Over Dessert and Discussion, Campus Community Finds Common Ground

If you stop by the Soka Bistro a few minutes after noon, you will immediately be immersed in the organized chaos of lunchtime. Chatter and laughter echo off the walls as hundreds of hungry diners meet for a meal between classes or take a break from their work day.

At least once a month, however, you might notice a few reserved tables where SUA community members of all walks of life – students, faculty, and staff – are sitting together, deeply engaged in conversation over sweet treats from a local bakery. This is Dialogue Buddies, and something really special is happening here.

What is Dialogue Buddies?

Dialogue Buddies is an event series developed and facilitated by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in which SUA students, faculty, and staff gather at designated tables in the Soka Bistro between 12:15 and 1 p.m. to talk about a particular topic and enjoy a catered dessert.

“It’s an informal space,” said Maya Gunaseharan MA ’19, director for diversity initiatives and community building, “to connect across the invisible barriers we may have.” The DEI office picks a discussion topic, she explained, that “becomes the means for dialogue and engagement” for the event participants.

So far, Dialogue Buddies events have focused on issues in peace, sustainability, and health and wellness, as well as a variety of other topics like cultural traditions, what home means, or how it feels to be a first-generation college student.

The conversations at Dialogue Buddies are guided by discussion questions, but these are often just a starting point. Participants are encouraged to take the conversation in whatever direction feels meaningful to them, whether that means delving deep into the pre-set topic or using the questions as a springboard for other conversation. The ultimate goal is to foster connections among members of the SUA community who may not otherwise interact regularly. Dialogue Buddies also aims to have a positive impact beyond campus, helping participants build the skills and confidence to practice dialogue even in situations where others may not share the same commitment to peace and compassion.

“The hope,” Gunaseharan said, “is that the practice of engaging with people who are different from us can make us feel more equipped to do so in the future.”

Creating a Space to Explore Dialogue

Dialogue Buddies began as a monthly event series in September 2023. The idea for the project grew out of conversations with SUA community members as well as campus climate surveys conducted by the DEI office when SUA resumed in-person classes after the COVID-19 campus closure.

“When folks came back to campus,” Gunaseharan said, “one of the things that we heard a lot was that people felt isolated. More specifically, they wanted more connection across areas and status at the university, whether that meant your academic focus, class standing, or your job title.”

The DEI team brainstormed what it would look like to facilitate these kinds of connections in a way that honors the university’s commitment to dialogue. Julia Miyagawa Braga ’25, a DEI student employee from São Paulo, Brazil, helped create Dialogue Buddies and shared some insights on the inspiration behind the project.

“I wanted to create a space,” Miyagawa Braga said, “where members of our SUA community could connect and explore what dialogue means to them. While we often hear about the importance of dialogue, I believe experiencing it firsthand can be incredibly powerful.”

Gunaseharan stressed that DEI student employees played a crucial role in making sure the event series included faculty and staff, whom they wanted to get to know outside of their official roles at the university. When students, faculty, and staff sit across the table from each other, she said, it can go a long way toward leveling the hierarchical power dynamics that are often at play at educational institutions. 

“Not that we can completely erase or get rid of those power dynamics,” Gunaseharan said, “but if we can create more opportunities for folks to connect as human beings and as members of this community, then I think it’s a worthwhile effort.”

DEI student employees also play a pivotal role in choosing the topic for each Dialogue Buddies session, generating a list of ideas for upcoming events and working together to craft thoughtful discussion questions. The team aims for topics that feel particularly relevant to the campus community. For example, the Dialogue Buddies on November 21 occurred as SUA entered the final weeks of the semester – an especially busy period in which many students are preparing for exams or working on academic papers and projects. The DEI office partnered with campus mental health counselors April Nelson Afoa and Sophia Nakabayashi to offer a Dialogue Buddies event centered on health and wellness, focusing on ways to manage stress and build habits that support total well-being. Nelson Afoa and Nakabayashi lent their expertise in mental health to help the DEI team craft an effective self-reflection activity and productive discussion questions.

This kind of collaboration has offered rich areas for Dialogue Buddies to explore while tapping into the knowledge and skills of other departments or campus groups. Last year, the DEI office worked with the Student Movement for the Culture of Peace to organize a Dialogue Buddies centered on peacebuilding. In October, the DEI office worked with the Student Sustainability Educators to host a session focused on practicing sustainability and environmental advocacy. Participants were encouraged to look at their own environmental impact by taking a quick online ecological footprint quiz. The discussion questions that day centered on a specific environmental case study while also asking participants to reflect on changes they could make in their own lives. Each of these partnerships, Gunaseharan said, brings valuable perspectives to the issues discussed, and she hopes to facilitate more of these collaborations in the future.

“Why Not Join In?”: What the SUA Community Loves About Dialogue Buddies

The success of Dialogue Buddies stems in part from how this series does a wonderful job meeting SUA community members where they are. Pari Khanduri ’25, a senior from New Delhi, India, appreciates how easy it is to participate.

“I usually eat lunch in the cafeteria with my friends anyway,” she said, “so when I see the Dialogue Buddies tables set up, I think, ‘Why not join in?’”

An unintended benefit of the series is the way it has provided a welcoming space to socialize for students who might find the bustling Soka Bistro overwhelming at lunchtime.

“With Dialogue Buddies,” Miyagawa Braga said, “participants don’t need to worry about finding someone to sit with or coming up with conversation topics. They can simply join a conversation led by a facilitator, connect with other members of our community, and enjoy the delicious pastries we provide.”

Dialogue Buddies has also been a great opportunity for students like Miyagawa Braga to practice facilitation and leadership.

“One behind-the-scenes detail that most people don’t know,” she said, “is that DEI student employees and members of the Student Advisory Board receive training to facilitate the Dialogue Buddies sessions. I love that this project is allowing people to develop new skills.”

Victor Boey Xing Yi ’25, a graduate student from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and a member of the Sustainability Committee, helped facilitate October’s Dialogue Buddies. “I’m enjoying every moment of it,” he said during the event. “I really enjoy engaging with students and listening to different opinions and perspectives.”

Faculty and staff value the chance to connect with students as well as colleagues in other departments. This is the primary reason Hiroko Tomono Furniss MA ’96, director of the library, is a regular Dialogue Buddies participant.

“I come to almost every one of them,” she said. “I love this.”

For Alexander Harang, distinguished adjunct professor and senior research fellow at the Soka Institute for Global Solutions, Dialogue Buddies is an opportunity to experience campus life while also practicing SUA’s founding philosophy and values.

“Campus culture is very important to me,” he said, “and I would like to contribute to it as constructively as I can.”

Khanduri, who is concentrating in Social and Behavioral Sciences, said she definitely plans to attend future Dialogue Buddies events. “Reflecting on the sessions,” she said, “I feel a sense of gratitude for the chance to connect with the amazing individuals in our Soka community – something I might not otherwise prioritize when I’m busy in my day-to-day life.”