This year’s annual PossePlus Retreat in Martinsville, Ind., focused on “Sticks + Stones: Language and Speech in a Diverse Society.” Posse students, along with their chosen guests, discussed the issue of how far is too far when it comes to offensive language and micro-aggressions.
While some believe there is an over-obsession with political correctness in this day and age, the Posse Foundation focuses on where to find that line between being overly sensitive and overly offensive, especially in an environment that includes several diverse identities and experiences. The retreat offers a safe space where students can address these issues and exchange ideas.
Senior Posse student Erwin “Skip” Brea found this year to be different. Brea said that the topics discussed did not always lead back to racial and socio-economic issues, which surprised him considering the relevance of those topics.
“However,” Brea says, “this year, personally speaking, I saw the retreat as more of a reflection of one’s self and how we as humans need to be more conscious about what we put out into the world.”
The discussions ranged from conversations about variations of language, how language makes the world work, and even how it destroys the world.
Brea recalled that several students simply spoke about the negative aspects and language, such as slander, stereotyping, and the power of the word itself. Others posed a different perspective. Brea said,
“Although there was much negativity going around about the idea, there were a lot of people in the room who tried to see the beauty in the use of language; how culturally it’s something that we carry with us; how language can be used to united all kinds of people and fight against the powers that some may see as impenetrable.”
Brea recalled that they recognized the imperfections of humans, how they tend to slander and shame one another, whether intentionally or purposefully. But when it comes down to it, it all came back to how people should watch what they say and who they say it around.
Brea mostly enjoyed the idea that humans can reclaim words they say and possess power over words that were once hurtful or shameful.
“Many people mentioned the fact that we, as humans, can reclaim words and use them to our advantage, whether it may not be socially, but mentally,” Brea said. “Once you have reclaimed that word, you have won. You have captured the peace within yourself to not let words hurt, or phrases that damage you matter.”
Brea found the PossePlus Retreat to be beneficial all of his four years of attendance, but he reiterated that it means nothing unless DePauw’s entire community is supportive of the topics discussed at them.
“Change needs to happen as a whole in order to create the impact that we want to see now, not later. Next time you hear people speaking about [the PossePlus Retreat], ask for an invite. Anyone is welcome.”