Poly’s Reviving GIP Event
The last time Poly students, faculty, and associates gathered in the Garland Auditorium to listen to a knowledgeable speaker describe their story was over two years ago. Since then, the events transferred to online, but the engagement with the speaker never matched the excitement of being face to face with them.
On Monday, April 11, Poly’s GIP could finally revive its in-person GIP events, and it started off with an inspiring storytelling experience, titled: Stories as a Catalyst for Change Featuring Narrative. After Chloe introduced the speakers, two members of Narrative 4 started the night with a brief presentation about Narrative 4, detailing numbers and facts about the organization. Then, a third member, over Zoom, spoke about her experience with N4. Like all GIP events, it concluded with a Q&A led by Willa.
This GIP was incredibly inspirational and has certainly changed the way I interact with others. The most impactful thing I heard was the difference between listening and active listening. When you listen to a person speak to you, you are only thinking of how you will respond. When you actively listen to a person speak, you are hearing what they say, then thinking of how you will respond. Active listening allows you to truly understand and hear what the other person is saying, encouraging empathy.
Babalwa Tetyana, a Narrative4 Student Ambassador from South Africa and a speaker at this presentation, shared an incredible poem about the importance of understanding everyone’s background. She spoke with an eloquence and rhythm I would never have guessed a twenty-one-year-old could have! Her poem showed the power that stories hold, which reminded me of a video my sophomore year English teacher shared with the class: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story.
This video used real-world examples to show the necessity of understanding every person’s perspective instead of using bias and prejudice to make uninformed decisions or assumptions about a person. The video’s caption reads, “Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding,” perfectly summarizing the video. I highly recommend watching it if you wish to continue your journey in developing your empathy and understanding of others.
After hearing the speakers describe the many ways they were able to incorporate and engage with empathy and put it into action, I was inspired to do the same. In this presentation, Tetyana said, “The most rewarding part for me is the person that Narrative 4 has helped me become, the amazing leader that I would say I am today,” which I believe perfectly summarizes the excitement I have for involving myself with Narrative 4. I am incredibly excited for the next Narrative 4 story exchange when I can continue their mission of spreading empathy!
