Once a year, the campus comes together to honor Cabrini’s heritage and mission.
Cabrini Day is a day of celebration of the college’s mission to deliver academic excellence, while keeping a commitment to social justice. Students and staff are encouraged to take advantage of this day full of mission-oriented activities. Classes are not held during the day to give students a chance to celebrate and honor the college’s namesake, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini.
Starting this day in 1991, faculty felt that there needed to be more school spirit, and students needed a better understanding of what Cabrini College stands for.
Dr. Jerry Zurek, communications professor, hopes that all students take advantage of what this day has to offer.
“If students believe in their education, chose to come to Cabrini and believe that they are getting a good education, then this day seals the deal and helps everyone realize what a great school this is,” Zurek said.
The agenda for Cabrini Day included a variety of different activities for both students and staff.
“Lead for Change,” a collection of 83 unique presentations about different social justice topics created by different courses and students, was held in the Dixon Center. The top three winners, after being selected by the members of the community, were awarded a prize, which they donated to the organization of their choice. The winner of this year’s presentation contest was titled, “Refugees Seeking Safety,” which was put together by the freshman communication learning community’s ECG class. The group received $100, which will be donated to Catholic Relief Services.
In this presentation, participants were able to experience first hand the real life stories of unaccompanied minors that come to America in hopes to start a new life that is better than the one in which they lived before. Freshman Jessica Martinez, a member of this group, felt that this experience was eye opening to both herself, as well as the members of her class.
“This experience showed me how big of a family Cabrini really is. It showed me and my group that everyone truly comes together as one to educate others on social issues,” Martinez said.
After the presentations, students and faculty were able to go to a keynote address, featuring John A. Ducoff, executive director of Covenant House Pennsylvania.
Ducoff educated all of those that gathered in the Grace Hall Atrium on three different topics: youth homelessness, what is done at Covenant House Pennsylvania and the stories of children who are helped at Covenant House from age 21 and younger.
“It’s inspiring to be here at Cabrini and see everyone building the next generation for leaders of social change,” Ducoff said during his address.
“We are driven by our mission to provide academic excellence, leadership development and an ongoing commitment to social justice,” President Dr. Don Taylor said during the opening remarks of the keynote address. “Cabrini Day reminds us of how all three of these items are interrelated as one education of the heart, and how our namesake is our greatest example of how to live that mission each and every day.”
