Past Values Days

Values Day 2023 theme was “Things We Don't Talk About At Dinner” - building our community's capacity to take on difficult and challenging topics that are necessary for a healthy and vibrant intellectual community.

2023 Values Day Schedule

Keynote Program

"Great Minds Who Don't Think Alike"

How can we disagree with someone without being disagreeable? Following welcoming remarks by President Roellke and the Values Day Planning Committee, faculty members Dr. Melinda Hall, Dr. Bill Nylen, and Dr. John Rasp will role model effective discourse by talking about controversial topics (and disagreeing with each other!) with warmth and intellectual honesty. This program will take place from 10:30 a.m. to noon in Elizabeth Hall's Lee Chapel. Cultural Credit will be provided for all Stetson students. 

Deliberative Dialogue

"Spring Hill Annexation"

One difficult topic in the DeLand community is whether the historically African-American "Greater Spring Hill" community (just southwest of Stetson's campus) should be fully annexed into the City of DeLand. Join this conversation to learn more about the topic from local leaders, deliberate it within small groups, and be polled on it by Stetson's Center for Public Opinion Research. This program will take place from 1:00 - 3:30 p.m. in the CUB Stetson Room. Snacks and refreshments will be provided, as well as Cultural Credit for all Stetson students.

• Schedule and Workshops

Keynote Speaker 2022 -Ed Freeman, PhD.

"What we need is a new story about business that puts business and ethics together, that sees business as how we create value for stakeholders, not just shareholders." -Dr. Ed Freeman

R. Edward Freeman is a university professor and Olsson professor of business administration, and an academic director of the Institute for Business in Society at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Dr. Freeman inspires his students and a wide variety of audiences with a new understanding of business that offers us hope that complex societal problems can and are being solved through businesses creating value for and with their stakeholders.

Freeman is the co-author of multiple books, including The Power Of And: Responsible Business Without Trade-offs (Columbia University Press, 2020); and Models of Leadership in Plato and Beyond (Oxford University Press, 2021). Freeman is perhaps best known for his award-winning book, Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach (Cambridge, 2010), originally published in 1984, in which he traced the origins of the stakeholder idea to a number of others and suggested that businesses build their strategy around their relationships with key stakeholders.

Freeman has a Ph.D. in philosophy from Washington University and a B.A. in mathematics and philosophy from Duke University. Freeman is a lifelong student of philosophy, martial arts and the blues. He is a co-principal in Stakeholder Media LLC and host of The Stakeholder Podcast. He is a co-principal in Red Goat Records LLC.

• Schedule and Workshops

Keynote Speaker - Isabel Wilkerson

The Warmth of Other Suns won the National Book Critics Circle Award, among other honors, and was named to more than 30 Best of the Year lists, including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker and The Washington Post.  TIME Magazine named it one of the “10 Best Non-Fiction Books” of the decade. The New York Times Magazine named Warmth to its list of the best nonfiction books of all time. 

Her new book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, was published in August 2020 to critical acclaim and became a Number 1 New York Times bestseller.  Dwight Garner of The New York Times called it, “An instant American classic and almost certainly the keynote nonfiction book of the American century thus far.” Oprah Winfrey chose it as her 2020 Summer/Fall book club selection, declaring it “the most important book” she had ever selected.     

Wilkerson won the Pulitzer Prize for her deeply humane narrative writing while serving as Chicago Bureau Chief of The New York Times in 1994, making her the first black woman in the history of American journalism to win a Pulitzer Prize and the first African American to win for individual reporting. In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded Wilkerson the National Humanities Medal for "championing the stories of an unsung history.

As the historian Jill Lepore observed in The New Yorker: “What Wilkerson urges, isn’t argument at all; it’s compassion. Hush, and listen.”   

Common Read: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

“Modern-day caste protocols,” Wilkerson writes, “are often less about overt attacks or conscious hostility. They are like the wind, powerful enough to knock you down but invisible as they go about their work.” Wilkerson rigorously defines eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, heredity, and dehumanization. She documents the parallels with two other hierarchies in history, those of India and of Nazi Germany, and no reader will be left without a greater understanding of the price we all pay in a society torn by artificial divisions.

“The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality,” Wilkerson writes. “It is about power — which groups have it and which do not.” Before its release, the Chicago Tribune declared that Caste “should be at the top of every American’s reading list." Dwight Garner, the chief critic of The New York Times, called Caste “an instant American classic and almost certainly the keynote nonfiction book of the American century thus far.” Upon publication, Oprah Winfrey announced that Caste was her Summer 2020 pick for Oprah’s Book Club and proclaimed it “the most essential...the most necessary-for-all-humanity book that I have chosen.”

We have purchased 270 copies of Caste that will be available in the DuPont Ball Library starting on Monday, September 20th, first come first serve.

• Schedule and Workshops

Keynote Address Phil Kaye - Artist, Co-Director of Project VOICE

Phil Kaye is a Japanese-American artist. His work has been featured in settings ranging from The New Yorker to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and viewed millions of times online. He has performed his original poetry in eighteen countries and was invited to open for His Holiness The Dalai Lama for the celebration of his 80th birthday. He is the co-director of Project VOICE, an organization that partners with schools to bring poetry to the classroom. Phil is a National Poetry Slam finalist, and the two-time recipient of the National College Poetry Slam (CUPSI) award for “Pushing the Art Forward”, given for outstanding innovation in the art of performance poetry. A former teacher of weekly poetry workshops in maximum-security prisons, Phil was the head coordinator of Space in Prisons for the Arts and Creative Expression (SPACE). His book, Date & Time, was published in 2018 by Button Poetry.

Phil also makes things for the screen. He is one-half of Thanks Laura, where he serves as co-creator, writer, director & actor. “Distance”, a series he helped write, produce and act in, premiered at South by Southwest and was recommended by The New York Times.

When not on the road, Phil spends his time watching movies, using 90's slang and quietly wondering to himself what the dealio is.

Stetson READ - Date and Time 

12:30 to 1:30 p.m. | Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Welcome Center, Lynn Presentation Room

Cultural Credit approved. Spots are limited for this event, participants must RSVP if they plan to attend.

Phil Kaye Keynote Address Recording

Keynote Speaker - Eric Weiner

He calls it "funny/serious": a unique balance of skepticism and sincerity. Now, Eric seeks to answer the question of how creative genius flourishes in specific places at specific times. He explores the history of places from ancient Athens to Renaissance Florence to modern-day Silicon Valley in his New York Times bestseller. The Geography of Genius. It's being published in 15 countries, from Bulgaria to Vietnam.

Since Eric's a former international correspondent for NPR and The New York Times, when he has questions, he travels. The Geography of Bliss took him from Bhutan, where the government measures the country's well-being by its Gross Domestic Happiness, to Iceland, where strong communities and stiff drinks keep citizens cheery in the brutal cold. In Man Seeks God: My Flirtations With The Divine, Eric is prompted by a health scare to explore the world's religions and try them on for size. It's an amazing story filled with such memorable characters as the UFO-worshiping Raëlians and the great Nepalese Buddhist sage Wayne-from-Staten-Island, but also a very real spiritual journey that teaches Eric deep truths. As the world grows more connected, a real understanding of global faiths only becomes more crucial. More personally, Eric's talks could create a safe space for exploring these traditions outside the spin zone, or just a chance to glean some knowledge from these ancient teachings. Whatever your angle, you'll leave Eric's talks smiling — and a little wiser, too.

Notable Events

The past is the present: Race, History, and Community in Deland

Led by two Stetson History Department faculty, Drs. Andy Eisen and Emily Mieras, this two-hour event introduces participants to the many untold and hidden histories of DeLand. Following a light breakfast and brief remarks, we will hop on a bus and visit a number of the town's historic locations, including a sandwich shop where African-American high school students protested segregated lunch counters, a courtroom where victims of white racial violence struggled to find justice, and the African American Museum of the Arts, a contemporary site of community preservation and artistic expression. We will also analyze how public histories of DeLand, as depicted in downtown murals, tend to center the figure of the white pioneer settler, all but erasing the contributions of other members of our community. We anticipate that by the time we conclude the tour participants will have a deeper knowledge and a greater appreciation for the diverse groups of people whose lives and labor built this town. Following in the spirit of Values Day, we hope this event will inspire continued reflection, conversations, and community action as we confront how profoundly our town's racial past is present. 

Spring Hill Community Garden Project

Come out and help us with the community garden in Spring Hill! Following a 2016 study by Stetson students that found that access to fresh and nutritious food is the greatest concern for residents of the Spring Hill community in DeLand, the Stetson Center for Community Engagement has partnered with the City of DeLand, the USDA, the University of Florida's Agricultural Extension Agency, Volusia County Master Gardeners, the Greater Union Life Center and the Florida Department of Health to fund and build a community garden that serves area residents. There are 39 raised garden beds that we will need help maintaining, as well as the grounds that surround the garden.

Hand Art Center Exhibit

ANNI HOLM: The Immigration Project

After the attacks of Sept. 11th, 2001, an investigation revealed that two of the suicide pilots were in the United States on expired student visas. The public expressed their concern about this problem and demanded better security. It was proposed to monitor all international students' actions while in the United States by enforcing fingerprinting and tracking cards with chip implants to enhance national security.

In this body of work, Anni deals with the issues of all the personal information the Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) might choose to obtain to monitor international students in the US. Anni worked with international students from all over the world to obtain photos, fingerprints and other forms of personal documents to create large-scale digital portraits of each student. Each image measures 57×43 inches and contains about 4000 life size fingerprints.

Stetson R.E.A.D - Exploring Human Connection and Bliss

Our Stetson R.E.A.D. (Reflect, Engage & Affirm Diversity; Read Eat And Discuss) event, sponsored by the DuPont Ball Library, will include lunch and reflective conversation around this year's common read: The Geography of Bliss. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in contemplative dialogue with Stetson R.E.A.D. founder and facilitator, Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown, Associate Professor and Jessie Ball duPont Chair of Social Justice Education, and co-facilitator, Lindsey Graves, Assistant Director of Interfaith Initiatives, as well as briefly converse with the New York Times bestselling author Eric Weiner. Information on the 2018-19 R.E.A.D. The program, which is open to faculty, staff, and students, will also be shared.

Finding Communities in College

Kognito At-Risk Suicide Prevention Training

Immigration Project: Language Rugs

Tools for Efficient Studying and Learning

Andrew Carnegie & Henry Flagler: Industrialists Who Helped Build Stetson University

Serving and Growing Through VITA

From Muslim Mystics to Muslim Superheroes: Storytelling as Ethics in Islam

Community Standards and Honor Council: By the Numbers

Naikan: Gratitude as a Method of Self-Discovery

Harnessing the Power of Extended Metaphor in Contemplative Reflection

Arguing Both Sides Equally Well: Ethical Sophism in the Classroom

Open Forum: Drafting Stetson's Statement on the Principles of Free Expression

Values, Identities, and Stories: Promoting Healing, Understanding, and Justice

Beyond Significance: What Happened in Africa

Study and Intern Abroad with IES Abroad

More than MLK: Sharing Stories from the Stetson Civil Rights Movement Travel Course

Heart-to-Heart: Practices to Build Spiritual Community

The Mechanics of Story-Telling: A Philosophical Perspective

How Strong are your Ethics?

Difficult Conversations: Strategies for Facilitating Dialogue Across Difference

Elevate the Conversation: Civil Discourse and Social Media

Creative Journaling

Protecting Paradise

Ekapol and the Wild Boars: Meditation and Spirituality in Everyday Life

• Track: Contemplative Practices
• Presenters: Jesse Fox, Leila Roach, Mark Young

Trapped in a Thailand cave for two weeks, Coach Ekapol taught his players meditation, helping them endure the trauma of their situation until they were rescued. A spiritual practice at its core, meditation is found within all the world's religious traditions. This session will explore the spiritual aspects of meditation and the benefits of integrating meditation into daily life. Panelists will provide background on their meditative tradition, followed by a short practice. Participants will discuss challenges they foresee and explore how they may develop their own practice.

Missing Out on Significance: The Corrosive Alliance of Market Forces and the Great Silent Majority of Students

Study and Intern Abroad with CIEE

Keynote Address - Irshad Manji

As a media entrepreneur, Irshad founded the award-winning Moral Courage Project. Called “the most inspiring channel on YouTube,” Moral Courage TV features everyday people who are standing up when others want them to sit down. Irshad is now writing her next book, Don't Label Me, a provocative new take on diversity that will inspire all of us to rethink how we view each other -- and ourselves.

The Diversity Dilemma

For the acclaimed author and media entrepreneur, Irshad Manji, diversity does not stop at demographics. Being truly inclusive means we must equip ourselves to explore different points of view within identity groups.

Here is the dilemma: How do we hold honest and constructive conversations in our era of deep polarization?

According to Irshad, it starts with developing "moral courage" in ourselves. With a passionate keynote, she will guide us through taboo-riddled terrain. Expect to be inspired, unsettled and invited to disagree – in the name of real diversity.

Notable Events

The Past is Present: Race, History and Community in Deland 

Led by three Stetson History Department faculty, Drs. Andy Eisen, Mayhill Fowler, and Emily Mieras, this two-hour event introduces participants to the many untold and hidden histories of DeLand. Following a light breakfast and brief remarks, we will hop on a bus and visit a number of the town's historic locations, including a sandwich shop where African-American high school students protested segregated lunch counters, a courtroom where victims of white racial violence struggled to find justice, and the African American Museum of the Arts, a contemporary site of community preservation and artistic expression. We will also analyze how public histories of DeLand, as depicted in downtown murals, tend to center the figure of the white pioneer settler, all but erasing the contributions of other members of our community. We anticipate that by the time we conclude the tour participants will have a deeper knowledge and a greater appreciation for the diverse groups of people whose lives and labor built this town. Following in the spirit of Values Day, we hope this event will inspire continued reflection, conversations, and community action as we confront how profoundly our town's racial past is present. 

Acimera Simulation 

Acirema is a simulation exercise, facilitated by the WORLD Rinker Center for International Learning, designed to sensitize participants to the multiple obstacles that international students encounter in their quest for a U.S. education. Follow the path from initial contact with a U.S. educational institution to getting the best exchange rate on your money, to visiting the embassy, to buying your plane ticket and planning for your arrival on campus. Gain a better understanding of the resilience necessary to become a Stetson International student. A facilitated discussion will take place after the simulation to address the specific issues at stake, as well as what participants can do in the future to help support international students at Stetson University.

Three Wishes sponsored by Green, White and You

Stetson's student philanthropy group will be organizing a reflective event on Values Day: Three Wishes. The event will focus on making three wishes: one for self, one for Stetson, and one for the world. The wishes are written down on slips of paper and hung from the trees in the Palm Court. This event will tie in with Values Day, but also with the philanthropic education and the attitude that Green, White & YOU is looking to build among Stetson's students. 

Stetson R.E.A.D.

We have selected Irshad Manji's book, Allah, Liberty, and Love: The Courage to Reconcile Faith and Freedom, for this years Values Day Common Read. Books will be available for pick in the DuPont Ball Library first come first serve.

On Values Day we will host our Stetson R.E.A.D. (Read Engage And Discuss; Reflect Engage & Affirm Diversity) event will include lunch and community dialogue on the book Allah, Liberty, and Love: The Courage to Reconcile Faith and Freedom. Participants will have the opportunity to briefly converse with the author, Dr. Irshad Manji, and engage in contemplative dialogue. R.E.A.D. founder and facilitator, Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown, Associate Professor and Jessie Ball duPont Chair of Social Justice Education, and co-facilitator, Ms. Lindsey Graves, Assistant Director of Interfaith Initiatives, will also share information on the 2017-2018 R.E.A.D. Program, which is open to faculty, staff, and students.

Hand Art Center Exhibit

Exhibits include: "Traditions and Innovation in Russian Art", "Oscar Bluemner: Vision and Revision", and "Faculty Focus: Madison Creech".

Why Pollination Matters: Toward “A Better Nectar”

Value: Global Citizenship
Presenter(s): Cynthia Bennington, Karen Cole, Jessica Rath
Pollinating insects are essential to our food crops and to the health of our environment. This workshop invites participants to the Volusia Sandhill Ecosystem at the Gillespie Museum to look at and listen to pollinators, with LA-based artist Jessica Rath. Activities include (1) practicing a deep listening exercise to experience the resonant frequencies of the landscape's pollinators; (2) contributing to an ongoing pollinator survey; and (3) planting native wildflowers, as part of the habitat restoration.

Interacting with People Living with a Disability

Value: Intellectual Development, Global Citizenship and Personal Growth
Presenter(s): Kathy Searle Acevedo, Wendy Wilson
When you meet someone who's in a wheelchair, or uses a white cane, or communicates using ASL, what do you think? How do you act? As you go through life, you're likely to encounter people with some type of disability. Learn how to interact with them comfortably and respectfully; it could help you retain clients and avoid lawsuits. And you might get to know interesting, accomplished individuals who just happen to live with a disability! Explore daily realities faced by people with impaired sight, hearing, mobility, etc. Remember: no-one is immune to casualties and conditions which may result in a disability.

Panel Discussion: Peace Corps at Stetson and Beyond

Value: Global Citizenship
Presenter(s): Chad Chernet, Robert McIntosh, Donna McIntosh, Roger Wangsness, Luisa DeGuzman, Erin Gibbs, Chip Wheeler
Join us for a panel discussion featuring Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RCPVs), including Stetson alumni, to learn about volunteer experiences, ask questions about service, and gain knowledge about the application processes to serve in the Peace Corps or become a student leader in the Stetson University Peace Corps Prep Program. The panel will be moderated by newly appointed Associate Director, Chip Wheeler, and former Acting Associate Director, Erin Gibbs, from the Peace Corps National Office.

Challenging the facts: fake news, misleading facts, and issues of credibility.

Value: Intellectual Development, Global Citizenship and Personal Growth
Presenter(s): Molly Brown, Leigh Ann Dunning, Vanessa Petion
This presentation aims to examine credible vs. non-credible sources that affect us all on a daily basis, in order to give participants the tools to make their own determination regarding sources, whether that be from websites, news stories or social media. The presentation will be given in three parts - 1. The history of fake news; 2. Determining credible sources for academic research; 3. Creating awareness when using Social Media. Participants will engage in group activities and discussions to practice the skills presented in this workshop.

How satisfied are you with your parents? Are they allies or enemies?

Value: Personal Growth
Presenter(s): Daisy Zhou, Payton Montague, Anzu Giri
Most people growing up experienced issues with their parents, and continue to question their relationship with their parents. This workshop will present the many different approaches to parenting including those that research has proven to be the most effective. The LGBTQIA community has recently been granted legal protection for marriage and for parenting children, and parenting issues from this community will be included. This workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to pause for a bit and think about their bond with their own family, and the sacrifices their parents made to help them reach their goal of acquiring a higher education. Meanwhile, multicultural perspectives and scientific research findings about parenting will be included to facilitate self-reflection and communication. Participants will also share their experience, thoughts, feelings, concerns and future goals about parenting and family relationship.

Can You Solve the Tragedy of the Commons?

Value: Global Citizenship
Presenter(s): Alan Green, Wendy Anderson, Melissa Gibbs, Ranjini Thaver, Chris de Bodisco
Can you escape the tragedy of the commons? This fundamental concept is taught in economics, political science, biology and environmental science at Stetson. In this workshop participants will consider the concept through a simulation that puts you in the dilemma at both local and global levels. Work with faculty from different disciplines and see who can best escape the tragedy!

Words of Wisdom for Your Financial Future

Value: Intellectual Development
Presenter(s): Bonnie Holloway,
Do you worry about your financial future after Stetson? Do you have questions or concerns about how to manage your money responsibly, about how to buy a car or insurance or a house without someone taking advantage of you, or about how income taxes work? Do you wonder about when and how to start planning for retirement? Do you want to accumulate wealth in order to be able to give something back? If so, this is the Values Day session for you! Come and help choose the topics you'd like most to explore.

Keeping Your Promises: An Introduction to Assessment and Evaluation of Anti-Discrimination Training Programs

Value: Intellectual Development
Presenter(s): Nathan Perry,
A CPR certification requires ~3 hours of in-person training. The vast majority of anti-discrimination "trainings" are an hour or less in length. The premise that remedying racism/sexism/etc is less-complicated than learning CPR is a faulty one and one that has had a continuing harmful impact on students and employees for over three decades. Workplace/campus training providers brought in ~160 BILLION dollars in 2015 (in the United States alone). While these trainings have been effective at meeting the needs administrators concerned with Legal Compliance, it is much less clear that these trainings are meeting the needs of individuals who are actually most impacted by the harmful behaviors these trainings are advertised to address. Training CAN be effective, but only if stakeholders are empowered to ask the right questions beforehand.

I'm Not a Refugee: I am a ...

Value: Global Citizenship
Presenter(s): Elisabeth Poeter, Jelena Petrovic, Mirrett Saad
This workshop will highlight some of the most publicly debated immigration issues in the US, such as a temporary ban on refugees from Muslim countries, the securing of national borders, health care and work for refugees and undocumented immigrants, and the role of sanctuary cities. Workshop participants will consider how recent executive orders mandating changes to immigration enforcement affect local initiatives and reflect on what drives the current refugee crisis and the increase in xenophobic tendencies in the US and Europe.

Am I Significant?

Value: Personal Growth
Presenter(s): Barrett Hand, Anika Reichwald, Michelle Tepper
Time in college is a sacred season of tumult and searching, but even in our global community and our nation, we have seen virulent violence, anger, and unrest. Change starts here. How we view ourselves affects how we view the world. So, are you significant? What makes you valuable? In this session, you will consider a variety of worldviews in order to better approach these issues. Join the dialogue with current Stetson students, and Stetson alumnus and Oxford graduate Michelle Tepper. Come, and bring with you the questions you've yet to answer.

Disabling the Label of Disability: Unraveling what disability means in our society

Value: Global Citizenship
Presenter(s): Tammi Hanzalik,
Like many other labels, the term "disability" comes with a negative connotation that gives those with that label a "less than" status in our society. This interactive workshop aims to debunk misconceptions concerning people with intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) as well as offering ways in which our community can build an atmosphere that is inclusive of all people, regardless of labels. Students will engage in a meaningful dialogue about the importance of truly including those with IDD in our community.

Naikan: The Japanese Art of Gratitude and Self Reflection

Value: Personal Growth
Presenter(s): Morris Sullivan
Naikan is a little-known method of self-reflection that doesn't involve sitting quietly with one's eyes closed but gives the practitioner a direct view into their relationship to the world they live in and people they live with through the application of gratitude, grace, and self-reflection.

Weight ≠ Worth: Research-Driven Strategies for Developing a Better Body Image

Value: Personal Growth
Presenter(s): Danielle Lindner, Honor Woodward
Everybody has a body, so everybody has a body image. The way we feel about our bodies is related to the eating and exercise choices we make, to our mood, to the way we feel about ourselves, and to our overall quality of life. In this interactive workshop, we will explore the topic of body image and discuss ways women and men alike can cultivate a healthy relationship with their bodies and contribute to a body-positive culture on campus.

How do we create a positive working and learning climate at Stetson? A deep dive into the 2016 Climate Study Report.

Value: Intellectual Development, Global Citizenship and Personal Growth
Presenter(s): Savannah-Jane Griffin, Julia Metzker
Join us in an interactive session that delves into the results of the 2016 DeLand Campus Climate Survey and allows participants to devise personalized and actionable strategies that they can use for improving the climate in their student organizations, classrooms, offices, meetings and other venues that are within their locus of control.

“The Muslims Are Coming!”: An Introduction to Islamophobia in the American Imagination

Value: Global Citizenship
Presenter(s): Sam Houston,
Islamophobia and anti-Muslim prejudice are among the most pressing civil rights challenges in America today. As such, this workshop seeks to educate and equip participants with tools to confront Islamophobia in its many forms. Together we will learn about representations of Islam and Muslims in European history and American television and film, examine the roles that such images have played in constructing American Muslims as “Others” in ways reminiscent of past minority and immigrant groups, and discuss practical strategies that bystanders might use to confront anti-Muslim acts of bigotry carried out in their presence.

Plenary Workshop: Guts Before Glory

Value: Global Citizenship
Presenter(s): Irshad Manji
Judging from the showdown in Charlottesville, there's no hope for reconciliation in the United States today. Or is there? Irshad Manji is the world's only professor of "moral courage" -- the one value that's needed for positive social change. In this dynamic workshop, Irshad will show how moral courage can turn polarization into a constructive conversation, and then into action. Get ready to learn the secret of becoming a gutsy global citizen in 21st century America...

How Well Do You Know Your IX?

Value: Personal Growth
Presenter(s): Cathy Downes, Diane Everett, Cecil Chik, Scott Kern
Do you enjoy a little healthy competition? Are you either a self-proclaimed expert on Title IX? Or do you think Title IX is the name of a best-seller on the NY Times top 10 list? Come and engage in a high-energy game show and learn some important facts about Title IX. Title IX is making headlines across the country, improve your knowledge on this topic to help stop it from happening at Stetson. Whether you play, cheer or coach, you will learn!

What is DACA & How Can You Support Your Undocumented Peers?

Value: Global Citizenship
Presenter(s): Chris Furino, Alejandra Salinas Garcia, Anallely Becerra Barajas
In this conversation facilitated by Hope CommUnity Center, students will learn about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and who are the recipients of it. We'll discuss what may happen if DACA is taken away and ways students can advocate for pieces of legislation that will benefit DACA recipients, DREAMERs, and more. In the workshop, facilitators will share their personal experiences about how DACA has helped them in a means to help students better understand how complex the Immigration system is and break down some stereotypes about the undocumented community.

Eye-to-Eye Senior Sensitivity Training

Value: Personal Growth
Presenter(s): Cathy Coates,
The Eye to Eye Senior Sensitivity Workshop will dispel your misconceptions about aging and encourage you to treat the elderly with respect and understanding. Elders are present in every aspect of our lives and local statistics show that the senior population of Volusia County is on the rise at a rate that overshadows any other demographic segment. How we perceive and interact with our elders is key to creating a better community for all to live in. Each participant will be involved with hands-on exercises that demonstrate what it actually feels like to grow old.

TANSTAAFL

Value: Intellectual Development
Presenter(s): Alan Green, Students from Omicron Delta Epsilon, the Economics Honors Society, David Suellau
Everyone values peace, love, freedom, and a free lunch, but, as we like to point out in economics, there ain't no such thing. Everything comes with a cost, so Values Day is a perfect time to consider those hidden costs behind everything from food at university events to campus climate consultants to promises from politicians. Students from Omicron Delta Epsilon, the economics honors society, will lead a discussion of hidden costs, trade-offs and smart decision-making on campus and in their lives.

The Propaganda Experiment

Value: Intellectual Development
Presenter(s): Michael Barnes,
Propaganda has an awful reputation, as it is associated with unethical manipulation; as opposed to rhetoric (the art of persuasion), propaganda often deliberately omits essential information and/or uses heightened pathos to gloss over logical deficiencies. Techniques associated with propaganda include using loaded words (i.e. name calling and/or ad hominem attacks), transfer (an illogical association between positive/negative terms), or snob appeal (linking luxury with an act or priority) (Jowett). However, the traditional definition of propaganda carries no pejorative meaning, since the strategies can be applied for either ethical or unethical goals. The term only garnered a negative connotation with its association with Nazi war posters and rallies in WWII. The Catholic Church, in fact, created the concept as a means to attract wayward followers during the reformation/counter-reformation. Given this informing context, it is understandable that propaganda is being reconsidered by pedagogues as a legitimate and ethical means to achieve positive civic action. Advertisements aggressively dissuaded smokers from smoking and the iconic Uncle Sam posters are notable examples.

In this interactive workshop, participants engage in a student exercise from my ENGL 141 class, one that explores whether propaganda can be taught ethically. In general, the exercise foregrounds interdisciplinary writing, undergraduate research, civic engagement and ethics.

Find Your Voice: Prep for Class Presentations

Value: Intellectual Development
Presenter(s): Haley Gaynor, Mitzi Dykes
Do you have Glossophobia?!?! Over 75% of people have this fear; some even fear this more than death. The symptoms include a rapid heartbeat, severe sweating, shaking, and dry mouth. Sound familiar? Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. Whether you're a first-year student or a senior, the probability are that you still get anxious with class presentations. In this workshop, we will work together to help you conquer this fear and improve your public speaking skills. If you want to quiet those butterflies when you present or want to refine your already strong speaking skills, this is the workshop for you.

Academic Integrity, Stetson's Core Values and Life Beyond

Value: Intellectual Development
Presenter(s): Cynthia Bennington, The Honor System Council, led by President Kathryn Renae Metcalf
Not sure about unauthorized group collaboration? Witness a mock hearing for alleged unauthorized group collaboration and BE a member of the Council. As a council member, in addition to determining whether or not a violation of the Honor Code occurred, you will determine sanctions should a violation have occurred. Discuss how academic dishonesty can be avoided. Reflect on what academic integrity means to Stetson and your future.

It's About Service: Alternative Break Opportunities at Stetson University

Value: Global Citizenship
Presenter(s): Clare Sullivan, David Bailey, Nicolette Alayon, Chloe Foster, Sydney Arrington, Courtney Converse, Cathryn Sandborn
A distant destination, a close-knit group of friends, a welcoming non-profit. These are all factors for an Alternative Break trip that students have the opportunity to participate in every year. Come to this workshop to learn about global citizenship opportunities through Alternative Breaks.

Examining Poverty and Homelessness in the Context of Values: A Call to Action

Value: Global Citizenship
Presenter(s): Rajni Shankar-Brown,
Families with children are the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population in the United States, and particularly in the state of Florida. Economic well-being of children in the Sunshine State is consistently ranked as one of the lowest. Additionally, Florida continues to be identified as one of the most dangerous states for the homeless, with hate crimes increasing at alarming rates. Growing economic inequality in the U.S. requires communities to reflect on values and mindfully address multilayered issues, including dismantling systemic oppression. This interactive session will explore the complex dynamics of socioeconomic inequality within the context of values and highlight the myriad effects of homelessness on children and youth – putting forth a call to action to collectively rethink how we address poverty, to mobilize, and to mindfully advance equity and justice.

International Internships: How to Build your Resume Abroad

Value: Personal Growth
Presenter(s): Amy Barber, Paula Hentz and Student Panel
Every year, Stetson University students pursue challenging and exciting internships overseas. They work in Parisian fashion houses, learn more about Chinese business culture, and intern with environmental sustainability programs in Australia, all while increasing their cultural communication skills. Join us for a panel discussion with Stetson students to hear about these experiences directly from the source. Students will share their own experiences, from choosing an opportunity to financing their time abroad. Attendees will gain a better understanding of Stetson's various options, whether for themselves or for their students.

Meditation 101: How Scheduled Stillness Can Improve your GPA

Value: Personal Growth
Presenter(s): Kait Forsythe
Meditation is the process by which we withdraw our attention from the outer world and concentrate it inwards. Physicians, psychologists, and various health professionals recommend meditation as a tool to manage the things that get in the way: stress, anxiety, depression, physical illness and more. Do you ever find when you go to work on an assignment, your mind is tempted by distractions? In this Jyoti meditation workshop, we will learn how to be still and narrow our focus despite our mind's resistance.

If we can cultivate a regular meditation practice, we will find ourselves operating from a place of calm clarity that will feed all areas of our lives: work, relationships, home, and especially school.

Beyond You

Value: Global Citizenship and Personal Growth
Presenter(s): Dr. James Hilton, John Sellers
Every day we look around our world and communities to see injustice, pain, and oppression. There is a desire within us to take a stand and live a life that makes a difference in the world. But what gives you the ability to make a real impact and to bring needed change? How do you identify what it is that drives you past simply desiring for things to be better and moves you into a lifetime of influence? It starts with living for something beyond yourself.

What's In A Word?—Defining Diversity and Creating Inclusivity

Value: Global Citizenship
Presenter(s): Shawnrece Campbell, Drew Macan, Maria Francis, Elisabeth Poeter, Daniel Barber, Alyssa Morley, Luisa De Guzman, Jason Myree
Creating a culture of inclusivity begins on an individual basis. It is erroneous to think that you don't need to contribute to inclusivity on an individual basis until you feel included. Rather the model of doing more to include individuals who are characteristically diverse from ourselves in our various cultural spheres should be adopted. If we all do more to include our neighbors, pretty soon we will feel included too.

Islam and You

Value: Global Citizenship
Presenter(s): Eman Abd EL Halim, Eman El Sayed El Taher
Islam is oppressive, right? Wrong! Do feminists wear Hijab? Yes! In the workshop, “Islam and You”, we will discuss women's role in Islam, their contributions, as well as the misconceptions about women in Islam. In addition to this, participants will learn basic Islam principles, discover new sides to Islam, and understand how Islam integrates with other religions and thoughts to maintain a peaceful world. At the end, participants will gain new and surprising insight about the Prophet Muhammad; ”Peace Be Upon Him”.

Keynote Address Peter Anyang' Nyong'o - Senator of Kenya 

Having been involved in the struggle against authoritarian rule in Kenya throughout his academic career, he was among the leaders who made a breakthrough into multiple-party politics in 1992. He was then elected to Parliament in that year and has served in various capacities since then. He was Minister for Planning and National Development (2003-05) and Minister for Medical Services (2008-2013). He is currently the Senator for Kisumu County in the Senate, a member of the Senate Committee of Finance, Budget and Commerce and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts and Investments.

He has published several books and articles on democracy, democratization, the state and the political economy of development in Africa. Among the publications are "Estado y Sociedad en Africa Actuel" (El Colegio de Mexico, 1983), "Popular Struggles for Democracy in Africa", (London: Zed Books, 1987); "The Context of Privatization in Kenya" (Academy Science Publishers, Nairobi, 1996); "The Study of African Politics: A Critical Appreciation of A Heritage" (Nairobi: Ball Foundation, 2002); "A Leap Into the Future" (Nairobi: Word Alive Publishers, 2006). In 1995 he was awarded the German-African Award for his contribution to democracy and democratization in Africa. He was Gro Harlem Brundland Senior Leadership Fellow in the Division of Policy Translation and Leadership Development, at the Harvard School of Public Health, from October to December 2013.

A Look Back on Values Day 2016

Senator and university professor from Kenya, Dr. Peter Anyang Nyongo', delivered the keynote address, urging students to find their calling, at Stetson University's 2016 Values Day.

Notable Events

Service Project Orientation and Breakfast

Three Wishes - Green, White & You

Stetson's student philanthropy group will be organizing a reflective event on Values Day: Three Wishes. The event will focus on making three wishes: one for self, one for Stetson, and one for the world. The wishes are written down on slips of paper and hung from the trees in the Palm Court. This event will tie in with Values Day, but also with the philanthropic education and the attitude that Green, White & YOU is looking to build among Stetson's students.

Hand Art Center Exhibits

Aquiferious: Margaret Ann Tolbert

Margaret Ross Tolbert is an artist based in Gainesville, Florida. Over the last twenty years, she has executed series of paintings, drawings and lithographs from studios in the U.S., France and Turkey. Tolbert's paintings, document some of the many features, and urgent need for the preservation of Florida's freshwater springs and the Floridan Aquifer.

Faculty Focus: Gary Bolding

Gary Bolding has taught painting and drawing at Stetson since 1989. His work has been in more than 25 solo exhibitions and 150 group shows internationally and has won numerous awards in national and regional juried exhibitions. He typically combines meticulous craftsmanship with quirky and ironic subject matter.

Oscar Bluemner: The Language of Architecture

Oscar Bluemner: The Language of Architecture – Works from the Vera Bluemner Kouba Collection - The exhibition in the Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center from August 19 to December 9th will examine the significance of architecture in the work of American Modernist Oscar Bluemner (1867-1938). Bluemner had completed a degree in architecture in Berlin shortly before departing for the United States in 1892, and for his first two decades in America he pursued an architectural career with uneven success. By the beginning of the twentieth century his attention turned increasingly to painting, and by 1911 he was determined to abandon architecture for painting. The exhibition explores the ways in which architectural practice informed his painting as well as his use of buildings as a key component of his personal pictorial language.

Hunger Banquet

Come experience this unique tradition! The Center for Community Engagement, along with the Student Coalition to End Homelessness, Habitat for Humanity, and Oxfam, have partnered together to host the 7th Annual Stetson Hunger Banquet. The objective of this event is to raise awareness of local and world hunger. The Banquet will include an overview of what our world faces, a meal for attendees and options on how they can be involved in efforts related to hunger prevention.

Native Values: Ancient Principles in a Global Context

Learn about living Native values in a rapidly changing world from a diverse group of indigenous participants and Stetson faculty panelists Dr. Pamela Cappas-Toro & Dr. Luis Paredes. Sponsored by the College of Arts & Sciences, Latin American and Latino Studies Program, Department of World Languages & Cultures, Cross-Cultural Center.

#KeepDancingStetson

Join us in a tribute to honor those who lost their lives in the Pulse Nightclub shooting. Let's cherish their memory and celebrate their lives by dancing in their honor. There will be music, dancing, and light refreshments provided. This event is sponsored by Kaleidoscope and the Cross-Cultural Center.

Workshop Block 1 

Zika Virus and Global Health Crisis

• Presenter(s): Rosalie Richards, Asal Johnson

#Lives: Black, Blue, All: where we are and how we move towards unity and justice

• Presenter(s): Kimberly Flint-Hamilton, Sven Smith, Sharmaine Jackson, Rajni Shankar-Brown, Ranjini Thaver

Global Economy: Venezuela in Crisis

• Presenter(s): Alan Green, Chris de Bodisco, Luis Paris, Ana Servigna

America's Political Climate

• Presenter(s): David Hill, Steven Smallpage, Bill Nylen

Workshop Block 2-3 Descriptions

Keynote Address Richard Blanco

 

Blanco's many awards include the Agnes Starrett Poetry Prize from the University of Pittsburgh Press, the Beyond Margins Award from the PEN American Center, the Paterson Poetry Prize, and the Thom Gunn Award. A builder of cities as well as poems, Blanco holds a BS in Civil Engineering and an MFA in Creative Writing. He has received numerous honors for his writings and performances, including honorary doctorates from Macalester College, Colby College, and the University of Rhode Island, and has been named a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow. He has taught at Central Connecticut State University, Georgetown University, and American University. Blanco splits his time between Bethel, Maine and Boston, Mass.

Whether speaking as the Cuban Blanco or the American Richard, the homebody or the world traveler, the scared boy or the openly gay man, the engineer or the inaugural poet, Blanco's writings possess a story-rich quality that easily illuminates the human spirit. His captivating images and accessible narratives invite readers and audiences to see themselves in his poems, which for him are like mirrors in front of which we stand side by side with him—each one of us gazing into our respective lives blurred together with his, connecting us all across social, political, and cultural gaps. Ultimately, his work asks himself those universal questions we all ask ourselves on our journeys: Where am I from? Where do I belong? Who am I in this world?

Stetson Book Feast

Richard Blanco, the 2013 inaugural poet, is coming to Stetson! As part of Values Day, our keynote speaker Richard Blanco will be on campus for 2 days. Please join us on Monday before Values Day to meet Richard Blanco and discuss his book, The Prince of Los Cocuyos. Free copies of the book are available at the Center for Community Engagement.

Notable Events

Service Project Orientation and Breakfast

Hand Art Center Exhibit - The Drifters by Pam Longobardi

The DRIFTERS PROJECT, begun by Pam Longobardi in 2006 after encountering the mountainous piles of plastic the ocean was regurgitating on remote Hawaiian beaches, has worked directly through local sponsorship, small grant support and personal expenditure by cleaning beaches and working with communities in Beijing, China (NY Arts Beijing, 2008); in Atlanta, Georgia (New Genre Landscape, 2008); in Nicoya, Costa Rica (Chorotega Sede/Universidad Nacional, 2009); in Samothraki, Greece (EVROS Cultural Association and PAI 2010); in Monaco (Nouveau Museé National de Monaco 2011); in Seward, Alaska and Alaskan Peninsula, Katmai National Park as part of the GYRE Expedition (Alaska SeaLife Center 2011, Anchorage Museum 2013-4 and CDC Museum in Atlanta, 2015); in Kefalonia, Greece (Ionion Center, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) with the 2014 birth of Plastic Free Island, and in Armila, Panama with a collaboration with the women artists of the Guna Yala community there. Longobardi and the Drifters Project was recently featured in National Geographic, commissioned for the cover of SIERRA magazine, and was a guest on the Weather Channel.

Hunger Banquet

Come experience this unique tradition! The Center for Community Engagement, along with the Student Coalition to End Homelessness, Habitat for Humanity, and Oxfam, have partnered together to host the 6th Annual Stetson Hunger Banquet. The objective of this event is to raise awareness of local and world hunger. The Banquet will include an overview of what our world faces, a meal for attendees and options on how they can be involved in efforts related to hunger prevention.

Great Organists at Stetson Series

Kent Tritle is one of America's leading choral conductors. Called “the brightest star in New York's choral music world” by The New York Times, he is in his fourth season as Director of Cathedral Music and Organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City; his eighth season as Music Director of Musica Sacra, the longest continuously performing professional chorus in New York; and his tenth season as Music Director of the Oratorio Society of New York, the acclaimed 200-voice volunteer chorus. In addition, Kent is Director of Choral Activities at the Manhattan School of Music and is a member of the graduate faculty of The Juilliard School. Also an acclaimed organ virtuoso, Kent Tritle is the organist of the New York Philharmonic and the American Symphony Orchestra. The School of Music welcomes the public to all concerts. Complimentary admission.

The Science of Climate Change, the Pope and Policy: A Panel Discussion 

Keynote Address - Rev. Vincent A. Pizzuto, PhD

An East Coast native, The Rev. Vincent Pizzuto, PhD, attained his undergraduate degree in English literature and theology at St. Bonaventure University in upstate New York, and his first master's degree in religious education from Boston College. For several years he served as a campus minister and interfaith counselor at the Newman Center at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, and in 1997 moved to Belgium to attend the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, where he received his second master's degree and a PhD in New Testament exegesis in 2003.

Later that year Pizzuto relocated to San Francisco to take up his full-time appointment as a professor of New Testament studies in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Francisco. Drawing upon his life-long commitment to Christian contemplative practice, early in his career Pizzuto received a number of grants to fund the development of a series of courses in contemplative practice at USF, which have as their cornerstone the integration of meditation within the classroom environment. Building upon the success of these courses, his most recent curricular developments at USF include the introduction of a cross-disciplinary minor in Christian spirituality and contemplative practice which is expected to launch officially in spring 2015.

Pizzuto has presented nationally and internationally on issues of inter-religious dialog and contemplative practice. His ongoing attentiveness to a theology that remains grounded in the needs of both church and society sustains his commitment to regularly offer lectures, workshops, and retreats on biblical spirituality and contemplative prayer, and the intersection of both of these with the most pressing spiritual questions of the day.

Among his current publications is his first book entitled, A Cosmic Leap of Faith: An Authorial, Structural and Theological Investigation of the Cosmic Christology in Col 1:15-20: Contributions To Exegesis and Theology, 41 (Peeters: Leuven, 2006), as well as a number of scholarly essays, the most recent of which include, "The Deus Absconditus of Scripture: An Apophatic Hermeneutic for Christian Contemplatives," BTB 44:2 (spring 2014) 100-08; "The Structural Elegance of Matthew 1-2: A Chiastic Proposal," Catholic Biblical Quarterly (October 2012), 712-37; and "An Ecological Hermeneutic of Col 1:15-20: A Panentheistic Proposal," in Confronting the Climate Crisis: Catholic Theological Perspective, Jame Schaefer, ed., (Marquette: University Press, 2011), 75-97.

Ordained to the priesthood in July 2006, Pizzuto founded and ministers in the Bay Area to a contemplative Christian community, New Skellig, whose liturgy and practices are informed by the history and spiritual patrimony of the Celtic Christian Church. He and his community will be formally received into the Episcopal Church later this year.

Pizzuto lives in a small mountain town in Marin County, just north of San Francisco, which he has come to think of as his personal spiritual 'retreat.'

What if we measured our spiritual maturity not by the certainty of our answers but by the deepening authenticity of our questions? What if we committed to a spiritual practice that did not so much look to religion to provide answers, but rather to provide a framework for asking the right questions? In other words, what if we risked living more deeply with Mystery itself. If the answers promulgated by our religious and philosophical traditions tend to divide us, a contemplative turn 'inward' readily reveals that our questions, in fact, unite us. People of vastly different times and cultures have grappled with many of the same existential questions, universally about meaning, identity, purpose and destiny. In a diverse and multicultural society, how might the particularities of our own religious and philosophical commitments point to a deeper realization of union with others and with all of Reality?

To explore some of these questions, we will first look at the intersection between religion and spirituality, which is becoming an increasingly pressing tension among college students today. Contemplative practices, broadly defined, are intended to foster an interior landscape in which one is able to look deeply (some would say, prayerfully) within one's self in order to transcend self-imposed limitations that are based largely on false perceptions and attachments. Often times these practices known variously as prayer, meditation, or contemplation are framed and rooted in a particular faith tradition which helps to ground the practice in a broader communal, liturgical, and moral life. Others have sought more individual spiritual paths quite apart from any formal religious tradition. This raises the question of the complex relationship between 'religion' and 'spirituality,' or more broadly, the interplay between community and solitude in the support of one's contemplative or meditative practice.

Rather than engage questions of religious 'truth' or 'doctrinal' teaching we will explore the meaning of beauty, the necessity of awe, the inevitability of wonder. It is beauty that attracts, not the dry rigid formulas of dogma. It is awe that moves our hearts to love, not the ethical demand that we do so as a religious obligation. And it is wonder that leads us on to meet the ever-receding horizon of our insatiable curiosity. The contemplative life then, is not about introducing yet another 'thing' that we must do, it is about discovering rather how to 'be.' How to be alive and fully awake to beauty, awe, and wonder. It is from this interior awakening that we can begin to foster genuine spiritual lives and authentic religious commitments.

Notable Events

Service Project Orientation and Breakfast

Tobacco-Free Campus Dedication

On August 1, 2014, Stetson University marked a new day in its history by becoming a smoke- and tobacco-free campus. In support of this historical moment, the Tobacco Free Task Force, in conjunction with the Values Commitment Steering Team will dedicate Values Day 2014 as "Smoke and Tobacco Free Dedication Day." We'll also honor our very own faculty member, T. Wayne Bailey, PhD, for his accomplishments with the tobacco-free movement in Volusia County. Following brief remarks from Professor Bailey, there will be a ribbon-cutting on Stetson Green. Please join us as we celebrate a triumphant "Breathe Free Stetson" day

Healing Art Workshop - Hand Art Center

Artists Marguerite Perret and Bruce Scherting, co-creators of "The Waiting Room," will work with students at hands-on activity stations to create therapeutic works of art relating to breast cancer, dementia, anorexia, depression and domestic abuse.

Hand Art Center Exhibit 

The Waiting Room: Lost and Found visually expresses the experience of illness - breast cancer, dementia, anorexia, depression, domestic abuse - and through hands-on activity stations constitutes therapeutic creativity for patient and artists. The Waiting Room explores the psychologically rich conceptual framework of the medical waiting room. This is the place where patients are processed before testing, diagnosis, consultation or treatment begins. Evoking this environment are a series of distinct tableau's on breast cancer, dementia, anorexia, depression and domestic abuse. The focal point of each is a hybridized chair composed of found and sculptural elements; "lost" and/or "found" items specifically designed, ambiguously functioning clothing are traces if inhabitants past and future. Visitors may sit adjacent to each sculptural chair on an unaltered chair, where they listen to recorded interview excerpts and sound compositions of intimate and expanded perspectives, or multiple "voices" for each health issue. In this position, viewers are made participants in the waiting community.

Participating artists: Marguerite Perret , Bruce Scherting, Stephanie Lanter, Robin Lasser

Florida Modern-Day Slavery Museum

The Florida Modern-Day Slavery Museum consists of cargo truck outfitted as a replica of the trucks involved in a recent slavery operation (U.S. v. Navarrete, 2008), accompanied by displays on the history of evolution of slavery in Florida

Hunger Banquet

Come experience this unique tradition! The Center for Community Engagement, along with the Student Coalition to End Homelessness, Habitat for Humanity, and Oxfam, have partnered together to host the 6th Annual Stetson Hunger Banquet. The objective of this event is to raise awareness of local and world hunger. The Banquet will include an overview of what our world faces, a meal for attendees and options on how they can be involved in efforts related to hunger prevention.

Discussion with the Co-Creators of "The Waiting Room"

Artists Marguerite Perret and Bruce Scherting discuss "The Waiting Room" exhibit currently in the Hand Art Center. This exhibit explores the psychologically rich conceptual framework of the medical waiting room. All are welcome to attend.

 

Contemplative Practice

• Value: Personal Growth
• Presenter(s): Rev. Vincent Pizzuto

Contemplative practice is one of the most counter-cultural activities in which we can engage today because it requires that we do nothing at all (or better, 'no-thing'). We practice simply 'being' rather than merely 'thinking' or 'doing.' What happens when we put aside all of the 'scaffolding' which sustains our identity in the world? What happens when we begin to pay attention to thoughts, feelings, social and religious identifications? What—or better who—do we encounter when we allow ourselves to be silent? Indeed, the only way to discover the depths of contemplation is through practice, and thus, the focus of our break-out session will be to introduce simple contemplative practices common to virtually all religions and philosophical traditions.

Gender and Film

• Value: Intellectual Development
• Presenter(s): Elisabeth Poeter, PhD, Mary Pollock, PhD, Susanne Eules, PhD, and Alexandra Rasdal

Faculty and students in the gender studies program will engage in a discussion about gender constructions in domestic and international films, women's filmmaking, the gendered camera and the potential power of the visual media in representing and undermining gender norms. A selection of film clips will help to guide the discussion and introduce participants to the variety of themes and film genres related to gender and its intersections with race, sexuality and other defining social identities.

The Colors of Stetson: A Documentary Film, Followed by a Discussion of Race/Ethnicity on Campus

• Value: Intellectual Development
• Presenter(s): Grady Ballenger, PhD, Rajni Shankar-Brown, PhD, and Alexandrina Andre '14

After viewing this documentary by Alexandrina Andre '14, Professors Shankar-Brown and Ballenger will moderate a discussion about issues of race and ethnicity on campus. Does the testimony of students in the film speak to workshop participants as they think about their experiences on campus and in DeLand? How different is the Stetson experience for students of color? How clearly do Stetson students and faculty understand "whiteness" and its privileges? How should issues of race and ethnicity be handled in the classroom or in personal relations? What steps could we take as individuals to build a culture of inclusion? What steps could we take as departments and as an institution to strengthen diversity in our campus culture and in our academic programs? Alexandrina, who is now enrolled in the film production program at Florida State University, will share a director's statement about her documentary. If possible, she will also join the discussion by Skype. This topic arguably addresses all three of the university's core values, but it centers on the intellectual and lived experience of students identifying across the racial/ethnic spectrum. Please join us for an engaging discussion and an opportunity for reflection based on "The Colors of Stetson"—a powerful documentary capturing the voices of Hatters and directed by a Stetson University alum.

The Legacies of the First World War 100 Years Later: Modernity, Violence and Globalization

• Value: Global Citizenship
• Presenter(s): Eric Kurlander, PhD, Paul Croce, PhD, Mayhill Fowler, PhD, Leander Seah, PhD

Faculty members from the Department of History will discuss the legacies of the First World War one hundred years after its outbreak in August 1914. Themes will include:

• The onset of 'modernity' (and post-modernity) in social, economic and cultural terms
• The rise of political extremism and ethnocultural violence after 1914
• The End of the (European) Empire and the emerging challenges of territoriality in a more global, multipolar world

Student Leadership Redefined

Strategies to Capitalize on Your Leadership Skills and Experiences That Will Assist You in Securing Your First Job!

• Value: Personal Growth
• Presenter(s): Christopher Kandus-Fisher, Ed.D.

Workforce development conflicts, as it relate to post-secondary institutions' ability to adequately prepare students prior to graduation have become a topic of national conversation. College readiness is the combination of skills, knowledge, and habits of the mind that is necessary to fully participate in collegiate-level courses, and then later can be translated into one's ability to translate learned skills into workforce preparedness. According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities (2013), and a recent study that they conducted regarding employers' views of student learning in college, employers seek graduates who have broad knowledge and skills, emphasize cross-cutting outcomes, and are able to think critically, creatively solve problems and effectively communicate. Many of these skills are learned through the student's experiences with clubs and organizations. This session will allow students to realize that student leadership is not just something to add to their resume, but allow them to communicate their experiences as valuable skills for the future of the workforce.

Latina/o Farmworkers of Central Florida

• Value: Global Citizenship
• Presenter(s): Pamela Cappas-Toro, PhD and Marcos Crisanto

"The Farmworker Association of Florida was founded in 1983 in response to devastating freezes decimating the citrus crop in Central Florida and impacting farmworkers' livelihoods. The organization incorporated in 1986 and expanded statewide in 1992. F.W.A.F. now has five offices in diverse agricultural communities in Florida and organizes and outreaches to farmworkers in 15 different counties in the state. F.W.A.F.'s policy change efforts over the years have improved living and working conditions for Florida's estimated 300,000 farmworkers, and include passage of the historic Florida Right to Know Act, among other successes."

In this workshop, students will learn about F.W.A.F.'s long-standing mission to build power among farmworkers and rural low-income communities to respond to and gain control over social, political, workplace, economic, health and environmental issues.

Universities' Contribution to Restorative Justice in the Criminal Justice System Through Prisoner Education Programs

• Value: Global Citizenship
• Presenter(s): Ranjini Thaver, PhD, Nicole Marinescu, Emily Lang, Taylor Duguay, Honor Baslim

The United States accounts for five percent of the world's population but accommodates 25 percent of the world's incarcerated. The multifaceted reasons behind the exponential rise in incarceration rates over time boil down to the philosophical underpinnings of the corrections system in America, namely that of retributive justice, the onset of which aligns with the 'war on drugs' and getting 'tough on crime.' In light of this retributive justice framework, resources devoted to the criminal system focus primarily on punishing 'offenders' for their crime against the state and providing minimal opportunity for them to reintegrate into society. This has contributed to increased rates of recidivism, and in turn, to an even greater burden on the criminal justice system.

This crisis in the correctional system of the U.S. has led to a body of literature on how to transform the system towards one modeled on restorative justice. The central tenet of this form of justice is that former offenders are better able to reintegrate into society as productive citizens if they are provided the opportunities to do so while incarcerated. Studies overwhelmingly find that the most important indicator of a decline in recidivism rates is prisoner education. Educational programs provide benefits beyond job skills development; they also provide ex-offenders with a network of people and social opportunities that support them in restoring their sense of humanity and moral responsibility to function well in society. In other words, education is the cornerstone to prisoner rehabilitation and the restoration of the human rights of offenders and their families and larger communities.

The objective of this workshop, led by Stetson University students who have worked with prisoners at the Tomoka Correctional Institution, is to analyze the role of universities (with special reference to Stetson University) in forging relationships with prisons and other organizations to play this vital educational role in prisons. This program is a direct response to Stetson University's values commitment.

Consumption, Hungry Ghosts and Sustainability

• Value: Personal Growth
• Presenter(s): James Mallett, PhD and Morris Seikyo Sullivan

In economics there exists the concept of the economic human. This being is assumed to be rational and always prefers more to less. But what if always desiring more leads to greater stress and less happiness for both the individual and society as a whole? In this workshop, we will cover Buddhist values regarding happiness, suffering and consumption. For example, in Buddhist cosmology, there is a concept on hungry ghosts. These beings have a pinhole mouth and can never quench their hunger. So in this workshop, we will explore if being aware of our consumption patterns could lead to less consumption, a happier life and a more sustainable global society.

Pay for Play: Does Putting Students in a Prisoner's Dilemma for Grades Effectively Teach the Concept?

• Value: Intellectual Development
• Presenter(s): Alan Green, PhD

The prisoner's dilemma is a fundamental game theory model with wide-ranging economic, social and political applications. The basic structure is a game in which players do best on the whole when they cooperate but have strong individual incentives to defect, often resulting in poor overall outcomes. The dilemma can be experienced in the classroom by having students play a multiplayer version for grades. If they all cooperate with each other, they will all do well as a group; however, individuals can defect and raise their own grade at the expense of their classmates' grades. The activity clearly engages students and challenges them to craft means of cooperation; however, it does offer rewards to those who seek individual gains above all else. Does such an activity encourage learning through engagement, or is it unethical to lower one student's grade because a classmate played selfishly?

The World is out to get you. So prove them wrong.

• Value: Personal Growth
• Presenter(s): RC Stabile and Barbara Hawkins

Tired of being pre-judged based on your age or experiences? Together we will discuss the preconceived notions of undergraduate-age students and the perceptions other generations have of them. We will examine why members of this generation are struggling to keep jobs and the added challenges they face. Through this presentation, we hope to share ways to stand out and fight these generational stereotypes. Come ready to engage and defend why millennials are significant to the global community.

Where Do You Buy Your Coffee? The "Why" Behind Stetson University Dining Services' Sustainability Initiatives

• Value: Global Citizenship
• Presenter(s): Lindsey Bishop

This session is designed to explain the "why" behind Stetson University Dining Services' sustainability initiatives. From using seafood only from sustainable oceans to purchasing local food, Dining Services is committed to protecting the environment, reducing waste and decreasing our carbon foot print. These commitments are more than a strategic business practice–they honor our ethical values.

#yesallwomen: Understanding and Responding to Rape Culture

• Value: Personal Growth
• Presenter(s): Lua Hancock, Ed.D. and Susan Peppers-Bates, PhD

This summer murders on a college campus spurred a social media phenomenon branded by #yesallwomen. This movement is one example of women giving voice to how sexism has impacted their lives. All of us are restricted and damaged by living in a world that allows systems and relationships based in misogyny. At this session, we will raise awareness as to the infiltration of sexism and sex violence and begin conversation about how we can all be part of positive change.

How Does a University Know If It's Sustainable?

• Value: Global Citizenship
• Presenter(s): Tony Abbott, PhD

Sustainability has become a significant concern at universities. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, established in 2006, has become the bellwether for sustainability assessment across the country. An administrative ethnography reveals diverse approaches to institutionalizing sustainability at six eastern schools of similar size (2,000 to 8,000 students) and operational scope (masters or liberal arts institutions):

• Vassar College
• Middlebury College
• Appalachian State University
• Furman University
• Warren Wilson College
• Stetson University

The diversity of approaches underpinning sustainability at various institutions is striking. Programs include, but are not limited to:

• Recycling
• Student research abroad
• Energy production and conservation
• Food production and waste
• Toxins
• LEED building standards
• Native plant policies

Pilgrimage as Spiritual Practice

• Value: Personal Growth
• Presenter(s): Phillip Lucas, PhD, Robert Sitler, PhD, and Chris Bell

This panel discusses pilgrimage as a spiritual practice across cultures. Four to five panelists will each share some of their personal pilgrimage experiences. Phillip Lucas will also give an introduction to pilgrimage as a spiritual practice and show parts of his new documentary on Buddhist pilgrimage in North India. Chris Bell and Bob Sitler will share their experiences. We will save time for questions from the audience as well.

The State of Our Values Commitments

• Value: Intellectual Development
• Presenter(s): Robert Sitler, PhD

This session will provide a critical examination of the work of the Values Commitment Steering Team, including its successes and challenges during its first two years of operation. Ideally, the presentation will lead to thoughtful group discussion as to potential next steps and to learning from past mistakes so as to enhance our future work.

Information in the Modern World: Quality vs. Quantity

• Value: Intellectual Development
• Presenter(s): Jason Martin, PhD

During their long history, libraries have evolved from strictly preserving information to providing wide-ranging access to information. This has gone hand-in-hand with the "information revolution." Where once only elites produced and procured information, now anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can publish their ideas online and access a plethora of information. This explosion of information is both a blessing and a curse, with greater freedom of information comes greater responsibility to assess the quality of information. This session will explore what greater access to greater amounts of information means for today's college students and an informed citizenry.

Exploring Your Journey: The Spiritual Life Map

• Value: Personal Growth
• Presenter(s): Leila Roach, PhD, Nicole Pizza and Tyler March

In this presentation, students will engage in an experiential activity that explores their spiritual journey throughout life. Students will work independently and collaboratively to construct and share their Spiritual Life Map. The Spiritual Life Map is a graphic representation of one's life using pictures and symbols. "Much like road maps, spiritual life maps tell us where we have come from, where we are now, and where we are going" (Hodge, 2005, p. 344). Throughout this process, students will recognize their strengths, challenges, significant figures and successful strategies they have used along the way.

A Roundtable Discussion About Diversity and Inclusion at Stetson University

• Value: Global Citizenship
• Presenter(s): Joshua Rust, PhD, Kimberly Flint-Hamilton, PhD, Patrick Coggins, PhD, ALANA-IA Caucus

Today about 30 percent of the U.S. population is made up of people of color. The same is true of Stetson University students. Does Stetson University feel representative of the United States as a kind of multi-culture? And if not, why not? Please join a group of passionate faculty and staff and share your stories, observations and suggestions.

Opening the Mind and Heart: Educational Technologies at Your Fingertips!

• Value: Personal Growth
• Presenter(s): Rajni Shankar-Brown, PhD and Brenna Burgess

Educational technologies can be used to enrich learning both inside and outside of the classroom. Mobile learning tools can promote deeper learning, creativity, reflection, collaboration, and growth. Facilitated by Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown (Associate Professor in the Department of Education) and Ms. Brenna Burgess (Stetson student majoring in Theater and minoring in Education and Sociology), this interactive workshop will include engaging discussion and applied-learning activities. Participants will have the opportunity to explore different educational technologies, including innovative apps and websites, that support intellectual development, global citizenship, and personal growth. Each participant will receive a handout with several ideas and resources. Please join us on a learning adventure that will open your mind and heart!

Tobacco and Stetson's Values

• Value: Global Citizenship
• Presenter(s): Terrance Harris, Grady Ballenger

The Tobacco and Stetson's Values Workshop will provide individuals an understanding of the process, including debates and weighing of competing values that led Stetson to be a smoke and tobacco-free campus. Some of the benefits of that commitment include health of non-smokers, cessation support for students, faculty, and staff smokers; campus aesthetics, and consistency with the University's values including environmental concerns. Follow-up dialogue and questions will be offered to the audience.

"African and German? What an Interesting Mixture!"

• Value: Intellectual Development
• Presenter(s): Elisabeth Poeter, PhD

This workshop focuses on the "other" Germany by moving beyond the association of the country and its culture with national socialism and the subsequent division into two separate states. We will watch a 10-minute short film on racism in reunified Germany, learn about one prominent Afro-German poet and writer, and address questions about immigration and national identity.

Microfinance in Theory and Practice

• Value: Global Citizenship
• Presenter(s): Ranjini Thaver, PhD and Alan Green, PhD

Microfinance, made famous by Nobel Peace Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus, is a program for economic development that involves small-scale loans targeted to people who are very poor, but who have entrepreneurial ideas. In this workshop, economics professors Ranjini Thaver and Alan Green discuss microfinance in the real world and in the classroom. Thaver has worked with microfinance projects in Tanzania as well as DeLand in multiple facets; Green has modeled her methods in a classroom simulation of a poor village. In it students represent poor farmers and experience both the transformative power of even small loans alongside the myriad difficulties that arise in effective implementation and enforcement.

The Sweet Spot: Finding the Intersection of Academic Interests, Career Goals and Community Needs

• Value: Global Citizenship
• Presenter(s): Kevin Winchell

It is important to major in something that relates to the career you want. But, what if you could enhance both your academic expertise and career opportunities while also doing good in your community? Participants will learn about the benefits of community-engaged learning, identify examples across many majors, and obtain resources so they can begin integrating community-engaged learning into their journey at Stetson University.

Global Internship Panel: Students' Perspective on Interning Abroad

• Value: Global Citizenship
• Presenter(s): Stephanie Ryan, Paula Hentz, Nick Saffan, Kimberly Foley, Jessica Godshall, and Joseph Davis

Interested in interning abroad but unsure where to start? A panel of students will share their international internship experiences and advice. Members from C.I.E.E. and The Education Abroad Network (T.E.A.N.) will also be on hand to share information about their internship programs. Global citizenship is an important part of Stetson University's mission and a global internship can help prepare students to be informed, active and engaged citizens of both local communities and the world!

Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility

• Value: Intellectual Development
• Presenter(s): John Tichenor, PhD

What does it mean for a corporation to be socially responsible? The Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman stated that the one and only social responsibility of businesses is to increase profits for their shareholders. However, there is another perspective that believes there are larger social responsibilities than simply the financial bottom line. In this workshop, John Tichenor, PhD, will present the argument for measuring the "triple bottom line" that incorporates social and environmental bottom lines along with the financial bottom line.

Academic Integrity, Stetson University's Core Values and Life Beyond

• Value: Personal Growth
• Presenter(s): David Dysart, PhD and the Student Honor Council

What is the Student Honor Council and why should I be interested? Come and learn the answer! In this session, you will BE a member of the Council. Hear the various sides in a case of alleged academic dishonesty. Determine how it should be dealt with. How could it be avoided? What does academic integrity mean to my university and my future?

Student Ethics: What's Your Integrity Quotient (IQ)?

• Value: Personal Growth
• Presenter(s): Michelle Quinones

This workshop will include several interactive activities, leading off with a values continuum activity in which students will be asked to identify whether they agree or disagree with several statements. We will move further into a discussion on our core values and how they tie in with the Office of Community Standards and the core value of personal growth. A brief overview of our office and process will be provided. We will conclude the session with an overview of ethics, morals and integrity and end with a discussion of some scenarios.

Why Native Ecosystems Matter

• Value: Global Citizenship
• Presenter(s): Cindy Bennington, PhD, Karen Cole, PhD

As human population size increases, the area available for natural ecosystems declines, reducing critical habitat for wildlife, impacting the cycling of elements like water, carbon and nutrients, and directly and indirectly altering the availability of essential resources to humans. In addition to negative impacts on both human and non-human inhabitants of Earth, habitat loss also results in fewer interactions between people and the natural environment, removing the context within which people can understand and value arguments for preserving biodiversity and the conservation of natural resources. In this workshop, we will discuss the value of natural ecosystems to life on Earth. In particular, we will focus on the benefits of creating a citizenry educated about ecosystem conservation, using the Volusia Sandhill Ecosystem Teaching Landscape, the ongoing restoration of a longleaf pine habitat on the grounds of the Rinker Environmental Learning Center, as an example of one way in which these values can be translated to a public that is increasingly removed from the natural systems that sustain life on Earth. The workshop will include opportunities for participants to tour the landscape, learn about current student/faculty projects, and to engage in hands-on activities related to the educational mission of the site.