Following is the schedule of events for Brookdale’s first Civility Week:
All in-person events will take place in Navesink Rooms I, II or III, located in the Student Life Center. Remote live events can be accessed through the Civility Week website: https://www.brookdalecc.edu/civility-week/
11 to 11:45 a.m. Monday, Oct. 4, “Professionalism and Civility in the Workplace,” presented remote live by Jill Donovan, MSEd; Bill Kelly, MA, NCC; and Anne LaPorta, MA, MA, MBTI, CP, Career, Leadership & Transfer Pathways. The 21st century workforce is characterized by continuous change. Professionalism in the workplace is an ongoing process that requires us to develop skills that leverage both self and social awareness. Join Career, Leadership & Transfer Pathways as we discuss and address what to expect from yourself and others to ensure that your behavior and attitude will lead to workplace success.
6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 4, the opening ceremony and keynote event entitled, “Closer Than We Might Appear: A Conversation on Connection, Communication and Civil Discourse with Steven Petrow,” features keynote speaker Steven Petrow with moderator Angela Kariotis, director of Diversity and Inclusion/CCOG, and Civility Week presenters, Dr. David Bassano, Bryan Cocchiara, Dr. Christine Greco Covington, Laura McCullough and Jean Paul Guerdy. An in-depth discussion on civility with Petrow, an award-winning journalist who writes and speaks on the theoretical underpinnings of civility, its role in a just society and how civility can be practiced each day. Petro is author of the “Civil Behavior” column for the New York Times and the “Civilities” column for the Washington Post. His Ted Talk, “3 Ways to Practice Civility,” has received nearly two million views.
11:45 a.m. Tuesday Oct. 5, “East Meets West: Aristotle and Confucius on Virtue and Civility” presented by Bryan Cocchiara, adjunct professor of philosophy. In person. What is civility? Is it a comportment? A state of being? Can it be taught or learned? Does it require virtue, or is it a virtue in its own right? Is civility something that only the Western world is concerned with? In order to meaningfully address these questions, perhaps it is necessary that we take a very careful look at virtue ethics, which is one of the more compelling approaches in the realm of moral philosophy.
11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5, “Civility in Encounters with the Police” moderated by Jacqueline Seely, chair of Criminal Justice, and Christopher York, instructor of criminal justice. In person. This program will consist of a panel discussion on collaborative approaches to promoting civility in encounters between the public and police. The panel will consist of local and county law enforcement officials, Brookdale criminal justice professors, and members of community groups with investment in the topic of civility in policing. Panelists will include Lori Linskey, Monmouth County Prosecutor, Shaun Golden, Monmouth County Sheriff, and Special Agent James Dobis, US Department of Justice.

11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5 “Living Room Conversations No. 1” hosted by Angela Kariotis, director of Diversity and Inclusion/CCOG, remote live – Zoom Link: https://brookdalecc.zoom.us/j/92734330756 Living Room Conversations are a simple way to connect across divides – politics, age, gender, race, nationality, and more. Getting at the heart of what we share in common with one another, these conversations have powerful, positive impacts across society – including a sense of respect, understanding, and even friendship in unexpected places! The backbone of a Living Room Conversation is a conversational model developed by dialogue experts in order to facilitate connection between people despite their differences, and even identify areas of common ground and shared understanding. Within this model, we have developed over 100 conversation guides on all sorts of topics that can otherwise be tense to talk about with friends, strangers, and even loved ones of differing backgrounds and political persuasions. We hope this will become a monthly event. https://livingroomconversations.org
1:30 p.m. Tuesday Oct. 5, “Self-Care Leads to Greater Civility” presented by Tricia D’Aloia Gandolfo, director of nursing, remote live – Zoom Link: https://brookdalecc.zoom.us/j/92733673604 The Health Science Department will lead a discussion on relaxation techniques, the importance of rest and healthy habits. Paying attention to our stress levels to avoid burnout will be emphasized. We will also explain when andwhere at Brookdale to ask for help. Self-care practices improve our sense of grounded-ness, peace and calm, which improves our relationship with others, thereby leading to greater civility.
11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6 “Asking Unanswerable Questions: Setting the Stage for Change and Being Changed,” hosted by Angela Kariotis, director of Diversity and Inclusion/CCOG in Navesink II. Can we disagree with ideas but not with people? When can’t we meet in the middle? Do you listen to understand or wait for your turn to talk? In this workshop we will practice exercises that set the stage for one of the most radical ways to connect: conversation. We’ll play, some improvisation, theater techniques, debate, and explore. This is an active and participatory workshop. Open mind and comfortable shoes required.
2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, “Human & Humane: Trauma Informed, Non-Violent Communication, and Compassionate Curiosity in the Classroom,” presented by Laura McCullough, professor of English. Remote live – Zoom Link: https://brookdalecc.zoom.us/j/95450352153 This talk will focus on classroom ethical and pyscho-emotional challenges and opportunities for growth and co-regulatory practices to support curriculum engagement and development of the “whole student.”
7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, “The Long Shadow” film discussion with director Frances Causey, presented by Dr. Sara Brown, director of the Center for Holocaust, Human Rights and Genocide Education. Remote Live – Advanced Registration Zoom Link:
https://brookdalecc.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwlcOyprjopGdWPRExCijIWKpXxiPB3iEms Join Chhange and the New Jersey Social Justice Remembrance Coalition for a Q&A with Frances Causey, former CNN Senior Producer and Emmy-Award winning director of The Long Shadow. The film follows Frances as she traces her family’s legacy of slaveholding and white privilege, placing it in the context of the history of anti-black racism in the United States continuing to impact our society today. Causey’s films have been seen on Netflix, PBS, and The History Channel, and her TED talk continues to reach audiences worldwide. Screen the film for free here at any time beginning Sept. 29: http://thelongshadowfilm.com/chhange/. Then join the discussion and Q&A.
11:45 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, “To Be Civil Is To Be Stigma-Free,” presented by Sara Burrill, associate professor of psychology, Maeve Harrington and Emily Maxim, Human Services in Navesink I. In January 2021, Brookdale made a “stigma-free commitment” – to foster an environment that welcomes and supports the mental health of all students, faculty, staff and visitors. This sounds like a very nice thing to do. But what does it actually mean to be stigma-free? How is being stigma-free central to Brookdale’s mission of empowering students to reach their personal, educational and economic goals? And what can you do to help create a more stigma-free Brookdale?
11:45 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, “Is That a Dog On Your Plate: A Dialogue on Discourse and Social Awareness,” presented by Dr. Barbara Jones, professor of anthropology and Dr. Matthew Kalos, instructor of anthropology in Navesink III. Through a panel discussion on the key anthropological themes of ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, cultural universals, reflexivity, and holism, we will tackle the issues of civil discourse and social awareness. Three international students will share their cultural stories (from behaviors as disparate as food taboos to marriage patterns) that we will then frame within the language of anthropology. In rethinking the foreign as familiar, tolerance and mutual respect for our cultural differences becomes not only possible but much more likely.
1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, “A History of Civility,” presented by Dr. David Bassano, associate professor of history in Navesink II. It may come as a surprise to hear that the world is more civil than it once was. Headlines would seem to indicate that society is becoming less tolerable all the time, but that is mainly the effect of the constant access to information in our time; had there been an internet in medieval Europe, the news feeds would have been filled with incredible abuse and suffering. That the world is a safer, more civil place than it once was is statistically demonstrable; but the historical reasons behind the change are difficult to ascertain. Why has violence declined? Why is child abuse less tolerated than in earlier centuries? Why are people more understanding and accepting of cultural differences? These are the questions this lecture will address, and the answers may surprise you…
1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, “Sociology, Self-Reflexivity and Inequality,” presented by Dr. Diditi Mitra, associate professor of sociology, and Gabrielle Green, a sociology student. Remote Live – Zoom Link: https://brookdalecc.zoom.us/j/94699280368 The goal of the presentation is to discuss how the sociological lens can encourage self-reflexivity and understand the ways in which individuals contribute to social reproduction.
10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 8, “Empathy: Not Just a Feeling, But an Actionable Skill,” presented by Dr. Christine Greco Covington, associate professor of psychology. Remote Live – Zoom Link: https://brookdalecc.zoom.us/j/92270299112 Participants will learn a more complex understanding of empathy, discuss why it’s so important in human interaction and learn how to communicate it. Empathy is far beyond just a feeling, it is a skill that can be learned and practiced. Doing so will not only improve your relationships with others, but it will also positively impact your own psychological well-being.
2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8, “From Building a Community to Building a Garden,” presented by Jeannette Falotico, founding principal of Trinity Consulting Group, Yaritza Ortega, Jean Guerdy Paul and Isabel Shaw, students in The Innovation Network (TIN), Dreamers+ Club and Asia Society. Remote Live – Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81928932522?pwd=RGdHbjJZMnVoT2NRY245Vlh1QlRUdz09
The Innovation Network (TIN) brings together a panel of international students, including members from Dreamers+ and the International society, to share personal stories about what challenges them, their motivation, and how they achieve their goals. Please join us and learn the benefits of social awareness and diversity in club participation and student learning. Participants will discover how Brookdale’s clubs foster a greater understanding of different cultures, building confidence, raising self-esteem, and improving students’ experiences while building a stronger community at Brookdale.