Doughnuts the Ferrum Way.

So I'm walking in from getting my free Starbucks coffee at the bookstore, and lo and behold who is approaching me but two people offering the opportunity to try new doughnut flavors for campus.

Are you kidding me? Not only will there soon be doughnuts on campus, but the folks in food service are making sure they pick the ones that people actually want.

Now that's service. Correction. That's service the Ferrum College way.

Assistant Catering Manager Alyson Seidel and Vending Manager Chris Foley have already offered the new options to students -- in a taste test, and in the dining hall. This day they were offering members of the administration the chance to opine on whether the creme filled varieties are better than say the blueberry cake option. (They are!)

After tasting, we were asked to complete a survey. It asked which ones we like best, would be purchase the occasional doughnut, and what would we be willing to pay.

So far the favorite seems to be the raspberry jelly-filled with white icing. It is followed closely by the Bavarian Creme filled and the Long John.

All I know is that we will soon have a doughnut option -- The Ferrum way!

To Be Civil… or Not to Be Civil

Ferrum College recently offered an evening discussion called, "Shut the (bleep) Up." Issues related to civility. While it might seem obvious that people should be civil to one another, there were strong arguments that people used civility to "hide" their personalities. Public Relations Intern Meagan Hodges participated in the event and blogs about it below.

By Meagan Hodges
Public Relations Intern
Have you ever felt that someone has been uncivil or disrespected you? Sure you have. In fact, I’m sure there have been numerous instances. This is why the “Shut the [Bleep] up – Conversations about Civility” event, held on February 1st in the Confetti’s Lounge in Bassett Hall, was so important. Twelve students and two faculty members spoke out openly of examples in their own lives of how they have been disrespected, and voiced their opinions about the advantages and implications of civility.

Joseph Fridley, Residence Hall Educator, facilitated the discussions and asked questions such as, “Why is civility important to a community?” Other topics discussed included the curtain of civility between online and real world behavior, the context of civility, and cursing. There was much debate on whether cursing should be used only in certain places or instances, or if it should be intolerable all together. Some agreed that vulgar language has no place in society, whether it is in public or private, but the consensus amongst students was that as long as it doesn’t offend anyone, that there is a time and place for cursing.

The pros and cons of civility were also a hot topic. Many said that there are no cons to civility because it’s about respect. Others said that enforcing civility is a form of judging. Zachalee Mercado, Ferrum student, said, “Civility hinders society because no one knows who you really are.” Often times, people hide their true selves in an effort to be civil. Other students expressed their doubts about a completely civil society because of the lack of interest of some people to behave in a civil manner. Justin Beveridge, Ferrum student, said, “Civility works more when it’s something that everyone buys into.”

This discussion was part of a series of themed conversations to be held throughout the course of the semester to help shed light on pressing issues involving the campus community. These events provide a safe public forum for students and faculty to voice opinions, and along with provided food and drinks, creates a friendly atmosphere for participants. I hope these discussions will aid in getting students involved in making positive changes on campus. In the words of Joseph Fridley, “Civility only works as a whole if students enforce it.”