A group of more than 100 people on Tuesday discussed racial issues in Baker Center.
Campus Conversations will take place once a month for the rest of the semester, Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones said. During the second meeting of the academic year on Tuesday, students, faculty, staff and community members participated in a discussion about race, dynamics and inequality in the Baker Center Ballroom.
The first Campus Conversation of this academic year took place last semester and highlighted civility and support.
Topics examined during the meeting included the recent events in Ferguson, Missouri and how race is an issue in Athens.
More than 100 people attended the event, which exceeded organizers' expectations, Hall-Jones said.
“We’ve utilized the Campus Conversations as a way to provide a safe space for people to come together and to talk about whatever is going on,” Hall-Jones said.
This specific conversation dealing with national race events and local culture took place in conjunction with a week of events in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Tables were set up in the ballroom with different questions at each table. Attendees picked one question they wanted to discuss and remained at that table the entirety of the meeting.
Two of the tables were open-forum style, with those sitting there, having the flexibility to talk about any racial issues they wanted to.
Future topics for Campus Conversations will be decided by feedback from those who participated in Tuesday’s event.
“The structure is really the space, creating the space for people to come together and talk,” Hall-Jones said.
Students who attended the event said the conversations were critical to have in order to bring about change and a new dialogue in the university community.
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“It’s important to look at how things were in the past and how that influences decisions today,” said Olivia Cobb, a freshman studying English, who attended the event Tuesday.
“It’s important to have an open discussion about issues,” Cobb said. “(Without hashing out fresh opinions), no one’s hearing anything new and nothing can be solved.”
Niara Stitt, a freshman studying political science pre-law, said the Campus Conversation event was a good first step to get people talking.
“I attended the event because I like that the school is making an effort to sit down and talk,” Stitt said.
She said many people get angry about events involving race but that they need to take that a step further and talk about the issues.
When looking at current issues with race, Stitt said that people also need to discuss why it matters and voice their opinions.
Campus Conversations will take place once a month for the rest of the semester, Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones said. During the second meeting of the academic year on Tuesday, students, faculty, staff and community members participated in a discussion about race, dynamics and inequality on Tuesday afternoon in the Baker Center Ballroom.
The first Campus Conversation of this academic year took place last semester and highlighted civility and support.
Topics examined during the meeting included the recent events in Ferguson, Missouri and how race is an issue in Athens.
More than 100 people attended the event, which exceeded organizer expectations, Hall-Jones said.
“We’ve utilized the Campus Conversations as a way to provide a safe space for people to come together and to talk about whatever is going on,” Hall-Jones said.
This specific conversation dealing with national race events and local culture took place in conjunction with a week of events in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Tables were set up in the ballroom with different questions at each table. Attendees picked one question they wanted to discuss and remained at that table the entirety of the meeting.
Two of the tables were open-forum style, with those sitting there, having the flexibility to talk about any racial issues they wanted to.
Future topics for Campus Conversations will be decided by feedback from those who participated in Tuesday’s event.
“The structure is really the space, creating the space for people to come together and talk,” Hall-Jones said.
Students who attended the event said the conversations were critical to have in order to bring about change and a new dialogue in the university community.
“It’s important to look at how things were in the past and how that influences decisions today,” said Olivia Cobb, a freshman studying English, who attended the event Tuesday.
“It’s important to have an open discussion about issues,” Cobb said. “(Without hashing out fresh opinions), no one’s hearing anything new and nothing can be solved.”
Niara Stitt, a freshman studying political science pre-law, said the Campus Conversation event was a good first step to get people talking.
“I attended the event because I like that the school is making an effort to sit down and talk,” Stitt said.
She said many people get angry about events involving race but that they need to take that a step further and talk about the issues.
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