Roundtable Discussions

Facilitated by Leo Lambert, President Emeritus – Elon University • Table #1
How do you create meaningful change on a college or university campus? Campus environments are complex with systems of shared governance, layers of administration, formal strategic planning and budgeting processes, as well as deeply embedded institutional cultures that may either facilitate or inhibit positive change. Meaningful and lasting change is often spurred by grassroots ideas supported by people in formal leadership positions such as presidents, provosts, and deans. Our roundtable will discuss questions such as: How can you lead from your position as a faculty member, staff member, or student? How do you build relationships on campus to foster change?

Facilitated by Connie Book, President – Elon University  • Table #2
In a university community, we each have a responsibility to contribute to the creation of an environment in which all students, faculty, and staff have the opportunity to learn, thrive, and grow. This roundtable, facilitated by President Book, will discuss ways we can each contribute to these efforts individually, as well as the important responsibility and opportunity leaders within our community have to make a difference.

Facilitated by Laticia Taylor & Victoria Murrell, Graduate Students – Elon University • Table #3
This discussion will explore the detrimental outcomes of stereotyping marginalized cultural groups in films and how it continues to create educational bias within the classroom. Black minority students are at risk for dropping out, committing crimes and becoming jobless.

We argue that the stereotypes shown in films are creating a high level of tension between teachers and minority students. Throughout the educational system, minority students are not given the same quality of education as their white peers. Our goal for the presentation is too form open dialogue discussing the issues minority students face in the classroom.

Facilitated by Emily Gomez, Faculty – Elon University • Table #4
“Cuerpo Talk: The Memoir of a Gringita,” is an autobiographical research solo on the evolution of Cuban dance forms from the 1960’s to present day. This timeline accompanies the path of Cuban culture from pre-communism to post communism and its progression. Dance influences from both the island of Cuba, and the Americanized version of Cuban dance in Miami are used to show the transformation of cultural identity. It concerns the exploration of identity politics through a Cuban-American lens in modern day society. It delves deeper into the beliefs and cultural shift of Cuban-Americans across multi-generations, and is illustrated through a comparative analysis of Cuban dance forms culminating in a choreography based performance. It provides information on the dual representations of Cuban culture that exist, and spreads awareness of the divide that has been created amongst the generations.

Facilitated by Augusto Peña, Staff – UNC Greensboro • Table #5
Facilitator will share stories from their journey over 16+ years of working in higher education.  Highlights will include navigating a master’s degree while working full-time, lots of on the job learning, finding networks, sponsors, advocates, and mentors, battling fatigue, armoring up for diversity work, finding opportunities, and making oneself useful and indispensable.

Facilitated by Caroline Penfield ‘22, Student – Elon University • Table #6
This roundtable will surround the cultural, religious, and spiritual diversity within interfaith. Interfaith work supports diversity on campuses by increasing knowledge and tolerance for peoples’ deepest held values. The roundtable will highlight cultural competency as a skill for interfaith leaders, and discuss how to encourage this and other skills on college campuses. The discussion will recognize religious pluralism as a goal for interfaith work, and will be facilitated by Multifaith Interns from Elon University’s Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life.

Facilitated by Nikki Cronin ‘22, Student – Elon University • Table #7
The roundtable will cover how people work, both individually and collaborating with others, to support groups and function as allies. The discussion will give participants an opportunity to examine why they believe being an ally and leader is important and how they want to continue to work toward that in the future.

Facilitated by Sophia Diaz ‘20 & Eve Ritsema ’19, Student – Elon University • Table #8
Facilitated by leaders from Elon’s Student Organization Immigrant Realities, this discussion focuses on the power of language and how xenophobia and dehumanization orient the words we use to talk about immigrant populations. We will define and analyze common language used and misused when discussing immigration and citizenship. In our discussion, we will hope to determine how our language can be used to promote inclusion for these populations.

Facilitated by Joyce Llopis-Martell ‘21 & Caren Aveldañez ‘21, Students – Elon University • Table #9
Children are empty slates, waiting to be filled with information, experiences, and boundless possibilities, but to open the doors to these requires resources that are sometimes not even available during pregnancy. In Alamance County, teen pregnancies are happening at significantly younger ages (13 and younger). These children themselves, particularly minority girls, have few opportunities allotted to them due to lack of family/cultural support, mental health resources, and education. Although these girls may be on birth control, doctors fail to tell them that as their weight increases, birth control can become less effective. How can we work to improve systems to provide increased possibilities for teenage mothers and their children? What ways do our institutions fail to protect our most vulnerable populations?

Facilitated by Mackenzie Martinez ‘21, Student – Elon University • Table #10
When was the last time you saw a movie with a Latinx lead? Can’t remember? It’s no surprise, a recent study has found that although Latinx people make up nearly one quarter of the US population, over the last 12 years they have only made up 4.5% of speaking roles and 3% of the lead characters. Numbers are similarly dismal for Latinx people behind the screen, particularly for women. So what does this mean for future possibilities for Latinx folks in the US? How is it possible to reshape such a large and influential industry? In what ways do the ideals and representation in movies contribute to shaping our media and our perceptions of communities?

Facilitated by Nicole Mitchell ‘22, Student –Wake Forest University • Table #11
As black women, we are told who we are and what we amount to before we are able to define ourselves. As two black college girls, we will share our stories of exploring the intersection of our identities to discover our authentic self. The Black Girls Becoming roundtable discussion aims to center and magnify the voices of black women as they begin their journey in becoming women of purpose, excellence, and wholeness. Our discussion will be the beginning of black women desiring to reorient their lives to manifest their dreams and passions while igniting their inner fire.

Facilitated by Morgan Kearns ‘22, Student – Elon University • Table #12
What changes from the freedom of believing you can do anything as a child to the utter fear of “failure” as an undergraduate? Where do we come up with the line between creative and non-creative? One of the first steps in making the impossible possible is realizing that you can achieve anything, something that many lose as they grow up. Looking at creative confidence, we will discuss roadblocks around failure, ambiguity, messiness, and the unknown that stops some great ideas from finding their place in the world.

Facilitated by Alonzo Cee, Graduate Student – Elon University • Table #13
Let us talk about the origins of higher education and the toll it has had on students of color. This session will delve into the historic oversight/neglect of students of color by colleges and universities, and the role we have as leaders to understand and uplift communities of color.

Facilitated by Abby Weaver ‘22, Student – Elon University • Table #14
Everyone grows up in a unique way that impacts how they understand the world around them today. College can be the first time some of us are experiencing new cultures and ideas which can be eye opening but also intimidating to process. It is important to recognize and reflect our previously held understandings and look toward further expanding our world view to best appreciate others’ differences.

Facilitated by Patrick Brundidge ‘22, Student – Elon University • Table #15
Elon’s Army ROTC program has gifted me with valuable lessons in leadership, and discipline. With that being said, Elon’s ROTC program has also put me in between two communities. On one side, there’s the challenges of being the only African American in an all white program. On the other side, i’ve had to deal with being ostracized by members within the African American community for being the “token black”. For my roundtable discussion, I would like to discuss ways in which we can use a situation that seems to be against us, to be successful.

Facilitated by Derrick Luster ‘20, Student – Elon University • Table #16
This roundtable unpacks the history of hyper-masculinity within Hip-Hop. The goal of this session is to walk through rap songs and discuss how hyper-masculinity exudes from contemporary and historic Hip-Hop song lyrics and topics.

Facilitated by Christopher Adamik ‘20, Student – Elon University • Table #17
As sex and gender are still used interchangeably within most biological courses, I subconsciously knew my response reiterating the difference between the two would culminate into a failing grade; but it had to be done. In our table discussion, let’s talk about problems we see in the classroom that immediately and latently affect LGBTQIA students and possible solutions to these classroom malpractices. We will talk about topics that could be possibly triggering, so please respect this brave space with intentional listening and mutual respect. There’s a stark difference between DNA and RNA; let’s teach that difference between sex and gender.

Facilitated by Hugh Goldstein ‘23, Student – Elon University • Table #18

On October 25th, 2019 Barack Obama stated, “That there is nothing weak about kindness and compassion. There is nothing weak about looking out for others. There is nothing weak about being honorable”.

So why is it that we shame those who are kind? If one is loud and intimating, we assume that they are a leader, and hence should be taken more seriously. This form of leadership is all to often engrained in male patriarchy. Men use systems of power to dominate social settings and assert superiority over other men, women, and their non-binary peers.

Within this roundtable discussion, we will acknowledge these power dynamics and create a meaningful dialogue about the suppression of other identities often seen as “weak.” We will try to understand a leader can use kindness and compassion towards men, women, and anyone in-between and still move a mountain.

Facilitated by Ryan McKeel, Graduate Student – UNC Greensboro • Table #19

Facilitated by Jazmin Campbell ‘22, Student – Elon University • Table #20
In this discussion I will share my experience of intimate partner violence as well as figures about abuse, particularly pertaining to women of color and those with other marginalized identities, and how to work towards healing. I intend to use this space to facilitate a discussion about the particular crossroads of intimate partner violence between members of marginalized communities, two lived experiences which often intersect and create a complex narrative that is frequently overlooked.

Facilitated by Shannon Alford & Cynthia Jones, Staff – Salem College • Table #21
Women of color continue to be underrepresented in leadership roles within higher education especially at predominately white institutions (PWIs). This roundtable will address some of the challenges women of color encounter due to their intersectionality of race and gender. Skills will be shared on how to strategically navigate “double jeopardy” as a professional in higher education. Participants will increase awareness of resources for them as women of color within higher education. In addition, participants will learn the tools needed to strategically create healthy working relationships and boundaries to accomplish their personal and professional leadership goals.

Facilitated by Rebecca Menard ‘20 & Veda Patil ‘21, Students – UNC Chapel Hill • Table #22
This discussion will focus on the inevitable moments of tension within a leadership team and give participants skills in order to manage and mitigate conflict. Emphasis will be placed on the practice of the assertive belief system for leaders focused on social justice. The first third will be focused on acquisition of theory/knowledge, the second third on practicing these skills, and the last third on reflection and action planning. The primary learning outcome is that students will understand when and how to utilize assertive yet empathetic communication with their peers.

Facilitated by John Robinson-Miller IV & Aminant Bashorun, Staff – NC State • Table #23
Do you feel ineffective? Tired of working in silos? Annoyed by over-programming? This roundtable is a crash course on how to set a common agenda, establish responsibilities, and encourage accountability to STAY IN YOUR LANE. Learn how to apply the Collective Impact framework to leverage individuals and student organizations for more effective advocacy and social change on a college campus.