Love can be hard, and as a young adult, it can be difficult to navigate relationships. That’s why the Nine Dime (910) Aggies hosted an event last week called “A Moment in Truth,” featuring relationship specialists, “The Grand Canions.”
Though this event provided students with relationship advice most young adults need, this event was only one stop out of many. Ken and Karen Canion are relationship coaches who tour the country sharing their advice on love and lasting relationships.
N.C. A&T, however, was the first university to hold one of their events.
“We wanted to add values to young people’s lives,” Ken said. “I mean, you’ve got young adults doing grown things but are adolescents emotionally.”
Rather than holding an event where students ask questions, the Canions said they wanted the event to feel more like a show.
It started with an introduction to the Canions’ marriage including their lowest point, where they were on the brink of divorce. This sparked their conflict-resolution model:
Before anything, assume the other person has good intentions.
- Allow the person to state how they feel (just listen)
- Ask only one question: what could I have done to make you feel different?
- Work on finding a solution
This “relationship diagnostic,” Ken said, is what saved his marriage with his wife since it challenged their need to be right in every argument.
“It was something that we all needed to hear and learn about like the different types of relationships, communication problems and the type of people we’re emotionally invested in,” said Jordyn Foster, sophomore biology student. “And I learned love is complicated in more ways we can explain.”
The event also featured audience engagement, where Ken and Karen presented scenarios and allowed students to share their take on hypothetical situations. It opened the floor to students’ expression of perspective, experience and advice for their peers.
“I think people are really interested in events that spark a conversation or give you an opportunity to hear diverse thoughts,” said Mantryll Williams, president of the 910 Aggies.
“A lot of the time A&T students only go to events that are fun, but we had to put on this event about purposeful dating, and it was still fun.”
Many students left with the topic of love still in conversation, sharing in detail between themselves how they feel they should be loved or how they would handle various scenarios.
Foster shared her self-reflection following the exhibition.
“I definitely think more A&T students need to know about [how to maintain relationships] because a lot of the time, we sell ourselves short because we think we’re not good enough or worth it,” Foster said. “If we’re going to have our standards up there, we need to keep them up there. We need to make sure we don’t settle for less.”
To learn more about the Canions’ coaching, visit their website.
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