Convocation 2012 - Elizabeth Roach

The school year was opened by a convocation address from English department chair, Elizabeth Roach. Her talk, "The Art of Conversation," centers around the importance of speaking to one another face-to-face; to limit our use of technology and having students put away their cell phones and have real conversations and debates with their peers. Elizabeth talks about a favorite poem from college, a book by author and MIT professor, Sherry Turkle and Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," all tying in to the art of conversing. She concludes by saying: "So this is all to say that the art of conversation is lifelong work, but it starts here, today. It is an art that we can all practice and refine, and it starts with the people sitting all around you. It starts every time you prepare for class, every time you listen, think, talk and engage in your classes. It is a way of living, and it is a journey of discovery."