Hey, new Terriers!
Welcome to BU and thanks for checking out the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground website (we call ourselves “HTC” for short). While we’re all still coping with changes to our routines brought on by COVID-19, we want YOU to know that WE are so excited for you to join our community.
As a matter of fact, the HTC is at the heart of the BU community, both physically and metaphorically. The Center is smack dab in the middle of East and West campus at 808 Comm Ave, and our programs bring together students, faculty, staff and alumni on a weekly basis. If you’re looking for a great way to meet new people, make friends, and connect with faculty and staff, check out the programs listed below our welcome video. We’ll hopefully be hosting them in-person, but if that’s not possible, we’ve got the Zoom game mastered.
Coffee and Conversation is a Boston University tradition. Each week, students, faculty, and staff gather in the HTC to discuss the day’s headlines, trending topics, and controversial ideas.
Tea Time celebrates the flavors, traditions, and ceremonies of tea from countries across the world. Led by student ambassadors, this program invites students to sample loose-leaf teas and engage in thoughtful conversations.
Book Club uses literature to spark thoughtful conversations about the human experience, discussing topics like culture, identity, relationships, and belonging. Led by HTC student ambassadors, Book Club reads about three books each semester, all of which are provided to participants by the HTC.
This monthly faculty panel is hosted in partnership by the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground and Dean Emerita Virginia Sapiro, Professor of Political Science and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Designed to spark discussion between students and faculty about today’s headlines, this program has covered topics like the #MeToo movement, tensions with North Korea, and the ethics of human genome editing.
While by no means are these programs the only way to get involved at the HTC, they’re a great way to get a taste of who we are and what we’re all about. Hope to see you there and at the Center very soon!