Lisa

I’m a recent alumnus and so I continue to get e-mails from my undergraduate university. Usually I just discard them, but I got one today that caught my attention. Here is the body of the e-mail, for your consideration:

Campus & Community Involvement (CCI) is excited about a new initiative and invites all male students at [my undergrad] to participate in the first annual men’s conference. The mission of the conference is to engage in conversation about issues related to college men and identify strategies to aid your development. Conference participation is open to all male students at [my alma mater] to ensure maximum interaction and sharing of perspectives. The goals of the conference are to:

Identify significant strategies to develop a positive self image Identify potential hazardous behaviors that can lead to physical and emotional distress Promote healthy lifestyles choices Encourage participation in meaningful experiences on campus Prepare college men for post graduate success

The conference will consist of workshops with topics related to healthy relationships, career planning, academic achievement, campus involvement, bystander intervention, health and wellness, and male identity development. Lunch will be provided at no cost to participants followed by a panel discussion with three distinguished alumni moderated by Professor William Burke. Panelists include Walter Huntley (Chairman of [my undergrad] University Board of Trustees), Mark Larson (Founder of the KIPP Aspire Academy in [the University’s home city]), and Dirk Elmendorf (Co-founder of Rackspace Technology). The conference will conclude with a keynote speaker, and closing reception cosponsored by Athletics held at the home ...