Inter-Group Dialogue provides safe space to discuss common student issues

Janine Parziale Features Editor

It’s that time again, the time when students are free to explore and join new groups in hopes of balancing their in-class time with significant and enjoyable extracurriculars. One possibility students may want to consider is participating in the Inter-Group Dialogue, which will be held once again this semester.

Inter-Group Dialogue consists of two or more socio-cultural groups that are brought together to discuss basic differences and similarities.

The terminology is deliberately vague. The dialogue is an intensive topical discussion group. Last semester, the focus was on race, as the dialogue was entitled “Racial/Social Identity and Inclusion.”

Twelve Vassar students completed the four week dialogue series, meeting on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Facilitated by Larry Cerecedes, Ph.D. at Vassar Counseling Services and Edward Pittman, Associate Dean for Campus Life, the students were challenged to participate, engage, and listen as topics ranged from self-identity and race relations, to personal and mass stereotyping. The goal of the program outlined in their initial applications was that each participant “arrive at a place of awareness that allows her or him to see avenues for change within the context of a social justice model which looks at issues of privilege and social inequality in seeking to understand and map out steps for social change. The model makes the connection between awareness and action.” Both Cerecedes and Pittman had been involved in similar programs at other schools, and had independently hoped to bring such a dialogue to Vassar. Pittman described it as a drive to do “something that’s consequential on this campus.” Fast friends, Pittman and Cerecedes soon realized their common goals. “We just hit the ground running with it,” said Cerecedes.

At the end of the program, the group held a mini-award session where they gathered to eat dinner and interact together as a group one last time. As students had the chance to openly express their thoughts on the group, many made similar observations. “People want to engage with [race relations] on an intellectual level, but when it comes to an inter-group dialogue like this, they aren’t really there. Maybe they don’t have the time or it makes them feel uncomfortable,” said Devin Liebmann ’05.

Shaina Brassard ’08 said, “I was excited to get the chance to talk openly about race and ethnicity in a real, personal way; in much of everyday interaction, these are topics we often sidestep in conversation, but affect everyone a great deal.”

Over the course of a few short sessions, the students bacome quite close and many expressed a wish that the group could have continued longer. “It was amazing in the sense that, though there were some difficult and frustrating sessions, I feel we emerged positively changed, more understanding people. More importantly, I made a group of new friends,” said Brassard.

Similar dialogues have been occurring more frequently in institutions across the country. The hope is that participants will arrive at a place of personal awareness leading to the pursuit of positive avenues of change within their community of peers. Rebecca Fernandez ’06 succinctly expressed these ideas: “Vassar is just a building without its students, and if its students are not accepting of difference and diversity, if they are not open and receptive to all students, if all its students cannot live here and learn here in an environment that will allow them to flourish, then it is better served as just a vacant building. This group will, without question, over time, help to close the racial divide. I understand that this is just one campus in one small town in one state in only one country plagued with racism, but it is the small steps that make the big steps not so big.”

Said Pittman, “As with all of our Inter-Group Dialogues, the goals are to encourage exploration and self-awareness, increase cross-cultural understanding, and to build bridges across differences. We also hope that participants will take steps towards making change on individuals and group levels.”

This semester’s Inter-Group Dialogues will begin in late March. Thematically defined, the groups are entitled: “Mixing it Up: Lesbian, Gay, Straight, and Queer at Vassar” and “Intersecting Identities: Women of Color and White Women.” Each group will take up to twelve students and will be co-facilitated. Students can obtain more information about the groups and facilitators from the Campus Life Office or e-mail edpittman@vassar.edu. Applications will be available after Feb. 1.