HOUGHTON – Calculus and chemistry exams aside, it hasn’t been an easy semester for minorities and others in the Michigan Technological University community.

First there were students in blackface at a Halloween party, and a story about sexual assault in a satirical student publication that many found far from funny. There were some less-than-civil discussions about those topics, often in an anonymous realm of social media.

Then came an online threat to “shoot all black people,” allegedly posted on social media by since-suspended Tech student Matthew Schultz, and protests – peaceful by all accounts – that the disturbing the peace charge levied against Schultz is too lenient. As horrific as it was, many student leaders agree the threat also began to bring the campus community together in solidarity with minority students.

On Wednesday, Tech took a calculated step towards healing and a more inclusive environment with a panel discussion at Fisher Hall that focused on the semester’s troubling events, along with ways to increase daily dialogue and understanding between students from all backgrounds and perspectives.

The panel featured a variety of student, staff and faculty leaders, and offered opportunities for the more than 100 audience members on hand to share their feelings. Many sported T-shirts reading “My life is not a joke,” – referring to suggestions the alleged threat was a joke – and others wore shirts handed out at the event that read “We are one,” referring to solidarity among the campus community.

“This is a start, but it’s not the end,” said panel moderator Emerald Gary, who will be graduating later this month but still made the time to spearhead organization of the event. “I think it went great tonight.”

The takeaway that everyone seemed to agree on, she said, was that better relations depended on students’ improved understanding of each others’ perspectives, and on engaging each other to build that understanding.

“We each have a responsibility to teach everyone else and a responsibility to learn,” she said.

One topic of discussion was how panelists and audience members felt about the incidents above. Nathan Shaiyen, an undergraduate panel member from Nigeria, said he wasn’t originally too offended by the racially-themed Halloween party. That party reportedly included students wearing Confederate-flag capes and Syrian refugee costumes, as well as white students in blackface makeup, traditionally used by white comedy entertainers who lampooned blacks and perpetuated stereotypes.

Shaiyen understood why black students who unsuspectingly walked into the party were offended, though, and it bothered him more the more he thought about it.

“I felt with the history of blackface, people ought to know things like that should not be done,” he said.

Panelist Chelsea Mikkola is president of the graduate student government. She’s white, but said she was still hurt by the social media threat against the black community.

“It affected me by the way it affected my friends,” she said. “They said they had to leave work immediately. They were going to get home because they were worried for their children. For anyone to instill that fear in a member of the Michigan Tech community, that’s just wrong.”

One debate revolved around responsibility for creating dialogue. More than one white audience member said they struggled to approach minorities with serious questions because they were afraid of offending, and a black panelist pointed out those conversations aren’t always comfortable for him, either.

Much of the time, though, said undergraduate panelist Josh Krugh, it’s not really that complicated once you make the effort.

“We all know the golden rule, to treat others how we’d like to be treated,” he said. “Then go beyond that, and treat them how they want to be treated. Just have that conversation with people.”

Dialogue is key, agreed Shaiyen, adding it’s important conversations include challenging topics like those discussed Wednesday.

“If we keep sweeping them under the carpet,” he said, “they’ll never get better.”