#WeAreListening LIVE, billed as a mixer to foster connection between students and diversity-based organizations, is currently underway. The event is the fourth one since its initial launch in October 2022.
Skyler Pak, a #WeAreListening LIVE student organizer, describes today’s event.
Skyler Pak: It’s meant to honor and amplify diverse voices within the Annenberg community, especially those that have been historically unheard in society. And it always features some sort of cultural cuisine and student performances and then discussions with your peers.
The purpose of the mixer is to provide a safe space for inclusion at USC. Six students will perform live music at the event while people are encouraged to mingle and make new friends.
Pak: We just try to make this, like, a safe, intimate mixer, to be honest. It’d be a space where people can open up about anything, like there is so much laughter, expression and even like tears at some point.
A student performer, Sayanti Ghosh, who goes by the stage name Syantee, has both attended and performed at the #WeAreListening LIVE in the past.
Sayanti Ghosh: I loved the conversations, the community building aspect of this, how everyone gets to talk about their stories and share their experiences and the conversations we have. It’s really inspiring to see, to hear everyone’s stories, and I wanted to be a part of it. You know, share my story as well and be just a part of the community that we’re building here.
Ghosh is a singer-songwriter from India.
Ghosh: I come from India and I grew up in a very different culture from what I see here. And I don’t necessarily think that all voices are represented in every area.
That’s why she thinks that events like this are so important to the USC community.
Ghosh: So, I think it’s important to, like just give the opportunity to everyone who wants to be heard. And that’s why I, I want to, like, bring diversity into my life and help build that aspect even in the community I’m a part of.
Pak says that since the first #WeAreListening LIVE in October of 2022, students have been receptive to the events and the opportunity to connect with people they may never have met otherwise.
Pak: There is so much beauty in, like having student organizations that - within your own cultural group and being able to have that common understanding, but then also like branching it out and figure out how to communicate across cultures. And I think we’re seeing that at these events.
You can catch the tail end of the fourth #WeAreListening LIVE event, held today until 6pm in the East Lobby of the ASC Annenberg building.
For Annenberg Media, I’m Marie Louise Leone.