Rawson Hosts Dinner for OMA Sponsored Clubs

Interim Principal William Rawson ’71 hosted a dinner at Saltonstall House on Sunday for student leaders of clubs sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA).

According to Dean of Multicultural Affairs Sami Atif, Rawson first originated the idea for this dinner last year. “As part of his introduction during the summer, Principal Rawson expressed a real desire to meet with students in particular clubs,” Atif said. Rawson, Atif and Director of Student Activities Joanne Lembo collaborated on creating the invite list and planning activities for attendees.

One of the motivations behind holding the dinner was to shed light on OMA’s role in supporting clubs that had previously not had as meaningful of a connection with OMA. “Oftentimes, OMA can be a place where some people feel like it serves only one type of student, and I wanted to correct that misnomer,” Atif said. “I also wanted to be very clear about when we say equity, it is rooted in really recognizing what historically marginalized groups are, and what can this school actually do about that.”

The dinner also allowed club leaders to meet the new interim principal and to connect with one another to discuss potential partnerships. Lembo said that she hoped that “students walked away knowing that they are supported by OMA, the Principal’s Office and by Student Activities.”

Many students felt that the dinner fostered a strong relationship with the administration, which could positively impact future interactions. “I think the dinner goes to show that the administration is definitely more open to having conversation that may be brought up by members of these clubs,” Senior and Woke co-head Chandler Jean-Jacques said. “It really shows [Rawson’s] initiative to incorporate these clubs into his plan for the year.”

Atif looks forward to seeing what Rawson does next with the dinners with various groups on campus. However, he is “mindful that the invitation to dinner and a sit down is not nearly enough.” “This is an opportunity to solidify,” he said. “So we have more work to do.”

Knowing this, he emphasized the significance of Rawson inviting club leaders to his home. “At no point in my time here, which has been several years, do I recall a gathering [of students] of this size and magnitude,” he said. “I commend Principal Rawson for the effort.”

Along with eating dinner, students played a game of Bingo during the gathering. Office of Multicultural Affairs Administrative Intern Jessica Alvarez especially appreciated the Bingo game, in which the attendees searched for representatives of the clubs named on a Bingo board. “Even if [the attendees] didn’t know each other, it forced an interaction between them by saying, ‘Hey I heard you’re so-and-so co-head. Can you sign this for me?’ and then, ‘Oh, are you guys thinking of doing anything for this year?’ and this naturally starts those conversations,” Alvarez said.

Upper David Gonzalez, co-head of Young Brothers Society (YBS), thought that the friendly atmosphere helped foster conversations. “It was very casual, which I appreciated. It definitely allowed for a lot of natural conversation between all of the co-heads, giving us a chance to get to know each other…and discuss a little bit about how we can work together in the future.”

Upper Kaleb Washington, a co-head of YBS and the African Student Association, thought the dinner was less formal than he had originally anticipated. “It turns out it was really a completely informal event, and more like a chill session to get to know people,” he said.

Upper Janalie Cobb, co-head of the Multi-Racial Exonian Society (MRES) and an OMA proctor, also anticipated a different atmosphere for the event. “Generally, I think me and a few of the other people I talked to were expecting less of a get-to-know you mixer and more of a let’s-get-down-to-business sort of thing.”

Rose Martin, President of ALES’ 51st board, expressed similar sentiments. She said about the dinner, “I felt that it wasn’t so much helpful to the students, and more helpful for Rawson to get to know us. We already knew each other, so it definitely felt more like a mixer than a dinner at the principal’s house.”

Upper Aiwen Desai, co-head of Exeter’s Feminist Union, felt that students benefited from becoming acquainted with the principal. “It’s important that students have a relationship with [Rawson] beyond just knowing his name and knowing his title.”

Rawson said of his goals for the dinner, “I wanted to get to know some of the students and express appreciation for the work they are doing in our school community.” He added, “I also wanted to let them know I would like to attend some of their meetings…I do intend to host more dinners with different student groups in the coming weeks.”