Oppressive actions and statements were discussed during the third Ohio University Campus Conversation, which allowed attendees to reflect on their own listening skills.
The conversation, which had about 50 people in attendance Wednesday at Walter Hall Rotunda, followed a set agenda. Those in attendance worked in different ways to figure out how to respond to oppressive actions and statements through large- and small-group discussions.
“I thought it was refreshing to have the opportunity to talk as a group than actually watch how other people would handle this situation of being an ally,” Assistant Dean of Students Jamie Patton said. “Because I think sometimes when you're caught up in the moment you haven’t had the opportunity to advocate.”
The first interactive item attendees participated in was an activity called "Fuzziewoodles." John Schmieding, the moderator for this activity, listed various identities, such as where people are from, their religious beliefs and their socio-economic background.
As different identities were mentioned, people who fell under those categories stood up. The purpose of that activity was to show that everyone in attendance was not that different, Schmieding, director of the Athens Area Mediation Service, said.
From there, a presentation about community agreement was led by Shai Pina, one of the moderators. The community agreement centered around what everyone should do to be respectful during Wednesday's campus conversation. The community agreement revolved around those at the conversation participating fully, speaking from the heart, listening and learning.
The community agreement was put into action as the discussion of assumptions began, where people discussed assumptions they faced.
Those in attendance broke into pairs — with the hope of them choosing someone they did not know — and discussed a difficult time related to assumptions made about them. Each side had five minutes to talk while the other side listened.
The discussion then opened to the whole group where people shared their assumptions and how to best respond.
A member of the conversation was then invited to practice being an ally when those assumptions are expressed in oppressive sayings or actions.
For the last activity, attendees came together as a group where they discussed the oppressive sayings or actions mentioned and shared their own personal experiences.
Tamekia Scott, assistant dean of academic achievement and executive director of the Academic Advancement Center, said the big takeaways for her were the importance of listening and how to listen effectively.
“Listen to listen, not listen to respond to a particular person, or statement or call to action,” Scott said. “Just listen to solely listen.”
To complete the event, each person in attendance said one word that described how they felt about the conversation.
After the event, Schmieding said he hopes those in attendance improved their listening skills through the event.
“Try. Try to (listen),” Schmieding said. “We aren't going to do it perfectly, that’s okay, but try more often.”
