Thoughts from Rose Gruber, GAM’s Director of Institutional Equity and Inclusion

As the Director of Institutional Equity and Inclusion for Gray Area, as a student in the social justice and sustainability pathway, and a person who cares deeply about the ways institutions and populations interact, this semester encompassed many issues that affect students campus-wide, while still feeling deeply personal. Students standing up for one another, united, is profoundly moving, and something I am grateful to have witnessed personally, as other Gray Area members likely feel. I can admit that many of the spaces on campus, including our own club, are mostly White and largely need to do more to be inclusive. It is not enough to “commit ourselves.” Part of my duty as DIEI of GAM was to embody the value of uplifting marginalized voices, and that project will be passed down to the next DIEI of Gray Area. It should not end with me, and it won’t. As one of the few BIPOC members of several clubs I have joined over the years, Gray Area has been one of those that have felt most welcoming, which I understand may not be a sentiment shared by my fellow BIPOC peers. Some of our peers have never felt welcomed into these spaces on campus, and part of the work for every DIEI of every club is to resolve this issue despite our lack of experience with these positions and the very real work it takes. I firmly believe that just like with Conn, clubs need a cultural shift. Diversity efforts should not start and end by asking our BIPOC friends to be in our publications or come to our events. Similarly, inclusivity should not start and end with each club meeting. We need to remain connected, outside of these organizations, in order to stray from tokenization and build a more well-connected community built on trust and inclusivity. I will be the first to admit, I wish I had done a better job, and I wish I had had more ideas of how I could do something meaningful with this position. In the same breath, it is not solely up to the DIEI to do this work. This work involves an active, engaged approach by every member of our clubs, especially those serving leadership roles. DIEI does not mean the recruitment of diverse members, it means retaining members, fostering a welcoming environment, including people that have previously been excluded, being available to hear concerns, and working WITH leadership, not alone, on how to resolve and reconcile differences and issues both before and as they arise. While we have already expressed our support of SVE and the protests this semester, I want to personally ask you, “What have you done that was exclusionary?, Who is in the room, who is not, and why not?, and How can I personally contribute to changing the culture of my club and who feels welcome?” This is because I firmly believe that it takes an honest look at one’s own actions, not just critiquing the actions of others, to be part of the change we wish to see in our clubs across campus and the society we all share. As much as I would love to continue the work here, especially knowing and having experienced what I have now, I sadly cannot. My hope is that the questions will spark an inner and external dialogue. On behalf of Gray Area, we demand change right alongside you.