WEBVTT - Vanderbilt's Lee Helping Athletes Make a Difference

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<v Speaker 1>Well. Our next guest was recently named Vanderbilt University's first

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<v Speaker 1>female athletic director and the first African American woman to

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<v Speaker 1>head an SEC athletics program. We're talking about Candice story Lee,

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<v Speaker 1>well known to the Vanderbilt organization as both the student

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<v Speaker 1>athlete and as a sports administrator at the school, and

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<v Speaker 1>we are delighted to have with us. There's so much

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<v Speaker 1>more I could talk to you about her background, but

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<v Speaker 1>we do want to get into our conversation. Um, Candice,

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<v Speaker 1>welcome to Bloomberg Business Week Radio. Thank you so much

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<v Speaker 1>for being with us. Oh, thank you, thank you very

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<v Speaker 1>much for having me. And I have to say congratulations

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<v Speaker 1>on your appointment, and we do want to talk to

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<v Speaker 1>you about your plans and hopes for sports at Vanderbilt.

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<v Speaker 1>I've got to, though, ask you about what happened in Minneapolis.

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<v Speaker 1>When you first heard about it, you saw the video

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<v Speaker 1>with George Floyd, What did you think? Oh? Man, UM,

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<v Speaker 1>I thought, what and what what a tragedy that could

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<v Speaker 1>have been and should have been avoided? And um, it

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<v Speaker 1>was heart breaking. It was very difficult to watch. I

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<v Speaker 1>will admit that I have not been able to watch all.

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<v Speaker 1>I know it's seven or eight minutes long. I have

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<v Speaker 1>not made it through that entire video. I mean I've

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<v Speaker 1>seen I've seen clips, and um it's traumatizing. So I

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<v Speaker 1>would say that, Um. I mean my reaction was the

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<v Speaker 1>reaction of I think so many of us that, um,

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<v Speaker 1>it was unnecessary. It was unnecessary. And Candice, you know

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<v Speaker 1>you have a responsibility as so many do to you know,

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<v Speaker 1>young people who are ultimately in your care. You know

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<v Speaker 1>you were catching them at an incredibly important and informative age.

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<v Speaker 1>How do you take what's going on in the country

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<v Speaker 1>and you think about your role being as important as

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<v Speaker 1>it ever was, more important maybe than it ever was,

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<v Speaker 1>as as you think about the young folks that that

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<v Speaker 1>you're trying to to counsel through all of this. We're

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<v Speaker 1>all thinking about it as parents, I know, and and

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<v Speaker 1>obviously you see it through a different lens than I do.

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<v Speaker 1>I like how you phrase the question, because you're right then,

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<v Speaker 1>um it is it is the care of our student

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<v Speaker 1>athletes that is our priority. And I think that in

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<v Speaker 1>some ways, you know, you feel helpless when you see

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<v Speaker 1>a situation like this and you you start wrapping your

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<v Speaker 1>brain and you it stirs up a lot of emotions

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<v Speaker 1>and then I start thinking about how not that I

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<v Speaker 1>have a ton of experience, but if you if you

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<v Speaker 1>imagine being a college student and trying to process that

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<v Speaker 1>and makes sense of it, how intimidating and overwhelming that

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<v Speaker 1>must be. And I think the thing that we have

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<v Speaker 1>to do is just start with transparency and opthenticity. Those

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<v Speaker 1>are the things I talked with our student athletes about

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<v Speaker 1>UM over the weekend, and same with our staff. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>it's a it's a chance to to really be vulnerable

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<v Speaker 1>and wrestle with this together. I don't have all the answers,

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<v Speaker 1>and I'm real clear about that, but I we want

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<v Speaker 1>our student athletes to understand that we can provide them

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<v Speaker 1>with a safe space to explore how they're feeling, and

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<v Speaker 1>we want to equip them with I mean, it's it's

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<v Speaker 1>it's hard to make sense of something that's just tragic.

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<v Speaker 1>It's hard to make sense of that. But what I

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<v Speaker 1>hope is that our student athletes will feel like they

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<v Speaker 1>can make a difference, Like if they're convicted about this

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<v Speaker 1>topic or anything that they're passionate about, that they'll use

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<v Speaker 1>their platform to really affect change and do it in

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<v Speaker 1>a healthy way. The thing I think that many of

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<v Speaker 1>us wrestle with for many people wrestle with when you're

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<v Speaker 1>just so heartbroken over something and it's hard to understand

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<v Speaker 1>why people do certain things. How can you mobilize people

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<v Speaker 1>to want to make a change, but but not be

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<v Speaker 1>so frustrated that you paralyzed or you know, not have

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<v Speaker 1>a hard heart and and and that's um I think

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<v Speaker 1>that's a challenge for all of us. But I know

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<v Speaker 1>that's a challenge when you're eighteen, nineteen, and twenty years old,

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<v Speaker 1>and and you know, it's a privilege to be able

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<v Speaker 1>to be with with with folks when they're developing their

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<v Speaker 1>ideas and they're building a foundation. But it's also a

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<v Speaker 1>huge responsibility, you know, because they looked to us. You

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<v Speaker 1>talked about the care, They looked us for that guidance,

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<v Speaker 1>So you know, we need to do it in the

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<v Speaker 1>most healthy and balanced way. Well, we've got about a

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<v Speaker 1>minute and then we're going to come back and continue

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<v Speaker 1>our conversation because I am also curious, Candida, and we

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<v Speaker 1>do want to get into what your plans are at

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<v Speaker 1>Vanderbilt and your hopes and expectations. But I do wonder

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<v Speaker 1>about what is the role and responsibility of sports as

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<v Speaker 1>an activist and agent for change, especially coming off of

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<v Speaker 1>the last few years Colin Kaepernack and you know, so

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<v Speaker 1>many professional athletes who were who were I feel like

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<v Speaker 1>UM reined in no doubt about it, or penalized for

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<v Speaker 1>kind of speaking out. So we're going to continue our

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<v Speaker 1>conversation with us as Vanderbilt Athletic Director Candice Lee, she's

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<v Speaker 1>joining us on the phone from Nashville, Tennessee, and so

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<v Speaker 1>Jason will get back to that conversation. But it's been

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<v Speaker 1>I think about some of the things that we've done

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<v Speaker 1>that NBA, I'll Star Tech Summit and you know, being

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<v Speaker 1>at the Super Bowl. We've talked about this a lot

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<v Speaker 1>and what the responsibility is for something, you know, whether

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<v Speaker 1>it's sports or entertainment, in terms of being an agent

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<v Speaker 1>for change. And I think being in Nashville is an

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<v Speaker 1>important UH note to and it takes me back to

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<v Speaker 1>what John Hope Bryant was saying about Atlanta, and you know,

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<v Speaker 1>Nashville in many ways is a very similar city. It's

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<v Speaker 1>a boomtown. There's a huge amount of economic opportunity, and

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<v Speaker 1>how do you ensure that you are sort of growing

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<v Speaker 1>and caring for a generation of leaders who are willing,

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<v Speaker 1>UH and enthusiastic to take all that one. We're going

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<v Speaker 1>to get into that and much more in just a minute.

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<v Speaker 1>Our guests at this hour is Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Lee.

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<v Speaker 1>She joins us on the phone from Nashville, Tennessee. We

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<v Speaker 1>want to pivot, UH to your plans at Vanderbilt, But

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<v Speaker 1>I have one last question, and I do wonder, Candice,

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<v Speaker 1>what you think is the role and responsibility of sports

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<v Speaker 1>professional or collegiate in terms of being an agent for change. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I think when you when you look at the athletics platform, Um,

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<v Speaker 1>I saw I actually saw a tweet yesterday that and

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<v Speaker 1>I'm sure I'm sure you all saw this or other

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<v Speaker 1>people are saying something similar. But it talked about if

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<v Speaker 1>the world would treat each other the way people treat

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<v Speaker 1>each other in a locker room, where they're folks from

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<v Speaker 1>all walks of life and um different perspectives, what they're

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<v Speaker 1>working towards a common goal. And that really struck me

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<v Speaker 1>because I think that when you when you look at

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<v Speaker 1>athletics and you get on a team, I don't know

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<v Speaker 1>that people are focused on race or geographical area or

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<v Speaker 1>sexual orientation, or they're they're working together to try to win,

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<v Speaker 1>right there, competing on the same team with a common goal.

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<v Speaker 1>And when I think about that and all the opportunities

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<v Speaker 1>that have been created. Now, don't get me wrong, athletics

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<v Speaker 1>has not been perfect in this space, so I'm certainly

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<v Speaker 1>not saying that, but I do think that given the

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<v Speaker 1>great widespread interests that there is an athletics and and

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<v Speaker 1>the way that it allows you to cheer for the

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<v Speaker 1>same thing without regard to those things that that that

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<v Speaker 1>make us different, then I think it's kind of a

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<v Speaker 1>natural thing to look at athletics in terms of leadership

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<v Speaker 1>when it comes to opportunities and and to this equality

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<v Speaker 1>and fairness, because that's what sport is. Sport is about

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<v Speaker 1>fairness and and and I I think you've got to

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<v Speaker 1>be careful here because I know that that doesn't mean

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<v Speaker 1>that every athlete as a social activist. I understand that.

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<v Speaker 1>But the fact that sports is something that ties a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of us together and brings people to common spaces

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<v Speaker 1>and allows them to interact where these same people might

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<v Speaker 1>not might not be together if if it were not

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<v Speaker 1>for a football game or soccer match. And I think

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<v Speaker 1>that that shows us that sport has the ability to

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<v Speaker 1>be far reaching. So I think with that there's expectations,

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<v Speaker 1>right that maybe you can change people's minds or you

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<v Speaker 1>can raise awareness about something. Well. In Candice, for all

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<v Speaker 1>of those reasons that you just described, we are so

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<v Speaker 1>collectively interested in seeing sports come back, especially college sports

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<v Speaker 1>come back. I grew up town South, have a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of friends who went to Vanderbilt and other SEC schools,

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<v Speaker 1>And there is nothing I don't have to tell you.

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<v Speaker 1>There is nothing like SEC sports, and there's nothing like

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<v Speaker 1>SEC college football. What's right? What's your best guess for

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<v Speaker 1>for what we see this fall? I've been really intentional

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<v Speaker 1>about about not trying to guess and tell you that

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<v Speaker 1>we're preparing to come back in the fall as scheduled.

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<v Speaker 1>And and I'm and I'm not trying to to dodge

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<v Speaker 1>your question. I think the reality is that this pandemic

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<v Speaker 1>has taught us that, um, as much as we think

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<v Speaker 1>we're in control of things, we're we're very vulnerable and

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<v Speaker 1>and and that's humbling, especially in athletics, because you know,

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<v Speaker 1>we're we're very focused, we're very regimented, we're very structured,

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<v Speaker 1>and and I think there's a lot of humility that

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<v Speaker 1>comes with knowing that you really don't know what the

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<v Speaker 1>future holes. Having said that, I was on a call

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<v Speaker 1>earlier today and the point was made. I had not

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<v Speaker 1>thought about this, But you know, we've been in this

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<v Speaker 1>mode for you know, roughly ninety days. We still have

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<v Speaker 1>a decent amount of time before we have to play

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<v Speaker 1>our first football game, and and and time is is

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<v Speaker 1>really important here because with each passing day and with

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<v Speaker 1>each passing week, we learn a little bit more and

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<v Speaker 1>with more data, you know, you feel armed to make

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<v Speaker 1>better decisions. And I think that all of us desperately

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<v Speaker 1>want sports back. It's a rallying cry. It ties communities together.

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<v Speaker 1>We all we all want something to cheer for. We

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<v Speaker 1>all want to feel united, and sports is a great

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<v Speaker 1>way to do that. And I just think we just

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<v Speaker 1>have to be diligent about trying to resume activity in

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<v Speaker 1>the safest way possible. You know. That's part of the

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<v Speaker 1>care for the student athletes that you all were talking

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<v Speaker 1>about earlier. That's part of it, right, It's fundamental their

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<v Speaker 1>health and safety and the health and safety of our community.

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<v Speaker 1>So and um, it's challenging, right sure, well, And and Candice,

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<v Speaker 1>it also feels like one of the challenges is going

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<v Speaker 1>to be protecting so many of the sports beyond college football,

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<v Speaker 1>given the economic headwinds that UH that athletic departments are

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<v Speaker 1>going to face. I have to think you're thinking about

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<v Speaker 1>that as well, given the upside down world we're living

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<v Speaker 1>in potentially. And I'm not asking you to guess about this.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, if we have you know, spectator list games,

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<v Speaker 1>how are you sort of thinking about different ways that

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<v Speaker 1>you can ensure that many UH cauge college athletes still

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<v Speaker 1>get a chance to to play at a time when

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of schools or canceling programs. You're right, we're very,

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<v Speaker 1>very dependent on the revenue that's tied to football. There's

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<v Speaker 1>no question about that. There's no debating that. I think

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<v Speaker 1>that you have to look at each individual situation in

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<v Speaker 1>terms of like how much particular athletics department depends on

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<v Speaker 1>revenue that's tied to tickets or concessions or you know,

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<v Speaker 1>it varies by institution. What doesn't vary, though, is that

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<v Speaker 1>we all need football. We all we all need it

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<v Speaker 1>to It's the financial engine that drives everything, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's that's just the way that it's structured. We

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<v Speaker 1>don't currently have we have no plans to discontinue any

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<v Speaker 1>of our sports. But you know, when I get asked

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<v Speaker 1>about all the different models that we're looking at, I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know if any of us are looking at a

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<v Speaker 1>model that includes no football at all, because that you

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<v Speaker 1>don't really need to sketch that out right, because the

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<v Speaker 1>outcomes are pretty grim there. But I think it is

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<v Speaker 1>an opportunity for us to creatively think about how do

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<v Speaker 1>we how do we how do we try to get

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<v Speaker 1>to whatever normal is in the safest way possible. But

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<v Speaker 1>we're it's an understatement to say that we have to

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<v Speaker 1>be flexible. You know, we all keep talking about the

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<v Speaker 1>new normal, but there's there's not going to be anything

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<v Speaker 1>normal about the next few months. That is so true. Hey, listen,

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<v Speaker 1>we just have about a minute left here. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>you come to this very familiar with Vanderbilt. You were

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<v Speaker 1>students there, you're an athlete there. Um, what do you

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<v Speaker 1>think that how does that help you in this in

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<v Speaker 1>this job? I think there, I think it's it's it's

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<v Speaker 1>clear that the relationships that I have and the awareness

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<v Speaker 1>about the landscape and who we are as an institution

0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:46.040
<v Speaker 1>and and how we get things done, that's very very helpful.

0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:48.960
<v Speaker 1>But I want to be clear that, um, just because

0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:51.280
<v Speaker 1>I've been at Vanderbilt and just because I've been a

0:12:51.320 --> 0:12:54.560
<v Speaker 1>student athlete there, I don't come in thinking that I

0:12:54.640 --> 0:12:56.800
<v Speaker 1>have all of the answers. And I think that that

0:12:56.800 --> 0:12:59.000
<v Speaker 1>that that would not be a healthy way to approach it,

0:12:59.520 --> 0:13:03.080
<v Speaker 1>because as there are still many things that you have

0:13:03.160 --> 0:13:07.240
<v Speaker 1>to learn from the seat. Right, you can do, you can,

0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:09.640
<v Speaker 1>you can do everything sort of around it, but until

0:13:09.679 --> 0:13:11.880
<v Speaker 1>you sit in the seat, there are certain things that

0:13:11.960 --> 0:13:14.160
<v Speaker 1>you haven't had to contemplate. And I actually think that

0:13:14.160 --> 0:13:17.480
<v Speaker 1>that's refreshing, because you know, one could look at being

0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:21.600
<v Speaker 1>at the same institution um as as perhaps the challenge

0:13:21.640 --> 0:13:24.640
<v Speaker 1>because you don't you don't have the diversity of experiences

0:13:24.640 --> 0:13:28.040
<v Speaker 1>in other places. Right. I've been really fortunate to have

0:13:28.640 --> 0:13:31.080
<v Speaker 1>um a network of folks that are all over the

0:13:31.080 --> 0:13:33.760
<v Speaker 1>country that I've always happened to, so I could make

0:13:33.760 --> 0:13:37.400
<v Speaker 1>sure that I'm learning and understanding, and I think that

0:13:37.400 --> 0:13:39.679
<v Speaker 1>that's going to be really helpful here. But there's no

0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:43.160
<v Speaker 1>doubt having been at Vanderbilt, it's a it's a positive. Right, Well,

0:13:43.240 --> 0:13:46.079
<v Speaker 1>we wish you well, Vanderbilt's athletic director can as Late