The Project for Open Voices - Letter to the Community

Dear Friends, The Project for Open Voices is a student-based coalition that seeks to address issues of identity, diversity, and difference. Were happy to share our collection of narratives with you (http://www.scribd.com/doc/113022238/POV), and we hope that these unfiltered stories of our community will spark further dialogue all over campus. As we look forward we are excited to continue to promote dialogue on campus through upcoming events and our meetings on Saturdays at 2pm in Bemis Music room (Peirce 201). To learn more and join our dislist, please e-mail openvoicessubmissions@gmail.com. We plan on releasing more issues -- but in order to do so, we need to keep hearing from you. If you would like to send us your comments, questions, or your own reflections with regard to diversity and difference at Kenyon College, you can send it to us at openvoicessubmissions@gmail.com. If you would like to remain anonymous you can send us your response by signing into a second email account: projectopenvoices@gmail.com (password: kenyoncollege). Please submit by February 15, 2012. This semester, we are working on a special edition publication that addresses Kenyons policies and how they affect your experience as a member of this community. If you would like to write a narrative specifically about this we have a few prompts to get you started: How do you identify (race, gender identity, socioeconomic status, religion, ability, sexual orientation, citizenship status)? How is Kenyon changing? Whats improving? What still needs to change? How has your experience at Kenyon been different from what you expected? As we are currently in a transitional period, what is your vision of what Kenyon could be in the future? What would change? What would stay the same? Have there been institutional changes at Kenyon that have influenced your identity? How have institutionalized aspects of Kenyon -- housing, academic, activities, study abroad -- affected your experience here with regard to your identity? We will also continue to publish narratives about all student experiences at Kenyon using our original prompts: How do you identify (race, gender identity, socioeconomic status, religion, ability, sexual orientation, citizenship status)? In what ways do these different aspects of your identity interact with your experience at Kenyon? What was your first or most salient experience of difference at Kenyon? What has been your most recent experience of difference at Kenyon? How do you think Kenyon is addressing issues pertaining to diversity? Whats working? What could be improved? Rank the identifiers in order of importance to you today. Have those rankings changed since you arrived at Kenyon? If you are a member of or affiliated with a student organization on campus that discusses issues concerning difference, what is your experience leaving that space and entering the rest of the Kenyon community? Does one space feel safer? *If you would not like your piece read in public, or submitted to any other source but our pamphlets please let us know with your submission.*

-Much Love, POV