By Daniel Robb ’10
The Roundup
Throughout its lifetime the annual Summit on Human Dignity has engaged Brophy students in discussion about important issues, a tradition which Brophy will continue this year with the topic of globalization and the economy.
The topic is a broad one, and is intended to be that way. This is because the planners want to cover a variety of subjects over the course of the Summit, according to Assistant Principal for Ministry Mrs. Kim Baldwin, who is chairing the planning committee.
“This is a very broad topic, so the challenge is going to be how to do justice to it without it being so general that we lose everyone,” said Mr. Tim Broyles.
“Poverty, trade, foreign policy (and) the financial market on a local, national and international scale” are just a few of the important sub-topics which might be included, Mrs. Baldwin said.
Along with the normal, large-scale topics, another aspect that will be stressed is how all of these things relate to the students. How credit relates to teenagers and how you can make a personal budget are things that might be incorporated into talks or workshops, according to Mrs. Baldwin.
The topic was chosen in large part because of its pertinence to today’s world.
“We talk about teachable moments — this is really one of them,” Mrs. Baldwin noted regarding the timeliness of the Summit.
The student involvement in the planning is substantial as always. Nearly 30 students on the planning committee, along with a class called Contemplatives in Action, are involved in the process.
“The Student Planning Committee is responsible for coordinating the ‘student input’ aspects of the Summit,” said Danny Wilson ’10. “We have made it a goal to make this year’s Summit one that is renowned for student participation.”
“We would like the entire campus to reflect the Summit topic, through art, student-led discussions and reflection periods,” Wilson continued.
Not only is there student involvement and influence, there are a large number of faculty members also involved in different aspects of the planning process.
The general message of the Summit will be “how do we progress (and) how do we go about globalization which is just and sustainable,” Mrs. Baldwin said. The full mission statement for the Summit will be available soon.
The Summit will start Monday, Feb. 22 and run through Friday, March 5. The full schedule for the Summit is available on the Brophy calendar.