Hello Penn Staters!

Welcome to our second blog! I’m thrilled to share some of the initiatives we’ve been working on, beginning with a crucial project: creating safe spaces on campus for students when speakers visit. This initiative focuses on ensuring that students feel comfortable and supported, especially when speakers come to campus who may present diverse or challenging perspectives, including political viewpoints.

This project first came to mind while I was reflecting on my experience with the Racial Justice Policy and Advocacy Group. I joined this group at the start of my freshman year as part of my involvement with UPUA, with the goal of fostering a campus environment where every student feels comfortable attending classes and extracurriculars. It’s a cause I’m deeply passionate about, and I’ve been motivated to actively contribute my perspective within the previous discussions.

With this being a presidential election year, we anticipated a variety of speakers with different political and personal views visiting campus. To prepare for this, I wanted to establish designated safe spaces where students affected by certain topics or viewpoints could go and feel at ease.

I’ve been working closely with Ibn Denkins, the Assistant Director of the Paul Robeson Cultural Center (PRCC) on this initiative. The PRCC is a welcoming space for students of all identities to connect, study, and engage in social and academic events, including programming like STOOP and Fun Fridays. Together, we’ve brainstormed several ideas for these safe spaces, including bringing in CAPS specialists for support, providing journaling prompts, and offering calming activities like coloring.

Though we haven’t hosted one of these spaces yet, we’re ready with thoughtful plans for when future speakers arrive. Recently, in the post-election period, BEAT (Black Emotions Advocate Team), Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., NAACP, and the Black Caucus hosted a gathering where students could come together, play games, or participate in a discussion circle. This event was impactful and offered a list of campus resources, which was incredibly helpful. Internally, UPUA also supported representatives by hosting a movie night instead of our usual General Assembly. We prioritized giving everyone a stress-free evening, honoring our motto: “person first, student second, UPUAer third.” This guiding principle is something we strive to uphold every day.

If you have any ideas you’d like to see UPUA explore, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at rfe5130@psu.edu. I’m always here to listen, and we can meet to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.

Finally, remember to prioritize your emotional and physical well-being. If you ever need resources, I’m here for you with a list of campus and community support options, as well as offering my listening ears! Although our safe spaces initiative is in the works, we’re committed to implementing it soon, ensuring that every student knows they are valued, welcomed, and a vital part of our campus community. After all, WE ARE… a community and a family.

With love,
Rasha Elwakil