The stereotypes dividing Vanderbilt have frustrated junior Corey Sullivan ever since she arrived on campus. This year, she decided to do something about it.

In order to confront these issues, Sullivan brought Sustained Dialogue (SD), a new student-led organization, to campus.

Program Director Tessa Garcia said SD is especially important for the Vanderbilt community because the university has worked diligently to increase diversity in recent years.

"Through SD, participants get to know who they are," she said. "It is so easy to stay with the same crowd, but there is so much richness you can learn from the other cultures you'll interact with."

Founded at Princeton University in 1999, SD brings diverse groups of students together to discuss the issues that are generally ignored on college campuses.

Discouraged by their campus climate, Princeton students began the group with the help of Dr. Harold Saunders, a U.S. diplomat who learned firsthand that consistent communication can go a long way toward fostering action.

As part of the organization's activities, trained SD moderators lead groups through a five-step progression, emphasizing the relationships that need to be formed between participants before they start talking about particular issues.

"Relationships are important because these issues affect people on a personal level," Sullivan said. "Knowing the person before you identify the issue allows there to be a deeper conversation."

As relationships are formed and issues are brought up, groups begin to brainstorm action plans and eventually organize an event that will raise awareness on campus.

SD action plans have already had an impact on a number of colleges across the country, Sullivan said.

For example, students at the University of Virginia applied for a grant to order 1,000 t-shirts with "Stereotype Me" written across the front. Students were encouraged to wear the shirts on a particular day, and each person was asked to write a stereotype they defied on the back, in order to demonstrate that they were not characterized as easily as some might have imagined. The event was followed by a panel discussion.

Sullivan said she believes action plans such as these can have a similar impact at Vanderbilt.

"I think one of the biggest (problems) is, at Vanderbilt, these issues are under the radar," Sullivan said. "So, simply by drawing attention to them in a creative manner, we can create opportunities for discussion where they didn't exist before."

Christina Kelleher, associate program director of SD, feels one of the program's highlights is its ability to impact groups as well as individuals.

"While you are increasing the likelihood of problem solving, you are also making people more aware of each other," Kelleher said.

Sullivan said SD is not about helping a single group of people but about knocking down all stereotypes.

She envisions the SD meetings as a safe place where people can go to talk about issues and ideas that divide the community.

In fact, the power of discussion is one of the central ideas behind SD, she said.

"Talk is everything," Sullivan said. "If 20 people in a group (each) tell two of their friends what they discussed, that's already a lot of people who have been made aware."

Garcia agreed, saying the interactions that come out of SD meetings make the group's activities worthwhile.

"People are more than what they look like and more than what they stand for," she said. "You can have all the diversity you want, but it's about interactions. You have to have the conversations."

Sullivan said all students are encouraged to become participants.

"I think everyone's voice is valuable in these kinds of discussions," she said. "Vanderbilt is a diverse community, but we all should take advantage of this opportunity to learn from and teach one another."

If you want to find out more about SD, e-mail Corey Sullivan at sustaineddialogue@vanderbilt.edu. Participant applications are due today.