Reprinted from Syracuse University News – Campus & Community

The University’s ongoing Interfaith Dialogue Dinner Series, “Common and Diverse Ground: Raising Consciousnesses by Acknowledging the ‘Hidden’ Things that Divide Us,” continues on Tuesday, March 3, with the second dialogue of the Spring 2020 semester. The dialogue will include an in-depth discussion on “Faith and Mental Health” with guest co-facilitator Shanti Das ’93 and student co-facilitator Shaelise Tor, a doctoral candidate.

Das is an accomplished music industry and marketing executive, consultant, mentor, entrepreneur, philanthropist and author. She is also the founder/CEO of Press Reset Entertainment, an Atlanta-based firm launched in 2009 that serves as an entertainment concierge service. During her career, Das has handled high-profile marketing campaigns and product management for artists like Jermaine Dupri, Jagged Edge, Bow Wow, Prince, Vivian Green, Lyfe, Omarion, Erykah Badu, Busta Rhymes, Stevie Wonder and many others. She is also the founder of Silence the Shame, a nonprofit that works to erase the stigma around mental health and poverty.

The event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Noble Room of Hendricks Chapel. Dinner starts at 5 p.m. The gathering will include a shared meal, facilitated dialogue and two periods of mindful meditation (at the beginning and the end). American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and inclusive food will be provided. Requests for accommodations or food queries should be made in advance by contacting Diane Wiener at dwiener@law.syr.edu.

The third Interfaith Dialogue Dinner of Spring 2020 will take place on March 23 with guest co-facilitator Ralph Savarese. That event will also be held in the Noble Room of Hendricks Chapel and will begin at 5 p.m. with dinner, followed by the discussion at 5:30 p.m. All events in the series are free, open to the public and do not require an RSVP.

The Spring 2020 “Common and Diverse Ground” series is co-sponsored by Hendricks Chapel, the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach in the Burton Blatt Institute, Intergroup Dialogue and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Over the past five years, the series has brought members of the campus community together in an inclusive environment to explore challenging contemporary issues.

Learn more about the March 3 dialogue dinner on the Events Calendar posting. For more information on the event series, contact Hendricks Chapel at chapel@syr.edu or 315.443.2901.