Poet, educator and lecturer Adam Falkner spoke at the Cultivating Community series dialogue on Wednesday Nov. 20. Those who attended learned that in order to make the world a happier, more positive place, conversations with others must include both respect and empathy (Xavier Delcid/ photo editor).
Geneseo presented its third Cultivating Community dialogue of the semester on Wednesday Nov. 20 in the MacVittie College Union Ballroom. The topic for the dialogue was “Campus Climate and Engagement: Questioning what we will become if we take meaningful steps and what we will become if we don’t.”
The series seeks to encourage discussion about diversity and inclusion on campus, as well as foster an environment of mutual respect between students, staff and teachers. Series co-coordinator Meredith Harrigan emphasized that through dialogue, participants could voice their feelings about difficult topics and connect with others in a safe space.
“We believe that part of the value of this program is, as we try to talk through difficult and challenging topics and build community at the same time, that we put care and concern into the way that we interact with one another.”
Harrigan asked participants to consider a working agreement that would help facilitate a constructive discussion of these topics. This agreement included speaking from the “I” perspective, avoiding generalizations, being open to new perspectives, assuming others have good intentions and considering conflict a potential catalyst for growth.
Series co-coordinator robbie routenberg introduced Dr. Adam Falkner, a poet, educator and lecturer who specializes in diversity initiatives. Falkner helped create the predecessor program at University of Michigan that Geneseo’s Diversity and Inclusion Community Educators was modeled after.
“[Falkner] has his roots in the dialogue world. For the last number of years, he has been using his passion and commitment to dialogue to really transform educational spaces and the ways that conversations are happening about identity and power dynamics to create a more socially just world,” said routenberg.
Falkner encouraged students to engage in conversation about tough topics, as this is an important way to stimulate meaningful change in society.
“We are here because the world is a very troubled place right now. And I don’t mean to open this talk with a sense of pessimism, but rather the opposite,” Falkner said. “You have chosen to show up to engage in a dialogue about community and civic engagement and creating and sustaining courageous spaces on your campus.”
Falkner compared the work that a poet inspires people to do to that of critically engaged students and learners. He asked participants to investigate themselves and each other and advocated for participation in the current political and cultural climate.
“Adrienne Rich reminds us that our work is to ‘disturb and enrapture.’ If you made the choice to show up at this dialogue that engages the political and cultural states of our world right now, your work is to ‘disturb and enrapture,’” Falkner said. “The role of the artist is to cut through static. It is to cut through the noise and to bring us more fully into ourselves.”
Falkner spoke of growing up feeling a strong sense of discomfort with his white privilege, and how this directed him toward his career path and motivated him to seek change. He gave tips about how to engage in conversations and encouraged people to think critically about their own narratives. He believes that it is important to examine our own sense of identity so that we can unpack issues like homophobia or gender inequity.
Participants were then given time to reflect on Falkner’s insight, share their stories and discuss steps that would increase or inspire engagement on campus in smaller groups.
The dialogue concluded with students and faculty being invited to share what they had talked about in groups. One participant spoke of his group’s discussion about how to “ooze” inclusion and shared four ways the group had come up with for how best to do this.
“First, keeping the conversation going. Second, the importance of empathy and meeting people where they are. The third is acknowledging others, and the fourth is just being there. Awareness of your surroundings and those around you is vital.”
These are just some steps that the Geneseo community can take to foster inclusion, inspire others and work for meaningful change.