Ongoing Dialogues
Spectrum Dialogues Series
The Spectrum Dialogues, a mini-lecture series, are dedicated to exploring issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. On these occasions, we invite speakers to visit our campus, join us for dinner, and deliver a lecture to the community. These talks are optional and take place in the Terry Room from 6:30-7:30pm, and they happen three to four times a year. Prior to each talk, students and faculty host our guest speaker for a dinner. The students always love the dinners because they get to interact with the speaker in a more intimate setting (usually 15-20) than they do during the actual lecture.
Recent guests have included:
- Logan Dandridge, a visual artist whose films and video installations interpret the nuances of African American culture through film. Mr. Dandridge spent a few days on campus meeting with students and faculty in addition to delivering an all-school talk. His work was been on display in the Bass Arts Pavilion throughout January and February.
- Yosimar Reyes, a nationally acclaimed poet whose work explores the
themes of migration. He travels the United States reading his poetry, speaking, raising awareness, and advocating for immigrant rights and the LGBTQ community. - Juana Matias, a Dominican American attorney who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019, shared her own story of assimilating in America and her dedication to issues concerning immigration, education, and campaign finance reform.
- Michael Fosburg performed his one-man, autobiographical play in which he recounted the true tale of the search for his biological father. His surprising discovery was a life-changing revelation, leading him to question how we perceive race in America.
- Lori Lindsey, who played professional soccer for 13 years and helped win a Gold Medal in London at the 2012 Olympics, spoke about gender equity in sports and her support of the LGBTQ community as an advocate for social justice.
Politics & Pizza
Throughout the year the equity and inclusion officers facilitate bi-weekly community lunches known as Politics & Pizza. These informal gatherings are deigned to give the students a platform to discuss multicultural and frequently global issues that are of relevance to them. The topics for each luncheon are chosen in advance by the equity and inclusion officers who then facilitate the conversations.
The group of attendees fluctuates in size and participants based on the topic at hand. Regardless, the general crowd size is 25+ students with 7-9 faculty in attendance. Some of the topics that have been discussed in recent meetings are: Coronavirus and Xenophobia, standardized tests and inequality, the intersection of art and identity, the National Anthem and Free Speech, Real News & Fake News, the Asian-American & Asian experience on campus and in society, the Syrian Refugee Crisis, the current state of LGBTQ initiatives in the U.S., activism, the Women’s March, and religious intolerance and anti-Semitism.