Building Community Takes Work
“A lot of community creation is about intentionality,” explained Corn Schattman, who lives at Conrad Grebel University College and is working toward a degree in Liberal Studies at the University of Waterloo. “Communities don’t just form; they take work to create. I think that being a safe and inclusive community isn’t just about being nice to everyone. You also have to fight against the larger structural and cultural forces that might be keeping people down, and that includes coming to terms with your own subconscious biases and your potential for causing harm.”
Corn acknowledged that working toward equity, diversity, and inclusion is an intimidating task that no one person can do alone or do constantly. “But can you take ten minutes one day to look up anti-racism, and read what you find? Can you follow some political activists on social media? Can you tell your friend ‘that’s messed up, bro’ when he makes a misogynistic comment? Can you wear a mask in your 400-person lecture? Can you pull up an extra chair at your Grebel table, and invite the person who always sits alone to join you and your friends?” Each question invites people to consider what inclusion looks like in their own daily lives. “I’d be lying if I said that small actions were all we needed to make an inclusive community. We didn’t get civil rights through small actions, but they do make a difference, especially when everyone does them, and they will always be better than doing no actions.”
As an upper-year student at Grebel, Corn has already taken on several leadership roles on Student Council and the Larger Leadership Team. They are currently the summer 2026 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity Officer on Grebel’s Student Council. “The intent of the EDI Officer is to advocate for Grebelites in minority groups,” Corn described. “Whether it’s on the axis of race, gender, sexuality, religion, body shape and ability, or more, the EDI rep acts as the go-between person so that people don’t always have to advocate for themselves.” Since the EDI Officer position was introduced in 2022-23, students in this role have taken on a wide variety of projects depending on their interests and the needs of the student body. In addition to reporting to Student Council, the EDI Officer also sits on Grebel’s wider Anti-Racism, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity (ABIDE) Committee, which makes related recommendations to Grebel administration and creates opportunities to share knowledge and experiences across the Grebel community.
“I’ve always had a passion for social justice, as someone who’s part of a lot of marginalized groups and also just cares about the well-being of other people,” reflected Corn. “It’s easy to get bogged down in the hopelessness of global oppression when I’m just one person, but at least I can make a difference in my own little circle.” Even before becoming the EDI Officer, Corn was pushing back against harmful norms and advocating for changes at Grebel. For example, they have advocated to reduce barriers to washroom access for students with accessibility needs and are now working on a project examining how Grebel can become a more inclusive community to students of all racial backgrounds. “Being EDI rep is just a way to formalize that work, really,” they said.
“I am learning that leadership is rewarding, and leadership is hard! My role as Queer, Allied and Questioning (QuAQ) Rep last term was a lot of work, since we ran weekly events, but it was so worth it to see people showing up and having a great time.” Corn continued, “Being EDI rep this term was exciting initially, then became more frustrating as the novelty wore off and I came to terms with the realities of pushing for social change. But I think that if I keep working at it, it’ll be a super rewarding role.”
Corn noted that community was their biggest draw in living at Grebel but as a neurodivergent introvert, it has taken some time to “figure out small talk and get less scared of new people.” Grebel has helped them become more outgoing during social hours – a skill that Corn notes will help them build connections beyond university. Corn’s advice for aspiring student leaders is to “Just go for it! It might seem intimidating, but it gets easier the more you do it. Don’t overwhelm yourself with every leadership position at once. Pick your role and do it well.”