time to get to know me and get to know my organization. I'll give you the time for you to get to know me as well." Dr. Alexandra Hughes: And to listen to what you have to say. Nick Diakos: Yeah. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: So basically, you're saying if there is a case on campus, say, I don't know, the XYZ fraternity or sorority, in this case XYZ Fraternity is being accused of something. So, it's organizational misconduct, I have to have a meeting with, whether it's all of them at once to introduce, or even just the board or the presidents, whatever that may look like, being able to have knowledge about the background of their organization. So, maybe XYZ organization, I go Google XYZ organization to understand how they're set up, the things that are important to them. Could I even admit to the students, "I'm not very familiar with your organization"? Nick Diakos: Yeah. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: But is that okay? Nick Diakos: Yeah, absolutely. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: As an administrator who may not necessarily be aware? Nick Diakos: So, absolutely. One of the things I have noticed with students, especially when they're recruiting for new members, is that for every PhD students at least, they tell you to do your research. And that annoys the hell out of me because not everyone knows what a Greek letter organization is, not everyone understands what a fraternity is, they definitely might not understand what the PHC is. However, I think if you do your preliminary research but also ask them, "All right, so here's what I know. Can you tell me what your experience is like in your organization?" That's a better entry way into them gaining trust for you and also building that relationship. That's really important to the students. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay, good. And that's really what we're doing at the end of the day. These processes that we have in place at our institutions, we're here to educate students at the end of the day. Sometimes part of their educational journey is that they end up in a conduct office for whatever reason that may be. But that's part of education, and that's what we say. But with that is the education of me as an administrator being able to sit down and do what you said and say, "This is what I know. Can you share with me your experience? Can you talk to me about that?" And then how we can make sure that moving forward with whatever it is, it's a better experience. Nick Diakos: Yeah. And we also have to understand, just in general, people who work in student conduct, people who don't work student conduct but just work with students in general, it might gross you out, depending on the case. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: That's true. That's one thing that's true. People are always Nick Diakos: Listen, you're trying to kick offmy aura why am I going to touch you? Whatever. It happens. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay. But that's with students, period. Unfortunately, people aren't always very happy when they come into our offices to begin with. So, you never know what to expect, so always expect the unexpected. Okay. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: So, are there maybe, and kind of going back to the different organizations and the values and different things like that, and we talked you know to explain what NPHC is, what IFC is, have you seen any maybe stereotypes from the student conduct administrators of NPHC groups versus IFC groups? I think bias is something that is so important in the work that we do, because we have to make sure that we are examining that. And as someone who studies and has done my dissertation on bias and microaggressions and all these things, bias becomes a really big part of it. And are there biases that you see with administrators dealing with that? Nick Diakos: I want to be careful because I don't want to throw people under the bus. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Right. No, well, of course. And whether that's at any of the institutions, you don't have to name any of the institutions or things that you've seen across the country, but just the ideas. I know you've spent a lot of time in a lot of different places and you've had a lot of chances to meet with just different people across the country. Nick Diakos: I think there are biases. I think we all have biases in one way or more. I think the biggest issue that I've seen is just an ignorance of what it is like to be in a PHC, an ignorance of what it's like to join an organization in general. What you see in IFC usually centers around alcohol, transports, underage drinking, furnishing, all of that stuff. Nick Diakos: And then in terms of NPHC, you see more hazing allegations, more things that are more physical in nature. And I think that's the biggest difference, where hazing for IFC is pretty straightforward, you're looking for the alcohol, you're looking for [inaudible 00:26:20] where for NPHC, you don't see that same stuff, you might see some of it, mainly the physical stuff. And I think that's what the student conduct profession as a whole paint the whole thing as one big IFC bubble when there's some intricate stuff . Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Right. Right. And so when it comes to protecting our students, and even when it comes to investigating these allegations, it means that we have to be asking different types of questions. It means that we have to, one, be aware and be aware of, like you said, organizations and their histories and that type of stuff, but more so being able to look at things differently and asking the right questions and to get to how can we ensure that we are protecting our students, if any of these things come forward. Nick Diakos: Yeah. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay. Okay. Nick Diakos: One thing that... You're not going to learn all this stuff in a day. No one's expecting you to learn all this stuff in a day. But if you do see an organization that you have no idea who they are, IFC, Pan-Hellenic, any sorority, whatever, just look them up. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Well, especially if they're at your campus. So, as a student conduct administrator at a campus and I hope just administrators in general, but especially in student conduct, the reality is you may have to deal with one of these organizations at some point during your time there. So, at least being able to get an understanding and saying, "Okay, these are all the different types of organizations that we have," they exist, and maybe on the front end, before there's violations or before something happens, like you said, if you can go out into the community, get to know who the people are, what they're doing, at least then you'll have just some type of basis. That way, you can really just kind of have an intelligent conversation when it comes to the students or when you see these reports that come into the office, you can say, "Okay, I have a basis. I understand that things are different, but I haven't basis." Nick Diakos: So, one thing I know some, I know one, kind of professional, they made a cheat sheet of all the organizations on our campus. So, whenever they see the name, they're like, "All right, hold on, let me flip through my book real fast." And that worked for them. And even if it's just that, just having the basics year founded, who your founders are, what are your values, that's all you really need sometimes in order to get a student to start talking. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay. And then make that connection. Nick Diakos: Yeah. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay. Okay, good. Well, then that's good. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Well, is there anything that you would like to add that I have not asked you so far? I know the reality is this is just such a huge topic. That's the thing, and this is something that we can talk about forever and ever and ever, but what's something that maybe I did not ask you that you want to make sure that you say? Nick Diakos: Well, there's two things. The first one is understanding the differences between the different councils. So, typically on a campus you would have IFC, Pan-Hellenic which are sororities, NPHC, which are the Divine Nine, which are fraternities and sororities, and MGC or UGC, which is the cultural fraternities and sororities because they're all very distinct and they're all very different. Some are more organized, some are more family-like, but we really need to understand those differences. And the second thing is making sure that... Showing up to any of these organizations' events. So, typically there's some type of step show or stroll show or even- Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay, so is a step show or a stroll show? For people who may not know. Nick Diakos: Oh, man. Okay. So, each NPHC organization has their own steps, which are rhythmic movements, mainly using your body as an instrument. And strolling is, you're typically, again, rhythmic movements align with music behind it. And you typically practice this a lot. That is not my talent. One of my values is talent expression. And I do not have that talent. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Oh my. Oh, no. Okay. Nick Diakos: But I like watching them, so here we are. So if you do have an opportunity, if there is a yard show or if there is something like "Meet the Greeks," go to them, they're a great experience as a whole. And they're also an opportunity to get to know your students. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay. Yeah, that's good, and then to learn this. And basically, what you're talking about, to understand the culture of a different type of organization or a different type of council. I think that that's important. All of these organizations have different cultures in themselves, IFC, NPHC, all these different things. But then even within that, they have their own individual culture within that distinct fraternity or sorority. Nick Diakos: Man, we can spend hours on this. I don't even know how to start with that. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay. So, that will be a completely different episode at a completely different time. So, we'll worry about that later. But I think for this, the main key takeaway is basically, get to know your students, get to understand the fact that Greek life is not just one face or one look, and it looks different in different ways. The values come across different. I think at the end of the day, all Greeks, they're trying to represent their organization, they're trying to do it well, community service, all of those types of things. But they show it in different ways. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: And it's a family, like you were talking about. Some organizations are more family-oriented, some may not be. But at the end of the day, no matter what fraternity you're a part of, you're brothers, or a sorority, you're sisters. And so what that looks like, I think those values are the same, but we need to make sure as conduct administrators, we are looking at each one and making sure that we hold the space and the value for them, if I can say that. Nick Diakos: Yeah. And I agree with that. Because, like I mentioned earlier, some of these are going to be the first time a student makes a value-based decision, and- Dr. Alexandra Hughes: To join this organization. Nick Diakos: And sometimes you need to remind your student, "You made this value-based decision. You decided to join Sigma for a 'culture for service and service for humanity.' What does that explain? How do these actions that you've done go back to that value?" And to get them at that deeper level, I think that's a good start. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: And that's probably the best way we can reach them. And when you take their values of their organization and say, "All right, let's look at this," and "Do your actions align with said values of your organization?" I think that's important. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Okay, good. Okay. So, as always, do you have any random conduct facts or tips that you would just give anyone? It can be about Greek life. It could be about anything, just something from student conduct or something funny that you want to share. We always like to do that. Nick Diakos: Yeah. So, my first experience with student conduct was undergrad. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Oh, boy. Nick Diakos: I've grown tired in my old age, but when I was younger, I was a little more reckless, a little more wild. So, first year, it was my birthday, but my undergrad had a semi-formal type of event. We go in there and one of my roommates, he looks up and he sees this seven-foot-tall nutcracker made out of cardboard and he just looks at me, he's like, "You won't take that." I just looked at him, I'm like, "Okay. Bet." So, we're going through the night and as I'm leaving, I just pick it up- Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Oh my goodness. Nick Diakos: And I walk out with it. And then my RA comes and she comes to my door and she's like, "I'm going to take a picture of that. Are you okay with that?" "Absolutely." So she takes the pictures, leaves. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: She was setting you up. Nick Diakos: Yeah. Five minutes later she comes back and she's like, "So, the guy who owns it is on his way." And I look at her like, "All right. What do you want me to do?" "Go wait in the lobby, I guess." "All right, cool, no problem." So we go there, he pulls me into one of the side offices, and he's just trying to go into me, he's trying to make me feel bad. And I just look at him like, "I mean, it's still there. I mean, I didn't destroy it. I'll take it back, no worries." He's like, "All right. Cool." So, as we're walking back he looks at me, he's like, "So, you know you're going to clean up, right? You know, you're going to clean up the party, right?" And I'm like, "I guess so." Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Oh, no. Nick Diakos: So, it's like 12:00, I didn't get out of there till 2:00 in the morning because we were all just putting tables away and cleaning up, and he stops me and he's like, "So, you had a lot of people follow you and take pictures with this thing. I want to put your super powers to good, not evil. How about you join student activities?" And I just stared at him and I was like, "Am I not in trouble? What is going on?" Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Oh my goodness. Nick Diakos: So, that was my first time in student conduct. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Oh, so that was your first time in conduct? And then we finessed you into student activities, basically, with that? Nick Diakos: Yeah, pretty much. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: And your life has never been the same. Nick Diakos: I've been in student affairs since. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Since. So, it was meant to be, your first introduction. Some people say, "Oh, I was an RA," "Oh, I did this," you're like, "Yeah, no, I was in trouble. And..." Nick Diakos: I stole something I wasn't supposed to. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: That, and then here we are. My goodness. Okay. Well, thank you so much for taking your time. Nick Diakos: Thank you for having me. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: Of course. And coming on our show because we appreciate that. Where can people reach you if they would like to reach you and maybe reach out and ask questions? Nick Diakos: Sure. So, my work email is N-A-D-2-2-6@psu.edu, but I look at Twitter a lot, so you can find me at @diakosni. D-I-A-K-O-S-N-I. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: All right. Perfect. Well, thank you so much, Nick, for coming on our show, and thank you for joining us for another episode of the ASCA Viewpoints Podcast. And we will see you guys later. Dr. Alexandra Hughes: This episode was produced, edited, and hosted by Alexandra Hughes. That's me. If you're enjoying the podcast, we ask that you like, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. It really helps others discover us and become more visible to our podcasting community. If you have suggestions for future guests or would like to be featured on the podcast yourself, feel free to reach out to us by email at ASCApodcast@gmail.com or on Twitter @ASCAPodcast. If you'd like to connect with me on Twitter, you can find me @alexandrasview. Talk to us. We talk back.