‘Be Curious’ series breaks down tough conversations into small bites

Brandeis Stories

'Be Curious' series breaks down tough conversations into small bites

By Steve Foskett and David Levin
Photography by Daniel Oren '27
June 29, 2026 • Student Life

Have you received a Be Curious invite yet?

Don't just delete that email, because it could lead to connection, and it might change how you approach a tough conversation while making new connections.

Facilitated by the Intercultural Center at Brandeis, Be Curious, a forum for students, faculty and staff over food, has grown from a small email network group in 2024 into a space where a sizeable crowd of people gather for cultural meals while untangling thorny topics.

"I believe we know the cliche of not discussing certain conversations at the dinner table, like race, politics and religion," said Peter Rojas, who started organizing Be Curious dinners on campus in 2024. "I was curious to know the points of view that others had regarding such topics. This prompted me to consider how we could engage the Brandeis community to have these conversations."

The premise is simple: Rojas, director of the Intercultural Center, and Be Curious co-organizers send out emails from a curated list, inviting people to a discussion over dinner, and to just show up. At first, people were wary of the cryptic emails and Google forms.

"Obviously, a lot of people were wondering why they were receiving these emails," he said. "As it turns out, people appreciated being personally invited. I would say that people like that sense of belonging."

Since it began, Be Curious has drawn over 230 participants to dinners to discuss topics ranging from gender to race to politics, Rojas said. And that was all without doing much outreach beyond the emails.

The dinners are organized through a combined effort from the Intercultural Center, the Gender and Sexuality Center, and the Center for Spiritual Life. Jamie Wire, director of the Gender and Sexuality Center, said one thing the centers often hear from students is that they are having a hard time just being in a dialogue with each other, speaking up in class, or even sharing their opinion or views.

"We wanted to create something that's just a catalyst to get people to talk about topics that they might otherwise avoid," Wire said.

With a small grant received from the Legacy Fund, Be Curious has spawned its own offshoot, Be Curious Bites, that seeks to promote the dinners across campus through more informal channels. On a recent afternoon, a Be Curious Bites popped up outside the Shapiro Student Center, which included a food truck and tabling activities with information on Pride Month and Juneteenth.

"It's all intended to, well, get people curious," Rojas said. "We're trying to leave you a few crumbs to get you interested."

There is a strong networking component to the dinners among students, faculty and staff, Rojas said. He and his collaborators plan to include alumni participation in future events, with more campus partner collaborations that will lead to increased community participation in larger venues. The name "Be Curious" is borrowed from a line about being curious and not being judgmental in the television show "Ted Lasso," and Rojas said it seems like a fitting way to look at the discussions.

"Ultimately, at the end of the day, what I hope people get out of the dinner is that, believe it or not, our experiences are more alike than different," Rojas said. "Whether we talk about it or not, there is commonality amongst us, and ultimately we may be facing similar struggles. Hopefully, we can create more bonds with one another to support one another and have a greater sense of belonging."

Accordingly, increasing a sense of community and belonging is one of the goals of the Office of Access and Excellence which oversees the Intercultural Center, Gender and Sexuality Center, and Ombuds Office.