Simpson reflects on facilitating dialogue on men’s mental health

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by Deonte Simpson, ’18

It was an awesome opportunity to work with the class of 2019 as we discussed mental health here at Wabash College.  This dialogue is based off President Obama’s community conversations on mental health program that began in the fall of 2013.  That year, a Wabash tutorial group created a mental health dialogue as their course project.  Several members of that tutorial group are now WDPD Fellows, and having more fellows this year, we asked Ms. Heather Thrush if we could run a dialogue on men’s mental health for the freshmen class.

During the dialogue, the freshmen class really bought into the idea that the hypothetical students we presented were facing issues Wabash men encounter everyday. In turn, this made for a much more productive discourse in which we talked about how to respond to our fellow students.  Working on this project, my mind was blown at the fact that mental health is more than being diagnosed with a disease or disability.  These were my preconceived notions on the subject prior to conducting research on mental health.  The freshmen responded similarly as I did in the beginning of the conversation, so I was happy to be there and help them work through these issues and make them aware of resources they have available on campus, such as the Wabash Counseling Center.

The WDPD Fellows really contributed big time to the first of this two-day event producing a positive turnout, so I commend each and every one of you. I also want to give a huge thank you again to Kevin Swaim and Jamie Douglas from the Wabash Counseling Center. It is important that students know about you here on campus. We all admit the institution is challenging, and we need a person to turn to when we feel overwhelmed and in distraught. It was challenging developing the framing for this conversation, but we created a smooth plan for action.

A huge takeaway from working with the WDPD Fellows and the Counseling Center is that it has really helped me develop my ability to work efficiently in a team.  Sometimes working with a peer or colleague in office hours can spark a more interesting idea. Once we (the WDPD Fellows) all get together and begin bouncing ideas off one another, I have noticed this is when we are most effective.  Everyone brings a unique quality to the table, and together we create well researched, thought-out projects that can make a difference.

 


Empson reflects on the first month of WDPD experience

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Empson facilitates during recent deliberations

Empson facilitates during recent deliberations

by Isaac Empson

When I first started with the Wabash Democracy Fellows I wasn’t sure what to expect with this new program. I soon found out that the program has its hands on many of the events on campus and within the community. I found myself taking notes on possible solutions for the lack of affordable childcare in Montgomery County, facilitating dialogues about new medical technology, and leading discussions during Wabash’s Leadership Summit weekend about the Wabash’s Liberal Arts Plus Initiative.

I joined WDPD because I wanted to learn a rhetorical skill set and understanding that is sometimes elusive to science majors like myself. The first project I led combined this new knowledge with my science background for a discussion on genetic engineering for a Biology 101 class. The discussion was very relevant due to the advent of CRISPR gene editing technology that had been developed this year. Our team of WDPD fellows worked with Professors Amanda Ingram and Sara Drury to create a discussion framework for students that took them through case studies and proposed three different responses. The bioethics course that I had taken last semester had helped me design the guide that addressed the social implications that arose from editing a human genome. On the day of the event, I had learned that the students did not need to completely understand all technical aspects in order to begin to consider the new technology and its possible applications. People are very willing to share their opinions if they are in an environment that promotes discussion, and the deliberations that we host provide that setting.  Furthermore, providing good discussion frameworks can encourage people to learn more about topics.

WDPD has already kept me very busy this fall semester, but I am excited to be a part of some more of the events that will happen later this year. It is a very satisfying feeling when you see positive change within the community that you helped create by organizing discussions and listening to the ideas of community members. I hope that the program will continue to expand so that others can benefit from such an important service.


Stucker reflects on September 2015

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by Kyle Stucker ’17

Students at Wabash College are not yet through one month of the fall semester.  Some may still be getting used to the college environment after the summer, but this is not the case for the Wabash Democracy Fellows in the Wabash Democracy and Public Discourse Initiative, who have been hard at work since August.

The Wabash Democracy Fellows are currently beginning work on several upcoming projects.  This preliminary work involves logistical concerns, discussion planning, and training new fellows for future discussions.  Most of the fellows have taken a rhetoric course that trained students to facilitate conversations.  Other fellows have had extensive experience facilitating conversations within the community and around campus.  These facilitation skills are very important for the work of the WDPD initiative, and therefore some time is devoted to further training the fellows for various facilitation scenarios.

Each Tuesday afternoon two groups of six fellows meet to practice facilitation.  These practice sessions last a little over an hour and attempt to mimic scenarios that Fellows might encounter during campus and community discussions.  These discussions so far have been very productive.  The new Fellows are already very skilled in facilitation and looking forward to the opportunity to test their abilities.

Another function of these small group meetings has been to discuss the primary principle of the initiative: Freedom of Speech.  Fellows read and discussed a Yale President’s convocation address in which he urged students not to silence others because they disagree with their opinions.  By discussing this address the fellows learned that further discussion is the way to properly deal with offensive speech.  We also read material from the Supreme Court Case Whitney v. California.  This discussion and others like it have been instilling the core values of the WDPD initiative and improving the skills of the Democracy Fellows as we consider how our work connects to rights and responsibility of free speech.


Wabash Democracy Fellows begin a new year

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by Anthony Douglas, ’17

A new school year brings a new office and new faces around the deliberation table for WDPD. In the office, are some returning Fellows, but in addition to this are 8 brand new Wabash Democracy Fellows, ready and energized for what looks like a hectic Fall semester for our program.

Wabash Democracy Fellows at our first meeting of the 2015-2016 year.

Wabash Democracy Fellows at our first meeting of the 2015-2016 year.

The Fellows convened on August 26th for our first day of training. The feel was slightly different considering the fact that the program went from 8 to 13 highly qualified Democracy Fellows. As we discussed and prepared for the events this semester will bring us, we also spent time sharing what brought us to the program or back for the returners.

Around the table, the Fellows discussed our deep passion for working through community problems, as well as the satisfaction of taking an issue and helping communities find solutions. With the energy and work ethic of the men around the table and under the direction of Dr. Sara Drury, we are very optimistic about what this year will bring for the program.

This Fall brings familiar challenges, but also some new opportunities for success. Our current plans–they are always evolving–we have a five on-campus events, and potentially three campus events. This year we’ve been requested to lead deliberations in a couple chemistry courses, a biology course, and a campus mental health dialogue. In addition to this, we are working with several community partners to facilitate a deliberation about childcare in the Montgomery County.

The Democracy Fellows will be nothing short of busy this semester, but we are always looking for opportunities in civic engagement and opportunities to serve communities. All in all, we look forward to what the future holds for the initiative and ready to get to work.