On January 25, 2025, the Second-Year Exploration classes were invited to a formal meal to discuss etiquette and controversial topics. These topics were on the use of AI, preparedness for Helene and other disasters, and the ban on TikTok; however, the conversations did not stay within these confines, but bloomed into issues with accessibility, safety, and other like-minded topics.
My table consisted of the Dean, Dr. Barnes, and three other students. We established a great atmosphere from the beginning of the dinner, mostly by having known each other previously and talking about our food preferences. As we practiced our table manors, one of the students was well versed in Cotillion and helped clear up any confusion with the setting and rules of eating and utensil usage.
Reflecting on the conversations that night, the topic of Hurricane Helene and our preparedness was the one that stuck out most to me. We discussed possible solutions like better communication from the school in general, as well as having emergency training for RAs and staff so they can better aid students. One such example that I suggested was emergency radios in every room, or at least with every RA. This prompt also sparked insight to the adults about the living conditions of residents, especially the mold in Belk and door difficulties in other halls, which I have noticed have been slowly getting better within the last week -at least the door in Georgia locks now.
Overall, this experience left me wanting more of these “adult” conversations. Sadly, I was not able to attend the extension of this meeting on Wednesday due to previous arrangements. However, I heard it was very insightful and worthwhile. I believe this opportunity should be introduced earlier, maybe in the second semester of Freshman year, because it was extremely beneficial for me to network and learn how to respect the opinions of others. I feel like this skill set would be useful for freshmen to learn early to use in their classes, as well as follow-up activities like the conversation continuum on Wednesday night.