A trio of Minnesota State University students hopes to generate some good dialogue and civil conversation with a series of community forums.
The first of the series, called “Mankato Conversations,” takes place 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Dunn Bros. coffee house on Madison Avenue.
Students Amanda DeCurtins, Ryan Pentimalli and Greg Karpe, all seniors, planned the series for an upper-level speech communications class they’re taking called Community Projects.
“I think the point is to get us out into the community,” DeCurtins said. “It teaches you things you can’t learn in a classroom.”
Added Pentimalli, “It also gives us something we can put on a resume.”
The three topics are: Success and Happiness, The Relationship Between Students and the Community, and Patriotism.
After next week’s opener, the venue switches to the Blue Earth County Library for The Relationship Between Students and the Community. The venue switches again, appropriately so, to the American Legion on Walnut Street for the conversation on patriotism.
“Having them at the coffeeshop, American Legion and the library, we’re hoping for a broad audience,” Karpe said.
None of the forums will be held on campus, and that’s by design. The students said they like the idea of the something done by students that reaches out to the community. Besides, Pentimalli said, bringing it on campus can be intimidating to people who don’t want to deal with parking or other campus-related headaches.
The students said they’ll act as facilitators, but they really hope the people who come, students and community members alike, do most of the talking.
Their theme is, “It’s OK to talk to strangers.” While that may go contrary to what you’re mother taught you, the students say it’s intended to convey of a vibe conducive to dialogue and sharing information.
For more Free Press news go to http://www.mankatofreepress.com/
Email this article | Permanent link | Topstories news | Topstories news archives
Minnesota State
University, Mankato
Mankato, MN 56001
1-800-722-0544
© 2005-2013 Minnesota State University, Mankato. Minnesota State University, Mankato is a member of
Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system and an affirmative action/equal opportunity university.
