Emmanuel Celebrates “Civility Week”
January 23, 2008
From January 23rd- 29th, the Office of Student Activities and Multicultural Programs will be sponsoring "Civility Week," which will feature programming designed to promote and encourage the concept of civility among all members of the Emmanuel College community.
Last year, a task force including Associate Director of First Year Programs and Leadership Development Catherine DesRoche, Director of Student Center Services Mary Beth Thomas and Assistant Director of Residence Life/Resident Director Kerri Smith began working on programming dedicated to opening up dialogue amongst members of the community regarding their understanding of civility. The goals were to promote the concept in a variety of ways through programming, while emphasizing the significance of civility within peoples' everyday lives.
"We held an open forum with students last spring to help us understand what civility means to them, how they have see it lived out on campus and what they have seen that is not civil," said DesRoche. "The programmatic efforts are what we thought would be a well-rounded approach to civility, including sportsmanship, leadership, dining etiquette, and more."
To kick off the programming, nationally recognized keynote speaker, author, leadership trainer and educator Nancy Hunter Denney will address "Civility, Leadership and College Life" on Wednesday, January 23rd at 6:00 p.m. in the Auditorium. Denney has appeared at more than 650 colleges and formerly served for 12 years in higher education student affairs.
A "Civility Table," which will provide interested members of the community with further information on the events as well as advice on the topic, will be in the Jean Yawkey Center Atrium from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 24th and Friday, January 25th. Resident Assistants helping at the tables will also provide students the opportunity to send candy to those in their lives they appreciate. The movie, Pay it Forward, which focuses on one boy's hopes to make the world a better place, will play in St. Ann's Lounge at 7:00 p.m. on Friday as well.
On Monday, January 28th, the Office of Internships and Career Development will sponsor an "Etiquette Dinner," featuring two Emmanuel alums that will provide an overview of the particulars of navigating a formal dinner. The event will take place in the Administration Meeting Room at 6:00 p.m.
Throughout the week, athletic events taking place in the Jean Yawkey Center's Gymnasium will also be highlighted as part of "Civility Week," emphasizing the civil act of sportsmanship. Home games include women's basketball vs. Johnson & Wales on Wednesday, January 23rd at 7:00 p.m., and a Saturday, January 26th double-header featuring men's basketball against Emerson at 1:00 p.m. and men's volleyball vs. Lasell at 4:00 p.m.
Programming will conclude with a Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast, sponsored by the Colleges of the Fenway, on Tuesday, January 29th at the Longwood Inn at 8:30 a.m.