Canceled–Conversation One, November 7, 2018

There will be no Conversation One this Wednesday, November 7th.  Next week’s topic will relate to the College Council meeting of November 1st.  Stay tuned for details!

EVERYONE is welcome to join in the Conversation: staff members, students, community members, faculty; any religion (or no religion), any political affiliation (or none).  No special expertise needed.

Please come prepared to listen generously and with a willingness to learn.  Our goal is to speak from our lived experience and to be mindful of the feelings of others.  More detail in our Mission and Values.

Each Week’s Topic is just a suggestion.  You are always welcome to bring whatever is challenging, or hurting or encouraging you in your life.

To be sure to get all updates, join the mailing list.

Heinz 57 – Conversation One October 31, 2018

Wednesday, October 31, 2018, @ 4:30 PM
Sojourner Truth Library Conference Room (M39)

Last week’s topic, “Beta Male” got pushed aside by the federal government’s rumored attempt to define gender. Meanwhile, there has been another tragic hate crime, this time in Pittsburgh. And Peter Kaufman in his extraordinary presentation last night pointed out the ongoing power of stigma: lung cancer kills more people than any other type of cancer, yet is not as well funded as many others. And the College Council meets tomorrow to decide on President Christian’s recommendation to rename buildings on campus associated with slave-owning. So much to talk about… What’s burning on your mind?

EVERYONE is welcome to join in the Conversation: staff members, students, community members, faculty; any religion (or no religion), any political affiliation (or none).  No special expertise needed.

Please come prepared to listen generously and with a willingness to learn.  Our goal is to speak from our lived experience, and to be mindful of the feelings of others.  More detail in our Mission and Values.

Today’s Topic is just a suggestion.  You are always welcome to bring whatever is challenging, or hurting, or encouraging you in your life.

To be sure to get all updates, join the mailing list.

 

Beta Male – Conversation One Wednesday, Oct 24, 2018

Wednesday, October 23, 2018, @ 4:30 PM
Sojourner Truth Library Conference Room (M39)

The guy’s obviously trying to be mindful of his privilege and his high status. He listens actively. He empathizes. So who’s going to tell him when he screws up? Is he really as safe to talk to as he presents himself?
Care to discuss?*
*(Different topic from what I promised last week, but several recent crucial conversations make this topic seem more germane.)

EVERYONE is welcome to join in the Conversation: staff members, students, community members, faculty; any religion (or no religion), any political affiliation (or none).  No special expertise needed.

Please come prepared to listen generously and with a willingness to learn.  Our goal is to speak from our lived experience, and to be mindful of the feelings of others.  More detail in our Mission and Values.

Today’s Topic is just a suggestion.  You are always welcome to bring whatever is challenging, or hurting, or encouraging you in your life.

To be sure to get all updates, join the mailing list.

Who’s who – Conversation One–October 10, 2018

Is she Black or African American?

What are Chris’s pronouns?

Do I say Native American or Indian?

Do you ever get tired of trying to get this stuff right?

Care to discuss?

Wednesday, October 10th at 4:30-6:00 pm in the Sojourner Truth Library Conference Room M39

EVERYONE is welcome to join: secretaries, facilities staff, clerical staff, police officers, as well as faculty and students.  No special expertise needed.

Please be aware of our Mission and Values – which can be summed up as:” “listen generously, come prepared to change your mind and, speak only from your lived experience, in which you are the only expert.”

Remember to Join the mailing list for the most current updates.

“Oh am I talking too loud?*” – Conversation One TODAY – Oct 3, 2018

A young woman of color recently told me of an occasion in which she had been “loud”. In truth, she hadn’t been loud at all, she had simply been speaking a difficult truth that had weighed on her heart. My sense is that when people, especially people of color and women, and most especially women of color, speak difficult truths, they are often perceived as “loud”, “dramatic”, “passionate”, “emotional”, “political”, and that these terms are used to undermine the power of their speaking. It seems to me that too many young women of color must fight to escape the internalization of this picture of themselves.

Does anyone else share this feeling?

Care to discuss?

*lyric from “My Shot”, from Hamilton: An American Musical, by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Wednesday, October 3rd at 4:30-6:00 pm in the Sojourner Truth Library Conference Room M39

EVERYONE is welcome to join: secretaries, facilities staff, clerical staff, police officers, as well as faculty and students.  No special expertise needed.

Please be aware of our Mission and Values – which can be summed up as:” “listen generously, come prepared to change your mind and, speak only from your lived experience, in which you are the only expert.”

Remember to Join the mailing list for the most current updates.

Difference Maker? Conversation One, September 26, 2018

Can you think of someone in your life who made a difference? Who listened? Who gave you a second chance in a tough spot? Maybe today we could gather to celebrate those people in our lives, and ask ourselves how we can be that person for someone else we haven’t met yet.

Care to discuss?

Wednesday, September 26 at 4:30-6:00 pm in the Sojourner Truth Library Conference Room M39

EVERYONE is welcome to join: secretaries, facilities staff, clerical staff, police officers, as well as faculty and students.  No special expertise needed.

Please be aware of our Mission and Values – which can be summed up as:” “listen generously, come prepared to change your mind and, speak only from your lived experience, in which you are the only expert.”

Remember to Join the mailing list for the most current updates.

 

No Conversation Tomorrow (9-12-18) – BUT…!

Conversation One will take a break tomorrow, to encourage folks to attend an important related campus conversation. If you can, please try to attend “Continuing the Conversation: Talking Constructively About Race in the Classroom”, a round table with New Paltz faculty Crystal Donkor, Carolyn Corrado, Michael Smith & Tyrell Connor. If you’re at all interested in the topic you’re more than welcome, even if not a current student, faculty or staff member. Wed., Sept. 12, 2018, 3:30 p.m. Honors Center, College Hall 111

 

Love letter?–September 5, 2018

In 1987 Thich Nhat Hanh, the Buddhist spiritual leader and teacher wrote, “There is a lot of anger, frustration, and misunderstanding in the peace movement. The peace movement can write very good protest letters, but they are not yet able to write a love letter.” Could you write a love letter to someone who represents for you the worst kind of bigotry, sexism, hatred, homophobia? What would it say?

Care to discuss?

Today, Wednesday, 4:30-6:00 pm in the Sojourner Truth Library Conference Room M39

EVERYONE is welcome to join: secretaries, facilities staff, clerical staff, police officers, as well as faculty and students.  No special expertise needed.

Please be aware of our Mission and Values – which can be summed up as:” “listen generously, come prepared to change your mind and, speak only from your lived experience, in which you are the only expert.”

Remember to Join the mailing list for the most current updates.

 

Conversation One, August 29, 2018

Handling Hurt

When we’ve been excluded, or treated like an outsider, it always hurts, whether you are someone who is Muslim, lgbtq+, Latinx, African American, woman – or white religious conservative. Speaking from your own experience of exclusion, or excluding another person, how have you seen that pain dealt with in a healing way or in a harming, damaging way.

Wednesday Aug 29 @ 4:30 PM [Late arrivals/early departures are welcome!]    Sojourner Truth Library Conference Room (M39)

EVERYONE is welcome to join: secretaries, facilities staff, clerical staff, police officers, as well as faculty and students.  No special expertise needed.

Please be aware of our Mission and Values – which can be summed up as:” “listen generously, come prepared to change your mind and, speak only from your lived experience, in which you are the only expert.”

Remember to Join the mailing list for the most current updates.