In his message, “Our Democracy,” President DeGioia invited the university community to a deeper commitment to the common good in light of recent events that have reminded us of the fragility of the nation’s democratic institutions. As a university based in the capital city, with an ingrained Jesuit heritage, President DeGioia called upon the notion of public responsibility, first developed by Cicero and later adapted by the Jesuits into a civic spirituality (an integration, according to Jesuit historian Fr. John O’Malley, of classical humanism and Jesuit spirituality). The power of this civic spirituality is that it can fortify the entire community as we proceed through a “defining moment for our nation in how we choose to respond.”
This month, SCS responded to this invitation by designing several events and programs intended to foster deeper reflection and discerned action about how to meet the many social justice challenges facing Georgetown and the nation. SCS Dean Kelly Otter, in an announcement “From Insurrection to Inauguration: Implications For Our Democracy’s Future,” shared about two school events intended to explore the profound obstacles facing our society with the assistance of the intellectual and professional perspectives of the SCS faculty.
The first event, “Insurrection to Inauguration: Reflections Across Professions,” takes place on Tuesday, February 9 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST (you can RSVP here). Co-hosted by Dr. Kristen Hodge-Clark and Faculty Director Kerry O’Grady, the panel convenes distinguished local experts from four different fields – journalism, public relations, emergency and disaster management, and applied intelligence – to discuss and reflect upon the events that unfolded in Washington, D.C. (you can read a Mission in Motion interview from the summer with Dr. Hodge-Clark here).
The second event, “Current and Emergency Security Challenges in Washington, D.C.,” takes place on Wednesday, February 24 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST (you can RSVP here). Moderated by Faculty Director Dr. Frederic Lemieux, the event features D.C. Chief of Police, Robert J. Contee III, who will discuss existing and upcoming security challenges that the Metropolitan Police Department is facing.
Both events take place in the context of February’s celebration of Black History Month. SCS is honoring Black voices, within Georgetown and throughout the wider community, with a “Find Your Voice” social media campaign. Each week, the campaign will highlight an influential figure in Black history, as well as share reflections about their impact. This week, SCS staff member and alum of the Sports Industry Management program, Tremell Horne, hosted an Instagram takeover that featured his service work at Dreaming Out Loud, a D.C.-based non-profit that addresses health and food inequities through economic opportunities in marginalized communities. You can check out Tremell’s Instagram takeover here as well as an interview he did here with Mission in Motion during the fall semester.
Taken together, these efforts reflect the special responsibility of Georgetown SCS being located here in the capital city just blocks away from the U.S. Capitol. As President DeGioia noted, affirmed by Cicero and Fr. John O’Malley, our university character strives to be shaped by an “unwavering commitment to truth, service, and the common good.”