On April 24, the Gregory J. Grappone Humanities Institute held their 200th Come Friday Forum event. Since 2018, Come Friday Forums have gathered members of the Saint Anselm community each week during the common hour for open, informal conversations. Each conversation is led by a faculty, staff, or monastic community member along with a student.
“When the Grappone Humanities Institute was founded in January of 2018, an initial very generous gift from Bob and Bev Grappone, and a mostly blank piece of paper,” said Professor Gary Bouchard, executive director of the Gregory J. Grappone Humanities Institute. “What exactly was the Institute to be and do, and how would it accomplish this? The name Come Friday, with its nice double meaning, came from Fr. Iain. He had used it once for a program and it felt it had more life in it,”
When Bouchard created the brown bag discussion concept for the forums, he had a vision to develop a way for the community to come together and consider questions about humanity.
“I’ve actually been coming since my freshman year, so this is my third year. I’ve just found it to be a really great opportunity to hear intergenerational conversation about anything. It’s like a little lecture on a niche topic that you wouldn’t hear otherwise if you took a class,” said John Fitzpatrick ’27.
The 200th Come Friday Forum’s topic of discussion was “what is in a name?” and was hosted by Professor Tauna Sisco, Sociology and Social Work department. Names reinforce humanity by acting as anchors for individual, cultural and social identity. The forums are a substantial exemplifier of humanity as they are a landmark for crucial topics. There were approximately forty to sixty participants from the Hilltop and beyond who discussed and answered meaningful questions about their shared humanity.
“It’s interesting to hear about different people’s names. I really liked when we turned it over to the audience and we get to hear from the students, alumni, and faculty who have some really fascinating stories behind their names. It’s interesting to hear them talk about how it’s been passed down through family and how nicknames can kind of come in and go out,” Fitzpatrick continued.
Cezza Cardaropoli ’27 has been attending the forum since her freshman year. She believes that they play an extremely important role in forming thoughtful discourse that help gain new perspectives, ultimately strengthening our humanities as a liberal arts college.
“Many discussed what it means to embody their name, to choose their name, and if a name is dependent on an object's intrinsic qualities. A common point brought up was discrimination from names. One gentleman explained how he went by a shortened version of his traditional Irish name so he could have an easier time acquiring a job when the Irish were being prejudiced. I also talked about the meaning behind my name and how I have grown up hearing it pronounced incorrectly more times than not,” she stated.