Brianna Wells, a senior studying history and religious studies, participates in the Frames of Reference event on Monday. The event delved into certain words associated with Martin Luther King and the Days of Dialogue week and how perceptions and associations of these words differ from individual to individual.
Brightly colored frames fill the walls of the Wyoming Union Skylight Lounge; in them are words and definitions associated with social justice. These frames hold words from homophobia to equality and equity and every term in between.
Martin Luther King Jr. Days of Dialogue has started, which means there are several different events happening throughout the week. Frames of Reference: A Gallery of Words is one of the many events featured in this week’s agenda.
Martin Luther King Jr. Days of Dialogue has been an ongoing event at UW since 2002. The annual mission of the Martin Luther King Jr. Days of Dialogue is to raise awareness of diversity issues, build a sense of community, and celebrate diversity, according to the University’s website.
The emphasis for this year’s Days of Dialogue mission is to create more opportunities for dialogue through programming, highlighting and involving students in planning and participation, and developing programs and partnerships across campus.
“We wanted to incorporate an interactive piece into programming this year and thought this gallery would generate dialogue,” Sagan Hunsaker, of the Service, Leadership, and Community Engagement (SLCE) office, said. A Days of Dialogue committee member, Hunsaker helped compile the words and worked with other committee members deciding what the gallery would look like in the Union Skylight Lounge. “Each day there will be new prompts on a chalkboard regarding the words and reactions people have to them,” Hunsaker said.
Once Hunsaker had figured out all of the words and definitions, she sent them to Hannah McNamee, a fellow Days of Dialogue committee member.
“We decided to really grab attention, we would use bright frames,” McNamee said. “To really make them pop in the Skylight Lounge.” The gallery is in an open and public place, which should lead to student participation, she said. “I’m excited to see people’s reactions about the words that we posted in such a public place,” McNamee said. “Hopefully positive and maybe just some really good reflection.”
The gallery contains many powerful words that Hunsaker picked in order to help get students involved in the Days of Dialogue, “I am definitely most excited about the opportunity this program allows for students to be involved in the dialogue throughout the week.”
Frames of Reference: A Gallery of Words is meant to show that all people see the world in different ways. This event hasn’t always been a part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Days of Dialogue week at the University of Wyoming.
The gallery will be in the Union Skylight Lounge for the remainder of the week and new prompts will be posted on the chalkboard for students to say what may be on their mind.
