By Julian De Ocampo ’13 & Tyler J. Scott ’12
THE ROUNDUP
Despite the fact that many speakers at last year’s Summit on Human Dignity on globalization urged students to enact changes in their lifestyle, it isn’t hard to find students filling the halls with Nike shoes and socks on their feet.
Still, other students and faculty members have made changes in their lives.
“I haven’t done anything to change, but my best friend, Anthony Broglia ’11, hasn’t bought Nike products since then,” said Justin Dizon ’11.
Faculty members like Assistant Principal of Ministry Mrs. Kim Baldwin and Summit Committee member Mrs. Catharine Steffens said they now advocate Community Supported Agriculture and try their best to buy local products.
However, Mrs. Steffens added that enacting change wasn’t the sole purpose of the Summit.
“In my opinion, the Summit is not about wanting every student, faculty and staff member to change the way they live,” Mrs. Steffens said. “The purpose of the Summit is to offer information and knowledge, and each student, faculty and staff member can then take that knowledge and draw their own conclusions and decisions from it.”
Mrs. Baldwin’s thoughts on how students should react to the Summit were similar.
“The main thing we hope is that students begin asking questions,” Mrs. Baldwin said.
Other students said that although the Summit changed their ideas, it was harder to actually enact a physical change.
“I’ve thought a lot more about how a lot of products are made, but as far as habits, I haven’t changed many of them,” said Nathan Walker ’12, who is on this year’s Summit committee.
Still, many involved in the Summit are hoping that year’s topic will give people the knowledge to enact change.
“I feel like the whole food on the table idea is such an easier concept to grasp because it’s so close to home. It’s right there in your grocery store,” Walker said.
One member of the committee, Carlos Mandeville ’12, said last year’s speakers inspired him to become involved in this year’s Summit.
“I think there’s a lot bigger market for food,” said fellow committee member Evan Hastings ’12. “There’s a lot of stuff we can go over in this Summit that we can more easily apply to our lives.”
Read more Summit-related articles in the 2011 Summit Special Section.
