By Caitlin Maloney

According to the University’s Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) brochure, “Students who are engaged in their civic life are better satisfied with their lives and social environment, including their university experience… [And] can more effectively move from awareness to action.” In an effort to promote these concepts, CCE has been sponsoring events and programs campus-wide.

“Diversity has enriched my life, and promoting it is a major goal of mine,” said, Cynthia Bogard, the CCE director and an associate professor of sociology. “It’s normal and natural to get involved. We look to make the civic component of life part of everyday existence.” These are the aims of the CCE, along with encouraging peaceful and informed activism.

CCE started off the semester with its first “multicultural mixer,” held on Sept. 20. The event was co-sponsored by several other University organizations and intended to encourage discussion and understanding of other cultures. More than 200 students attended the event, a far greater success than CCE had predicted. Ethnic foods, dancing and performances by student groups created an air of educational entertainment.

On Oct. 2, CCE was involved in the International Day of Non-Violence, coinciding with Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. Prior to the day, students painted “peace ribbons. Sheets were cut-up and decorated with fabric paint and glitter to convey messages of hope and non-violence. These were strung together and displayed outside Hofstra Hall. A panel was held to discuss ways to peacefully prevent nuclear warfare.

The Day of Non-Violence also marked the opening of two exhibits displayed in C.V. Starr Hall. These exhibitions, “Transforming the Human Spirit” and “United Nations Peacekeeping-Courage for Peace,” are on display until Oct. 27 and are available to all University students and faculty. The latter “highlights the work being done by United Nations peacekeepers all over the world, personalizing their work and connecting the audience with the day-to-day lives of a few of the courageous men and women who serve in the cause of peace,” and was designed by UN peacekeepers, according to the CCE flyer. “Transforming the Human Spirit” is an exploration of the “pyramid of violence” that society lives by, including everything from nuclear warfare to acts of individual hate among peers. It focuses on transforming “a culture of violence into a culture of peace,” as it reads on the flyer.

Besides Gandhi’s birthday, other holidays CCE intends to celebrate are “Sit-in Day” on Feb. 1, commemorating the first Woolworth’s counter sit-in, and Earth Day on April 22. CCE has also been running voter registration tables in the Student Center every Tuesday and Wednesday. “If we don’t take advantage of our rights, someone will take advantage of us,” Bogard said. “People [elsewhere] die every day to vote. It’s our number one privilege as American citizens.”

A new program this year connected to CCE is the housing program for first-year students living in the Netherlands. Freshman had the option when applying for housing to select the Civic Engagement house, which is geared toward students who are “committed to active citizenship.” There, CCE holds discussions and events relating to the common interest of its inhabitants: getting involved in community, campus and political life. CCE has also held discussions in the lounges of other residence halls for those who are interested in getting involved in social and political issues. The Center for Civic Engagement’s most prominent event is its fifth annual Day of Dialogue, an “all day multi-event discussion on the issues that face our world.” Beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 24, the day includes discussions and presentations concerning immigration, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, presidential candidates, the No Child Left Behind Act, oil, Iraq and dozens of other controversial subjects.

In the past, more than 3,500 students attended various Day of Dialogue events. “The Day of Dialogue is intended to promote civil discourse about issues that matter. We talk about difficult issues and hopefully get people to make the link between talking and taking action,” Bogard said.

Also approaching is the CCE’s third annual Campus Camp Wellstone program. Spanning two days, Friday, Nov. 2, and Saturday, Nov. 3, the session is intended for those interested in politics. There are programs for those interested in becoming an effective political candidate, campaign manager or community organizer. For a $10 registration fee, students receive leadership training from young professionals, as well as dinner Friday and lunch Saturday.

For more information concerning any of the programs, contact Professor Cynthia Bogard at [email protected].