About 30 campus organizations and departments showed off their social engagement with the Carlisle community at a club fair to kick off President Margee Ensign’s inauguration weekend, and was considered an overall success by Ensign.

The Civic Engagement Celebration was a way to demonstrate that Dickinson is committed to the Carlisle community in many ways, whether through community service, sports, politics or other areas. According to the Dickinson website, attendees had the opportunity to “learn about how Dickinson prepares students to become change-agents and how our Carlisle neighbors support students’ development as engaged citizens,” as part of Ensign’s inauguration celebration.

The invited organizations and departments were provided with table space to display information, videos, websites and other props for attendees to learn about their organization or department.  Each table also had representatives with whom attendees could speak.

After witnessing how the clubs interacted with people both on the Dickinson campus and in the greater Carlisle community, Ensign commented, “…we can do anything together. It is inspiring.”

Volunteer and community service organizations, departments from several areas of campus, Dickinson Athletics and select student-run organizations were at the event.

Nick Struzenski ’18, a captain for the Dickinson squash team, commented on how Dickinson squash impacts the community:

“We take part in Run for Steph, to raise awareness for drunk driving, and we also volunteer at Special Olympics.”

The Dickinson College Democrat and Republican clubs were there to speak about how they try to raise awareness among students and Carlisle community members as to their respective political views.

Maureen Moroz ’19, secretary of the Dickinson College Republicans Club, said, “The Dickinson College Republicans is our local organization on campus… we engage with local politicians, community, to promote conservative ideals and to get people engaged as to what it means to be a Republican.”

Grant Shearer ’19, president of the Dickinson College Republicans Club said, “by having these events, they help our club get conservative ideals out, especially when we go door to door we get a chance to interact face to face with the local Carlisle people.” Shearer continued, “…they can ask us questions about the candidate, about policies that are going on and just about being conservative in general.”

Ensign was pleased with the outcome of the Civic Engagement Celebration, commenting that she “thought it was extraordinary to see the range of students and projects that students and faculty are involved with that community members are leading and helping to lead and watching and supporting.”  She thought the whole event was “so positive and so exciting” especially to “see that level of support and engagement and as I said that night, those things aligning, the community, the students, the faculty, if we could do that then we can do anything!”

The celebration ran from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the HUB Social Hall on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017.