Building Bridges and Community Day is one of Centre’s signature annual events, designed to bring together students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustee’s, and community members in an intentional celebration of differences, access, and belonging. This campus-wide day of engagement invites us to pause our regular routines and embrace the opportunity to listen, learn, and connect across differences.
Since its inception, the purpose of this day has been to highlight the remarkable variety of voices, identities, and experiences represented by the nearly 2,000 people who make up our lively and energetic campus community. Whether in classrooms, residence halls, athletic fields, or performance spaces, Centre thrives because of its diversity of thought, culture, and lived experience. Building Bridges and Community Day creates space for us to recognize, honor, and deepen those connections. In recognition of the importance of this occasion, academic classes will follow a truncated schedule and campus offices will close early, allowing the entire community to fully participate. Programming is carefully crafted to provide a wide range of experiences that both challenge and inspire participants.
- Opening Session in Newlin Hall The day begins with a community-wide session in Newlin Hall, setting the tone for our shared experience. This session will feature a keynote reflection, performances, and framing remarks that call us into collective responsibility for building bridges across differences.
- Campus-Wide Experiences Following the opening, participants are invited to engage in sessions and activities held throughout campus. These offerings are designed to meet people where they are, whether through inclusivity workshops, structured dialogues, or opportunities for reflection. Some sessions will focus on open forums for sharing personal narratives and exploring differences in perspective. Others will emphasize skill-building, where participants learn together in interactive “bridge” events that combine engagement with practical takeaways.
Together, these opportunities are meant to foster empathy, deepen understanding, and strengthen the sense of belonging that defines the Centre experience. Building Bridges and Community Day is not simply a series of events—it is a call to action, reminding us that each of us plays a role in shaping a community that values dignity, equity, and inclusion. As we gather on November 6, let us commit ourselves to the ongoing work of community-building, both on this day and throughout the year.