By Addison Mason 

Last Semester, Dr. Joanna Ravello Goods announced the new DEI campaign, which is replacing the old campaign, Racism Stops With Me. The new campaign also gives on-campus clubs and organizations the chance to receive money to organize an event. 

The new campaign, Community Starts With Me, Thrives With Us, is dedicated to building community and accepting everyone. While Racism Stops with Me was a good first step, there are more identities that need representation. In planning, she went to the student senate and asked about ideas for a community-based campaign, after students voiced concerns surrounding the current campaign. Ravello Goods said, “…there are so many levels to identity…to bracket out one could be challenging.” 

Ravello Goods aims to make Roger Williams a more collaborative community on the pillars of care, connection, and mattering, “…regardless of identity, everyone should be able to feel that there’s space in that campaign for them and what they offer,” Ravello Goods shared. 

As the campaign works to bring the Roger Williams University community together, it also offers clubs and organizations an opportunity to earn a reward. Through the Bridge Builders Fund, the groups can work together to host an event to represent unity, and the program will help cover some of the funding. The clubs and organizations applied in pairs with a detailed event plan, and six pairs were awarded the prize. 

Frankie Sparrow, President of the Sustainability Club, said the application process was really easy, considering the club already had ideas to open an on-campus thrift center. All they had to do was put their plans into the application, and once they were approved, they were given the funds to kickstart their event. 

The following clubs and organizations were given awards from the Bridge Builders Fund:  

Below is a full list of each pairing’s events: 

• Design Club and Psych Club: Unwind your mind
• Global Hawks and The Tutoring Center: Language Cafe
• Neurodiverse Network and DEIA Council: Executive Functioning Tool Tips
• Tabletop Game Club and ESports: Retro Game Night
• Women of Color Club and Art Club: Women in Arts Gala
• Sustainability Club, Feminist United Club, and Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization: Thrift Center

The first event of the semester happened earlier this month on Feb. 6. The RWU Thrift Center, located in the basement of Stonewall 4, takes clothes and other donated objects and makes them free for students. Frankie Sparrow, President of the Sustainability Club, said, “[We’re] hoping it’ll be permanent, obviously it just depends on people getting involved.”