JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 8, 2022) – East Tennessee State University will soon begin
its week-long celebration of Civility Week and Festival of Ideas. Festivities will
begin Monday, March 28, and will conclude Monday, April 4. Three keynote speakers
will be present at the event, including CNN host Van Jones, award-winning journalist
David Plazas, and former co-host of “The View” Meghan McCain.
View the full media release here.
Monday, March 28
Van Jones,
CNN Host and Dream Corps Founder
Beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, March 28, CNN host and Dream Corps founder Van Jones will give a talk at the ETSU Foundation Grand Hall in the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts. Tickets are required for entry to the event. Students, faculty and staff at ETSU can claim their free ticket by logging in to the ETSU ticket site. Community members will be able to purchase their tickets for $10 each beginning on Monday, March 14 beginning at 10 a.m.
Tuesday, March 29
On Tuesday, March 29, events kick off at 11:30 a.m. with “A Higher Purpose: A Dialogue on Religious and Spiritual Identity and the College
Experience.” During this event, student panelists from a number of faith and belief practices
will respond to questions, sharing their personal experiences and perspectives on
faith, spirituality and the college environment. It which will be located in the East
Tennessee Room, room 272 in the D.P. Culp Student Center.
Later, the ETSU SGA Executive Candidate Forum will be hosted in The Cave, Room 142 in the Culp Center from 6-7:30 p.m.
At 8 p.m., the cultural competency learning simulation event BaFa’ BaFa’ will be hosted in the East Tennessee Room.
Wednesday, March 30
David Plazas,
Award Winning Journalist
On March 30 from 12-1 p.m., "Circus Amok: A Queer Performance in the Public Sphere" will take place in the Cave, Room 142 of the D.P. Culp Student Center.
At 7:30 p.m., Opinion and Engagement director for the USA TODAY Network in Tennessee, David Plazas, will host “Lessons Learned from Civility Tennessee: A Toolkit for Healthier Living and a Better Civil Society.” The event is free and open to the public. It will be located in the Martha Street Culp Auditorium in the Culp Center.
Thursday, March 31
Meghan McCain,
Political Commentator and Former Co-Host of The View
On Thursday, March 31, the Accessibility Walk event will begin at 2 p.m. at University Commons. This event will provide participants
with an opportunity to increase their knowledge of the physical accessibility for
people with disabilities on and around campus.
At 7:30 p.m., Meghan McCain will give a talk at the ETSU Foundation Grand Hall in the Martin Center. Tickets are required for entry to the event. Students, faculty and staff at ETSU can claim their free ticket on ETSU’s ticket site. Community members will be able to purchase tickets for $10 each beginning on Monday, March 14, beginning at 10 a.m.
Monday, April 4
Civility Week and Festival of Ideas will wrap on Monday, April 4 with a TEDx ETSU event. The theme will be “Connection.” TEDx program helps communities, organizations
and individuals produce TED-style events at the local level. They are planned and
coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis. The event will take
place from 7-9:30 p.m. The live event will be located in the D.P. Culp Student Center
Ballroom Right. Seating is limited, and a ticket is required for entry. A livestream
location that is free and open to the public will be located in the Cave.
For media inquiries, contact Briar Worley at worleyb@etsu.edu or call (423) 439-5715.