Columbia Students Create Change in and outside of Columbia

On January 25th, Columbia sent six students and one staff representative to Baltimore, Maryland to attend the Creating Change conference on LGBTQ Equality. The students were sponsored by Columbia College and various departments within the college to attend the annual conference’s largest year, of almost 3,000 people of all social classes, religions and race — but all part of the LGBTQ community.

“Because of where we are as a nation, it is important for students to understand their power to create change,” said Joy Conway, coordinator of the LGBTQ office of Culture and Community. “As artists, [students] are a fundamental part to create change with their art.”

Students could choose from various topics of workshops to help them learn more about themselves and their community. Tillman-Curtis Liggins, marketing communication major, spent most of his time taking activism, people of color and campus-focused workshops.

“The conference was honestly life-changing,” Liggins said. “I went into the experience with an open mind and open heart. I knew that I wanted to go to better the state of the LGBT community here at Columbia, but it ended up being much more than that. I ended up learning more about the other young men that were chosen to go to Baltimore also.”

Conway said throughout the five-day conference there was a very high energy as well as a very large sense of community among the Columbia students and attendees, embracing the diversity among the group. “I love being in community,” Conway said. “This was an opportunity for me to build bonds with the students.”

On February 17th, Common Ground hosted a Share-Out where members of the community can come and listen to the student attendees’ experiences from the conference. “I hope that they are inspired to explore their own identity,” Conway said. “And inspired to create change in their lives where they see it is needed.”

Planning for next year’s conference is already in the works. Conway said students are already thinking of fundraisers so more students can apply to go in the future. Liggins is among those students who are already thinking about traveling to Atlanta for next year’s conference. “I do plan on attending,” Liggins said. “And having an even better experience than this time.”