The trees have wrung themselves bare, and their bark has charred under the arcane rays of global warmings’ sun. The fall tributes of our beloved town of Lewisburg, lay aflutter on the cold concrete. Many have lost their once vibrant colors, and the local tribes of Red, Yellow, and Orange are in mourning. Silence, now awoken from its slumber, is on the prowl. Slinking between the shadows and seeping into the classrooms, Bucknell has gone quiet…
Emerging from the horizon, the rays of orange and blue wave fervently. Hope cascades on the graves of our fallen soldiers, wading off the seasonal depression striking us all. Off in the distance there is a rumbling… A trumpet singing. The sound grows louder as it hurdles towards campus.
“Ray for the Orange and Blue, Ray for the Diversity Symposium!”
On Friday, November 1st, Bucknell’s trumpets rang with liberty for the Bucknell Symposium. Hosted on campus, the Diversity Symposium is the university’s intentional attempt to bring the Bucknell community together and open a discourse on our differences, and how this can create conflicts as well as potential resolutions for these problems. Students and faculty present research projects, academic papers, or even think-pieces for the Bucknell community on the different segments.
I had the opportunity to be present for Reird Orphan, a senior at Lycoming College, presentation: On the Damage of Mental Health Portrayals in Theatre and Beyond. Reid’s presentation navigates the complexity of how theatre productions represent neurodivergent relationships. With visuals and audio sampling from the video game, Assassin, Reid opens the dialogue about how video games are wrongly representing people with bipolar disorder and other mental health cases. He highlights that this misrepresentation leads to the spreading of stereotypes and high levels of miseducation for the audience. He notes that the issue can apply to other sectors of representation including race, gender, sexual orientation, and stresses that relying solely on stereotypes does an injustice to those being represented and can foster violence towards those people, or even isolation.
Neurodivergent representation should be done in a respectful and professional manner and avoid stereotypes. With correction, theatre can be an opportunity for non-community members to practice empathy and gain some level of understanding with being seen as ‘other’. Theatre productions can be major community events, which can help foster places of empathy. By choosing material that represents mental health well, talking to people who know what it feels like to struggle, and making sure your production team cares about getting representation right, theatre can be a much more welcoming place for all communities.
Following Reid’s presentation, I also sat for Sarah Bell’s, Bucknell’s Director of Career Readiness and Education, presentation, Communicating Your Equity & Inclusion Experience to Potential Employers and Professional/Graduate School Programs. Sarah is also the Bucknell Creative Arts, Media & Communications Career Community Leader at the Center for Career Advancement. Her presentation aligned closely with her field work, focusing on ways for students and faculty to advocate for themselves in professional settings. Her presentation consisted of writing based exercises to comprehend and understand the need for diverse perspectives in the workplace. She also provided career tips such as updating one’s LinkedIn page to show relevant experiences, seeking assistance for resume writing from trusted faculty and trained individuals, as well as practicing empathy for those who are different from us. This can be applied to students interacting with other students, as well as faculty teaching a diverse array of students, and even hiring managers interviewing candidates.
Last, but certainly not least, I, your beloved author, had the opportunity to present my research project, ‘Turmoils of the Post-Transatlantic: Navigating the soundscape of race at Bucknell University’, on the Sounding out Diversity: Bucknell Student Research on Intersections of Music, Sound, and DEIB panel. My project showcases how Bucknell perceives, regulates and polices how sound — whether treated as music or noise—affects diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Stay tuned for more information about my presentation from fellow Bucknellian and Griot Student Intern, Jeremiah Charles! You can also check out the other interns’ blogs to find details about the array of wonderful presentations the Diversity Symposium provided.
–Athaliah Elvis ’26