Conversations on Race to open student dialogue, discuss racial issues

At the bottom of McNutt Community Educator Melissa Lounsberry's e-mail is Dante's quote, "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, remain neutral."\nLounsberry, a senior, is program facilitator for Conversations on Race, a program that brings students from different racial backgrounds together to combat racism.\n"Conversations on Race is a five-week program that gets students together to discuss and address issues of racism and hate," said sophomore Jaret Fishman, Foster CUE and a program facilitator.\nThe program gives students the opportunity to explore racial issues in a unique way.\n"Conversations on Race allows students to begin a dialogue where they can recognize the differences inherent in our own cultures in a setting that is conducive to learning," Fishman said.\n"Conversations on Race is a program that originated from a model credited by Study Circles, an East Coast-based organization that provides programming material to address racial issues."\nDoug Bauder, associate diversity educator in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, said students from last semester praised the program and said they really listened to each other. He also said students learned ways to recognize and respond to racism.\n"Students felt empowered to make a difference, even in the face of institutional racism," Bauder said.\nEach week, there is a two-hour session during which two objective facilitators lead a student discussion, using video-tapes and handouts on the topic of the week.\n"The program sounds really exciting," freshman Jessica Hanaway said. "I think this kind of thing could really open up my eyes to issues I had never considered before."\nFishman said he hopes the program participants will look to confront the racism they experience in their everyday lives.\n"Growth in both understanding of racial issues and also of understanding one's self is the goal," Fishman said. "It is important that students can begin to address these issues and become activists for this cause."\nStudents will get much more out of the program than simply personal growth; they will also meet new people, Bauder said.\n"I think the biggest advantage to this program is that students of various racial and ethnic backgrounds will form significant friendships while discussing a really tough issue," Bauder said.\nThe program begins the week of Jan. 28 and ends March 2.\nBauder said groups will meet in all the residence halls and campus cultural centers at various times during the week and participants will be assigned a group according to their interest and availability.\nFor more information, contact Doug Bauder at 855-4252 or dbauder@indiana.edu.