“Brookdale Community College is committed to freedom of expression while maintaining a civil and ethical learning environment.” These are the opening words to the college’s formal civility statement.
To promote this value, the International Education Center is hosting Brookdale’s second Civility Week from Feb. 14 to Feb. 18. During this time, a variety of speakers will tackle the issue from different angles.
Civility is defined as formal politeness and courtesy in behavior and speech.
“Our goal is for participants to increase their multicultural awareness, develop active listening skills, build community through the sharing of diverse experiences, and challenging dominant narratives,” said Associate Professor of Psychology Sara Burrill.
“Students are wanted and welcome to participate in all sessions taking place across the week, and we hope that they will take part in the Reflection discussion at the end of each session, where the following questions will be posed: What did you learn from this session that challenged what you thought you knew? Where do you see yourself in the stories shared during this session? What are you still curious about?” said Burrill, who co-chaired the Civility Week Planning Committee with Education Professor Ave Latte.
Day 1, Monday, Feb. 14, features two different Zoom sessions. The first session, “Civility in the Midst of Unrest,” presented by Minister Kerwin Webb, pastor at the Second Baptist Church of Asbury Park and president of the Greater Red Bank Area NAACP. Webb will address the importance of remaining calm and civil in the most difficult of times. This session will run from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. https://brookdalecc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IFOSs4xSSumi30uGwf-1XA
Day 1 continues with “Civil Conversation – It Can Be Done!” and will be presented by Joe Ritacco. Ritacco is a board member of the Monmouth Center for World Religions and Ethical Thought. This presentation is geared around helping people navigate through uncomfortable conversations and teaching them how to formulate a response to a sensitive topic that elicits strong emotional responses. This session will run from 2 to 3:30 p.m. via Zoom. https://brookdalecc.zoom.us/j/92854991151#success
Day 2 of Civility Week continues Tuesday with two more sessions. Orrie Shulman will present “Understanding That People with Disabilities Are, in Fact, People.” Shulman will share her life story and what it was like growing up with disabilities. This session will run from 9-10 a.m. on Feb. 15 via Zoom. https://brookdalecc.zoom.us/j/97003022629#success
The second session for day 2 is “Can Queer People Afford Civility?” presented by Leah Wasacz. Wasacz will discuss how gay and trans history has been anything but civil. This session will run from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. via Zoom. https://brookdalecc.zoom.us/j/94314628344#success
Sessions on day 3 are scheduled to begin with “From Liberators to Leaders: Stories from African American GIs in WWII and the Civil Rights Movement.” Dr. Sara Brown, director of the Center for Holocaust, Human Rights and Genocide Education, will host the session at noon via Zoom. https://www.chhange.org/events/liberators-to-leaders
“How a Global History of Architecture Can Bring Us Hope for Our Future” takes place 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday on Zoom. https://brookdalecc.zoom.us/j/92237823455#success.
At 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, “Stories of Undocumented Immigrants Past and Present,” will be presented by Dr. Ashley Zampogna-Krug on Zoom at https://brookdalecc.zoom.us/j/91716698462#success
At 7 p.m. “Suffragists Speak: Race, Slavery, and the Fight for the Vote” will bring to life the struggle for the vote during an hour-long video on Zoom at https://brookdalecc.zoom.us/j/96276003328
The week comes to a close at noon Friday, Feb. 18 with “Defeating Human Trafficking: What Can We Do?” on Zoom at https://brookdalecc.zoom.us/j/93365058089
Students at Brookdale can check their outlook emails for information regarding Civility Week. Any questions about the sessions or registration can be sent to the International Education Center at 732-224-2799 or [email protected]