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Dignity Tour visits Penn State Fayette

By Frances Borsodi Zajac fzajac@heraldstandard.Com 3 min read
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Amanda Steen | Herald-Standard

Penn State Laureate Susan Russell, on right, leads student Jenny McCandless across the room to meet another student and share their different perspectives on life. Russell’s mission is to unite students and faculty across the university’s campuses in a common conversation about dignity.

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Amanda Steen | Herald-Standard

Penn State Laureate Susan Russell speaks to students at Penn State Fayette’s campus.on Monday to unite students and faculty across the university’s campuses in a common conversation about dignity.

Penn State’s Dignity Tour stopped at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, last week when Associate Professor of Theater Susan Russell walked around the Student Center, randomly asking students about themselves and directing them to talk to each other.

“What’s it like being Coron?” Russell asked Coron Mains, 19, of Uniontown.

“I’m a freshman and very determined,” Mains said. “My great pleasure in life is doing what others say I can’t.”

“Ian, tell me a story about your life here and the great thing about being at this campus,” Russell said to Ian Harris, a 19-year-old sophomore from Lemont Furnace.

“When I started, I came here and I would leave soon after my classes were over, but I got involved in student government,” Harris said, explaining how becoming more engaged in campus life led him to change his major to business where he hopes to be able to spend more time communicating with people.

This year’s Penn State laureate, Russell has been visiting the university’s 19 commonwealth campuses since June to lead an ongoing discussion about human dignity. Each year, Penn State selects a professor in arts and humanities to unite the campuses in a common conversation.

In her task, Russell reached out to students at Penn State Fayette to persuade them to communicate.

She wanted to learn about their lives but also directed the students to ask questions of each other. A 20-year-old female student asked a 41-year-old female student “What’s the most significant moment of your life so far?” The older student asked the younger in return, “What are your life goals?”

While some were reluctant to talk, others proved eager. And everyone listened as they touched on subjects of gender, pay inequity, respect and being role models.

“Part of my assignment has been to bring people together,” explained Russell, who noted she is often asked what is the biggest problem of the 21st century? “It’s our attraction to separation. We actively work to separate ourselves from each other through technology and fear. The simple act of asking ourselves to meet people creates a world that we are sharing.”

Russell gave the crowd an assignment, asking that for the next 24 hours they do three things: make eye contact with everyone coming towards them. Do not make derogatory remarks about other people or themselves. And, lastly, refuse to go to war with others, including on social media.

She said, “Challenge yourself first and the world will follow. To create a more peaceful culture requires we create a more peaceful self.”

After the presentation, Harris commented, “It was really motivating. It’s that speech you need in your life so you can make a change, not only for yourself but for others.”

Mains said, “It was truly inspiring. As she was explaining, she really touched my heart. What she said was true. If you do have dignity and you’re in peace with everyone, you will come to realize your days will be different than if you were rude to someone. It will make you a more better person and more successful in life.”

Russell said response to the Dignity Tour has been “100 percent positive. The conversation is challenging but the positive effect it has on people is eye-opening, life changing and empowering because it turns your day over to you.

“It’s a reminder of an old lesson,” she continued, “but the great truth is people really do want to talk. It’s a great tour and it’s been a great lesson for me.”

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