New Student Dialogues

New Student Dialogues invites all incoming first year and transfer students to elect into critical dialogue topics relevant to the Clemson community. Twelve undergraduate Peer Dialogue Facilitators, as a part of the Creative Inquiry Program, have researched and designed thirteen dialogue topics through which incoming students can connect and learn essential dialogue and intercultural communication skills. Dialogues are comprised of 25 Clemson Students, and over a period of two hours the group will explore and process the significance and salience of social identity. New Student Dialogues address a range of social issues involving but not limited to race, spirituality, gender, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, and ability.

NSD: 50 Years after Integration - A Dialogue on Race & Ethnicity at Clemson

• 50 Years Later, race and ethnicity continue to inspire conversation here at Clemson. The depth at which our race and ethnicities impact our lives continues to have an impact on our ability to relate to people different than ourselves. In this dialogue, participants are encouraged to explore the personal and community impact race and ethnicity and its impact on how we see ourselves and those around us.

NSD: Who am I?: A Dialogue on Peer Pressure

• This dialogue will break down how peer pressure can cause you to perceive yourself and others a certain way. Participants will be asked to think about how their values could have possibly been affected by others. They will then be encouraged to determine whether the way they act or think is really the way they themselves want to.

NSD: Assuming the Un-Assumable: A dialogue on Internationality

• This dialogue will critically analyze the stereotypical barriers that divide international communities from United States Citizens on Clemson’s campus. Recognizing the value of connecting with and learn from other cultures, participants will be encouraged to surface and analyze their conception of international cultures in an effort to debunk common myths and stereotypes. 

NSD: The Game of Life: An Exploration of Socio-economic Status

• Each member throughout society belongs to a socio-economic group. This dialogue will serve as a platform for students to better understand differing socio-economic statuses. It will challenge students to recognize the effect of socio-economic status on the college experience, to explore the reasons behind it, and to challenge the stereotypes surrounding it.

NSD: Are You There, God?: A Dialogue on Religion and Spirituality

• This dialogue will allow new students to critically examine the myths and stereotypes around various religious and spiritual identities. By acknowledging the similarities and differences amongst various faiths, the students that participate will be able to dialogue about their beliefs of their own identity as well as their beliefs about other religious identities.

NSD: Breaking down the wall, A Dialogue on Race

• This dialogue will critically analyze the subtle and obvious distinctions that exist regarding race in our society. Students will explore the connections between race and various stereotypes. Students will be challenged to explore thoughts and perceptions they have about race and racial stereotypes and better understand how these play into their own identity.

NSD: Privilege Through the Clemson Lens

• This dialogue focuses on manifestations of privilege here at Clemson University.  Students will explore how privilege impacts their daily lives through various identities.  They will zero in on privilege and power and how it influences their thoughts and actions here on the Clemson campus

NSD: 2^nd Happiest Campus?: A Dialogue on Mental Health at Clemson

• A lack of understanding and significant stigma persists among college students regarding mental health. This dialogue aims to equip students with tools and language to better connect and appreciate students all along the mental health continuum. Students are encouraged to explore their own values as well as listen to and learn from the experiences of their peers.

 NSD: The Mirror’s False Reflection: A Dialogue on Body Image

• This dialogue addresses a number of issues that college students deal with regarding weight and body image. Participants will explore the role of socialization in the development of body image through cultural and sub-cultural lenses. Students will teach one another about the misconceptions society creates about the -most desirable- bodies as well as critically analyze common conceptions of physical norms in the United States.

 NSD: How Prejudice Changes the World: A Dialogue on the Impact of Religious Conflicts

• The freedom and expression of faith is among the most longstanding and contentious social issues across the United States and the world. Disagreements surrounding systems of belief have led to some of the most violent interactions in our world’s history. In this dialogue, participants are encouraged to explore the personal and global impact of their belief systems and how they can contribute to global prejudice and misunderstandings.

 NSD: (dis)ability: A Dialogue on Ability

• In an effort to raise consciousness and critical thought about (dis)ability as a social identity, this dialogue will encourage participants to consider the role of (dis)ability in their lives and explore experiences and perspectives of their peers.  Additionally, this dialogue will address the impact of able-bodied privilege on (dis)ability identity groups at Clemson.

NSD: They Say Age is Only a Number: A Dialogue on the Privilege of Age

• People say that age is only a number, but in American culture, your age either entitles or restricts you from having certain rights or privileges. Over the years, age has become a topic that is at the center of the social constructs of Americanized society.  With the majority of the American populous in power theorizing that certain age brackets deserve certain privileges, who is to say that these ideas are best?

NSD: It’s Your Choice, or Is It? : Religious Perceptions of the Queer Community

• Religious beliefs affect many social interactions and identities in society. This dialogue exists to raise awareness about different religions and how they perceive homosexual identity, orientation, and behavior, as well as to encourage people with different beliefs to share views with one another through the process of dialogue.

NSD: The Power of Privilege

• In the United States, there is a discrepancy between social groups and their access to resources. Participants will discuss the existence of different social identities and explore how those identities can affect their lives, and the lives of others. Participants will then explore how social barriers can be lessened by an understanding of our own privilege.

NSD: The Community Action Poverty Simulation: An Experiential Dialogue

• About, 15.1% live in poverty every day. Many more have incomes above the poverty line, but with incomes still low enough to qualify for programs like Food Stamps and Medicaid. This experiential dialogue provides participants with the opportunity to assume the role of a low-income family member living on a budget in order to better understand the experiences of people living below or near the poverty line.

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