The first event in a new series hosted by Community and Government Relations (CGR) took place on Wednesday evening. Titled “Hear Me Out,” this event is designed to help students learn how to listen, share and engage in constructive dialogue.
After opening remarks by CGR specialist Wendy Huntsmann, she handed the floor to seniors Morgan Smith and Jenny Cardoso. Smith shared her inspiration for the Kindness Project and what motivated her to keep the club running. Cardoso spoke about her experience as a first-generation student, expressing, “I just remember feeling like, as a first-gen, the world is upon you,” and discussed how she uses her jewelry business to help support her family.
Following their stories, the audience was invited to create and share their own origin stories. “A story,” Huntsmann said, “should help the listener learn something about what makes you who you are.” Luis Sotelo, Vice President of CGR, elaborated on the importance of crafting these stories as concise yet detailed, aiming to show rather than tell and concluding with a strong closing. Huntsmann explained that an origin story should consist of three parts: characters, plot, and resolution.
To illustrate this, Huntsmann shared her own example of an origin story. She recounted how she spent time after school in junior high working with her coach on her layup. “Practice makes perfect, but you have to practice the skills perfectly. When I became a coach, that’s what brought me to that,” Huntsmann said.
Students then had the opportunity to write their own origin stories and share them with a random partner. Two freshmen, Brock Heusinkvelt and Tyler Greenwood, volunteered to share their stories with the entire room, and as a result, they won free Doane shirts.
For those who missed it, this event will be held again on Nov. 19 from 6-7 p.m. in East/West dining, with plans to continue in the spring semester. Each event will feature new speakers, although the overarching goal of fostering a healthy community will remain the same.
Each event will also include raffle drawings, allowing attendees to participate for prizes. Students who attend multiple events will be entered into a grand prize raffle, with entries accumulating each time they attend. Sotelo noted that if attendees return and bring friends, they will receive multiple entries into the individual raffles.
