What role do civility and respect play in everyday campus life? Following recent presentations by Assistant Head of School for Community Engagement Ed Cowell and Headmaster Mason Lecky, it was time for our Upper School boys to dig into the details of St. Christopher's Upper School Civility Statement.

On Tuesday, students met in advisory groups to discuss the meaning and practical implementation of the statement. Drawing from personal experiences, boys reflected on the importance of examining other viewpoints, showing respect and maintaining civil dialogue. 

"Respect is such an important part of St. Christopher's," said Riley Ware '24. "We have so many classes and clubs focused on discussion, so it's important for people to have the tools to handle so many different viewpoints." 

According to Cowell, the goal is not for the community to necessarily agree about every issue but to learn how to empathize with others and learn how to engage with diverse perspectives. "It's easy to stick with those who look like you, act like you, think like you, but it's a significant growth opportunity when you allow yourself to participate in the discussion where perhaps you don't agree to begin with," he said. "It's not about going along to get along, we're focused on how to understand and how to be understood."