Earlier this month, the Ohio State University community took a seat at the Big Table to hash out ideas for a kinder future in central Ohio. Organized by the university's Office of Student Life, the event attracted a chorus of voices from students, faculty, staff, and local residents, all ready to chip in on the conversation. The Big Table, initiated in 2016 by the Columbus Foundation, has become a staple for community engagement in Columbus.
Tracy Stuck, assistant vice president of Student Life, set the tone with a direct challenge to attendees, obtained by Ohio State News, "One is that you have the opportunity to meet at least one new person." Stuck and her team aspire for these dialogues to not just skim the surface, but to dive deep into shared experiences, aiming to cement a united community where "everyone has a place at the table."
The reins of the talk were handed to two of the university's leaders: Melissa Shivers, senior vice president of Student Life, and John Warner, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the Wexner Medical Center and executive vice president of Ohio State. The pair steered the conversation around Ohio State's Listen. Learn. Discuss. platform.
Shivers underscored the impact of these discussions on the community, insisting that gathering people together for meaningful dialogue is a priority. "We firmly believe that this particular initiative provides us an opportunity at Ohio State to join our Columbus community in thinking a lot about how we have difficult conversations and what are things that we can do as a community to build more trust and connection," she explained to Ohio State News.
Warner pointed out the necessity of such initiatives, revealing, according to statistics mentioned in the conversation by Ohio State News, "at least once a week, 45% of adults encounter severe stress." With such alarming numbers, Warner advocates for practicing effective communication as a therapeutic counterbalance to life's pressures. "Today is an important step in that direction," he said, speaking to the capacity of the Big Table events to boost awareness and offer support within the community.
The Listen. Learn. Discuss. The program does not stop at these events. It promises a repository of resources to foster ongoing civil exchanges. "They provide a host of different types of materials to help in that facilitation of those conversations," said Shivers, in a statement obtained by Ohio State News, recognizing the need for continued engagement and skill improvement year-round. To find out more about the initiative and access the resources mentioned, interested parties can check out the program's website at Listen. Learn. Discuss..
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