On the evening of Tuesday, September 26, the first public event in this year’s Higher Ed, Higher Ground monthly program series was held on campus. The event was moderated by Department of English Assistant Professor Dr. Shirley Wong and drew an intimate crowd of faculty, staff, and students, who gathered in the Loughman Living Room to learn more about Dr. Jenna Sciuto’s innovative “Open Up: Community Dialogue Workshop” launched at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA).
Dr. Sciuto’s new community-based, high-impact class is meant to foster necessary conversations about race and other topics that are often difficult to discuss in group settings. Dr. Sciuto and one of her MCLA students described their efforts in bringing this workshop to high schools throughout the Berkshires. In addition to Dr. Jenna Sciuto and one of her students, Westfield State’s Tamara Smith was part of the Sept. 26 program, and covered how to use civic engagement resources to create similar program at Westfield State.
The Sept. 26 program was useful for faculty to learn more about how to foster such dialogue with students in an array of learning environments. Dr. Sciuto had the audience watch a short clip from the television show “Dear White People” and led those in attendance in a poetry exercise. Individuals began a poem on the meaning of whiteness, and the poem was then handed to another member of the audience to respond and complete. The program concluded with Q&A session.
The Division of Academic Affairs will hold its October Higher Ed, Higher Ground program on Thursday, October 24 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Dever Stage. The evening event will feature Javier Ávila, who will perform his one-man show, The Trouble With My Name.
According to Provost and Vice President of Academic Affair Dr. Diane Prusank, “Dr. Wong is doing a really great job of not only continuing the positive momentum of the well-received monthly programs, but she is delivering them in a variety of creative formats.”
Visit the Higher Ed, Higher Ground web page for more information.