Celebrate Our Connections

 A hybrid audience of Outreach staff met on Monday, December 16th in the forum and via Zoom for the Outreach/College of Continuing Education annual Winter Event.  

Against a dark forest backdrop and twinkling birch trees symbolizing the winter solstice, Dr. Belinda Biscoe Outreach/College of Continuing Education Senior Associate Vice President set the day’s context as a time for making connections through reflective and celebratory storytelling. She proclaimed the day as a time set aside for sharing stories that grow collegial connections and create new ones. Dr. Biscoe noted that the American Psychological Association’s 2024 Work in America survey indicates that workers who feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of negative consequences tend to report better experiences at work and feel connected to their work colleagues.

Objectives for the winter event were to: 

• Make personal and professional connections 
• Reveal unexpected commonalities 
• Establish cross-departmental understanding 
• Build relationships 
• Reflect on 2024 and establish new hopes for 2025

Biscoe kicked off the morning by sharing the opening keynote story she heard Queen Rania of Jordan give years ago at a national literacy conference. The queen’s childhood experience inspired her children’s book The Sandwich Swap. As a child, while attending school in the U.S., the queen hesitated to try a classmate’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which looked unappealing to her. However, when she bravely took a bite, she discovered she loved it! In return, she shared her hummus sandwich with her classmate, and a connection was born.

This simple act taught her a powerful lesson: embracing the unfamiliar breaks down barriers, builds bridges, and fosters meaningful connections across cultures. It’s a reminder that openness and curiosity can create relationships that celebrate our shared humanity.

After sharing this story to set the day’s context, Dr. Biscoe introduced Dr. Brene Brown, the day’s keynote speaker, researcher, and storyteller.

In her recorded 2010 TED Talk, “The Power of Vulnerability”, Brown offered a profound exploration of human connection through the lens of vulnerability and emotional authenticity.  

Brown shared that human connection is fundamentally rooted in our ability to be vulnerable – to authentically expose our true selves, including our imperfections, fears, and emotions. She said her research has shown that people who have a strong sense of love and belonging believe they are worthy of love and connection. 

She asserted that “wholehearted people” – those who live with a strong sense of love and connection – share common characteristics: 

• They have the courage to be imperfect 
• The are compassionate toward themselves and others 
• They connect as a result of their authenticity 
• They fully embrace vulnerability as a pathway to meaningful relationships 

Brown closed with a challenge to drop our emotional armor, be authentic and accept that there are no guarantees in relationships. And, by embracing vulnerability, we can find our way to deeper, more meaningful human connections. (Claude.ai) 

After a short debrief of the TED talk, Dr. Biscoe led a paired speaking and listening activity and whole group debrief designed to support three of the event’s learning objectives.  

On-site participants continued their earlier connections conversations during lunch delivered by OU Catering featuring marsala chicken, pot roast, glazed carrots, scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, salad, rolls, and desserts. (No food comas were observed and the after-lunch activities required physical movement to push back any after lunch lethargy!) 

An introduction to connection making through synchronized physical movement and music was made by a video of the acapella group Pentatonix covering Pharrel Williams’ popular “Happy”. (Much laughing, tapping, clapping, swaying, and dancing was observed.) 

EDUTAS Director Lisa Pryor led Forum participants as they engaged in two physical connection activities via a collective Wave and Human Chain. Allowing people to take a little risk, be a little more vulnerable and experience harmony and connection vicariously. (There is photo evidence of colleagues laughing and connecting through movement augmenting the morning’s more storytelling.) 

Dr. Biscoe brought closure to the day with a small group storytelling connection activity, asking us to look back on 2024 and look forward to 2025. Prompts included sharing achievements, challenges, and hopes.  

The 2024 Winter Event Committee included: Dr. Annie Baghdayan, Dr. Belinda Biscoe, Darlynn Dietrich, Debbie Collum, Greg Gibson, Dr. Nina Barbee, Richard Feinberg, Shawn Badgett, Shannon Johansen, the Forum Staff, and OU Catering.