Vincent Immanuel-Herr (C'13) presents in Wanamaker Hall with his son on his chest.

This year, the annual student-planned International Public Affairs Conference (IPAC) added an unofficial letter to its initialism: “D” for discussion. The topic of this year’s conference—Feminism: The Role We All Have to Play—delved into the nuances of gender equality. “We wanted a topic that was multi-faceted,” says student director of IPAC Sarah Fakorede (C’25). “People tend to only see feminism from one angle, so we looked for speakers from different disciplines to bring in a variety of ideas and opinions.” 

Topics of the weekend dove deep into aspects of gender equality not often addressed in mainstream media, including black feminism and coded bias. One such presentation titled “Men as Allies for Gender Equality” was given by Principia College alumnus, author, and speaker Vincent Immanuel-Herr (C’13). “I think it’s important for men to talk about issues of gender equality,” he said from the front of Wanamaker Hall. “Male allyship is recognizing that women have done way more than their share for decades. We as men need to do our share.” 

The conference was an opportunity for the community to come together in allyship—both locally and internationally. One student shared that her mother attended Immanuel-Herr's talk virtually from Mexico, using Google to translate his message. “It was cool to know that our impact was spreading that far,” says Fakorede. 

But the true impact of IPAC extended far beyond the walls of Wanamaker. Fakorede noticed that impromptu discussions began popping up around campus, between faculty, students, and even the panelists. “At the welcome dinner, community members and students spoke with panelists at length about gender equality. Everyone had really insightful conversations, and afterwards the speakers said they loved being at Principia and connecting with our students in that way.” 

Active Q&A sessions after each presentation further underscored the community’s desire to engage in this global conversation. But Fakorede knew the conference had truly done its job when discussions around campus began to center around gender equality. “People are still talking about IPAC weeks later,” says Fakorede. “Our goal was to start a discussion, and that’s what happened.” 

Visit the IPAC webpage to watch recordings of the presentations.