Over the past few weeks, Fresno State’s Student Involvement has sent out emails inviting all students to attend an inclusive conference on Saturday, March 2 in the North Gym, Room 118.

Though the invite was sent to both men and women, the title, “MENtoring: Exploring College Success through HIStory,” seemed to lean more toward a male-oriented audience.

Reminiscent of the recent feminist movements that use HERstory as a way to spotlight and uplift women, Student Involvement similarly used such wording to draw men’s attention, especially men of color, as the email stated, with the emphasized words, MENtoring and HIStory, to maximize student attendance.

The implications of using HIStory suggest uncertainty about the inclusion of all students. Additionally, the majority of the agenda and breakout sessions seemed to focus on offering opportunities and a community exclusively for men.

One student on Fresno State’s Book Trade & Advice Facebook group posted an online flyer for the conference, which prompted several students to question why the emails were sent to women, joking about how they wouldn’t feel welcome or enjoy attending it.

However, despite the misleading conference name given for a male-based audience, a wide array of powerful and important messages were offered for not only men and men of color, but for all genders and ethnicities on campus.

Terrell L. Strayhorn Ph.D, an acclaimed education expert and professor, and Shamiel Gary, former NFL Player, entrepreneur and motivational speaker, were the headliners at the conference.

Some important topics that they focused on during their presentations revolved around addressing bullying, suicide, crying and toxic masculinity through their own life experiences.

Using these messages to discuss men’s mental health and various stigmas perpetuated by society provided a platform for students to discuss their concerns with a welcoming community that is unafraid to explore the false conceptions of what it means to be a man.

During Gary’s presentation, he emphasized to the audience that it’s OK to admit if students need help, and he encouraged those in attendance to seek out mentorship during their college careers. As young students who may be in search for someone to help with guidance on their journey through life in college, Gary reinforced the message that there is nothing wrong with an individual feeling like they can’t solve or do things all on their own.

The conference also addressed the stigma that men cannot allow themselves to be vulnerable, emphasizing that this notion is what contributes to a false idea of masculinity, informing college students that being aware of these social issues is what will help dispel gender norms and push back negative stereotypes.

By including an invitation to both men and women to this conference, the organizers provided an honest and interactive discourse, which is the first step in bridging the gap between conventional gender-based social circles.

Discussing the privileges that come with manhood and acknowledging that certain opportunities may be available exclusively to men helps illustrate where these gender differences come from and the necessity for men to be accountable to and for one another.

Using this conference as a collaborative opportunity, Fresno State’s effort to bring together individuals of various ethnicity, gender and social class will hopefully communicate the message that even if we are all different people from different backgrounds in life, we can all come together as one when we hear and see each other for who each person is.