NYU Shanghai advertises itself as a conglomeration of cultures and people from around the planet. We live and study together, learn from each other, and collectively reach a state of “global citizenry,” a term whose vagueness lends itself to grand notions of hyper-consciousness, acceptance, and open-mindedness. Sometimes, though, living and studying with people different from yourself is not enough to glean the insight we all came here searching for. It often becomes devilishly tempting not to carom back into the isolated social clusters from whence we came. Ally Week, the only NYU event that happens in the entire global network university, is an opportunity build the type of campus community to which we all aspire. While last year’s events were focused primarily on the LGBTQ community, this year’s hopes to encompass everything from race to religion to dietary lifestyle. It’s been made abundantly clear that Ally Week isn’t meant to be a celebration for allies; it’s not a pat on the back for standing up against bullies. It’s the start of a dialogue about issues that affect members of our community and ways to combat them. Sophomore Cato van Schaik, co-chair of the event, hopes the discussion will spur compassion and action among attendees: “The whole idea of ally week and being an ally is not going to an event, eating the pizza, sitting there thinking ‘oh that’s alright’ and then leaving. It’s an act of participation.” Students are expected to be contributing members of an ongoing discussion, not just passive learners. As NYU Shanghai, we are held responsible for shaping our school’s culture. Our creation of and attendance to an event like Ally Week sets a standard of active learning and growth: those who consider themselves well informed share their knowledge with others, those who are uninformed seek guidance and education, and those who identify with marginalized groups can find community and teach peers how to be better advocates for social justice. It is our task to take advantage of the incredible diversity that our school brings together, and Ally Week provides a fun, safe space to do so. It helps to shrink the gap between our vision for the school and reality, as well as provides a means of gaining awareness on how to be a better member of a diverse community. As van Schaik notes, “you suddenly sit in discussions with people that are in your class but you never speak to.” Events will take place throughout the whole week and will include a range of informative panel discussions by GAFs and outside speakers, recreational club-sponsored activities that cater to varied interests, and a CommUNITY Picnic and Art Gala to open and close the week. There’s something for everyone, and regardless of how you identify, it’s becoming increasingly evident that Ally Week plays a crucial role in bettering our community and ourselves. This article was written by Isabella Baranyk. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: NYU