By Chris (Taeyun) Kwon ’27
Collaborating with MIT and a nonprofit organization Cortico, the Student Belonging and Inclusion Council at Gunn launched a new conversation as part of the RealTalk@GUNN to share students and faculty stories about their experiences on campus.
The Inclusion and Belonging part of the RealTalk@Gunn Series will be led by three students in the Student Belonging and Inclusion Council: Ezekiel Hatcher ’26, Zhanibek Bekov ’26, and Lilla Trotta ’27. In August, they completed a dialogue methodology program and were certified to initiate this program. RealTalk@GUNN combines group conversations with AI technology analyzing recorded voices to make conversations more digestible for listeners. It will be a space for Highlanders to improve communication and trust building skills.
The Student Belonging and Inclusion Council, which was formed last year, aims to make all of the Highlanders feel comfortable and welcomed in the Gunn community regardless of gender, race, and religion. Similarly, Cortico delivers hidden voices of people in group conversations using human controlled AI tools to connect people and expand their view of understanding. Being inspired by this innovative approach from Cortico, the Student Belonging and Inclusion Council is trying to provide opportunities for students or faculty to freely express their feelings from their unique experiences.
“We planned 7-8 conversations about belonging and inclusion. We are going to prepare some questions for it and find people who can contribute to RealTalk@Gunn,” said Zhanibek Bekov ’26, a member of the Student Belonging and Inclusion Council and a leader of Gunn Global.
“Being able to speak freely and to have your voice heard fully is the foundation of belonging. That is why people feel safe with family and at home, because your parents listen to you and you can speak freely at home without judgement,” said Mr. Kang, the Dean of Belonging and Inclusion. “The RealTalk@Gunn Series is a turning point in the history of the Frederick Gunn School. The RealTalk@GUNN allows people the space to practice how to talk and listen.”
