Last weekend, UA Sustained Dialogue held an open workshop on “Leadership Across Culture,” which was hosted by Sustained Dialogue Campus Network representatives Amy Lazarus and Rhonda Fitzgerald, who serve as executive director and program director, respectively. As an organization, Sustained Dialogue would like to sincerely thank both Ms. Lazarus and Ms. Fitzgerald, along with all of the students and faculty in attendance who worked to make this workshop such a success. In addition, we would like to also thank our co-sponsors for the event: the Crossroads Community Center, the National Pan-Hellenic Council, New College, the Student Government Association, the International Students Association, Housing and Residential Communities and the Ferguson Center.

The mission of the Sustained Dialogue Campus Network and our University of Alabama Sustained Dialogue initiative is to develop everyday leaders who engage differences as strengths in order to improve their campuses, workplaces, and communities. As we begin our dialogue groups for the Spring 2011 semester, Sustained Dialogue has opened our enrollment for the remainder of February, and would like to encourage any student interested in engaging in meaningful dialogue to attend any dialogue meeting that fits their schedule. There are three different groups that meet every week in the second floor Honors Student Lounge in Nott Hall; Monday: 6 p.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday: 7 p.m.-8 p.m. or Wednesday: 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Dialogue groups are led by student facilitators and talk about many different topics of interest to students on our campus. More than anything else, Sustained Dialogue offers a unique experience to meet other people on campus that you may have otherwise never come in contact with. We hope to see you soon!

James Woodham is a junior majoring in political science and interdisciplinary studies and president of UA Sustained Dialogue.