Diversity unites Hofstra community during writing workshop
Setting aside a few hours to sit down and take on a creative task outside of class may be difficult in the middle of a busy semester, but students took the opportunity to do just that during Crossing Borders, a guided writing workshop sponsored by Herstory Writers Workshop and International Student Affairs on Saturday, Oct. 26.
The workshop was “designed for international and domestic students to share their personal experiences as members of the diverse Hofstra community,” according to Hofstra University.
Despite the early start, organizers said that students were clearly ready to participate and listen to one another.
“What surprised me was how honest and brave people were in the way that they shared stories,” said event organizer and Director of International Student Affairs Anne Mongillo. “Everyone was just so compassionate with each other and very supportive.”
Mongillo said that she was inspired to organize the workshop after attending a similar one herself and seeing a need for similar opportunities for Hofstra students.
“I had attended a Herstory workshop last year and I saw the value in it in terms of being able to take personal stories and turn them into calls for action,” Mongillo said. “But my main goal was really to give a sense of belonging to students who attended the workshop and I hope that we were able to do that.”
Sitting in a circle, students and facilitators discussed the goals of the workshop, emphasizing the importance of empathy, compassion and inclusion within the space.
Each student was then asked to discuss a moment in their life that opened their eyes to an issue that they consider important. Erika Duncan, the founder of Herstory Writing Workshops, responded to each student with advice on how to make their anecdote the opening scene of their story.
Junior English major Amara Leonard said that Duncan’s advice was one of the most impactful parts of the workshop. “I got to learn ways of being able to improve my own writing and it has made me interested in possibly wanting to write a memoir of my own one day,” Leonard said.
The workshop wrapped up with each student reading their story aloud. The students expressed support for one another during the storytelling, which covered various themes and was often emotional.
“It kind of connects everyone in a way, because everyone was just so vulnerable. Even if you didn’t know most of the people in the group, you could relate to them,” said Keshianah Malvoisin, a junior psychology major. “We’ve all been through so much in our lives, and it’s just kind of surreal to hear it out loud.”
Eighteen students attended the event, but organizers and students agreed that working with a small group established a sense of intimacy and openness.
“The people hosting it made you feel as though your experiences and your identity truly matter, and the workshop aimed to give you the tools to express your story to the world,” Leonard said.
Many students, including Leonard, expressed a desire for similar events on campus as the workshop ended. “I am hoping for more clubs and events like this to be made on campus. As a person of color, I feel there is an incredible lack of creative space for people from marginalized communities to speak and have a safe space for creativity and to express themselves,” she said.
“If we had more events occur on campus like the Crossing Borders workshop, I feel like many people would be so much happier and feel like they have found a place where their voices can be heard.”
