Being a member of an underrepresented group at the University of Oregon can be a stressful and isolating experience. While UO has dozens of student groups directed at building community among marginalized students, membership in those groups can be tough for graduate students who might teach classes in which the other members are enrolled.
Enter Creating Connections. The graduate student organization hosted its 3rd annual Diversity Dinner on Friday. At the event, UO graduate students had the opportunity to alleviate isolation by mixing and mingling with their peers from across the campus.
Creating Connections was founded three years ago when the now-graduated Jaclyn Kellon felt alone as one of the few women pursuing her doctorate in chemistry, according to a previous interview with the Daily Emerald.
Rather than despair, Kellon founded Creating Connections to remedy the situation for her and graduate students university-wide, said Creating Connections’ External Communications Officer Hadil Abuhmaid, a Palestinian international graduate student. The group is open to any graduate student who self-identifies as a minority student.
Abuhmaid, a second-year media studies PhD candidate, credited Creating Connections with introducing her to her closest friend and fellow Creating Connections board member Helen Toloza. “There’s no other way I would have met people in the law school if it weren’t for Creating Connections,” Abuhmaid said.
Creating Connections, which falls under the Division of Equity and Inclusion, hosts three events each year. All events are free to attendees to ensure they’re available to as many students as possible.
Instead of charging students, various graduate school programs make donations to keep the events free. The group hosts a mixer at a local bar during fall term and another in the spring, each of which draws 60-80 attendees, according to Abuhmaid. But, with 160 RSVPs this year from students in over 35 graduate programs, the most popular event by far is the winter Diversity Dinner.
Every aspect of the Diversity Dinner is planned by the Creating Connections board, with the help of the Center on Diversity and Community, to facilitate graduate students getting to know new people. Some considerations include designating that tables seat students from at least two graduate programs, having a list of conversation prompts ranging from questions about difficulties faced when moving to Eugene to where the best late-night food is and tables forming trivia teams in a competition for gas and grocery gift cards.
Architecture PhD candidates Subik Sharestha and Manas Murthy said they were happy for the opportunity to meet others. “It’s nice to meet people from other departments,” Murthy said. “There’s a tendency to get caught up in your own research.” Sharestha continued, saying, “We know all architects. We want to meet more sociologists.”
In addition to the three yearly events, Creating Connections serves graduate students with a shared Google doc titled “Life in Eugene.” Abuhmaid said students can use that document to pass along tips on which barbers have experience working with black hair and where to get groceries.
Creating Connections is currently seeking applicants to fill two positions in the board to replace board members who are expected to graduate this year. People can learn more or get involved by emailing Creating Connections or visiting the organization’s Facebook page.
