I am currently sitting at a cafe in beautiful Bloomingon, Indiana — home of Indiana University. The second session of the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI) is underway and in just a few hours they will see the RESPONSE ABILITY video and have a conversation for bystander behavior in the college fraternity and sorority setting. UIFI brings together fraternity and sorority leaders — current college students — from around the country for four days to train and develop them into the leaders they are committed to being. This summer, over 900 college students and facilitators will engage in this conversation. They will then take it back for their respective chapter, council, and school to make a huge difference in college and fraternity/sorority life.
I went by the Alpha Omicron Pi house this morning (where they are staying for the four days of the institute) and spoke to Brian Tenclinger and Will Foran — the two key facilitators. They say that bystander behavior has already been brought up as a key conversation by the students. That they are clear that intervening is a key access to the future of the Greek system on college campuses and college men and women having the amazing experience they came to college to get. Not to be hazed. Not to experience discrimination. Not to drink themselves to oblivion or even death. Not to experience body shame. Not to be disempowered!
So, I will update this post with how the session goes this evening — just wanted to let you all know that it’s so inspiring to experience college students engaged in this conversation — I CAN’T WAIT!
UPDATE: Well, with the exception of a couple of technical difficulties, the presentation and conversation with the 90+ students and facilitators went very well. They really get this conversation and they are really engaged in it. They saw — and still see — the real opportunity to intervene in situations in their lives. A few of them came up to me afterwards with one simple message: “THANK YOU!” One girl specifically said, “Thank you for putting into words what we have not had words for until now.” Very moving, huh?
It’s very powerful to put words to what currently is not being spoken. By distinguishing the barriers to intervening, you are freed up to act — the barriers no longer have a grip on you. You can — in the moment — distinguish the barrier that is pulling for you not to act and create — in that moment — acting on your values. This is our opportunity each and every moment that we see something happening that our own values tell us is not “right.”
A special thanks to Will Foran of the NIC and Brian Tenclinger of Triangle Fraternity for not only allowing me to “sit in” the conversation but for having RESPONSE ABILITY be a core program of all 10 UIFI sessions this summer — exposing over 900 students and facilitators to this new opening for action in their lives!
