At Academic Convocation on Thursday, Aug, 29, Merrimack College President Christopher E. Hopey, Ph.D., said he had one word on his mind – curiosity.
“As a student, your curiosity is crucial,” he continued during the event’s opening remarks. “Today it’s not just about finding a job but about understanding the world and your place in it. Being curious and seeking answers to difficult questions will help you discover your passion.”
Convocation serves as the ceremonial start to the academic school year, and dozens of students turned out to Sullivan Quad for this year’s event.
“Embrace the diversity of thought and perspective that you will experience in the core curriculum,” John “Sean” Condon, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, told the crowd. “Enthusiastically attend the student organization meeting your roommate brought you to. Sign up for the service trip that emphasizes our Augustinian tradition of community life and service to others, in parts of the country and the world you’ve never been to before.”
During her keynote speech, Stephanie Garrone-Shufran, associate professor in the School of Education and Social Policy and 2024 Roddy Award winner, advised students that following their curiosities could help with their mental health.
In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and modern technological advancements, she began, the current generation of young college students have unprecedented levels of loneliness. To combat this, Garrone-Shufran advised fully embracing sociologist Ray Oldenberg’s concept of “third spaces” – locations that are not homes or jobs.
“Merrimack is full of third spaces,” she advised, “whether it is Sparky’s, the gym, or a group of outdoor tables and chairs. But you have to show up. Classrooms, believe it or not, are third spaces too. There’s no better place to learn about your peers and gain a support system. In short, going to class may be good for your soul as well as your mind.”
Specifically, Garrone-Shufran recommended that students should purposefully reach out to those with different backgrounds and life experiences.
“I read one study that dispelled the myth that ‘walking in someone else’s shoes’ is a necessary step to empathizing,” she said. “The researchers found that a more important determiner of empathic concern is a person’s capacity to value another person’s welfare. The simplest way to build empathy is to help people to care about others, regardless of their similarities and differences.”
