Padnos/Sarosik
Center for Civil Discourse
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Message from the DirectorDear Friends of the Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse,
Caminante, no hay puentes, se hace puentes al andar.
(Voyager, there are no bridges, one builds them as one walks.)
~ Gloria Anzaldúa
It was such a joy to be in community with so many of you at the 10 th annual civil
discourse symposium. I’m hopeful that we can use the momentum from our gathering to
continue having these kinds of difficult yet necessary conversations—both individually
with family, friends, and the new people we meet and collectively as we resist societal
divisiveness by committing to dialogue across difference. As one participant shared in a
reflection about their symposium experience, “More discussions like this still need to be
had. Everyone is worth hearing.”
I think about the implications of this insight that everyone has a right to be heard
because each person has value. I wonder how we can deepen the ways we express our
valuing of each other, especially during this time of heightened societal polarization
when the divides among us are seemingly great. How do we build bridges as we walk?
In my civil discourse work, I am often asked for stories of hope. One of the most
powerful illustrations of polarized people developing mutual understanding that I have
ever witnessed happened in my classroom just after the 2016 presidential election. The
first student to arrive was wearing a Make America Great Again cap. The student’s
stride was light, and they walked in smiling. Soon after, another student walked in
wearing a t-shirt they had made. The explicative on their shirt was a loud anti-MAGA
statement. The conversation had begun without anyone saying a word.
Over the course of that 3-hour class, students found the courage to listen to each other
as they shared stories about their life experiences that had given shape to their current
position and provided a context for their post-election emotions. One student shared
that they had been crying a lot since the results had come in and recounted a story of
having been physically encircled and shouted at by counter protestors at a political rally.
Visibly shaking, they described how this experience had reminded them of a sexual
assault they had survived. How they felt about the election results was entangled with
this experience. Yet another student talked about feeling misunderstood and devalued
for much of their life, a background which sensitized them to how candidates, too, can
be misunderstood. For them, the election results represented hope because they felt
that their preferred candidate was a largely misunderstood figure who was devalued by
mainstream media.
Through the sharing of emotionally honest stories, the staunch divide that had
characterized the group when students had walked in the door, shifted. Even the t-shirt
and cap wearing students developed empathy for one another as they listened to each
other share more personal experiences of why they thought what they thought. It is difficult to hate someone whose story you know.
We each are a voyager on this collective journey to heal our societal divides. Especially during this time of year when so many gather together, let’s keep in mind that each conversation is an opportunity to build a bridge.
Wishing you peace and wellness,
Lisa
Director, Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse
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Symposium Sucess
The Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse held its annual symposium on Nov. 16 at the Seidman Center on Grand Valley's Pew Campus. The event welcomed community members, students, faculty, and staff in all levels of the education field.
The theme of this year's symposium was Calm the Chaos: Honoring All Voices in Public Education. Opening remarks were made by the center's director, Lisa Perhamus, and Grand Valley Provost, Fatma Mili.
To open the conversation, a video was shown depicting unrest in board of education meetings all around the country. The video showcased a common theme seen around the country of shouting matches and social media barbs around how schools manage media center collections, teach U.S. history, or respond to LGBTQ+ issues.
To further the conversation, a group of panelists from around the state of Michigan shared their personal experiences of working in public education.
Panelists included Dan Behm, retired superintendent of Forest Hills public schools; Rick Dernberger, member of the board of education of Zeeland public schools; Dominique Rickett, Dean of Taylor Exemplar Academy and a former elementary school teacher; and Alexia Youngman, an English and Language Arts high school teacher of Grandville public schools.
Later in the event, attendees put civil discourse in action. Participants engaged in small group conversations at their round tables, using civil discourse guidelines to help keep the conversations constructive.
Mallory Everly, a junior studying political science and multimedia journalism at Grand Valley, engaged in the Q&A session after the roundtable discussion.
"Although, I am not personally studying education, I have been surrounded at home by educators that work in public schools my entire life," Everly said. "I saw the topic of the symposium that included conversations about public education and I was instantly drawn to the event. One of the biggest takeaways that I had from the event was the increasing importance of supporting all staff members within public schools in relation to the changing atmosphere of public school board meetings. I found experiences that the panelist shared about public education today very jarring and I think things need to change."
Gerald Brown, Adjunct Instructor of Literacy, Educational Foundations, and Technology at Grand Valley, wanted to get more involved in the symposium by acting as a facilitator for the round table discussions.
"Civil Discourse requires that you bring your honest, authentic self to the conversation with the intent to listen and understand different perspectives," Brown said. "The short documentary film effectively demonstrated examples of contentious, argumentative school board meetings that were affirmed through the panel's local experiences. Through the short documentary. Calm the Chaos: Honoring All Voices in Public Education was impactful, insightful and important."
Educators and education stakeholders came from all over Michigan, as well as from out of state, to attend the symposium and participate in its interactive components. A common theme that emerged from the evening is that educators are tired and need additional support.
Attendees were surveyed after attending the event to offer feedback. A resounding majority expressed the event effectively modeled civil discourse.
Brown insightfully noted the importance of modeling civil discourse not only on the back end of public education but in classrooms as well.
"Creating communities of practice, beginning in elementary school, integrates civil discourse into curriculum, providing students with key communication skills that are essential in developing: effective classroom social contracts, high functioning teams, district cultural aspirations, and a pathway for future generations to uphold their civic responsibilities," Brown said.
Overall, the Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse would like to thank everyone who attended, participate, and supported the annual symposium this year!
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First-semester success for new student organization
Connections Through Conversation is a new student organization on campus that launched this semester. Meetings bring students together to discuss a variety of topics that the group decides upon together. The club’s mission is to create connections and eliminate prejudice through meaningful conversations. CTC offers an inclusive environment for honest, meaningful, and productive conversations.The idea for the club came from students who had taken Dialogue Across Difference (IDS 150), a 1-credit course open to all students. CTC founders Layla Kattau (president) and Danielle Blanchard (vice president) wanted to continue to the kind of constructive conversations about social issues that they had experienced in class.
Already, the club has held four meetings for all students this semester. Looking forward, to the next semester, CTC is hoping to welcome new students that hold a range of different perspectives to their meetings. The first meetings of the Winter 2024 semester will be on 1/17 in KC 2201 from 6-7:30 p.m. Come and bring a friend!
Additional meeting dates include: 1/31, 2/14, 2/28, 3/13, 3/27, and 4/10 in KC 2242.
Students can get involved through LakerLink or follow the club on Instagram (@ctcgvsu). All are welcome.
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Introducing new team member: Maureen Strand
We are pleased to announce a new Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse team member, Maureen Strand. Strand joined our staff in October of this year but has been working at Grand Valley for two years. Previously, Strand worked as a coordinator in the GVSU payroll office. She now provides administrative support as the Dean's Office Coordinator for the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Grand Valley along with her new position at PSCCD.
“I was very excited for this opportunity to support the center, because I believe their mission and events are extremely valuable for our university and community,” Strand said. “I have attended events from the PSCCD such as the annual symposium and Talking Together in the past. It was wonderful seeing people from all walks of life and age come together and practice having calm respectful discussions about divisive topics.”
So far in her new position, Strand has assisted in putting together the 2023 Civil Discourse symposium.
“The Fall 2023 symposium was completely full, and it was a joy to see all the planning come together into a memorable and valuable experience for those in attendance. I am looking forward to continuing to work with this wonderful team to keep raising the bar on the impact we can have in promoting awareness and education for civil discourse in society. And of course, I look forward to the fun team meetings!”
We asked Maureen some fun icebreaker questions for readers to get to know her a bit better.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work for fun?
A: I love doing nail art. I have a huge nail polish collection and many different tools and supplies to create elaborate designs, and I really enjoy it. I also love to spend quality time with my two kids, and watch shows and movies with my partner.
Q: What's a hidden talent or hobby you have?
A: I play the flute, I used to be pretty good. Now my son is learning to play (proud momma moment)!
Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
A: I would love to be able to teleport, so that I can go to Italy on my lunch breaks haha!
Welcome to the team, Maureen!
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Board Member Spotlight: Michael Catching II
"Serving on the board of the Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse has allowed me to spread civil discourse skills that our Grand Rapids and GVSU communities can practice on a daily basis.
Civil discourse can be used in any setting and is not mutually exclusive to any one particular moment or sector.
Being part of a great advisory board that I believe leads our community in this amazing work, is an honor, and I am proud to be able to represent that badge of honor and continue our mission. My wish is for all incoming and current students to engage in our Symposia as well as take the civil discourse classes. They teach transferable skills that will set up our society for success if practiced consistently.
I use civil discourse in my role as a museum professional daily to engage our members and patrons about many different topics in the Art community. Contrary to popular belief, engaging in Civil discourse doesn’t have to always be negative, either. For example, it’s been instrumental in my role as a father and community leader. Civil discourse, if taught and used correctly, as we strive to do at the Padnos/Sarosik Center can and will impact any community positively.”
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Get to know the civil discourse student fellow: Tina Duoibes
Tina is currently a junior at Grand Valley studying Advertising and Public Relations with minors in Marketing and Middle Eastern Studies. She is also a student in the Frederik Meijer Honors College. In addition to her work at the center, Tina is an Account Executive with GrandPR, a student-run PR agency at GVSU. She is also apart of the Grand Valley chapter of the Public Relation Student Society and serves on the DEI committee.
Here are some questions we asked Tina about her work at the center:
Q: What do you enjoy about working at the center?
A: I have found a lot of mentorship with my work at the center. It's a very encouraging and welcoming environment, but we also all push ourselves to work hard because we all know how important the work we are doing is for the school and larger community. This position has allowed me to be creative and grow my project management and networking skills.
Q: What does civil discourse mean to you, in general terms, and what does it mean for you personally?
A: Civil discourse to me is finding empathy, compassion, and reasoning when engaging with other people. I think people today, especially young people, get very caught up when engaging with people who have different opinions than them, and they take this difference in opinion as almost an attack on their own opinions. Practicing civil discourse is important in my life and means actively listening in conversations to better understand the person you are talking with. The more you listen and have empathy, the richer your understanding of the people around you, is so when disagreements do happen, you can solve them more effectively with respect and a willingness to compromise.
Q: What do you want GVSU students to know about the center?
A: The center offers so many resources to students on campus and the larger community. I would love to get more students involved and host more events with trainings or speakers to introduce others to civil discourse. Also, I would like to invite everyone to look into joining the new student org, Connections Through Conversation. I have really enjoyed my time at meetings and talking with all the other members opens my perspective on the world and makes me acknowledge my shortcomings and privileges.
Q: What do you most enjoy doing when you are not working or studying?
A: I enjoy hanging out with my friends and family when I'm not working or studying. I love to hang out at cafes with friends downtown. I also love traveling. I studied abroad last year, and I have been to a ton of different countries, but I think I want to do some traveling in the US and go to the Northeast coast someday soon.
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Giving: Offers of Support
Please consider giving to the Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse and help us create a culture of conversation! Gifts allow us to offer robust programming, resources, and support for students. Click on the link to make your donation.
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Follow the Center for Civil Discourse on Social Media
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