As part of Better Together Week, the Center for Civic and Community Engagement and the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life partnered to host an evening of meaningful dialogue during Things We Don’t Talk About at Dinner – Religion Edition on Thursday, March 27.

In a world that often feels increasingly divided, it’s more important than ever for students to build the skills needed for rich, respectful conversation — especially around complex topics like religion. This event gave students an opportunity to slow down, break bread together, and explore their values and beliefs in a thoughtful, open-hearted setting.

Rather than debating, participants engaged in intentional dialogue — sharing stories, asking questions and learning to listen. This session focused on connection across religious differences, where students reflected on questions like:

• If you could have dinner with any spiritual or religious figure, who would it be?
• What makes you uncomfortable or scared about talking about faith?
• How has your spirituality evolved over time?
• What does a successful, empowering conversation about religion looks like to you?

What made this session especially impactful was the leadership of student and staff facilitators who helped guide each small group. For the first time, the event included trained table facilitators who ensured everyone had a chance to share and that conversations stayed focused and respectful. Q Mitchell, Graduate Assistant for Engaged Citizenship, designed and led the pre-event facilitator training. This simple shift led to deeper, more meaningful conversations.

Three students stepped up to facilitate: Erion Sanders, Maddie Weise, and Asia Erickson. Their leadership set the tone for curiosity, vulnerability and self-reflection.

“One of my favorite things about campus is the opportunity to engage in civic and sometimes uncomfortable discussions,” Sanders said. “The ability to learn and grow is so important, and Stetson fosters the opportunity to do that!”

If you missed this one, don’t worry—Things We Don’t Talk About at Dinner will be back in the fall with new topics and the same spirit of courage, curiosity and connection. Be sure to join us next time — we can’t wait for you to pull up a seat at the table.

– Caitlin Swann