On the third floor of the Student Union, the University of Connecticut’s Metanoia Committee brought students and faculty together to introduce the concept of metanoia and its implications today. Described in ways of developing an open mind and accepting diverse perspectives, metanoia is vital in an age where people resent each other instead of respectfully disagreeing on pressing topics. This presentation, titled “Metanoia 2024: Pathways to Productive Civil Discourse,” serves as a prologue for many informative discussions planned to occur in the 2024-2025 academic year under the Committee’s guidance.
Initiated by Associate Dean of Students Maureen Armstrong, the presentation was attended and led by an ensemble of staff ranging from various departments throughout UConn. President of the Undergraduate Student Government Jon Heiden is an eighth-semester political science student who introduced the event’s speakers, including Jeffrey Hines. While Hines could not be in person for the presentation, he is active in UConn Health as the Chief Diversity Officer, and he virtually explained how we never truly know who someone is from a glance.
Comparing a person’s physical attributes to the tip of an iceberg, there are abundant qualities unable to be seen by the eye that more clearly define a person. He tied this to intersectionality, or how the facets of one’s identity, such as one’s race and religion, blend to amplify the discrimination someone faces or the privilege someone else may assume. Hines also dove into cultural humility, which asks for the recognition that the person at the other end of a conversation comes from a different background and to not be uptight about your own culture. He echoed the attitude of being curious about who others are to gain insight on them as well as yourself since identities are not set in stone from birth and differences are meant to be celebrated.
The speakers were all very interesting. They got a diverse group, like people from UConn Health, the School of Business, Sociology and administrators. It was nice they got USG involved, people from SHaW, the Human Rights Center.
Eric, sixth-semester student
Phoebe Godfrey, a professor in residence of sociology who also co-chairs the Metanoia Committee, likened Hines’ presentation to one of her classes, noting the importance of active self-improvement and citing mindfulness and embodiment as aids in the journey. Athulya Narayanan, a student of Godfrey, was noted to be leading a mindfulness group in Storrs. She guided the audience in participation of a sensory and introspective mindfulness exercise, challenging people to envision their hearts as vessels for their bodies and a force which can cleanse the body of any burden.
Bill Kania, the director of mental health clinical services at Student Health and Wellness, spoke about how those facing hard times require someone to vent to rather than life advice. To emphasize his points, he played a humorous YouTube skit of a woman complaining of head pain to her significant other, as unbeknownst to her, a nail is lodged in her skull. She appreciated her significant other listening to her concerns instead of demanding she get the nail dislodged. Although the skit was humorous, it displayed how helpful it can be to engage in active listening. Concluded by Jennifer Lease Butts, associate vice provost of enrichment programs and co-chair of the Metanoia Committee, the presentation segued into a two-hour dialogue addressing mental health.
Eric, a sixth-semester student, stated “The speakers were all very interesting. They got a diverse group, like people from UConn Health, the School of Business, Sociology and administrators. It was nice they got USG involved, people from SHAW, the Human Rights Center.” He was initially expecting the subject matter to be more about politics, though he walked away from it thinking “what they did cover applies to [politics] and other things more broadly, which was honestly even better.”
I appreciate the itinerary that helped streamline the discussion and allowed for the presentation to share information briefly and potently. The event was accessible to students outside the Storrs campus through a livestream to Avery Point, Stamford and Waterbury. If you have no prior experience with the Metanoia Committee, they will be organizing more events soon that will take place during the next school year! Their website will be up in the coming months.