Aren't We All Just A Little Bit Prejudiced?

The first year experience isn't just a time to get acclimated to a new place or form new friendships. It's a time for students to decide what values they will retain from their upbringing and what elements of character they will establish on their own. Personal values come from experiences and beliefs. We all make judgments about things based on our past interactions and experiences and that in which we believe. Prejudging a situation or person is natural. We do it intrinsically and often immediately. Where we sometimes fail is in how we interact with others based solely upon those thoughts and feelings. Matt Glowacki's aren't We All Just A Little Bit Prejudiced? is a candid look at how we gauge our interactions with others. His presentation addresses how to make the most of those interactions and shares ways to overcome the ignorance associated with stereotypical behavior. Matt will teach students how to feel comfortable enough with each other to interact naturally and how to make the most of each and every one of these interactions.

Placing value in learning about various kinds of people and challenging students to make friends with people outside of their comfort zone will round out their college experience and is the key to appreciating Diversity. The lessons in life that teach us the most are those that happen when we share our true selves while simultaneously striving to learn as much as we can about others regardless of who they are or what path led them to us.

Often, students come from small towns or communities and missed the opportunity to live and interact with people from different cultural backgrounds or different ethnic subcultures than themselves. So their preconceived notions are based on what other people have told them or incorrect media images, not on actual personal experience.

This presentation brings home the idea that prejudice can used for good when it involves seeing potential in others. Enjoy the views and the insights Matt brings to his audience through his heartfelt, humorous yet candid style. His goal is for people to grow from their interactions with others regardless of their individual differences, and they will.

The New Face of Disability

Sadly the events of September 11th and The War on Terror have bred a new generation of veterans who are facing the challenges associated with living a life with a newly acquired disability. According to reports from the U.S. Government as many as 1/3 of soldiers who have recently returned to the U.S. have sought care from a Veterans' Administration healthcare system for disabilities which they have acquired while serving our nation.

Matt Glowacki's personal experiences and knowledge of life with a disability are invaluable as he explains the stages of grief and how they are reflected in living life within the parameters of a newly acquired disability. His Paralympic expertise allows him to introduce the role competitive sports can play in the recovery of a person's identity. He will share examples from a lifetime of overcoming other people's low expectations for his success to illustrate the importance of striving to overcome obstacles and have meaningful relationships in life and love.

This program is ideal for all members of the college community who are seeking to be educated about new issues that will be effecting us for years to come as many of these returning wounded warriors will be returning to school as well. Your audience will leave with an understanding of how a disability affects both the person with the challenge as well as that person's friends, family and community. Matt will strive to break down barriers that may exist between the able-bodied and those who have a disability, allowing audience members to become comfortable befriending someone with a personal challenge, so that everyone can truly be all that they can be.

Diversability Challenge

Are you tired of the same old Bed Races, Bat Spin, Pass the Egg or Three Legged Race games students play for Welcome Week, Homecoming Week, Greek Competition or Spring Fling? Why just talk about diversity when you can experience it first hand? Matt Glowacki's Diversability Challenge brings the spirit of competition and diversity to your campus in one program. It is a sport simulation that brings a sampling of the Paralympic Games together with the real-life experience of having a disability.

Matt will open the games with actual video footage taken from the Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia, in which he participated as a member of the United States Sitting-Volleyball Team. He will greet the competitors with a high-energy motivational address and then explain the rules of the competition.

The program's logistics change based on venue and number of participants, but it is designed around three Paralympic sports: basketball, sitting-volleyball, and murderball. Matt can also serve as referee or participant in the games. A round-robin tournament then ensues where only the strong survive!

The goal of this exciting program is to provide new insights into Diversity and to bring people together in a meaningful way where they can build new relationships, strengthen existing ones and have a great time the process. Sport brings people together everyday, so why not add a new dimension to the game of life?