Philosophers program gets international attention

Dr. Paul Thomson, assistant professor of philosophy, and five John Carroll students who have
worked with him as teaching assistants in the Carroll Cleveland Philosophers Program (CCPP) are
spending the week at Cambridge University in England to present at “The 3rd International
Conference for New Directions in the Humanities.” The conference offers the team an opportunity to
talk about their innovative approach of using drama to teach philosophy to pre-college students.
“It’s such an amazing opportunity. All of us are excited. We’re going to focus on the great thing
that we’re doing there—sharing our wonderful program with an international audience. We’re going
to share our experience of how we try to change the lives of underprivileged students through
philosophy,” said Rhiannon Lathy ’07, one of the students who will be presenting at Cambridge
next week.

Despite the recent acts of terror in London, this English major says she’s ready to go. “I am
terribly excited about going. The only thing I’m worrying about is my parents worrying too much.
I don’t worry about my safety at all. I think that kind of thing can happen anywhere in the world,
so you just have to be careful,” she added.

Dan Matusicky ’07, Linda Kawentel ’07, Alex Decker ’07, and Brittany McLane ’06 will join
Lathy and Dr. Thomson on this adventure. The same group, along with Zack Miller ’07 and
Dr. Sharon Kaye of philosophy, participated in a similar conference in San Francisco last
semester, so they are well prepared for their international debut.

Over the past few years, the CCPP has been evolving from a program serving a small group of
Cleveland’s at-risk middle school students to one that serves a larger group of high school
students for fewer hours a week. The program is a team effort organized by its director
Dr. Jen Merritt of the education department, and Drs. Thomson and Kaye of philosophy.
“John Carroll has been very generous to the program by offering classroom space,” said
Dr. Thomson. However, each year the program struggles to make ends meet as the cost of
transportation for the students from East High School, who participate in the program, is quite
expensive. If the funding comes through, this innovative program will continue to make a difference
is the lives of students who might not otherwise visit our campus.

From: @JCU, Summer 2005