Kendall Nether oral history - January 30, 2023

Hello. Um, hi. What? Let's start with what is your name?

Uh, my name is Kendall. I am a senior entrepreneurship major from Las Vegas, Nevada. From Las Vegas? Yes.

Wow. Um. And you're graduating this semester? Graduating this semester?

Yes. Congratulations. Thank you. Um, so you're a student in the school of Business?

Yes. And have you been here since your first year? Yes. Or did you transfer?

Been all four years. Okay, great. Um, do you have any other LMU affiliations that you want to share?

Um, I mean, I'm part of almost every club on campus. Um, uh, I'm president of Brothers of Consciousness. I am a member of the Black Student Union, African

Student Association, uh, BlackatLMU, I'm president at LMU for Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. I'm a spring 22 initiate. Um, what else is there?

Uh, I was a major on the men's basketball team my freshman year. And TLC class of 2019. I know I'm forgetting some stuff, but I was going

to call it there. So many things. Very affiliated. Yes.

Okay. Awesome. Um, how do you describe yourself? And you can interpret that any way you want.

Um hmm. I would say I would describe myself as someone that. It doesn't quit. Um, in general, um, me having a disability doesn't necessarily

mean that I always have obstacles to go through. Like, yeah, we're going to have, um. Difficulties and challenges sometimes. Doesn't necessarily mean that everything that I want to do, I

can't do. Um, it's like, for instance, like I'm, I'm a type one diabetic, but I've been playing basketball since I was four, so I've never really let something like that really

affect who I was. I, I would mad, I would rather have it, um, as someone or as something that doesn't define me but defines my character, if that makes sense. Mhm.

So, um, it. Obviously it's going to play a role in my life, but I don't want it to be my only life. So, you know, like I said, I'm playing basketball since I was four.

I've done, um, work with JDRF since I was probably about five. Um, JDRF standing for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Um, I've been with them, uh, from five till I

got to college, and I'm, you know, I've traveled all over. I've talked to numerous groups of, um, talked to nurses. I've I've gone all the way to Congress to talk to,

like, people like Harry Reid. Um. I've done all those type of things. But yeah, like, they're all because I'm, I'm a diabetic and

I'm one of those people that people can look up to because I don't let it define who I am. But without it, I wouldn't have had these experiences. So yeah, it might, it might define.

It wouldn't define my life. But it's safety in a way, to where I have more accessibility to who I really want to be. God been able to find I had to find myself

like really early. But I also had to figure out, do I want this to control me or do I want to control it?

Hmm. So it's it's definitely something that, you know, you guys, my parents, coaches, friends, people that just know me, is like, I I didn't know he was diabetic. And, you know, for like two months after I knew

him, like, that's that's like one of those things like. I I've had it since I was 18 months, so I basically had it all my life. And, you know, it's one of those things we're like,

oh yeah, like I had this, by the way. It's never something that I come out the gate and say, because I always, I don't forget about it, but I don't want to tell people as in, like, you

know, this is all I am. Like, I want you to see me first before you see this other side. Yeah, totally.

Do you feel that that's do you feel that way about other pieces of your identity or primarily or is that primarily how you kind of feel about being a type one diabetic?

Um, I would say both in a way, because without this, I wouldn't have been able to find my identity. Mhm. Um, you know, like I like I said I've had this

all my life, so I I had a choice of letting it define me or me defining it. And I think, I think I've done a pretty good job of me defining it.

Yeah. Um, yeah. Like like I said, like without without this, I wouldn't have been able to find who I was and then

really be able to put together a well-rounded me. Yeah. Um, I also wanted to invite you, since you're talking to a blank screen feel, if you would prefer to

turn off your camera. Go right ahead. It’s all good. Just to be fair. Um, but I'm, like, nodding along and I'm like, oh,

yeah, and smiling. I'm just saying. I'm just saying, it's all good. I like it.

Okay, cool. Okay, so you were, am I right? Let's see you. Since you started in in your first year, that was

what, 2019? 2019, yes. Oh that's right. So I also started in 2019.

Oh really? Yeah. Yeah. But that’s why you good. Yeah, great.

Yeah, graduating. Um, so yeah. So you had one semester here and then six weeks. Right.

And then we and then we went to spring break. Did you leave LA for spring break? Um, I actually had to leave LA because like I said, I was the manager for the men's basketball team

at the time. Okay. And spring break, funny enough, is when they actually have their tournament in Vegas. Oh. So I was going home.

Oh, wow. Only difference was, uh, six weeks turned into about a year and a half, so. Right.

Yeah. So describe describe where you were, um, when you heard that we were going on lockdown. I remember the day precisely.

All right. Because it was Friday the 13th at midnight. Okay. And we got the email saying, basically, come get yourself. We're we're done.

I was like, oh, this is interesting. This is different. Okay. Um, because one of the things I, I still regret

to this day, um, is I just left to go to Vegas because I was like, oh, it's pretty great, you know? I'll see you on the week.

At school. Um, I didn't really say bye to anybody. And. A few of my friends either after their freshman year

or right when Covid hit. They didn't come back, unfortunately. So I haven't really seen them since then. Um, so that's like the only really, like, regret that

I have from the business, you know, picking up and leaving. Yeah. Um, but not that that night was hectic.

Because we all thought it was a ruse because it was again Friday at 13 midnight. It was like, okay, they're trying to play a trick on us.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, but then we figured out, like, we turn on the news and they like, oh, no, they're serious. They they mean, like, come get your stuff.

Like, we're not going back in person. Um, so that was interesting. Trying to parents trying to get work off, uh, get off work for a couple days.

I mean, come down here trying to find a storage unit, like trying to figure out what we're going to do moving forward because, you know, their jobs are affected now.

They got to go virtual. Um, so this, that probably next two weeks, nobody knew what was going to happen. Yeah. And we didn't know we're going to come back.

We didn't know we were gonna. It's been a lockdown for a while, which we were, but it was. It was one of those things where it was like,

man, like, what do you know what's next? Like, now we can't go to school, can't go to work. They're saying 21 days, but is it really going to

be 21 days? So it was it was very, very interesting. Very interesting. Did you, did you think then that it would. Yeah.

What did you think? Did what did you think it was going to be a couple of weeks or did you have a sense. That it might be longer.

Um, truthfully, I didn't know what Covid was until the lockdown. Mhm. I heard, you know, a few people kind of mentioned it every now and again.

Like, have you been tracking it? Have you seen it? I haven't really, like, really paid attention to it because I didn't.

There was nothing really here. It was all, you know, overseas. Um. But I think I went on.

I was on Instagram one day and it was like first Covid case found in Nevada. I was like, oh. This can't be good.

And then he kept saying over and over again first Covid case here, first Covid case here. First Covid case here. I'm like, oh, this is not looking good.

Um, so once I actually started to figure out, like, what it was and how people can't really see. It just kind of pops up on you and it's like very contagious.

You know, like, especially if you all know who's been around who. So if you catch it from somebody, you don't know who you've been around or who they've been around, so

you're trying to figure out, like who had it first and all these things. It's like, um, okay, now, not only are we going to see who we are as a people, but we're

going to see how strong we are. Yeah. Because this, this is something that's going to test us. Yeah. But. Were you were you were you staying with your

family in Vegas? I was, I was I went right back home. Um, and how what was their first response? Um, I think we all kind of had the first

response. It was like. It felt like I was back in high school because I was back home.

I was doing lessons that, you know, in my room. It didn't really feel like college, but like the whole, the whole point of college is you're on your own. Like now.

It's like, okay, now you got to figure it out. You know, we ain't going to eat in the classroom time, like for you. But when you're back home, it's like.

Am I really having that authentic college experience? Like, even when we came back my junior year, it still didn't feel like college because we were still trying to test the waters out.

Like we didn't know what was, what was cool or what was good to do or was not good to do. Like in until truthfully, until this year.

Not not like 2023 to like my senior year. It didn't really feel like it didn't feel like college again. Junior felt like, okay, we can do this.

We can't do this, we can't do this, can't do this, we can do this, can't do this. Okay. Now that we know.

Okay, now we're back to regular. It's like I missed two years. Kind of. So it's I'm.

I feel like I'm still trying to catch up on a lot of things, and. Like all all of my closest friends were all, um, seniors when I was a junior.

So I I missed the year with them coming back. We couldn't really do as much. Because we didn't know what we could do and what we couldn't do.

Like Covid was still spiked up like it was still on the rise. Yeah. So I really got to miss a few years with them.

Like, even to this day, I'm still trying to catch up with them. But they all graduated. They all moved out.

They're all doing their separate things. So it's like we really missed that time. To Yeah. Really do anything. Um.

Yeah, like being online did it felt like. If this this is a regular college, this feels like I'm back in high school. It feels like the same thing over and over again.

Yeah. So when you were so, did you stay in Vegas I did. the whole time? I did.

Until your junior year. Mhm, yes. Wow. What sort of, um. What was that first month like with your with your

family? What sort of precautions did you all take? How did you. Did you have to, like, set up a did you

have siblings? Did you have to set up like, workspaces? Um, so that year and a half was very, very interesting.

Um, we were where we were. All three of us were in a transitional period. Um, I was still trying to figure out my way around high school or high school.

So I think a lot about my way around college. Yeah. You're pointing that way, right?

Exactly, exactly. Um, like their their jobs were changing. Um, I don't have any siblings. I mean, I have a dog, I wouldn't count that as my brother, but,

um, like, it got to the point of where. All three of us had to make at home offices outside of the room. So, like, my my dad would have his office over here

and mom would have one downstairs and then me. I, um, I took over my, uh, my grandma's closet when she moved out, or not that sorry, I’m talking about my grandma’s home she moved out, and she had two closets.

So I moved all the clothes into one closet, and I turned the closet into an office space. Just so like when day is done, I can close it off and not have to think about it like I'm

just in my room. Yeah. Um, but even still, like. I distinctly remember a particular day, like in that in that first

month of literally being at my desk from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and not moving. Oh my gosh. Like this. Now I think, I had like three classes a

day. I was trying to get work done. By the time I got all the, you know, assignments done, work done, classes were done, I looked up, I'm like, dang, like,

I really missed the whole day. Like I've really been sitting here, haven't moved, barely eating, like, yeah, this is this is not it's not okay.

Like, I can't do this forever. Um, thankfully we didn't have to, um, Yeah. So like but thankfully we didn't have to. Um, but besides, like, really just doing class and work

in assignments, I didn't really leave my house Yeah. That much. So we're just chatting. Basically. Yeah.

Has anyone. Um, but I mean, in addition to the concerns you have around being a type one diabetic, did you, are there, were there other risk factors in your house that your family

was like cautious about? Um. Not necessarily. No.

Um, I mean, maybe, maybe as well, but that's. That'd be every now and again. Um, I mean, if someone got sick, we didn't know if it was cold or if it was Covid.

Right. So maybe that. But nothing like, you know, disability was, you know. Yeah.

Um. Oh, my God, I remember that question. Is it cold or the Covid? Is it is it allergies or is it Covid?

Right. For a year we were all asking that. Um, okay, so you already I'm going to just skip a little bit, um, because you already talked a lot about how the pandemic affected your college experience.

Um, you know, like this sense that you missed a huge chunk of it and that you're, like, playing catch up. Um, was there any specific way that, um.

That the lockdown was complicated by your disability and any medical needs that you had, or was it was there an experience that you wish people were aware of?

Um, hmm, I would say the only thing that really was complicated medical wise, um, is that. It was never really guaranteed that I would always get the supplies that I needed.

Mhm. Um, because I I would I would probably go on, everything with being, you know, on Amazon and bottom line. So shipping was backed up for weeks.

Um. And obviously like, people can't determine like what's like priority shipping and we can wait a little bit. Um, so there were times where I would have to

reuse some of my stuff. Um, well, I wouldn't necessarily recommend that for anybody. Um, but it was just that fear of like, you know, okay.

Like, I'm, I gotta reorder everything. I'm starting to get on my last, I, you know, units. But by the time I get down to those couple

last ones, is my next supply box going to be here? Yeah. Um, so that was really, like, the only concern.

There were some times where it it came dangerously close. Um, but it would it would end up being there. But, you know, thankfully, I didn't have any time to where

I would have to wait and I didn't have anything. Yeah. So. Thankfully that didn't happen, but it was like, you know, am I am I going to make it?

Like, am I going to have enough? So that was always a a fear. What did you what did you have to reuse? Um.

Mainly like. So our, um. Uh insulin pump. Mhm.

Um, for so I check my glucose monitors and give insulin. Mhm. Um, there were times where I would have to reuse like some of the cartridges that I would, um, I Yeah.

would already have in. Um, it's not necessarily recommended, but again, like at the time it was really. By.

I had it. I had it, but then but then. Yeah. Um. Thankfully, like I didn't have many.

Um, instances where I didn't have insulin. Mhm. That would have been a whole another story. Yeah. Um.

You know. Just like, you know, like small stuff like that or like stuff that seems small. Um, you know, that was like the the stuff that.

To either have to be reused or like somehow cleaned in a way for me to reuse it, but those were like the main ones that would have to redo. Yeah.

So like, um, almost like rationing a little bit. Right? Like making something stretch longer than it's supposed to. Exactly.

Yeah. I've heard that from other people too. Um. Okay.

How do you feel about LMU's response to the pandemic? Um. I actually think that the response was very quick. Um, thankfully, because I think that they saw something coming that

a lot of other schools didn't. Um, I think we were one of the first ones to go on lockdown after. Come here, I almost forgot what I was going to say, Harvard was first.

Don't quote me on that. Um, I I want to say the first, but we after them. I think LMU started to take notice when they said,

like, oh, oh, they might know something we don't, so we should probably follow in their footsteps. Um, so I think that the response was very well, I think that, um, lowering tuition.

Well, great. It could have lowered a little bit more. Um, again, we're we're not really paying for college, we are for paying for a zoom.

If that makes sense. So like. Yeah. But again, it didn't really feel like college, so like tuition could be lowered a little bit more. But, um, I think that

they put the needs and health of their students over the money. And, um, I was I think, you know, they try to make it back later on, but I think they

put long term over short term. So I think that the that the response was actually fairly, fairly well. And even like with someone like the, the, um, Covid

relief funds or like the scholarships in general like it it was really well. Yeah.

How about any experiences you had with, um, individual professors? Um. I would say my professors during especially during Covid, were a lot more understanding.

Um, now, of course, like I had some that said like, oh, well, you're at home, you're doing your thing, I'm gonna give you extra work. Uh, obviously, like there was a few that did that,

but the ones that really knew was like, okay, like, I'm not going to really change anything. Is Covid like, I don't know what's going on on your end.

I don't really know what's going on on my end, but nothing's guaranteed right now. Nothing is safe. So if you know, if you need, you know, an

extension on anything. If you need help with anything, like, let me know. Like professors were a lot more open and a lot more understanding during this time.

Um, because of how unpredictable everything was. Um. And for that, like I I really think a lot of people were able to benefit off that.

Um, because whether it be like a health reason or financial reason, like it it helped a lot of people get through that year and a half because probably without without them being that understanding, they probably wouldn't have stayed like at all

like I'm I'm being completely honest. A lot of people probably would have just stopped. Yeah. Like even even with that, I know a lot of

people that took a gap semester and. It probably would have been a lot more numbers if it was. Everything was just, you know, piled on more or, you

know, the professors were like, oh, well, okay, you're online. Like deal with it. Like, no, like they were really understanding and really, really helpful.

Mhm. Do you feel like that changed? Um, when we came back to campus or this year. I think more this year.

They're trying to get back to where everything was freshman my freshman year. Um, I think last year it was kind of the same thing because again, like we were we were back on campus,

but nothing was guaranteed. Like numbers were still rising. So like, nobody knew we were going to go back on shutdown or not.

Um, so professors were still open, you know, and and willing to help as long as you want to. Ask for it, um, and show that you needed it. Um, but again, they were they were open like, they,

they were there to listen and really help you. Um, because again, like, everything was unpredictable. You know, they could catch it. We one of us can have it.

So. Last year was really. Eye opening. I would say, um, for all of us, because they

let us know, like, yeah, professor are aren't here to see us graduate. And not just here for a check, like, they they really want to see you succeed.

Mhm. Yeah. That's so nice. Um, one of the things that comes up a lot in disability in higher education conversation is that, like the

Covid lockdown, like made people aware about like access needs in a way that they never were before, like, um, you know, like kind of what you're describing, like, um, because of shipping stuff, you know, on top of worrying

about schoolwork, you're also like worrying about getting your life saving medical supplies. Right? And so a lot of people are like, oh, yeah,

like because of the pandemic, um, everybody is way more aware of this kind of stuff. Do you feel like that's true? I do, and I feel like unless it was for

the pandemic, it wouldn't have happened. Mhm. Um. Again, the pandemic was really eye opening.

And yes, it sucked, but we were able to. Come to terms with a lot more and see the true colors of a lot more things. Um. Truthfully like.

Say more. What do you mean? Yeah.

I'm trying to think how to put this into words. Um, without. Without the pandemic, we probably wouldn't have been able to realize that people don't have the the complete access that

everyone else has. Um. Like, kind of like I was, I was talking about before like a lot of people's jobs changed.

Some people lost their jobs, some people were on furlough, so they weren't working, so they weren't making any money. Um, so access to a lot of resources definitely changed. Yeah. Um, and you talked about, like, rationing, you know, supplies.

People were rationing money because they didn't they didn't know how long we were going to be in there. They didn't know how long they weren't going to have a job.

It was nothing was certain. So. Without without the pandemic, you really wouldn't have been able to see that.

There are some people that are just. Not. As worrisome because like they. Obviously like they have more than probably necessary.

But then there's some that don't even meet the the basic minimum. Yeah. So with without that their the access is differently. Some people can pay for it and be fine.

And some people can't can hardly pay for water. Yeah. So. You know, access not only the access change for people, but we were able to see that like.

Not everybody has the same basic luxuries that other people do. Mhm. And again, without the pandemic that wouldn't have been as

evident as it is today. Mhm. Do you think that um that that awareness of access needs across all populations has like also increased like.

Um. Disability awareness at LMU? Mhm. Mhm.

That's a good question. Um. I would say so. Um.

At least, I hope so. I I hope that people know that you were more susceptible to catch a Covid when you have a disability. Mhm.

Um, so I would, with me in particular, I already have a weakened immune system, so it's easier for me to get sick. Yeah. Um.

So me coming back to campus my junior year. I kind of had to put faith in, like the doctor's office here, that they wouldn't know if anything were

to happen. Like. Okay. He he has a disability.

You know, it might be affecting him a little bit different compared to someone else, but. If, like even if you say, like I was asymptomatic, it could still affect me.

Yeah. And and nobody would know, like, what's going on? Like, I could be asymptomatic. I could be symptomatic either way.

You're going to see a change just solely based off the disability. Um, now, let's say, you know, somebody that doesn't have a disability, like, again, like you, he could be asymptomatic or symptomatic,

but it's going to affect him a little bit different. Me? It was the way we were hearing it, I. And to be completely and blunt, honest, if I, the way

we were hearing it from like, doctors, officials, like new commercials, everything like that. If I got Covid, I was dead. Like that.

That's how it sounded like. If I had it. Yeah. That's it. It's wraps. Yeah. So.

Hopefully like. Not even just here. But the doctors in general know that like. Anyone that has that has a disability and catches Covid,

it's a completely different situation. Mhm. Compared to somebody that doesn't have the disability. So that? Um.

I mean, I know that that wasn't like a new idea for you, but did did sort of like that heightened awareness and conversation about it. Like have any impact on your self-concept of like a of

because you said you're like, it doesn't define me. Um. What was that like? Sort of thinking about your, um, vulnerability, I guess, for.

Um. Or yeah, I don't know what word you would prefer. Vulnerability or risk factor, whatever you would prefer, but, um. Right. Yeah.

Did it have an impact? It did, definitely. Um, I would say during Covid, I became a health nut.

Like, I changed my diet. I was bringing hand sanitizer everywhere. Like I was became a germaphobe. Like I completely changed everything, but.

I think it was not even more of a wake up call. It was something that I've been meaning to do and now more than ever, okay, like if you don't do

it. There's consequences. Yeah. So like let's. It's now and never. So,

again, it was. It had to happen at that point. Like like I really didn't have a choice. Yeah.

Um. Okay. What is one thing you hope people of the future learn from this, and this can be interpreted any way

you could. You know that this could be anything Covid or this interview or anything. Um, but if we ever have another pandemic, stay inside.

So we won't have to wear masks. Amazing. um. But, um, definitely, um. Seriously. Really seriously. Seriously seriously.

I don't know. At all notes, seriously. Um, but definitely that, you know. People with disabilities.

Yes, they have more to to watch for. Yes, they have more to look out for, but doesn't necessarily mean they got to completely change who they are like.

Yes. You know, COVID's scary. Um, I mean, you know, with that, that year and a half, like, we're still here.

Like, obviously everything has to come to an end. Um, nothing lasts forever. But. Those with a disability.

It doesn't necessarily mean that we have to completely sort of ourselves in or, you know, not, not do what we want to do, like during during Covid. Like, I'm, I'm an avid like workaholic.

Like I love working out. I love playing basketball. Like I tried out for the team here all four years.

Technically all four years. Um, but even during Covid, like, I was still working out every day. Mhm. Like.

Obviously, you know, I take precautions. Like I have to wear a mask or like I remind my personal trainer, we'd go outside.

We'd we'd bring all the stuff outside. Um, and we would do a just private sessions somewhere I won't be around anybody. Mhm. But, you know, we can still do it.

When I I even started a whole business during Covid. Oh yeah? We can we can do what we want. Like, if we we have that power, we have that opportunity. Um, again, like, yeah, we have other things we gotta

watch out for. We have other things that we gotta, you know, take precaution of. But that's truthfully like the way I like to look

at that. That's our superpower. That's what makes us different. Mhm.

Like the stuff that we have to look out for today is what everyone else has to be, is going to have to be looking out for tomorrow. Yeah. So we're we're ahead

everybody else. Step ahead. Exactly. So just because we gotta, you know, look out for

something doesn't necessarily mean we can't do what our heart wants to do, what our mind chooses to do. So.

Yeah. You know. Yes. Um.

That's wonderful and so encouraging. Okay. Is there anything else that you wanted to say that didn't come up in the conversation?

Uh, I think I got it all out. I think I got it. Um, but seriously, though, uh, if we have another pandemic. Stay inside.

Uh. That way. Uh, it's just three months. And then we got nothing to get.

Yeah. I know. It's a sound advice. Sound advice.