In an attempt to get more Tufts students to continue working as active citizens after graduation, the Tufts Gavel Society will hold its first-ever Leadership Day on the Hill today.
The event will take place in Barnum 008 from noon until 5 p.m.
A group comprised of Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate alumni, the Gavel Society was co-created by former TCU president Jeff Katzin (A '06). Katzin, along with senior Brittany Sommer, the Senate's trustee representative of academic affairs, organized Leadership Day on the Hill in hopes of motivating current students to stay active when they become Tufts alumni.
Starting with opening remarks by Tufts Professor of Economics George Norman, the event will also include a networking lunch, four alumni-led discussion panels and a cocktail reception for the alumni.
Because leadership is such a big theme on campus, the focus of this year's event is on "Ethics and Leadership." The four different panels will focus on different fields of leadership, ranging from politics to education.
"We talked to professors on campus to see who they thought would be the best speakers for each part, and we also wanted to bring back alumni who haven't been to campus in a while," Sommer said.
The first of these panels will focus on the role ethics plays in the current presidential election. Entitled "Ethics and the 2008 Presidential Campaign: Which candidates are running a more 'ethical' campaign?" it will be led by reporter Matt Bai (LA '90) of the New York Times Magazine and Democratic fundraiser Alan Solomont (A '70), a Tufts trustee.
Following this will be a panel, led by Barbara Clarke (LA '88), Jesse Levey (LA '02) and Nina Smith (LA '89), discussing "Leadership and the Non-profit Sector."
University President Lawrence Bacow and Kathleen McCartney (J '77), dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, will discuss academic ethics in a third panel called "Ethical Challenges Facing Higher Education Today."
The concluding panel, "Ethical News Reporting - Is there such a thing?" will be led by Neal Shapiro (LA '80), former president of NBC News.
The symposium-like format of this event will allow current students to see what a Tufts education can lead to. It is also meant to serve as a networking opportunity by allowing students to connect with graduates.
"I hope that people take a lot out of this and that the information they receive will help them reflect on their leadership experiences at Tufts, and cause them to become future leaders as alumni," Sommer said.
While this is the first time it is being held, there are hopes that the event will continue to occur in the future.
"I think it's a really good opportunity for student leaders and for students who aren't yet leaders, but hope to be involved. I would love it to become a yearly event," Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman said.
