Jason Manuse
The goal of Community Conversations can be seen on the screen prior to the start of the event.
The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (D.E.I) hosted a community conversation event on Tuesday, Feb. 4, in which participants spoke about their thoughts after the re-election of Donald Trump in a civil informative discussion.
The Community Conversations events, including those that will occur later in the semester, touch on current events and give those on campus an opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings. A worksheet with six questions guided the discussions between the two groups and they came together afterward to share their thoughts and what each group discussed.
SUNY Brockport Assistant Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Charlotte Wade sees the benefit of holding these dialogue events on a regular basis.
“It’s often based on current events,” Wade said. “What’s going on in the world, what’s going on in the news, what’s happening on campus? We want to know what people are already thinking about these topics and we want to give them a space to talk about them in a group.”
Wade encourages students to reach out, especially if they feel D.E.I is important to them.
“They [students] can come to our events, if they want to come and talk to someone, one on one,” Wade said. “They’re absolutely welcome to reach out to myself or to Dr. Davis. And if they have individual questions, concerns, or just need a space to talk, they’re welcome to just come chat with us.”
There are numerous resources available on campus to students if they are looking to get involved.
“If they’re seeking a counselor, they can go to Hazen and get help there,” Wade said. “If they’re looking to get more involved in their community, they can get connected with SULA. They can get connected with our leadership program, they can participate in multicultural life, participate in a student organization. There are all sorts of ways for people to get more involved in their community.”
One of the common themes discussed during the dialogue was the lack of conversations around these big current events, so those who attended were curious to get a gauge on how people were feeling since campus has been mostly quiet.
The overall goal of Community Conversations is to foster a sense of belonging for all and the event is open to all students, faculty and staff. The office of D.E.I. will be hosting more dialogue-based events throughout the semester with the next “Community Conversation” taking place March 11, 2025.