Welcome to our newsletter, a monthly publication during the academic year in which we share Center updates, programming announcements, spotlighted stories, and a few resources each issue.

The Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse is a campus and community resource that provides programming, training, and resources about how to navigate conversations across difference; resist polarization; and engage in meaningful bridge-building work. The center’s vision for inclusive communities where all people are welcomed, and every person feels a sense of belonging inspires us to live out our mission to engage people in challenging yet necessary conversations to increase mutual understanding and deepen community.

At the Center for Civil Discourse, we believe in the power of dialogue to heal divisions—one conversation at a time.

As we settle into this Fall season, I invite you to engage with some of the Center’s exciting programs. This year, our featured events are part of a reconvened collaborative initiative called, Talking Together: Strengthening Our Communities Through Conversation.

In partnership with the Kaufman Interfaith Institute, Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, and WGVU Public Media, this dialogue and storytelling initiative aims to cultivate a culture of conversation and connection rather than debate and polarization on campus and in area communities.

Over the last several months, many have shared with me through civil discourse workshops; classroom dialogues; community meetings; and personal conversations, that they feel exhausted by and concerned about the divisiveness of the presidential campaign rhetoric; and scared, outraged; and anguished over the continued eruptions of violence across the U.S. and the world.

Their stories reflect a desire for finding points of connection; ways to build-bridges; and strategies for engaging in conversations across all kinds of differences. While civil discourse is not about finding common ground, it is about deepening mutual understanding. This is at the heart of the Center for Civil Discourse’s work.

I look forward to a year of building connections.

Take care,
Lisa

Come visit us!

Lake Michigan Hall

Suite 167

Allendale Campus

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned for our first Meet & Greet!

We are thrilled to welcome Tamela Spicer to the Advisory Board! Recently, we spoke with Tamela about her professional interests and her personal reflections about the value of civil discourse.

What is your current position and what do you enjoy most about your work?
I own a small boutique consulting firm where we help nonprofits and foundations navigate change and develop their capacity for greater impact, all with an equity lens. I love that every day I get to make a difference in communities across the country!

What types of things do you enjoy in your downtime?
I love to travel, enjoy the symphony (any live music I can find!), and enjoy practicing photography. I recently captured my first photo of northern lights in the U.P. and love learning how to do more night photography.

What does civil discourse mean to you (professionally and personally) and in what ways do you think civil discourse matters?
In my own journey of understanding equity and living out my own values as a person of faith, I see an increasing need to engage in conversations across differences. The practice of civil discourse helps me have more generative conversations amidst difference. Listening well, showing up with genuine curiosity, and honoring everyone at the table are skills that help me in personal relationships as well as in my professional life.

What do you hope to contribute through your Advisory Board involvement?
I want to approach my role on the advisory board with curiosity and openness. I hope that I can help bring clarity to the process of the Center's work as well as the meaning of the work. I'm also here to learn and grow in my own understanding and practice of civil discourse.

Please share an example you've experienced that involved elements of civil discourse, having a challenging conversation, or needing to communicate across difference. What do you think are the takeaways from this example that we might all reflect upon?
Perhaps the season we're in, but the example that comes to mind was a political conversation with a dear friend. While I believe that she and I share many values, we were very much on different sides of the conversation when it came to the last election. I remember one conversation in particular when I got really curious and instead of combating her perspective, I started asking gentle questions to understand her perspective. This one conversation started a cascade of opportunities to really engage in deep conversation around our values and how those were expressed in our political perspectives. Fast forward several months later, this friend shared with me that our conversations had caused her to do some deep thinking, and she realized that while she valued equity, her political choices were not supporting that sense of belonging was central to her beliefs.

For me, that situation reminds me that I have to be genuinely curious and not engage in conversation with the intent to change someone's mind, but to grow in understanding. It was as transformative for me as it was for my friend.

What year are you; what is your major; what activities are you involved with on campus; and what is your favorite thing about GV?
I’m currently a junior studying Advertising and Public Relations. I am a peer mentor for Laker Familia, a program that supports Latino/Hispanic-identifying students on campus, and an account executive for GrandPR, a student-run firm at GVUS. My favorite part of Grand Valley is the countless opportunities to meet people who share the same interests as me.

What types of things do you enjoy in your downtime?
I enjoy hanging out with friends and scrolling on social media during my downtime. Spending time with my friends improves my mood, no matter how tiring the week was. They know how to help me have fun and become energized again. Social media also helps me unwind. My favorite content to watch is "Day in My Life" and video essays!

What does civil discourse mean to you in everyday language and in what ways do you think civil discourse matters?

Civil discourse means to have respectful and productive conversations with others. Having these skills and tools is important since there will be moments when we interact with people with a different opinion from ours.We shouldn’t view this as an unworthy conversation but a conversation with a different perspective. 

Please share an example of a time on campus when people had difficulty communicating across difference, and civil discourse might have helped to improve the situation--or a time when you did witness civil discourse improving a situation on campus or in the classroom. In other words, do you have any stories that you could share that show how much we need civil discourse on campus? 
In the Winter 2024 semester, there was a town hall meeting held by Black GVSU students. They expressed the importance of investing in more resources to retain students of color. This event allowed students to voice their testimonies, opinions, and thoughts. The event’s structure provided space for productive dialogue and listening among students, faculty, community members, and the GVSU Senior Leadership Team.

What would you most like students to know about civil discourse or the Center?
Challenging topics can appear in the classroom, workplace, friendships, etc. It is important to have the tools to respond effectively. The Center has numerous events that will teach you civil discourse skills. The center is the best resource on campus to learn more about civil discourse!

What are you most looking forward to in your civil discourse role this year?
As the new Civil Discourse Student Fellow, I’m ecstatic to improve my knowledge of civil discourse. There can always be growth, so I hope to learn and refine my skills. These are tools I will use now and in the future.

Created by StoryCorps, One Small Step is an effort to remind the country of the humanity in all of us, even those with whom we disagree. The initiative brings strangers with different political beliefs together for a 50-minute conversation—not to debate politics—but to get to know each other as people.

WGVU and their valued partners: Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse; Kaufman Interfaith Institute; Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies; Seeds of Promise; and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation as well as StoryCorps invite you to take part in One Small Step, an effort to bring communities together, one conversation at a time.

WGVU is one of just seven stations selected nationally to host One Small Step in 2024. With participant permission, these conversations will be preserved for future generations at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

One Small Step Listening Event & Reception

October 1, 2024 - 6-8pm

Eberhard Center, Pew Campus (Downtown)

We have spent the past four months bringing strangers with different political views together to record a 50-minute conversation—not to debate politics, but to learn who we are as people. On October 1, we will gather to listen to some of those stories. Free and open to the public; registration is required.

The Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse, Kaufman Interfaith Institute, Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, and WGVU Public Media are thrilled to reconvene for a second year of Talking Together: Strengthening Our Communities Through Conversation - a dialogue initiative aimed at interrupting polarization and creating instead a culture of conversation on campus and in surrounding communities.

Our Talking Together collaboration began in 2022-2023 as a year-long Grand Valley Presidential Initiative with a number of opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and community members to engage in conversation with one other across differences in perspective, identity, and life experiences.

This year, we are returning to build upon those foundational strategies and techniques from Year One by intentionally leaning into spaces of deep listening and storytelling from a multiplicity of perspectives.

Connections Through Conversation is a student org that began last year as an inclusive space for peers to connect with one another through authentic conversation about meaningful topics. Come check us out!

Check out this article about CTC in GV’s student newspaper, The Lanthorn

Over the summer, the Center for Civil Discourse led a series of civil discourse workshops for the bus drivers and Senior Leadership Team at The Rapid.

Lisa Perhamus has been a great partner in equipping our employees with the skills needed for meaningful and respectful communication through the Civil Discourse sessions. Her expertise has empowered our team to navigate potentially challenging conversations with confidence, especially as we approach a period of heightened political tension. These sessions have not only enriched our team’s professional interactions but also provided them with valuable tools for personal growth. At The Rapid, we are dedicated to inclusivity and believe that every individual deserves to be heard. Lisa’s training has strengthened our commitment to fostering an environment where understanding and respect are at the forefront of our service.

In August, the Center for Civil Discourse facilitated a session about civil discourse during this political moment to the West Michigan Thought Leaders at the GR Chamber. It was heartening to be in a room full of community leaders who value dialogue over debate.

Former Governor Rick Snyder was in attendance and shared stories about the importance of cross-partisan collaboration and bridge-building.

In August, the Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse Advisory Board gathered for its annual retreat. We laid the foundation for determining this year’s Center priorities (details to follow in forthcoming issues) with the guidance of Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy’s Program Manager, Mandy Sharp Eizinger.

As we begin the 2024-2025 academic year, the Advisory Board’s foundational commitment to students serves as a guide and inspiration as members consider various ways that the Center for Civil Discourse is (and can become even more so) a meaningful campus and community resource.

Ex Officio
Shelley Padnos: Center Founder
Carol Sarosik: Center Founder
Mark Schaub: Dean, Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies

Advisory Board
Brian Bowdle: Associate Professor of Psychology
Takeelia Garrett: GVSU Student Ombuds
Stan Green: Executive Coach
Milt Rowher: Community member (retired business leader)
Tamela Spicer: Founder & Principal at The Intentional Catalyst
Britlynn Veliz: Civil Discourse Student Fellow
Greg Warsen: Endowed Professor of Civil Discourse & Associate Professor of Educational Leadership

Check out our resources for bridge-building and engaging in conversations across difference. Have a resource to share? Let us know what we could add to the list!

Unsettled by provocative news, clashing politicians, and social fragmentation, Americans struggle to navigate the challenges of living in a divided country. Facing the Fracture offers a path out of the distress and disempowerment plaguing everyday people. Grounded in psychological research, this book offers readers strategies to foster resilience in the face of political polarization.

This book moves beyond explaining the problem of polarization to demonstrate how individuals can cope with political divides. Readers will find guidance to reduce toxic input from media, manage polarizing thoughts and feelings, and engage effectively with others. And they will learn that they have the power to improve their personal wellbeing, relationships, community, and country.

Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse
LMH Suite 167
Office: (616) 331-8044
Email: civildiscourse@gvsu.edu