When Livia Mayfield ’28 received an email gauging her interest in conversing with students from another college who may not share her views on topical issues, the Louisville, Kentucky native jumped on the opportunity.
“Growing up in a blue city in a red state, I’ve been talking about these things with my friends since middle school,” she says. “I thought it was a great opportunity to have these conversations in a controlled environment, in California, with other college students.”
Mayfield wasn’t alone. Eleven of her peers also signed up for this year’s Bridging the Gap, a program in its third year funded by the Senator Family Fund for Shaping Dialogue and open to all Pomona students interested in engaging in facilitated dialogue with students at Biola University, a Christian university in La Mirada, Calif.
The chances of Pomona students intersecting with Biola students is slim, according to Avis Hinkson, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “The hope is that two different populations can come together with a desire to develop and practice the skills for courageous conversations.”
While she had her reservations heading into the weekend, Mayfield says the Biola cohort couldn’t have been kinder. Together, the two dozen students earnestly engaged in myriad listening and storytelling activities.
Of note, the group watched a 2020 documentary featuring conversations about the Black Lives Matter movement. All students also participated in an activity that compelled them to explain their stance on hot-button issues using personal anecdotes.
Mayfield says the theme of the weekend was “soft front, strong back,” which encourages you “to listen and hear other people’s perspectives but also stay true to your beliefs.”
“That’s how we can solve a lot of our problems—by sitting down and listening,” she says.
In Pomona’s ongoing quest to foster inclusive and constructive dialogue, the Bridging the Gap program asks students to lower their barriers and embrace their commonalities, Hinkson says.
“On Friday, you’re looking at two groups who agreed to participate, but still have hesitancies and concerns,” she adds. “By Sunday, they don’t want to leave. It’s a privilege to watch.”