<eak truth, honesty, and facts. We speak history; do you remember the times when we couldn’t speak at all?” Sophomore Arthur Holman closed the 2009 We Speak to a crowd in the Concert Hall Saturday night. An annual event sponsored by the Black Student Alliance, We Speak is an opportunity to speak out on issues involving campus, society and personal experience.
This year’s We Speak presented topics ranging from a student video on national health disparity to student-written poems about the good and bad aspects of being different at Carleton. Mari Ortiz sang a self-written song, “The Golden Side of Me.” The song was inspired during a time of “pain” when her “grandfather died, a relationship ended, and the first culture shock of Carleton.” Ortiz said she was looking to empower women and said that through the song she had figured out the path to finding herself. What prompted her to share this song with the Carleton community was her passion to have people from all backgrounds participate in cultural events. Shakita Thomas, a member of BSA and a We Speak attendee, said the importance of We Speak lies in the fact that the event is open to campus to learn about Black culture, and allows the performers to express themselves and their talent.
We Speak addresses the various dilemmas of being different at Carleton, and is open to all students. Shakita agrees with Mari that We Speak is important for all students, adding, “it breaks down stereotypes and bridges a bond between all people…or at least starts to build that bond.”