International students, non-traditional students and faculty were among those seated in an intimate circle within USI’s Multicultural Center during the Power Hour event held on Sept. 14.

The discussion was led by Multicultural Center Assistant Director Kacheyta McClellan and Staff Counselor Stephanie Cunningham, the newest addition to USI’s counseling center staff.

The program was to encourage discussion about recent events held on campus relating to improving gender-specific communication and diversity issues at USI. Free pizza was made available through Sodexo and the counseling center.

“It came about through wanting to develop as close a relationship with the MCC as possible,” Cunningham said.

“The goal was to balance that relationship and allow us to be more connected so we could find out exactly what their specific needs were,” she said. “The counseling center is very dedicated to issues of diversity. We’re trying to put our money where our mouth is and be more proactive in the field.”

President of Black Student Union Courtney Hoskins said Power Hour was a success.

“People were able to express their personal experiences and minister to others how to get over fears, get more involved and make campus more interesting for everyone,” Hoskins said.

The general agreement was that interpersonal communication was the biggest campus issue. There will be subsequent Power Hours held on Oct. 26 and Nov. 30 from noon to 1 p.m.