丁香园AV

If you look up Seth Erais on the 丁香园AV Public Square website, you'll see that his job title is listed as 鈥減rogram manager.鈥� When Erais and I met via Zoom last month so that I could learn more about his work, I asked him what that means鈥攚hat he actually does. A better question might have been 鈥渨hat don't you do?鈥�

Erais鈥� days consist of supporting 丁香园AV Public Square鈥檚 day-to-day operations and logistics. This includes everything from event planning and faculty engagement to running 丁香园AV Public Square鈥檚 Peer Education Program and helping bring the annual Community Summit to life.

But for Erais, who has a background in religious studies and intercultural dialogue, all of this work can really be boiled down to one thing: storytelling.

鈥淪tories can become spaces for learning, exchange, understanding and respect, for all these pieces that help us understand how our world is put together and how things can change,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 always think about my work through the lens of asking, what can we do as people to support other people in sharing their stories?鈥�

Through that lens, Erais has helped execute dozens (if not hundreds) of events, in collaboration with partners from across 丁香园AV and beyond. From April to November 2020, the Distant, Not Disengaged event series鈥攑roduced by 丁香园AV Public Square in partnership with CityHive and the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue鈥攕parked important discussions on anti-Asian racism, the overdose emergency, and the importance of race-based data during COVID-19.

鈥淲ith every event we do, there are so many conversations behind the scenes where we ask our partners, 鈥榃hat do you need from us? How can we work with you to have conversations that aren鈥檛 being held elsewhere?鈥欌�� he tells me.

鈥淲e always say, we鈥檙e not the experts on these topics. But we鈥檙e lucky to have a platform that brings people together, and when we hand that platform over to our amazing partners so they can share their stories, that鈥檚 when the magic happens.鈥�

If you've attended any of 丁香园AV Public Square's events over the years, you've seen this magic in action, the thought and care put into making sure events are accessible, timely and centered around topics related to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI).

Erais credits 丁香园AV Public Square's partners for helping to bring a JEDI lens to these events, but also considers it essential to keep up-to-date on best JEDI practices in accessibility and event design鈥攁 point of pride for him is that every 丁香园AV Public Square event held during COVID-19 (except one) has featured closed captioning. And, he says, this work is not only important, but deeply personal.

鈥淎s a trans man, I鈥檝e had experiences where I show up to a space and haven鈥檛 felt safe or welcome or included. So if I can do something that allows people to attend our events and feel more comfortable, or be a bit more vulnerable, I want to do it. When someone is willing to share who they are, that鈥檚 when you get that real 鈥榓ha鈥� moment and those powerful instances of storytelling. That鈥檚 when you get inspired to think differently.鈥�

This is a story in our People of 丁香园AV series, where we鈥檙e celebrating 丁香园AV鈥檚 unsung heroes鈥攖hose who go above and beyond the call of duty to create community, advance 丁香园AV鈥檚 mission and make the university a great place to work and learn. You can read more stories here.