Student Senate Raising Funds for #BeCivil Campaign

Student Senate leaders are challenging Hawks to #BeCivil.

#BeCivil is an effort launched in 2018 to promote open dialogue, action and education regarding issues of diversity and inclusion across campus.

“With #BeCivil, we’re asking faculty, staff and students to explore their identity in the world we live in and challenge injustice in their everyday lives,” says Taylor Stokes ’22, who is both co-founder of the campaign and Student Senate’s secretary of inclusion and equity. “We strive to encourage all people to have uncomfortable conversations and lean into that experience.”

In order to maximize the campaign’s impact, #BeCivil has joined SJU Crowdfunding to raise funds for marketing, outreach, workshops and incentives that encourage community members to become more engaged citizens.

“As a student body, we are all constantly searching for ways to get more engaged with our community and better ourselves,” remarks Julia McQuade ’20, student body vice president. “The #BeCivil campaign is a tool that all of campus can use in order to live the mission of St. Joe’s and achieve personal excellence, professional success and engaged citizenship.”

In the next calendar year, #BeCivil aims to expand its scope at a larger scale, hosting different workshops, conversations and projects that promote Student Senate’s dedication to foster an inclusive environment.

“We want to plan events that incentivize people to gather and stay engaged in discussions and actions taking place around campus,” McQuade explains. “In doing this, we’ll create an opportunity for the student body to participate in conversations that they normally might avoid.”

#BeCivil believes that having these hard conversations causes people to become more compassionate, respectful and inclusive in their day to day lives.

Student Senate aims to raise the funds that will maximize #BeCivil’s potential through the support of alumni and students by using the SJU Crowdfunding platform. The ultimate goal of increasing funding for #BeCivil is to create a well-educated and informed community that prioritizes the understanding, acceptance and respect of all people.

To learn more about Student Senate’s #BeCivil crowdfunding campaign, visit giving.sju.edu/crowdfundingbecivil.