Organizers of Identity Dialogues, from left, Mayte Martinez ’18, Antonia “Toni” Batha ’17 and Maya Whalen-Kipp ’16
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very Thursday, in the Unity Lounge of Reamer Campus Center, students gather over lunch for conversation that can run the gamut from collegial to contentious. This is Identity Dialogues, a student-run series which explores the dynamic and complex aspects of identity in a safe and open forum. Topics range from cultural (mis)appropriation to skin color to millennial sex lives. Attendance can range from 3 to 30. Among the more popular recent topics: What is white? LGBTQ identity. Interracial relationships. Hair and identity. Sessions can get lively, such as a recent discussion over the sensitivity of Halloween costumes. But they can also be supportive. At an ID on Muslim identity, a student was sharing the particulars of his lifestyle, which he said was at times at odds with his religious beliefs. Other students offered comparisons to themselves and their beliefs.
“The goal is to break down stereotypes and to have an open space to talk about personal identity and experience,” said Maya Whalen-Kipp ’16, who organizes this year’s IDs with Mayte Martinez ’18, Antonia “Toni” Batha ’17 and Andrew Guyatte ’17. “Sometimes we can foster a conversation that would not happen otherwise,” she adds. “This is a personal space and therefore we have a lot of personal stories and truths that come out [here] that there is not another place for [on campus].” Organizers gather to determine the theme of each week’s session. Sometimes a topic will be generated by current events, on- or off-campus. Other times the organizers will ask the leaders of a campus group to suggest a topic and help moderate discussion. The organizers ask participants—nearly all students, except for an occasional faculty, staff or guest—to keep what is shared at ID within the room. “We want
people to feel comfortable to share their stories because where else can they do that?” Whalen-Kipp asks. “Sometimes it does get very ‘preacher to the choir,’ but I’m totally OK with that,” she said. “Sometimes I think the choir needs a place to preach and we provide that space.” Jason Benitez, director of multicultural affairs, says that it is significant that Identity Dialogues is an independent volunteer program run by students for students. “The students really own this and take pride in offering these conversations,” he said. “This is not a recognized club with a budget on campus. It is purely students volunteering time because they are passionate about the initiative.” “ID offers a space to discuss topics that are otherwise not widely talked about,” said Benitez. “So, passions and emotions can run high, but constructive dialogue is always the goal.”
Winter 2016 UNION COLLEGE
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