Allies Assemble: Orientation

What happened

A hundred and forty-two students walked into a seminar hall that seats a hundred and twenty. Volunteers dragged in chairs from the corridor, and the first circle started ten minutes late and ran twenty minutes over.

We split into groups of eight and asked everyone one question: what is one thing you'd change about campus if you could? The answers ranged from hostel curfews to the lack of seats in the library, and every group left with a list of things they wanted to do about it.

By the end of the evening, 87 people had signed up as volunteers and the pledge wall was full.

Highlights

• Eighteen conversation circles ran in parallel, each led by a trained student facilitator.
• The pledge wall collected 140 handwritten promises, which now live on the website's tree.
• Three new teams were formed on the spot: Events, Outreach and a Hostel Representatives group.

“I came for the free chai and stayed for the circle. I've never talked that honestly to strangers.”First-year, Mechanical

“It didn't feel like a lecture. It felt like being asked, and actually listened to.”Second-year, Law