Fall 2023 Programming

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FALL 2023 PROGRAMS, SERVICES, AND EVENTS

Programs:  The BRC defines programs as spaces cultivated for students to learn, unlearn, and grow in a varied of ways including but not limited to personal identity, self-guidance, and interdependence. In these spaces students are offered the opportunity to participate in activities for their holistic growth while in community. These spaces provide tools that support students in their interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. Building more emotional intelligence and compassion for themselves and those around them.

Events: The BRC defines events as spaces for social gatherings that provide safe, brave, and healing spaces for students to be themselves free of judgement and pressure while cultivating fun, amusement or sense of humor, and humility to connect with others even when it is uncomfortable.

Services: The BRC defines services as continuous and/or targeted offerings that hold space for students to care for their mental, physical, spiritual, and overall radiant health. The intention in these spaces is to always provide practical tools that students can use to help them excel, grow, and become better versions of themselves daily.

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September 2023 

Event: Inaugural “Alumni Speaks” featuring Alderperson Colby Chapman

Description: Hosted during the annual Diversity Week Celebration this event provides an inspiring platform for alumni to share their experiences, insights, and achievements, offering guidance and motivation to current students seeking to excel both academically and personally.

Location: Guyon Auditorium, Morris Library

Date: Wednesday, 30th August 2023

Time: 6:30-8:30 PM

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Program: Black Resource Center Welcome

Description: The intention behind this program is to provide a space for the BRC Program Coordinator to share about the services, programs, and events that are available this academic year. As well as providing space to hear from students about their experiences and hopes. Most importantly it is a time to connect in community.

Location: Guyon Auditorium, Morris Library

Date: Friday, 8th September 2023

Time: 1:00-3:00 PM

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Service: Release, Reset, Recharge

Description: Each week, join the BRC Program Coordinator as she guides you in releasing, resetting, and recharging your mind, body, and spirit for the remainder of your week. Checking in with yourself and your nervous system is something your ancestors were not allowed to do. Nor did they have the knowledge to do it. When we connect to the access we have to rest and recharge; we also open our self to more opportunity for excellence and success. Giving attention to our nervous system through meditation helps us to do more in the world in a more complete and successful way.

“The quieter you become the more you are able to hear.” -Rumi

Location: Virtual, https://bit.ly/3RvnoHO

Date: Every Wednesday unless otherwise noted

Time: 12:00-12:45 PM

Note: Due to unforeseen circumstances this service will resume in November a new link will be created when we resume (updated: October 2023)

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Event:  Friday Night Lights: Students vs Parents Softball Game

Description: Hosted during the annual SIU Parents and Family weekend, the intention behind this event is to provide a space for students to have fun with their supporters and create lasting moments of connection. This event will also honor our 2023 MVC Softball Champions.

Location: Charlotte West Stadium, 225 E. Park St.

Date: Friday, 29th September 2023

Time: 6:00-8:00 PM

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October 2023 

Event: Hispanic Heritage Month Alumni Speaks featuring Associate Dean Kendra Torres

Description: Hosted during the annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration this event provides an inspiring platform for alumni to share their experiences, insights, and achievements, offering guidance and motivation to current students seeking to excel both academically and personally.

Location: Room 150-160, 1st Floor Student Service Building (SSB)

Date: Sunday, 1st October 2023

Time: 12:00-2:00 PM

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Service: All Faiths Prayer Circle

Description: Our ancestors gathered continuously to connect with the power within and the Higher Power surrounding us. As we learn what we can be as a human collective and society prayer helps us to expand our imagination of what is possible as well as supports us on our personal life path. This prayer circle is to welcome current students, alumni, staff, and faculty of all faiths together to pray for each other, our campus community, and society.

Location: Virtual, https://bit.lyBRCPrayerCircle

Date: Tuesday, 31st October 2023

Time: 12:00-1:00 PM

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November 2023 

Service: Release, Reset, Revitalize

Description: Checking in with yourself and your nervous system is something your ancestors were hindered from doing. When we connect to the access we have to rest and recharge; we also open ourselves to more opportunity for success. Giving attention and awareness to the state of our nervous system through consistent meditation helps us to release stress, worry, and anxiety. It allows for new thoughts, ideas, and experiences to enter your mind and reality. This will support you academically and in every aspect of your life. Join us to connect and dial into your inner self to better care for your whole being.

“The quieter you become the more you are able to hear.” -Rumi

Location: Virtual, https://bit.ly/BRCmeditate

Date: Wednesday, 1st November 2023

            Wednesday, 8th November 2023

            Wednesday, 29th November 2023

Time: 12:00-12:45 PM

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Service: Resume and Cover Letter Workshop

Description: The BRC Program Coordinator will guide students in updating their resume and/or creating an organic resume and cover letter that they can use as their master key throughout their college career and beyond. She believes that it is never too late or too soon to be career ready. With direct guidance and opportunity for one-on-one support she hopes to cultivate confidence in each student to celebrate their accomplishments past, present, and future. Also, to be able to highlight those accomplishments in a clear and concise manner that allows them to stand out amongst any group or crowd; we are Salukis after all. Go Dawgs!

Location: Room 170, 1st Floor Student Services Building

Date: Thursday, 2nd November 2023

Time: 3:30-5:00 PM

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Service: All Faiths Prayer Circle

Description: Our ancestors gathered continuously to connect with the power within and the Higher Power surrounding us. As we learn what we can be as a human collective and society prayer helps us to expand our imagination of what is possible as well as supports us on our personal life path. This prayer circle is to welcome current students, alumni, staff, and faculty of all faiths together to pray for each other, our campus community, and society.

Location: Virtual, https://bit.lyBRCPrayerCircle

Date: Tuesday, 7th November 2023,

            Tuesday, 14th November 2023

            Tuesday, 28th November 2023,

Time: 12:00-12:45 PM

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The following events are apart of the Leadership and Service Week: Recognizing National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

Event: Alumni Speaks featuring Mildred Williams

Description: Alumni Speaks is an inspiring platform where alumni share their experience, insights, and achievements, offering guidance and motivation to current students seeking to excel both academically and personally. For the third iteration of this discussion, SIU undergraduate student, Sarah Alli-Brown, will interview our Program Coordinator of the Black Resource Center here at SIU, Mildred Williams a 2011 Alumnus, about her experience with homelessness and houselessness. As well as the difference between the two. She hopes to lead the way to vulnerability with self to help support students in cultivating healthy interdependence within their communities and families. She believes that we have the capability to move beyond only surviving. By sharing her own journey, she intends to guide students in developing tools of healing to prepare themselves to thrive and excel no matter where their life path leads them.

Location: Old Main Room, Student Center

Date: Tuesday, 14th November 2023

Time: 12:00-2:00 PM

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Event: Feeding the Community featuring LaRayia Gaston of “Lunch on Me”

Description: Enjoy lunch on SIU. Meet us at the Carbondale Pavilion for food, games, and music!

“We are revolutionizing unity and empowerment for those who are broken and in search for hope. We are using our light to shine on the often invisible.”

-LaRayia Gaston Executive Director & Founder of “Lunch on Me”

Location: Downtown Carbondale Pavilion

Date: Wednesday, 15th November 2023

Time: 12:00-2:00 PM

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Event: Keynote Speech and Reception featuring LaRayia Gaston

Speaker Bio:  For LaRayia Gaston, Love Without Reason (LWR) has become an organizing principle and way of life. She defines the term as "Being intentional about the act of love, not the outcome. It's love for love's sake and nothing else." Whether LaRayia is combating hunger and homelessness in LA's notorious skid row, pioneering a food waste diversion program with corporate giants, launching affordable plant-based markets to promote healthy living amid food deserts, activating an army of over 2,000 volunteers, or simply paying for a random older man's supplies at Costco who forgot his wallet, her LWR philosophy makes effective use of the average person's inherent ability for empathy, compassion, care, and generosity. LaRayia's work has inspired thousands of individuals and organizations to question their core beliefs and assumptions about the unhoused, displaced, marginalized, and neglected and embrace "intentional giving and service to others" as small but mighty levers for change to some of our biggest social problems.

Description: LaRayia Gaston will discuss her program, hunger, unity, empowerment and hope as well as shining a light on people who are often invisible. A reception with light refreshments will follow her evening keynote address.

Location: Guyon Auditorium, Morris Library  

Date: Tuesday, 14th November 2023

Time: 12:00-2:00 PM

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All week we will be collecting food for the Saluki Food Pantry, winter clothes, and hygiene products. Boxes will be in various locations around campus.

All of the week activities are co-sponsored by the Black Resource Center, the Office Sustainability, Office of Student Engagement & Leadership, the Center of Service-Learning and Volunteerism.

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Service: Resume and Cover Letter Workshop

Description: The BRC Program Coordinator will guide students in updating their resume and/or creating an organic resume and cover letter that they can use as their master key throughout their college career and beyond. She believes that it is never too late or too soon to be career ready. With direct guidance and opportunity for one-on-one support she hopes to cultivate confidence in each student to celebrate their accomplishments past, present, and future. Also, to be able to highlight those accomplishments in a clear and concise manner that allows them to stand out amongst any group or crowd; we are Salukis after all. Go Dawgs!

Location: Room 170, 1st Floor Student Services Building

Date: Thursday, 30th November 2023

Time: 3:30-5:00 PM

Registration: Is now opened https://bit.ly/BRCResumeWrkShop Registration for this service is not a requirement only a suggestion so we have an idea of who is coming.

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December 2023 

The following events are a part of the Inaugural BRC Week. The intention behind this week is to provide students with access to services and spaces that support them in the last push before finals week. We will dive into information that will support students to better “inner stand” their self, host social gatherings to relax and have fun, and create space to look back on our semester with gratefulness and self-homage to create a path to set intentions for the Spring semester.

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Service: All Faiths Prayer Circle

Description: Our ancestors gathered continuously to connect with the power within and the Higher Power surrounding us. As we learn what we can be as a human collective and society prayer helps us to expand our imagination of what is possible as well as supports us on our personal life path. This prayer circle is to welcome current students, alumni, staff, and faculty of all faiths together to pray for each other, our campus community, and society.

Location: Virtual, https://bit.lyBRCPrayerCircle

Date: Tuesday, 5th December 2023

Time: 12:00-1:00 PM

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Program: Imposter Phenomenon: What is it? Does it resonate? How can I support myself?

Description: The intention of this program is to share information about “Imposter Phenomenon” and to share practical tools for students who resonate with the experience to support themselves. With finals week right around the corner we hope to support students in feeling more confident in their skills, intellect, and accomplishments.

Location: Room 111-112, 1st Floor Student Health Center

Date: Monday, 4th December 2023, Tuesday 5th December 2023

Time: 5:00-7:00pm

Registration: Is now opened https://bit.ly/BRCWorkshop2023 Space is limited to provide safety and comfortability for ease in group sharing. Please note that the same information will be presented on both days, you will only need to sign up for one.

 If you miss registration but still want to attend, contact brc@siu.edu to see if space is still available.

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Service: Release, Reset, Revitalize

Description Checking in with yourself and your nervous system is something your ancestors were hindered from doing. When we connect to the access we have to rest and recharge; we also open ourselves to more opportunity for success. Giving attention and awareness to the state of our nervous system through consistent meditation helps us to release stress, worry, and anxiety. It allows for new thoughts, ideas, and experiences to enter your mind and reality. This will support you academically and in every aspect of your life. Join us to connect and dial into your inner self to better care for your whole being.

“The quieter you become the more you are able to hear.” -Rumi

Location: Virtual, https://bit.ly/BRCmeditate

Date: Wednesday, 6th December 2023

             Wednesday, 13th December 2023

Time: 12:00-12:45 PM

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Program: Lecture and Discussion: Healing from Systems of Oppression

Description: The intention for this event is to share historical truths about the creation of the systems of oppression that harm those of the African diaspora to this day. For example, Bacon’s Rebellion and the making of the systems that allow “whiteness” to thrive. These events that impacted the First Peoples of the land and African ancestors can still felt today, one way is hardly spoken about is epigenetics. This event will include information from the BRC Program Coordinator and a graduate student from Ghana who will host breakout groups to discuss more in depth how these systems impact us all on a micro and macro level. This will also help prepare students to consider what needs to be healed as we approach Black History Month with the BRC chosen theme of “Ancestral Healing.”

Location: Room 170, 1st Floor Student Services Building (SSB)

Date: Wednesday, 6th December 2023

Time: 3:30-5:00 PM

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Event: Spades Tournament

Description: The intention for this event is to create a space for students to have fun and be themselves fully in community by participating a cultural game that always brings us together. We will have a short competition, space for people to learn to play that do not know how, other games and activities including puzzles, and some refreshments.

Location: Study Room A, Lower-Level Grinnell

Date: Thursday, 7th December 2023

Time: 6:00-8:00 PM

Registration: Is now opened: https://bit.ly/BRCSpades Space is limited to 12 teams.

 If you miss registration but still want to attend, contact brc@siu.edu to see if space is still available.

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Program: Gratitude Friday

Description: The intention of this event is to create space for students to reflect on how well they have done this semester by participating in writing prompts to help them create a letter of gratitude for the semester. Students will then have an opportunity do the same and write letters of intention for the coming Spring semester. The hope is that this gives students spacious to cultivate self-homage and courage to end the semester strong and proud of themselves no matter what challenges may still be front of them.

Location: Activity Rooms, 3rd Floor Student Center (across from Black Affairs Council office)

Date: Friday, 8th December 2023

Time: 12:00-2:00 PM

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