In order to celebrate World Social Justice Day, the Office of Student Diversity, Belonging, and Equity (OSDBE) put on a fair.
World Social Justice Day was on Thursday, Feb. 20 and the World Day of Social Justice Fair was held on the same day. The fair took place in the L.P. Young Student Center and featured several different organizations that had set up tables and educational activities for students to participate in.
The OSDBE had a table of their own and were giving out “passport” cards, where students would collect stamps from different tables after completing an activity.
“Many of our tables are really interactive in asking students to give their perspective on what social justice means to them,” said Ian Kaplan, coordinator of LGBTQ+ student support.
When a student turned in their card with all of the spaces stamped over, they would be able to enter a raffle for a chance to win one of three prizes: Some books on social justice, a free pass to rent out the KSC Cultural Center for a certain amount of time or some KSC merchandise. Each prize also came with a gift card to a different local business.
Kaplan also had expressed interest in making the fair an annual event.
“So, already, perhaps start getting hyped for next year,” continued Kaplan.
The activities included things such as answering questions about a topic related to the organization, making a small craft or writing down kind messages.
Several KSC organizations participated in the World Day of Social Justice Fair, such as the Hungry Owl, Eco-Reps and the KSC Black Student Union. There were also Keene community organizations joining in, such as the Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention (MCVP).
“We come whenever requested, really, and usually that’s [Catherine Workman] who’s initiating that,” said Rachel Surprenant, a prevention educator with the MCVP. “But we work with a lot of the athletes … going through healthy relationships, boundaries, consent.”
Many students in attendance found the event fun and engaging, whether they had decided to participate or simply found it as they were passing through the student center.
“Technically I’m just waiting for my next class but I did walk by and I’m curious,” said senior Makayla Henrickson. “A lot of this stuff I’m interested in, so I wanted to join in. I like it, everybody’s super nice and giving out fun stuff.”
“I’m part of the Eco-Reps, so I’m coming by to support them,” said junior Alissa Arnold. “This is kind of cool, I’m branching out and meeting new clubs around campus.”
KSC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Commission were also tabling at the fair. Lisa Johnson, KSC’s coordinator of global education and member of the DEI commission, said the goal was to help get students interested in and involved in the commission.
“Our questions today are, ‘What do students want DEI to look like on campus?’ Because one of the things I know from the conversations I’ve been in is that even if we have to change our name, the work is going to continue,” said Johnson. “We’re not going to back away given all the chaos that is currently happening.”
Johnson continued, “I’m grateful that the [OSDBE] decided to hold this fair because it’s World Social Justice Day, so I think just talking about it and raising awareness and trying to engage students as much as we can … is just a really important moment.”
To many of those tabling, advocating for social justice is not only something that can be fun and engaging but something that is very important to them.
“I think it is so important for students to have opportunities to engage meaningfully with social justice work,” said Kaplan. “So many students are looking for opportunities to spread kindness and build communities of belonging. That’s really the heart and the lifeblood of social justice work.”
Orion Corbin can be contacted at
ocorbin@kscequinox.com
