1 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, it's Bill Courtney with an army and normal folks. 2 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,680 Speaker 1: And we continue now with part two of our conversation 3 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: with Sparky Reardon right after these brief messages from our 4 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: generous sponsors. 5 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 2: Our show is an army and normal folks, and our. 6 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 1: Thesis is that people wearing really nice clothes, using big 7 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: words that nobody ever really uses in conversation on CNN 8 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: and Fox are not fixing anything. That there's division surrounding us, 9 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: which we're going to talk about later, that aren't doing anything. 10 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: And so the proverbial question is what's going to fix it? 11 00:00:56,240 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: What's going to fix it? And our argument is an 12 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: army of normal folks, just normal people, not the smart 13 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,320 Speaker 1: people in DC and Silicon Valley and with the Twitter 14 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: and the Facebook and the CNN and there not fixing anything. 15 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: What's going to fix it is just people employing their 16 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: passion and their discipline and that colliding at an area 17 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: of need and then that's where magic happens. And you 18 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: don't have to be part of some big organization or 19 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: five oh one C three, just servant leadership. And if 20 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: we had millions of these people in this army of 21 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: normal folks, we could genuinely change culture and change so 22 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: much of what's ailing us right now. And as such, 23 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: you're just a normal guy, sparky at. 24 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 2: The end of it. 25 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: Despite all of the accolades and all of the love 26 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: and everything else, you're just like the rest of us. 27 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:55,559 Speaker 2: You're a normal guy. 28 00:01:55,640 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: And I think what people oftentimes forget is normal will 29 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: deal with financial troubles, with kid troubles, with spout troubles, 30 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: with tragedies in their own life. And when they're in 31 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: a position of leadership, they're supposed to have this this 32 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: approach and everybody coming to them constantly, but they're dealing 33 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: with their own normal person crap like we all do 34 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: with Because life is tough and you've had and you 35 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: talk about them. You've had some personal tragedies to working 36 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: within your own life while all your world was going on, 37 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: and you've lost both your siblings. 38 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 2: You lost Vicki, your sister, and your brother Speedy. Speedy 39 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 2: was murdered and Vicky was lost in a car run. 40 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 1: How do you balance all your personal trauma while putting 41 00:02:49,960 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 1: on this brave, fun, funny, mentoring creative face. How does 42 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 1: as a leader? How does is the Denis students? How 43 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 1: does this a guy that's trying to be there for 44 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: everybody else deal with that kind of trauma. That's a 45 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: tough question. 46 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 2: You know. I go back to faith and family. 47 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 3: I come from a very large family, extended cousins and 48 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 3: all who have been very supportive, was supportive of me, 49 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 3: And when I lost my brother and sister within two 50 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 3: years of each other, it was my faith and my 51 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 3: family that sustained me. I think it was the family 52 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 3: of Old miss that and my faith that sustained me 53 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 3: through the things that happened there, and lessons that I 54 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 3: learned from my own experience. There were people who would 55 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 3: come in and say to me, don't cry, You've got 56 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 3: to be strong, and I just want to tell them 57 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 3: to go to hell. I mean, and I know you 58 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 3: can't tell people how to feel and what to do. 59 00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 3: There are no normal feelings in an abnormal situation, and 60 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 3: you've just got to deal with the people and you 61 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 3: got to hug them and love them and help them 62 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 3: get to where they want to be. 63 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 2: But it's a job. Everybody has a job. 64 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 3: Everybody has issues, and I don't really think mine was 65 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 3: that different than anybody else's. 66 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: You talked about the day you returned to teaching after 67 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: Vicki's death, and you tell. 68 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 2: Us about that, yeah, because it speaks to vulnerability. I 69 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 2: think she was killed. 70 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 3: She was killed on December twenty ninth, and I was 71 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 3: teaching in Clarksdale and I had a seventh grade class 72 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 3: at eight o'clock in the morning, and so it was 73 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 3: after the holidays. It was the first class, and I 74 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 3: walked back in and I started teaching and talking about 75 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 3: just mundane things, you know, centence, structure, whatever it was. 76 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 3: And I could just look at them and they were 77 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 3: looking at me. They were wanting to say something. These 78 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 3: are seventh graders. They didn't know what to say, and 79 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 3: I didn't really feel like a say anything to them. 80 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 3: And I was absolutely miserable. And I came out of 81 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 3: that class. In the next class, I went in and 82 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 3: I said, Hey, I know y'all all knew VICKI. I 83 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 3: know y'all all liked Vicky. She was your friend, she 84 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 3: was your teammate. And I want you to know that 85 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 3: I've been sad and I appreciate all of your love, 86 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 3: and don't ever feel like. 87 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 2: You can't talk to me about her, because you can. 88 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 2: And it kind of freed me. 89 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 3: To get that out and to talk about that, and 90 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 3: it was a tough time, but I grew from that 91 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 3: and I learned from it. 92 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 1: We did a podcast in front of a very large 93 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: law of audience with the director of the movie about 94 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:52,280 Speaker 1: bonn Offer and your point about being vulnerable and saying, hey, 95 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: I appreciate the help, even as in a leadership position, 96 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 1: to allow yourself to be vulnerable and human. It reminds 97 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 1: me of something Dietrich Bonhaeffer said about how we need 98 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: to be vulnerable about our sins. But I think you 99 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 1: could make the exact point about the challenges we face 100 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: as human. Bonheiffer wrote, he who is alone without sin 101 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:23,839 Speaker 1: is utterly alone. The final breakthrough to fellowship does not 102 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: come because though they have fellowship with one another's believers 103 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: and it's devout people, they do not have fellowship as 104 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 1: the undeveloped the sinners. The pious fellowship permits no one 105 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 1: to be a sinner, so everybody must conceal his sin 106 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: from himself and from the fellowship. Many Christians are unthinkably 107 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. 108 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 1: So we remain alone with our sin, living and lie 109 00:06:55,160 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 1: and hypocrisy. The fact is all our sinners or we 110 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: all face problems together, so would we talk about them 111 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: with one another and not be alone. Ultimately, vulnerability is cleansing, 112 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: and I think you can jump from what Bonheiffer was 113 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: saying about son to tragedy and how we handle it right. 114 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 2: If I could make a point, I think. 115 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: That you're here, I'll shut up gwhead. 116 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 3: If I could teach college students anything, I would teach 117 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 3: them to be empathetic, to try to understand other people, 118 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 3: to understand where they are. I mean, you know, I 119 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 3: look at these guys over here and think they're freshmen, 120 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 3: what they're going through, and you know, they're bringing with 121 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 3: them their pain from home, They're bringing with them their joy, 122 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 3: they're bringing them with. 123 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 2: Their successes, their worries. 124 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 3: And when I would deal with them on campus, I'd 125 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 3: always try to understand what's going through this guy's head 126 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 3: or what's going through this woman's head in. 127 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 2: Terms of where are they? You know? 128 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 3: And and also you know, a kid come in and 129 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 3: he'd missed a class because he was hungover, and the 130 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 3: professor knew it and everything, and hell, I could empathize 131 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 3: with that. I knew exactly where he was coming from 132 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 3: and so so I think that if we could, just 133 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 3: if we had a class in teaching how to people 134 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,319 Speaker 3: people how to empathize, I think we'd be a whole 135 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 3: lot better office of society. 136 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 2: I think a normal folks needed to learn how to 137 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 2: do that. 138 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 1: Amen, I've got some stats on the region. I want 139 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:49,960 Speaker 1: you to give me the sparks answer. It'll be your 140 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: own personal sparks plug. Okay, sparks plug. 141 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 2: Uh. 142 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:56,680 Speaker 1: There's a story behind that that you're about to learn. 143 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: Where we first met was I wrote for the Daily Mississippian. 144 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 1: As you'll remember, Coach Brewer and I were pretty close, 145 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: and I wrote a column that said we need to 146 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 1: quit waving the Confederate flag and playing Dixie. 147 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,439 Speaker 2: Of football games. And now I grew up. 148 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 1: From my junior year in high school on mixing my 149 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 1: bourbon and coke at the ball games with a stick 150 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:30,560 Speaker 1: from Anfederate flag. Anybody in here done that? Yeah, come on, oh, 151 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:34,720 Speaker 1: I know you did. You're just not telling everybody. And 152 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:38,680 Speaker 1: I waved that Confederate flag with gusto and I loved 153 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: when Dixie played, and I never once had an ounce 154 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 1: of my body think of that as anything racial. I 155 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:55,079 Speaker 1: was cheering on my football team and joining in my 156 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: fellow fans having a big time with the ballgame until 157 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 1: I came to understand and that people in the Northeast 158 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:06,679 Speaker 1: and people on the West coast, they didn't understand that they. 159 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 2: Just saw the flag and they just saw Heard. 160 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:15,559 Speaker 1: Dixie being played, and they equated that to this backwards 161 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:24,599 Speaker 1: racial notion. And I also listened to coach Brewer pontificate 162 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: more than one time about how frustrated he was in 163 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 1: recruiting because he would develop great relationships on the butter 164 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:35,280 Speaker 1: players around the southeast and have them ready to come 165 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 1: to Old miss. But all Jackie Sheryl from Mississippi State 166 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: had to do was walk in and tell that boy's grandmama, 167 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:42,199 Speaker 1: do you. 168 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 2: See what they do on Saturdays? You see what they're 169 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 2: waving and playing? 170 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 1: You really want your son or your grandson to go 171 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 1: down there to Old miss be subject to that. So 172 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:55,720 Speaker 1: I wrote a comment about it, and for the young 173 00:10:55,760 --> 00:11:02,200 Speaker 1: folks in here, you don't understand how deep the ties were. 174 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: It's a lesson that maybe all tradition is in good tradition. 175 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 1: And I wrote a column about that and put it 176 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 1: out into the Mississippian, and I had death threats. I 177 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 1: had my car tore up, I had my windows broke, 178 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: and I literally had letters of death threats, and you 179 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:25,719 Speaker 1: sent me a. 180 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:30,000 Speaker 2: One line handwritten. 181 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:35,959 Speaker 1: Note told me to come see at your office. 182 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 2: You remember that, I do. We'll be right back. 183 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,719 Speaker 3: It was something that had to happen, and you know, 184 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:04,200 Speaker 3: you can make it happen in many ways. But I 185 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 3: always felt like that when we as administrators were. 186 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 2: Trying to do it, that we weren't. It wasn't going 187 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 2: to happen. 188 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:16,679 Speaker 3: But when students stepped up and we could create an 189 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 3: organic movement among the students. 190 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 2: To see what was happening, that it would happen. And so. 191 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:27,959 Speaker 3: I never had a real role in dealing with the 192 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 3: actual policies or anything like that, but I did advise 193 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 3: the students in it. Had students like yourself, and I 194 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:38,680 Speaker 3: was always trying to encourage them to do the thing. 195 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 3: And you know, for I think that when we talk 196 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,440 Speaker 3: about that, and you can't talk about old miss without 197 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 3: talking about how we just beat up on ourselves with 198 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 3: these kind of things. But anybody who looks at where 199 00:12:55,080 --> 00:13:00,439 Speaker 3: we are today with our enrollment, with our development on Campampus, 200 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:06,559 Speaker 3: with the leadership of Glen Boyce with baseball, basketball. 201 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:08,320 Speaker 2: Football, women's basketball. 202 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:14,679 Speaker 3: Women's basketball, what's happening in Oxford. Anybody that doesn't appreciate 203 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 3: where we are with that is crazy, and we would 204 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,959 Speaker 3: not be where we are today had we held. 205 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 2: On to those traditions. That's the reason I choked up 206 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 2: is I was thinking about dropping out of this place. 207 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 2: I was that scared, and you stood by me, and. 208 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:41,680 Speaker 3: There never would have been a Charity Bow. Well, I 209 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 3: have to I'm gonna do some revision on history here. 210 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:51,959 Speaker 3: He started the Charity Bowl after Chucky Mullens. That went forever, 211 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 3: but the real Charity Bowl was started by Chip Pickering 212 00:13:56,679 --> 00:14:00,319 Speaker 3: a couple of years earlier. Four years earlier was a 213 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 3: Sigma Kai and he started the game and the Sigma 214 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 3: Kay has lost the first two games, so they quit 215 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 3: doing it. 216 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 2: It's true. And then Chucky got hurt. 217 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 1: In that same year, there was a young man in 218 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: Lord of Mississippi named Alan Moore who had the high 219 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:22,480 Speaker 1: school or junior who had the exact same injury that 220 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 1: Chucky did. Same vertebrates, same everything, same paralysis, and they 221 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: had no insurance and they didn't even have enough money 222 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: to buy the kid a wheelchair and millions are pouring 223 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 1: in for Chucky in his care So I went up 224 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: to Baptist in Memphis and I told him, no disrespect. 225 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: We all want to support you, but I'd like to 226 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 1: do this for this kid, but do it in your honor. 227 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 1: But I wouldn't ever do it if you felt like 228 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: it'd take away from you. And I just like your blessings. 229 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 1: And he was through his respirator, whispered to his caretaker. 230 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 2: And it was ish. 231 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: Chucky's big thing that year for the football team was 232 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: he told the team it's time. And that's what he 233 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 1: said to me. And so I came back, taught Coach 234 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 1: Brewer begged him for the equipment. He thought I was 235 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 1: half out of my mind. And then I came and 236 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 1: talked to you, and you can both poot Coach Brewer 237 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: to give us the bads. And that's how the charity 238 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:23,160 Speaker 1: ball started. And it never starts without you either. 239 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:29,040 Speaker 2: Smart well, you're nice to say that. It's true. So 240 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 2: as a leader, you deal with. 241 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: Discipline, you deal with hard times, you deal with overcoming 242 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 1: you own personal things as a normal person and still 243 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: finding humor and laughter and inspiration. 244 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 2: You taught the leadership class. 245 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 1: You somehow knew the names of about eighty percent of 246 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 1: everybody walking around campus. 247 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 2: I want to correct that I do not know the 248 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 2: names of every student. It sure felt like it. We 249 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 2: called everybody my name. 250 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 3: Well, I used to get the freshman directory and I 251 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 3: would study that, and then when Facebook came out, it 252 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 3: was piece of cake to learn names. But there was 253 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 3: a student who came up to Well, this was only 254 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 3: about six or seven years I'd already been retired. Student 255 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 3: came up to me in the grove and he was drunk. 256 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 3: He was about thirty former student, he was about thirty 257 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 3: seven thirty eight years old, and he said, you're supposed 258 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 3: to remember everybody's name. 259 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 2: What was my name? And I just. 260 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 3: I said, you know, I always did my best to 261 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 3: remember the names of those students that I cared about. 262 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 3: Now what's your name again? 263 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: So you deal with discipline, you deal it with humor, 264 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: You deal with your own things, You deal with the 265 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: toughest things. You deal with people like brother Jim that 266 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: we can't get into. But read the book and look 267 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: them up. You deal my best story, Oh well, go 268 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 1: for it. Brother Jim. 269 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:05,399 Speaker 3: Was how many of you remember Brother Jim? Okay, Brother 270 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,720 Speaker 3: Jim would come to campus. He was a street preacher 271 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 3: hell fire and Brimstone, and he would stand he was 272 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 3: nice looking guy, blonde hair, war suit. He would stand 273 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 3: out in front of the Union and he would he 274 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:22,720 Speaker 3: would just antagonize students and just take. 275 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: His beat up Bible and look at girls the sorority 276 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: shirts on and say you are a whore. 277 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 2: That's what he would do, yes, ma'am. He would. 278 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 1: He would absolutely do, which means their boy. All the 279 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,479 Speaker 1: stet up all the steps of the union. And they 280 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: didn't take him doing that. For about five minutes that 281 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 1: there'd be four hundred people gathered around knowing what was 282 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: going on. 283 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:46,159 Speaker 3: He drew a Crowdsmarky, Yeah, he was saved at the 284 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:52,280 Speaker 3: Van Halen concert and he tells that story. But the 285 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:54,879 Speaker 3: funniest thing was he and I got to We were 286 00:17:54,920 --> 00:18:00,439 Speaker 3: on a first name basis. But Brian Hall is right 287 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:03,680 Speaker 3: next to the Big Catapatry and the theater students were 288 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 3: in there at the time, and on the third floor 289 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 3: was a studio and there's a round kind of room 290 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 3: with the window there and Jim was just preaching hell 291 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 3: fire and Brimstone, going on and on and having sword 292 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:21,360 Speaker 3: drills with the people back and forth and theater students 293 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:24,159 Speaker 3: put a speaker in the window and one of them 294 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 3: got on. He went, Jim, Jim, this is God. Cut 295 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 3: that down. Great story. 296 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:46,159 Speaker 1: All right, after this next question answer, we're going to 297 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: open up to you, guys. But here's something that with 298 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 1: all of your experience and your knowledge and excise. 299 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:00,119 Speaker 2: Leading young men, leading people helping lead this university, I 300 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 2: got to ask you this question. 301 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:04,879 Speaker 1: US News and World Report just released a new public 302 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: opinion survey. This one's probably not going to surprise you, 303 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: but it's stark numbers. 304 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:11,160 Speaker 2: You need to hear. 305 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: The articles titled Americans say the US is in a 306 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 1: leadership crisis. More than four out of five adults, that's 307 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: eighty five percent of American surveys say government officials and 308 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:29,439 Speaker 1: other community leaders care more about their own power and influence. 309 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:30,880 Speaker 2: Than what's best for the people they represent. 310 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 1: We talk about this lot on the show, and we 311 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 1: always talk about the politician stuff. That's been that way 312 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 1: for a long time. What's new about this is listen 313 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:49,399 Speaker 1: to the line. Four out of five, eighty five percent 314 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:54,359 Speaker 1: say government officials, and this is the new part. Other 315 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 1: community leaders care more about their own power and influence 316 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:02,359 Speaker 1: than what's better for people, they report their distrust and 317 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:08,840 Speaker 1: disenchantment permeates major sectors of society as well. Seventy three 318 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 1: percent don't trust healthcare leaders, seventy two percent are disappointed 319 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:24,240 Speaker 1: in business leaders, and sixty eight percent don't trust education leaders. 320 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 1: Politicians overwhelming come in mind when first when Americans are 321 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 1: asked about political leaders, fifty six percent, but those survey 322 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: had little positive say. The public rated political leaders trustworthiness 323 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: among the lowest of any leader group at only thirty 324 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,720 Speaker 1: one percent, and seventy five percent say they have too 325 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: much power. That may not be that shocking and new, 326 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 1: but again, seventy two percent don't trust business leaders, seventy 327 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: three don't trust healthcare leaders doctors administrators, sixty eight percent 328 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 1: don't trust the profession you came from smoking. The leadership 329 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 1: void doesn't help by the fact that most Americans don't 330 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: aspire to follow in the leaders footsteps. 331 00:21:10,119 --> 00:21:11,119 Speaker 2: That's scary. 332 00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: Most Americans don't want to be business leaders, or politicians 333 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: or educational leaders because they don't trust them. Three and 334 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 1: five say they don't see leaders today in any sector 335 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 1: whom they aspire to emulate. 336 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:53,480 Speaker 2: We'll be right back, Sparky, You're a beloved leader. You've 337 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:54,159 Speaker 2: touched lives. 338 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:56,680 Speaker 1: You've certainly touched mine, and I know everybody else has 339 00:21:56,720 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 1: stories like mine. 340 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:01,040 Speaker 2: What do you think is going on? 341 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 1: And how do we reverse thus before we lose our 342 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 1: very culture. 343 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:16,920 Speaker 3: I think the the most endangered thing in our nation 344 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 3: right now is the truth. Uh that that there's so 345 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 3: many attacks on the truth. And you know, when you 346 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 3: when you think about education, really all education is is 347 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 3: a search for truth, whether it's in the laboratory, whether 348 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:36,840 Speaker 3: it's in the meaning of a poem or a book. 349 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,440 Speaker 2: Of people look for truth. Uh. 350 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 3: There's attacks on law firms now, and really lawyers are 351 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,879 Speaker 3: in the really in the business of getting to the 352 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 3: truth that the press. You know, at one point the 353 00:22:53,119 --> 00:22:56,680 Speaker 3: press was the truth. And there's so many attacks on 354 00:22:56,680 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 3: on those entities right now. And I think that we 355 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:05,160 Speaker 3: have so much information coming at us, whether it's the Internet, 356 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 3: the TV, podcast, whatever, that it's kind of like drinking 357 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,240 Speaker 3: out of a fire hose. You know, you really can't 358 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 3: you really don't know what's there. And I tell these 359 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:23,160 Speaker 3: young people who are here right now that the most 360 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:27,600 Speaker 3: important thing that you can do while you're here is 361 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 3: to find out what your truth is, you know, and 362 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:33,959 Speaker 3: where you find it, whether it's in education, whether it's 363 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:38,919 Speaker 3: in conversation with other people, whatever it is, find your truth. 364 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:43,840 Speaker 3: Polonius told his son Laertes and Hamlet, he said, and 365 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:46,119 Speaker 3: this as he was going to college. He said, in 366 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 3: this above all, as the night follow us the day, 367 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:51,800 Speaker 3: to thine own self be true, And as the night 368 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,040 Speaker 3: follow us the day, thou canst not then be false 369 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:57,679 Speaker 3: to any man. So I would encourage all of you 370 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 3: to put your phones up to listen to You might 371 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,000 Speaker 3: your parents might get mad at me for saying this, 372 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 3: But you don't have to come up here with their values. 373 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 3: I'm not asking you to throw them away, but make 374 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:16,199 Speaker 3: sure that they're going to end up being yours in 375 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,639 Speaker 3: the long run. You don't have to come up here 376 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:21,879 Speaker 3: with your hometown values. You have your own values, find you. 377 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 3: You don't have to come up here with old missus values. 378 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:27,119 Speaker 3: What you need to do is find your value and 379 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,960 Speaker 3: figure out where it is. And you do that by searching. 380 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 3: And really, all you're doing right now is is trying 381 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:36,719 Speaker 3: to get to the truth if it's what you if 382 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 3: you really want an education. 383 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,639 Speaker 2: So that's that's my take on that. I love that. 384 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:51,639 Speaker 2: All right, we're about to go to Q and A. 385 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:53,680 Speaker 1: But I want to I want to say one thing 386 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:55,360 Speaker 1: about an army in normal folks. 387 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:56,119 Speaker 2: We are. 388 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:00,880 Speaker 1: This little idea that started kind of on a wing 389 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 1: and a prayer and honestly was supported by some of 390 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:06,159 Speaker 1: the very people in this room who I want to 391 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:08,600 Speaker 1: say to you. I won't call you out to embarrass you, 392 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 1: but thank you so much for helping Alex get this 393 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:16,159 Speaker 1: thing going. We're about to start local chapters of the 394 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:20,160 Speaker 1: Army in six cities across the country Lana and some others. 395 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 1: The chapters will do occasional service days together that we'll 396 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:28,960 Speaker 1: call Army activations, and we're going to launch a giving circle, 397 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:33,639 Speaker 1: which is a really cold concept that's missing from most places. 398 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: One of our past guests is the founder of Impact 399 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:40,880 Speaker 1: one hundred, where one hundred women each donate one thousand 400 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:44,880 Speaker 1: dollars and then that one hundred women with one thousand 401 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:49,199 Speaker 1: dollars each make one one hundred thousand dollars gift together, 402 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:53,399 Speaker 1: empowering normal folks to do transformational philanthropy that they couldn't 403 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 1: do on their own, and they can make a real 404 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,959 Speaker 1: impact of that kind of money. Given our normal folks 405 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 1: ethos that were setting the minimum even lower to ten 406 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,399 Speaker 1: bucks a month, so folks can still donate up to 407 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 1: a million dollars if they want to, and you should 408 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:11,160 Speaker 1: have caned but ten bucks a month. So our producer, 409 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 1: Alex Cortez is going to start one of our inaugural chapters. 410 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:16,720 Speaker 2: Right here in Oxford. 411 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:20,400 Speaker 1: If you're interested, Alex is around, go to normal Folks 412 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:23,439 Speaker 1: dot us and sign up to join the army, and 413 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:25,960 Speaker 1: we'd love to have your contact information. You can talk 414 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 1: to Alex after the event. He's the ugly guy I 415 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:30,760 Speaker 1: wanted to wear a jacket like me, but he doesn't 416 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:31,960 Speaker 1: pull it off as well as I do. 417 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 2: You'll find him. 418 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:38,960 Speaker 1: And much like the old Optimist clubs and things like that, 419 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:43,200 Speaker 1: we're starting Army of Normal Folks chapters that meet once 420 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 1: a month and hopefully take the content inspiration from our 421 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:50,720 Speaker 1: guests and put it into action in communities. So that 422 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 1: opportunity is going to exist right here in Oxford. If 423 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:55,360 Speaker 1: any of you are interested, go to normal Folks dot 424 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 1: us with that Alex. 425 00:26:57,760 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 2: How are we going to do this? We're going to 426 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:02,400 Speaker 2: pass around the microphone that Okay, ad the ties. 427 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 1: You have fifteen minutes to ask Sparky anything you want 428 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 1: to ask. 429 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:08,639 Speaker 2: And I mean I don't know if you want to 430 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 2: ask me. That's what you got one up here. Thank you, sir. 431 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:13,200 Speaker 2: My name is JT. 432 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 4: Cunningham and I'm from Pennsylvania, so I really appreciate what 433 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:20,199 Speaker 4: you said about the importance of both having good values 434 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:24,280 Speaker 4: and finding truth in life. In all of your life, 435 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:26,520 Speaker 4: has there ever been a time that you adhered to 436 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 4: something as the truth or you had something as a 437 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,200 Speaker 4: very close value, but over time you've decided that that's 438 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:34,439 Speaker 4: not the truth, or that's not a value that you 439 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 4: hold dear anymore. 440 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:38,040 Speaker 2: I came from the Mississippi Delta. 441 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:43,800 Speaker 3: I guess race was a part of I accepted what race, 442 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:47,360 Speaker 3: how people were viewed there, and I used their words 443 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 3: and as When I came up here, I actually had 444 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:54,679 Speaker 3: a paternity brother who pulled me aside and talked to 445 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 3: me and said, you know, we're better than this. 446 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:02,680 Speaker 2: And so I think just my association with. 447 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 3: A good man who was a good friend changed me 448 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:08,160 Speaker 3: in the regard about how I felt about race. 449 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:14,800 Speaker 1: I think that could be said about any number of things. 450 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:19,360 Speaker 2: A thinking be careful with us. 451 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 1: When I say liberal, I don't get into politics on 452 00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:25,560 Speaker 1: the show very much. When I say liberal, I don't 453 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:26,800 Speaker 1: mean in a political sense. 454 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 2: I mean an. 455 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:32,560 Speaker 1: Open minded, liberal minded person who is always seeking the truth, 456 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:36,600 Speaker 1: which is what a liberal mind does. I think as 457 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:41,320 Speaker 1: you grow older and you open yourselves up to more 458 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 1: and more truths, I think we evolve as human beings, 459 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:52,000 Speaker 1: and that evolution simply makes us fuller and better. Come on, 460 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 1: test me. There's one way back there, and there's one here. 461 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 2: Test me. Hazard's bunny was Mississippi. How did you go 462 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:10,600 Speaker 2: from seventh grade teacher to students? 463 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:14,200 Speaker 3: Well, I told you that I wanted to be on 464 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:19,479 Speaker 3: the path to become the denist students, and my dad said, well, 465 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 3: let's uh, before you go back to college, I want 466 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 3: you to see if you really like education, And. 467 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:27,920 Speaker 2: So I ended up. 468 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:34,280 Speaker 3: I taught junior high school coach junior high football, sponsored 469 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 3: the newspaper directed to senior play, advise a student counsel, 470 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 3: which was really training for kind of what I did 471 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 3: when I got here. 472 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:44,680 Speaker 2: The only thing I refused to do was to learn 473 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 2: how to drive the bus. 474 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 3: And then doctor Trott left me with the cheerleaders, and 475 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 3: I was just totally unprepared for that. 476 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 2: They were egos that could tumble, egos that couldn't tumble. 477 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 2: I'm in trouble now. 478 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:08,400 Speaker 3: So after I did that, I got my master's, going 479 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 3: to night school at Delta State, came back here, thought 480 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 3: I had a job at Old Miss, but they didn't 481 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:17,880 Speaker 3: hire me, and a wonderful woman named Jeene Jones hired 482 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 3: me in the counseling center as a graduate assistant, and 483 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 3: the next year I got hired in admissions, and so 484 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 3: it was just putting myself in the. 485 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:29,080 Speaker 2: Right place at the right time. Good question, though, thank you. 486 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:33,800 Speaker 2: I hate to be the last one with a stupid question. 487 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:37,160 Speaker 2: But how did you and Speedy get your names? And 488 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 2: who was oldest? 489 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 3: Well, you know, I've never done a session where people 490 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:46,600 Speaker 3: did not ask that question. My brother Speedy was expected 491 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:50,760 Speaker 3: in October, but he didn't get here till November. So 492 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 3: my mother's first cousin said old Speedy finally got here. 493 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 3: And then when that same cousin found out that she 494 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 3: was pregnant with me, he said, well, the next one's 495 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 3: going to be sparky. 496 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 2: So it was pre natal, you know. 497 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 3: And and it's good in some sense, but. 498 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 2: Some senses. You know, it's easy to. 499 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 3: Write on a bathroom wall, as a lot of guys 500 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 3: did in college. 501 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:22,160 Speaker 1: I want to thank the Miss Women's counsel. I want 502 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 1: to thank all of you for being here. 503 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:25,560 Speaker 2: Sparky. 504 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:27,840 Speaker 1: I want to thank you for this time, for joining 505 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:30,720 Speaker 1: us on the show. Most importantly, I want. 506 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:32,520 Speaker 2: To thank you for the impact you've had all my life. 507 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:35,880 Speaker 1: It's profound, from everything you did all the way to 508 00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 1: the lessons I learned in your leadership class that are 509 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:42,080 Speaker 1: actually some of which are in my book from things 510 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:46,160 Speaker 1: you taught me. And I think I speak on behalf 511 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:48,720 Speaker 1: of so many people in Oxford and so much of 512 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:54,200 Speaker 1: the alumni. You, my friend, are a living icon and 513 00:31:54,240 --> 00:32:00,120 Speaker 1: we are lucky to have had you in our lives. 514 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:01,080 Speaker 2: I appreciate that. 515 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:10,400 Speaker 3: I'll say this and I don't. 516 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:12,560 Speaker 2: This is not false humility. 517 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:17,240 Speaker 3: I learn more from the students and my colleagues than 518 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 3: I ever taught. 519 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 2: Them, So that's that's the truth. 520 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:24,240 Speaker 1: Appreciate it one last time, everybody, Sparky Rearding. 521 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 2: Thank you. I love help me out there you go, 522 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 2: Thank you all and thank you about it. Appreciate it 523 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:43,680 Speaker 2: and thank you for joining us this week. 524 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:48,680 Speaker 1: If Sparky Reardon has inspired you in general, or better yet, 525 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 1: to take action by working with students, mentoring, leading, or 526 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:56,360 Speaker 1: buying this book The Dean or something else, entirely. 527 00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:59,280 Speaker 2: Please let me know I'd love to hear about it. 528 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 1: You can write me anytime at Bill at normalfolks dot 529 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 1: us and you'll hear back from me. If you enjoyed 530 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:08,520 Speaker 1: this episode, please share it with friends that are on 531 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:13,080 Speaker 1: social Subscribe to our podcast, rate it, review it, Join 532 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 1: the army at normalfolks dot us, any and all of 533 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:18,920 Speaker 1: these things that will help us grow an army of 534 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 1: normal folks. 535 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 2: I'm Bill Courtney. Until next time, do it you can