Come for Pizza, Stay for the Discussion

Mary Jane Rein, Meredith Gendreau, and Gabriel Matraia

Guest Writers

The purpose of a university is to create an environment where curiosity and learning thrive.

That means developing a campus culture that fosters the courage to speak, but also a willingness to listen.

As an institution committed to the pursuit of enduring truths, Assumption has established the Center for Civic Friendship to encourage students to engage in fearless conversations.

Yet, the impulse toward social conformity can favor dominant narratives that stifle student expression.

Young people may worry that by articulating deeply held convictions about politics, culture, or religion, they may invite social consequences including rejection or ridicule.

Despite the potential risks involved in having serious and important conversations, we are eager to bring students together in the spirit of friendship.

To that end, we have collaborated on plans for a student-led series called Civic Symposia that will offer a relaxed setting in which to discuss or debate a range of topics.

Meeting over a meal in Taylor, Charlie’s, or Pierre’s will offer opportunities for Assumption students, as well as faculty and staff, to participate in conversations that may be frivolous and fun or deeply meaningful.

Many campuses across the US are looking for ways to advance civic discourse.

Like our initiative, they focus on helping students develop the skills to have brave discussions that bridge divides.

What we seek to do by organizing Civic Symposia is to advance positive relationships that can strengthen the bonds of trust and respect necessary to negotiate these differences successfully.

That means nurturing habits like attentive listening and care for others.

These are qualities oriented toward friend formation that we believe are critical for students to acquire as they experience college but also as they prepare for their post-graduation lives.

To appreciate fellow citizens as potential friends, rather than possible adversaries, is essential to overcoming political and cultural divides.

Friendship offers the foundation for building a productive society where all members of a community can commit to strengthening the common good, even if they hold diverse views.

Last month, at our first planning lunch, a group of students brainstormed topics ranging in intensity from the trivial to the existential.

After generating these low, medium, and high stakes questions, we agreed to launch our first event with a low-stakes topic and to consider how we might eventually scaffold up to more intense discussions.

Meeting a few days after the Super Bowl, we thought it would be fun to begin with a debate that asks who is the better rapper: Drake or Kendrick Lamar.

There are genuine differences of opinion on this matter, and we want to exercise our persuasive skills to find the truth.

At our next Civic Symposia planning session, Professor Christopher Gilbert will share rhetorical strategies for how to construct a persuasive argument.

Learning conversational techniques can help us to strengthen face-to-face communication, which technology and social media have steadily weakened, especially in the wake of the pandemic.

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to join us at Charlie’s on March 24 at 12:30 for pizza and a discussion with Professor Gilbert.

Our first debate will take place on April 10 at 7 pm in Pierre’s to consider the merits of Kendrick Lamar v. Drake. Join us…you might reconsider your musical preferences or maybe make a friend.