Student Engagement

Mason’s Honors College pursues anti-racist community through discussion program

Colleen Rich — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 09:00:12 +0000

Mason’s Honors College pursues anti-racist community through discussion program Colleen Rich Fri, 10/23/2020 - 05:00

“Honoring Our Community” is an Honors College initiative that promotes ongoing conversations among groups of students. Photo provided.

��AV’s Honors College launched a program this year to help cultivate an anti-racist community by creating a space in which students can discuss issues of racial and social justice. The program, called “Honoring Our Community,” involves encouraging honest conversations among groups of four or five students working with a facilitator. Students who volunteer for the program meet once a month during the academic year.

“Our goal in creating these small communities was that students would have nine months to talk to each other, ask questions of one another, and begin to understand each other’s differences,” said Honors College Dean Zofia Burr.

Burr added that to have honest conversations, “there has to be a trust built first. The students get to know each other in small groups to build that trust.”

Valentino Bryant, director of development in the Honors College, said the “Honoring Our Community” program allows for “meaningful conversations around inequality, inclusion, privilege and systemic racism.

“The Honors College is a strong community doing communal work hand-in-hand with each other, having the hard conversations,” said Bryant. More than 30 students are participating in the program. So far, the groups have met once for about an hour and a half.

President Gregory Washington has made anti-racism efforts a major goal of his tenure at Mason. In September, he announced the members of a newly formed Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force.

Bryant said that the Honors College hopes that their anti-racism program could serve as a model for anti-racist work in other areas at Mason going forward. He said that some of the students in the program this year were preparing to be facilitators next year.

Karmen Perry, University Scholar and Honors College senior majoring in sociology, said she went into the first meeting “with an open mind and heart, ready to learn from people and hoping that they could learn from me.

“We started talking right away, jumping to police brutality,” Perry said. “We ended up sharing resources with each other. I’m looking forward to watching us blossom together as a group as we learn from each other and build an environment in which we can have difficult conversations.”

Johan Jeson, a freshman majoring in information technology, agreed that the first meeting was “fruitful.”

“I’m hoping that we can continue to talk and use these programs to work on promoting change on issues of race and social justice in our community,” said Jeson.

Olympic gold medalist and soccer champion Abby Wambach to speak at Mason Reads

Mariam Aburdeineh — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 11:00:38 +0000

Olympic gold medalist and soccer champion Abby Wambach to speak at Mason Reads Mariam Aburdeineh Thu, 09/24/2020 - 07:00

Abby Wambach. Photo by MAKERS.

World-renowned soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist and author Abby Wambach will virtually chat with ��AV President Gregory Washington and the campus community for this year’s Mason Reads program on Monday, Sept. 28, at 1 p.m.

The virtual event in partnership with Fall for the Book will be moderated by President Washington and explore the themes of Wambach’s 2019 book, “Wolfpack: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power, and Change the Game.”

“We really hope that our students and the Mason community as a whole will be able to learn more about leadership, learn more about women’s leadership, in particular, and think about how these ideas can apply to their own lives,” said Emilie Dubert, director of Mason’s Contemporary Student Services.

Through Mason Reads, all incoming freshmen received a virtual copy of “Wolfpack” and are encouraged to attend the virtual discussion and Q&A. Throughout the year, the book will also be integrated into programs, events, and classroom activities.

Having the freshman class read the book together helps create a sense of community and shared experience, Dubert said.

The books selected by Mason Reads also reflect the ideals of the Mason graduate.

“This book fit right into that mold of creating students who are prepared to act,” Dubert said. “The idea of ‘Wolfpack’ is that women in particular can really work together, support and push one another and go out of their comfort zone to move forward together; and the ‘pack’ strengthens communities—men and women—as a whole.”

Wambach’s book is based on her 2018 commencement speech at Barnard College and is accessible for students to read in both its length and content, Dubert said.

“It’s not just a book for women, but it really is a book that people can take a lot from no matter what your gender,” Dubert said. “I hope that [Mason Reads attendees] would gain the courage and confidence to step up and lead.”

Follow this link to register for Mason Reads with Abby Wambach.