Bwog writer and bad student who skipped class to attend this event, Elle Ferguson, shares the juicy deets.

*The students who spoke at this event wished to remain anonymous

The Office of University Life and Students of Color Alliance (SoCA) hosted an event yesterday called “Let’s Talk: A Conversation About Identities In Public Spaces.” The event was likely a response to the highly publicized white supremacist incident last semester (here is Bwog’s coverage), though the host did not reference it directly. The aim of the event was to facilitate an open-ended discussion about identity and community, specifically at Columbia University.

Starting with an intro from Associate Vice President of the Student Life Office, Ixchel Rosal, the focus of the event shifted toward a small panel of two graduate students. The first to speak, James Martin, was a Ph.D. student in biology who spoke about the importance of diversity in all academic fields. “Innovation in science and other fields comes from unique perspectives,” Martin stated, going on to describe how the Renaissance in Europe was largely influenced by Islamic innovations in medicine, math, and literature and how all cultures have unique contributions to every field.

Martin’s fellow panelist, Francisco Lara-Garcia who’s also a Ph.D. student studying sociology, was less sure of the university’s role in diversity and monitoring speech. Lara-Garcia noted how universities are places of intellectual freedom and while many bad ideas have arisen from this freedom, such as anti-vaxxer research, such “ideas are the cost of academic freedom.” He adds at the end, however, that as a Latino and an immigrant, he believes that universities have the responsibility of creating safe spaces on campus for students.

The event then shifted towards small group discussions led by facilitators. With no set agenda of intention to find solutions to the problems with belonging on campus, students shared stories about their experiences confronting discrimination. Students agreed that ignorance around race and nationality still is prevalent on campus and elsewhere.

One of the many important topics brought up was the idea that the recent incident on campus may have been spurred by the current political climate but is a product of the American political structure. “The system was built the way it was for a reason; unless people really want to change it, it’s going to stay the same,” one student noted in the group. From that remark sparked a lengthy conversation about whose responsibility it is to find ways to overcome the discrimination that minorities face. Several students pointed out that the onus too often falls upon people who face discrimination, while those with privilege and power often ignore such social wrongs.

Overall the event sparked a thoughtful, important, and hopeful conversation about identity and belonging on this campus and in this country. While not necessarily getting answers and finding solutions, the event provided a good opportunity to share experiences and hear from others.

Incredible detailed depiction of how it went down via Pixabay.