President Shares Link Between Civility, Success
Published 07.29.2008
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While welcoming the first generation to be fully immersed in technology, Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour on Monday urged a roomful of teenagers to tune out cellphones, text messages and e-mail long enough to tune into the moment and engage their fellow human beings. "Multitasking is only interrupting one thing to do something else," she said. "When the device becomes more important than the people around you, it's time to say, 'When.'" The president delivered the keynote speech during the second day of Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week at the college, telling audience members that their "personal set of actions is more important than the number of friends in your cellphone or on your social-networking sites." Relating several instances of personal perseverance, she also urged the campus visitors to "Dig deep and don't let anyone discourage you." As a reminder of that lesson, she gave each student a galvanized metal washer to represent the strength and permanence of their education, and to signify the necessary reinforcement that families, teachers and other supporters provide throughout their lives.