This year was actually the first time I was ever able to attend the State of State conference, which is a shame because I’ve heard great things and a lot of individuals I really look up to have participated in the past. But this year, with some of our great colleagues like Thomas Beeby and Cory Steinle helping to run the show and a great slate of speakers, I had to make attending a priority.
And I’m very glad I did. The speakers were all incredibly articulate and well-spoken, and the topics were all very interesting, ranging from talks on improving downtown State College from the perspective of a long-term resident, to a call to action for the IFC to continue to reform by a former IFC president, to an emotional rally to make education and Penn State specifically more accessible to convicted felons.
I always thought I was pretty well-informed when it came to the Penn State community, and all the different viewpoints that come with it. But as always, I continue to find ways to surprise myself with how little I know, and attending State of State 2019 is a prime example of that. I knew vaguely about all the issues that I heard about, but to see these individuals use the platform they were given to inform their colleagues (me) in more in-depth ways is incredibly helpful for all parties involved. I’ve worked with the IFC pretty frequently in the past, and the fact that I did not know the true extent of the reforms discussed in John Lord’s speech speaks to how easily it is, in working relationships, to not take the time to truly understand these organizations that we work with.
I was especially moved by the last speech, on the issue of lack of accessibility to higher education for convicted felons. I knew of Ban the Box efforts and things like that, but to hear it straight from a man who has gone through these issues and experienced these barriers, pleading so personally to everyone in that room to help ensure that no one else has to go what he went through, was incredibly powerful. That’s what State of State, and what our community as a whole, is all about. It’s now everyone’s responsibility, including mine, to ensure that real, tangible action is taken in these areas and that they do not remain simple talking points.
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