Dear Rieke...

Rieke Scholars are committed to social justice, equity, reconciliation, and action. They embody the values of The Diversity Center: Critical Reflection, Perspective Taking, and Community. Maya, Maria, and Antoinette share what tools they believe are necessary in order to engage and thrive in The dCenter community.

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Dear Rieke,

Welcome to the D-Center family! You’re about to enter this exciting space that requires a lot of love, patience, and compassion. You were selected to be a Rieke because you will clearly bringing something positive and unique to this space, so above all don't forget to be yourself!

This position will require you to be thoughtful, how do you want to engage with people in difficult conversations or even just daily conversations? The people I have seen be most successful in this role have been open and authentic about where they are at mentally and emotionally, and are also willing to meet others where they are as well. Be open about how you are feeling, and what you are expecting from others to be in a moment, or over the course of a year. Successful communication is absolutely key to this role, so do some self-reflecting and asses what your needs are so that you can articulate them to others. Also ready yourself to hear and do your best to support your peers with their needs. Just keep an open mind and heart to the whole experience.

A tip to assessing what you need, reflect on a time you have felt successful, what did it require? Weekly meeting, solo time, verbal processing, or just some good Netflix series? Talk to your D-advocates and peers about that. Be open about what makes you feel good, and I promise people will listen. At the same time, be open about what you struggle with, people usually treat challenges with as much if not more respect and support than they do strengths. Be open about not only what you need, but also what you can offer.

At times in this space I’ve felt nervous, like voices were so loud and strong that mine was meaningless, just remember that all voices are important and need to be heard in this space. Use your resources, talk to advocates and Angie about how you are feeling in the space especially if it’s negative. They are sure to help you come up with concrete ideas as to how to effectively deal with tough situations. Lastly, keep getting to know yourself, and respect that. If you can’t be in the space with a certain person, change your hours. Do your best to work together with everyone, but don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself too.

Above all, get pumped because if you invest in this space, the people will treat you like family and you will be welcomed into one of the most beautiful places to call home on this campus.

Maya Perez

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Dear, Future Rieke’s

Welcome to the dCenter! The dCenter got some new furniture this year and I can’t wait to enjoy it with you. The dCenter is a space to hang out and have conversation about social justice, diversity, and identities. The space is also a place to be challenged through dialogue, not debate. Something really cool about the dCenter community is you should feel welcomed and cared for.

The Rieke Scholar position does require work too. It all depends on how much responsibility you’d like to take on. For big projects or events that we’re planning, there is a “Rieke Task Board” that you need to refer to, so that these tasks get done. The purpose of this board is to announce tasks that need to get done, but it is your self-responsibility to do them and ask if you need clarification or help how to get them done. There probably is something that needs to be done most of the time, so ask. The dAdvocates are the sources to go to, so utilize them and make sure to connect with them, even if it’s just checking in. The dAdvocates are wonderful, loving, caring, and understanding people, so make sure and develop a great relationship with them, because they are there for you.

Another part about being a Rieke is to be intentional when you’re in the space. Even if you’re not working on a task and just hanging eating lunch or doing homework, try and engage and talk with others coming in and out of the space. It’s really awesome talking with someone you may haven’t met and then find out that the two of you have similarities. (Differences are rad too! J) Having conversation and talking with people is essential in community growth, so be sure ad try and do this. Then after the year is over and you return or not, then you have sustained relationships with other Riekes, as well as with Nicole and Angie.

Maria Cruse

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Dear Rieke,

First off let me congratulate you for receiving this award. Being a Rieke means working hard to not only better yourself but those around you. Being a Rieke means having the tough conversations and digging deeper than you originally would. Being a Rieke scholar means staying committed to your goals and your dreams. Being a Rieke means being true to yourself and taking the time to help others do the same.

As a scholar it is important to grow upon and/or develop many soft skills, such as understanding, compassion, empathy, care, and active listening. While you may not agree with your fellow Rieke counterparts it is critical to understand where they are coming from and attempt to look through the lens they have presented. You may change your stance on an issue or keep your own, the overall goal is to step outside of your comfort zone and better know who you are as well as the individual.

Compassion and care for others is critical in the diversity center in college in general for that matter. People face struggles daily and while you hope others give you the same you can ensure that you give it to others.

One of the most important skills is active listening. Sometimes the best remedy to a bad day as a person that shows that they care do a listening ear with comments that exhibit at what is being said is being comprehended. While giving these qualities is critical it's also important for you to ask for them back in return.

Ask for what you need. If you need support, ask for it. If you need care, ask for it. If you need a listening ear ask for it.

Self-care is incredibly important before all else. If you aren't where you need to be mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally it's difficult to help others. Most importantly have fun and make the best out of your time as a Rieke and at PLU. Take your experiences and learn from them, grow from them, and appreciate them.

Antoinette Graham