Curious about our programs and events?

Check out this short video of Live Like A Stoic Week held annually at SRU.

Stoic philosophy, developed by the ancient Greeks, ponders questions about life and how people should treat others, while ridding oneself of emotions in order to prevent suffering. As part of the event students, faculty, staff and members of the community read and work through Stoic texts in thinking about how to better overcome the personal and professional obstacles that may arise in the work and educational environments.

Live Like A Stoic Week, initiated by Andrew M. Winters, Instructor of Philosophy, recently celebrated its third year running at SRU as part of October National Arts & Humanities Month.

This annual event is sponsored by the SRU Department of Philosophy, Philosophy Club, and the Stone House Center for Public Humanities.

Here’s what our very own SRU students had to say about the experience:

“Contemplating Stoic philosophy with my fellow students and professors has allowed me to reflect on some of the most important questions that are easy to lose sight of: what is it that's most important to me in my life? What kind of person am I, and what kind of person do I want to be? What is in my control, and what can I do to change it? What does it mean to be a human being, a member of a University, a town, a nation, and the cosmos, and what bearing does it have on how I should act? Exploring these questions with others before the sun rises at the Old Stone House has been a novel, invaluable experience that I will never forget.”
~ Spencer Knafelc (philosophy and psychology)

“Live Like a Stoic for a Week has given me the opportunity to take time out of a chaotic schedule, allowing me to take one step back to focus on the meaningful things in life; things like community and the cultivation of character. It taught me not to sweat the little things, to recognize what is within my immediate control and what things are not, allowing me to take life as it comes while making the best of whatever it presented to me. This all came about thanks to Dr. Winters who lead fellow students, community members, and I in exploring the ways of the cosmos in a unique setting, providing me with an invaluable experience that I won't soon forget.”
~Rena Alfonso (environmental studies and philosophy)

Each month, The Stone House Center for Public Humanities interviews a humanities scholar or community member and asks them everything from why they believe the humanities are important to what they're currently binge-watching. We hope that our new blog series, Coffee & Questions, will inspire you, introduce you to a variety of people and fields, as well as create new conversations.

Our guest this month is Wes Davis, Director of Development for West End Neighborhood House, a community center located in Wilmington, DE. Wes currently serves on the board of the Brandywine Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and was recently elected as the organization's treasurer. Wes earned a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Delaware in 2000, as well as a Master's Degree in document translation from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in 2006. In 2014, he became a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), and in 2015 completed a certificate course in Non-Profit Management through the University of Delaware.

What inspires you in your current position/role? 
The innovative nature of where I work inspires me the most. We have an incredible team who is always looking for creative ways to solve our community's most pressing problems. Plus, helping those in need is a worthwhile endeavor that is intrinsically motivating.

What work experiences (past or present) have been the most educational for you, and why?  Differences in management style between organizations has been the most educational component of my experience. It taught me the importance of reputation in personal and organizational success, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of both authoritarian and autonomous leadership styles.

What project(s) are you currently working on?
Developing passive income streams to help support the ongoing operating costs of my organization. These expenses are the most difficult to fund and current sources continue to cap their support for this purpose or reduce the amount of funding they provide overall in this area.

Why do you believe that the humanities are important to everyone, and not just people in academia?
Humanities (viewed through the lens of community and social services) are important to everyone because of the real-world, practical impact on everyone. For example, government agencies contract with not-for-profit organizations to do the work they are not trained in or capable of accomplishing on their own. They often rely heavily on these local organizations' expertise and the trust and deep, long-standing relationships they have developed with their communities.

What's a book you've always wanted to read but haven't gotten around to?
Guns, Germs & Steel

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Check back next month for more Coffee & Questions. In case you missed our previous interview with CPH Student Assistant, Julia Null, click HERE.

We're excited to share the new "trailer" for our Humanities Ladder program, featuring some of our students and CPH co-director Lia Paradis! Special thanks to our supporters, including the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Videography by the very talented Liz Barentine.