One way of reminding students of commitments made early on in a bias crisis — commitments that might fade as the crisis wanes — is this exercise using postcards. (Use the model postcards found in our Resources section.)

At an early gathering, hand out postcards to those in attendance. Have them address the postcards to themselves and write down one thing they will do, long term, to address the problem:

• "I will start a gay-straight alliance on campus."
• "I will ask my literature professors why they don't include minority works in their classes."
• "I will lobby the administration to hire more minority professors."
• "I will write a letter to the campus president asking for the formation of a bias-response team that includes student representation."

Collect the postcards, hold on to them for three to six weeks, then drop them in the mail. The reminder messages can be a powerful way to keep momentum going after the initial crisis has passed.

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