The Diversity Summit was an interesting experience in that it presents diversity as not only a nuanced, but multi-faceted topic. Before the retreat, I had planned an event that would involve a discussion primarily about political correctness and how to respond and respect diversity issues. Dr. Cullen managed to counter my preconceptions, arguing that the increased emphasis on political correctness—the overanalyzing of appropriate terminology—forces conversations to become less authentic. Many of Maura Cullen's ideas led to a larger thesis: Understanding diversity is important not only for avoiding offensive language, but also for improving effective communication with others. In order to bridge this gap, it is necessary to become “diversity smart,” understanding how a social identity is formed and, furthermore, how to embrace it appropriately rather than ignoring it. As I reflected on my expectations for the diversity summit, I realized that my anticipations for the course were in the same vein; I expected the main area of ​​focus would be the integration of a diverse student body into a residence hall community. Although this is an important outcome of the course, I now understand that it cannot be achieved without an understanding of social identity. Developing a social identity, which I look forward to exploring further during the course, was probably the topic of conversation at the summit that made me most aware of my naivety. Although I previously knew that the human mind works in a categorical and schematic way, I had not yet thought about how this might apply, or even in a normative sense, how it should apply to social identity. The most interesting example used by Dr. Cullen was "... middle of paper...... tools for success As Dr. Cullen stated, "equality is not always fair ". By participating in the Diversity Summit, I gained the knowledge that attempting to analyze and develop conclusions about social justice is not as important as understanding the difference between intent and impact in language fluent. This knowledge, combined with a deeper understanding of socially constructed identities, will not only enable me to become a leader through more effective communication, but also through an increased ability to resolve and avoid conflict. The ability to lead directly corresponds to the level of camaraderie and understanding within the community – resulting from the ability to communicate effectively – and I believe my participation in the Diversity Summit gave me the knowledge and abilities needed to promote the development of this community..