The College Honors program has initiated a virtual Honors Salon Series this fall semester which is led by six faculty/staff members from NCC.
The Salon Series was put together by the Honors Program Student Leadership Team. The goal is to raise awareness about the issues surrounding racial justice.
These online discussions will take place through Microsoft Teams. They aim to promote a sense of responsibility and awareness for the individual topics. The best part? These sessions are open to everyone at NCC and all are welcome.
Privilege
The first Salon Series event about privilege was led by Dr. Jennifer Shah, assistant professor of education. It took place virtually on Sept. 9 at 1:30 p.m. The session was very interactive and discussed identities, justice and race.
Dr. Shah describes how systemic injustice can only be dealt with when people decide to take action against it. Not everyone has the same opportunities, but that can change so that people have fair access to resources. “They (equity and equality) are two completely different things. If we are constantly having these discussions about equity and equality, we also have to think…about justice…how can we make access available and inclusive of everyone,” said Shah.
Dr. Shah touched on many vital topics in her presentation. However, the key takeaway was to understand one’s identity in society. In some cases, that may give one privilege, while at other times would be a disadvantage.
Student input
Shruti Bharatia, ‘24 explains why privilege is relevant to college students in today’s times. “I think this is important for college students because it is in uncomfortable discussions that we learn about ourselves and how to change our point of view,” said Bharatia.
Bharatia liked how participants were able to submit opinions about injustices both on campus and in the real world.
“One thing I learned from the (first) session was how important it is that we consciously work on making sure our implicit biases don’t lead us to discriminate against others. I really enjoyed how people were open to the discussion and (open to) sharing their own experiences no matter how uncomfortable it was for them,” said Bharatia.
The next Salon Series event, ‘Politics’ by Dr. Chod, will take place next Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. Check out the full schedule for more information on how you can be a part of these events from the comfort of your home.
