The Engage Civic Initiative hosted a discussion on the documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Friday, Oct. 4, in the Boling University Center, concerning civility in the classroom.
The discussion revolved around how Fred Rogers helped improve civility among people throughout his life. Students and faculty from a variety of departments were in attendance for this week’s Engage session.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is a documentary centered on Rogers and the work he did on the television show, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” for over three decades.
In the discussion, filmmaker Morgan Neville conveys the impact Rogers’ lessons had on children of then and today while focusing on their differences, which dominated most of the discussion.
The discussion dove into how civility is not as prevalent now as it used to be, with many people using politics as a direct example.
“Maybe we can’t all be just like Mr. Rogers, but we can be aware of what he laid out as an ideal and approximate it a little more and more each day,” Dr. Mike McCullough, professor of Management and co-director of Engage, said.
Students and professors alike shared instances where they or someone they witnessed showed civility in the classroom despite a disagreement with the other person.
“It calls for civility to say that even though I disagree with you, I am willing to listen to you because I’m supposed to love you,” Dr. Arthur Hunt, professor of Communications and co-director for Engage, said.
This week’s Engage discussion was following a screening of Won’t You Be My Neighbor? that was held on Oct. 1, in the UC’s Watkins Auditorium.
For more information on the Engage Civic Initiative, visit utm.edu/engage.
