SUNY Potsdam & SUNY Canton Hold First Simultaneous Civility Sit-In

Two Campuses Stand Up for Civility through Joint CARES & BEAR Projects

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From left, Roody Roo, Molly A. Mott, Chip Morris, Lashawanda Ingram, Annette Robbins, Gena Nelson, Courtney B. Bish and Max C. Bear. For the full caption with titles, see the attached release.

POTSDAM, NY (10/10/2012)(readMedia)-- SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam are joining together for a unique show of solidarity -- the first-ever simultaneous Civility Sit-In. Students, faculty and staff from both campuses will sit down to demonstrate their commitment to civility, by protesting intolerance, ignorance and disrespect. Then, participants at both colleges will stand up together, in a display of common cause and purpose.

The joint event is sponsored by two initiatives with the same goals on both campuses: SUNY Canton's CARES Committee, and the BEAR @ Potsdam Project.

CARES stands for Character, Acts of Kindness, Respect, Environment and Spirituality. BEAR @ Potsdam is short for Be Ethical And Responsible at SUNY Potsdam. Both organizations support efforts to create campus environments rich in courtesy and respect for others.

The simultaneous Civility Sit-Ins are scheduled for noon on Thursday, Oct. 18, on both campuses. At SUNY Canton, the event will be held at the Roselle Academic Plaza. At SUNY Potsdam, the event will be held at Minerva Plaza.

There will be campus speakers at both events, and students will decorate T-shirts proclaiming what they "won't stand for" at their college.

"SUNY Potsdam is one community, bound together by respect and integrity. We are dedicated to upholding the values in our Potsdam Pledge, and encouraging our students to help lead the way for all concerning civility. This unique event will offer an opportunity for the SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton communities to show our neighbors in the North Country what we stand for," said Dean of Students Chip Morris.

SUNY Canton's Dean of Students, Courtney B. Bish said, "The Civility Sit-In will showcase the importance of respect and tolerance within our campus community and will be the first of many events sponsored through our CARES Project. We are proud to co-host this event with SUNY Potsdam thought their BEAR @ Potsdam initiative, and are looking forward to the student support at the event and future collaborations with the other area colleges."

To end the sit-ins, the colleges' two mascots -- Max C. Bear and Roody Roo -- will encourage everyone to rise at once, to show that they stand for civility.

"It is so exciting to be promoting the concept of civility with SUNY Canton. This Sit-In shows the North Country community that we are institutions dedicated to making the communities both on- and off-campus the best they can be," said Annette Robbins, director of student conduct and community standards at SUNY Potsdam.

To mark their commitment to the project, faculty and staff from SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton gathered recently along with the college mascots.

As seen in the accompanying photo, the officials included: (from left) SUNY Canton Vice President for Student Affairs Molly A. Mott, SUNY Potsdam Dean of Students Chip Morris, SUNY Canton Director of Diversity Lashawanda Ingram, SUNY Potsdam Director of Student Conduct and Community Standards Annette Robbins, SUNY Potsdam Counseling Center Director Gena Nelson and SUNY Canton Dean of Students Courtney B. Bish.

About SUNY Canton:

SUNY Canton offers a variety of career-driven bachelor's degrees in addition to its associate and certificate programs. In the past year, the College added two new bachelor's degrees and expanded its facilities with a new athletic center, nicknamed Roos House, and the Grasse River Suites Residence Hall. The College's faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to their academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers flexible and convenient online courses and programs. The College's 14 athletic teams compete as provisional members of the NCAA Division III as well as the USCAA. To learn more, visit www.canton.edu.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, and located on the outskirts of the beautiful Adirondack Park, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges. SUNY Potsdam currently enrolls approximately 4,350 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its handcrafted education, challenging liberal arts and sciences core, excellence in teacher training and leadership in the performing and visual arts. For more information, visit www.potsdam.edu.

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