C.W. Post Honors Conference Explores Commitment

Brookville, N.Y. – Wishy-washy won’t win. Hemming and hawing hardly helps. To make a difference in this world a person must be committed: to an idea, a profession, another person or even the natural world. The idea of commitment – what it means, what it takes – will be the focus of the annual Honors Conference at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University on Friday, March 7 from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The symposium will specifically address the upcoming presidential elections and the issues that surround it. “Political commitment seemed a natural link,” said Joan Digby, Ph.D., director of the Honors Program. “Commitment refers not only to politicians but also to voters who need to think about where they stand on key issues. Our goal is to make the students feel vested in the presidential election so that they will vote.”

The highlight of the conference is a forum co-presented with the C.W. Post Student Affairs-Faculty Partnership Initiative Committee. CHOICES ’08: Commitment and Action is a series of sessions that will focus on critical issues important to the November elections, including the war in Iraq, education, health care, poverty, global warming and immigration.

The opening session of CHOICES ’08 will be presented from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in Hillwood Commons Lecture Hall and will be moderated by Roslyn Muraskin, Ph.D., professor of criminal justice. At the conclusion of the opening session, break-out groups of students and faculty will meet throughout the afternoon for further discussion of specific topics. A wrap-up session, held from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. in the Humanities Hall Room 119 (the Engelke/Astoria Federal Savings Lecture Hall), will challenge students to formulate their own positions and compare their opinions with those of the presidential candidates.

The Honors Conference will also feature a spectrum of thought-provoking topics of interest, from shopping to political resistance and the struggle to create a more just world. Paul Forestell, Ph.D., professor of psychology will discuss his devotion to marine mammals as the basis for his plea to stop hunting whales. Fausto Marincioni, Ph.D., assistant professor of geography, will ask what it means to protect the environment. Pamela Lennox, Ed.D., associate provost for campus services, will put forward a model for community service. David Holzman, professor of music and a pianist with great expertise in contemporary music, will share his personal odyssey, outlining the years of commitment it has taken him to produce his latest CD. And Dr. Digby will talk about preserving America’s national parks and introducing their splendor to students.

“There will be something for everyone, and above all a chance for personal reflection on the commitments that shape our lives,” Dr. Digby said. “There’s no point in sleepwalking through life. Engagement is what keeps us all wide awake, thoughtful and ready for action.”

For more information, call (516) 299-2840 or e-mail joan.digby@liu.edu. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. The conference takes places in various buildings on the C.W. Post Campus, located at 720 Northern Boulevard in Brookville, New York.

Posted: February 12, 2008