It was not your typical dinner conversation.

Campus cultural connectors invited students to dinner and a discussion Thursday asking questions that encouraged students to share their experiences and opinions about the different relationships in their lives.

Cultural connectors are undergraduate students that are tasked with “assuring campus residents feel connected and welcome in their residence hall community by facilitating and developing an environment that is inclusive in multicultural awareness,” cultural connector advisor Brittany Washington said.

The dinners are “intended to be a space where Horned Frogs can come together and have a conversation around topics that are purposeful, meaningful, and fruitful for all involved,” Washington said.

The menu included chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, dinner rolls, cupcakes, and cake—your typical comfort food.

In return, students were encouraged to step out of their comfort zones.

“We would like to be able to have honest conversations with students and increase their awareness of what they think relationships are and then increase their awareness of what their fellow peers think relationships are,” cultural connector Gabe Wallace said.

One student said she found the experience to be informative.

“I really got to see what relationships are like from other peoples’ perspective and that will help evaluate my own relationships in the future,” sophomore Olivia Hagen said.

Washington said it is important to host dialogue dinners because it initiates a thought change in students’ minds.

Cultural connectors are new to campus this year and work in collaboration with Housing and Residence Life and Inclusiveness and Intercultural Services.

Dialogue dinners are held monthly and open to the TCU community. The next one will be held March 22.