Society for Business Ethics picks Randolph philosophy professor's book as topic of upcoming event

A Randolph philosophy professor’s book that probes the ethics of consumer choices will be featured in a conference in February.

David Schwartz

The Society for Business Ethics chose to discuss Consuming Choices by David Schwartz in its “Author Meets Critic” forum at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Philosophical Association (Central Division). Schwartz will give a talk about the book, followed by a discussion by two distinguished ethics scholars, Alastair Norcross (University of Colorado – Boulder) and Richard F. Galvin (Texas Christian University).

Schwartz was invited to participate by a professor who had read the book and used it as a textbook. This attention to Consuming Choices is an honor to Schwartz.

“One of my goals in writing this book was to write something that would be reputable to the scholars but accessible to the non-scholars,” Schwartz said. “This is an indication that it’s reputable to the scholars and that people seem to be reading it and finding it useful.”

Consuming Choices guides readers through a discussion of the ethical implications of purchasing decisions. For several decades, business ethicists have discussed whether companies have moral obligations. Schwartz’s book argues that the real moral obligation belongs not to companies, but to their customers.

Consuming Choices was chosen as the topic
for the Society for Business Ethics' "Author
Meets Critic" forum in February.

“It’s up to the consumer to decide what they were comfortable buying,” Schwartz said. “The businesses are going to feel market pressure to change one way or another.”

He started writing Consuming Choices about food and farming, but his topics expanded to include the moral implications of environmental harm, poor working conditions, and animal cruelty in the supply chain for products we purchase.

He said people should be wary of extremely inexpensive items. “If it’s too good to be true,” then someone is being taken advantage of somewhere, Schwartz said.

While it may be impossible to know everything that happens in the creation of a product, consumers have an obligation not to be “willfully ignorant” of the moral implications of their products. Websites such as CorpWatch and The Good Guide can help people learn about how their products are made.

“I’m hoping that this gets on people’s radar and gets them thinking about this idea,” Schwartz said. “I’m fairly confident that if people just have some awareness of this issue, they’ll do fine with making these decisions.”

Preparing for Hurricane Sandy

UPDATED OCTOBER 29 3:24 P.M.

The Randolph College Incident Management Team continues to monitor weather conditions and forecasts for the Lynchburg and surrounding areas. While Hurricane Sandy has the potential to significantly impact other areas of Virginia and states along the East Coast, the storm is not expected to cause major concern for our area. However, the National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory until midnight Tuesday and there potential for strong wind gusts which could cause downed trees and power outages.

At this point, there are no plans to cancel or delay classes.

  OCTOBER 29 11:44 A.M.   Governor Bob McDonnell has declared a state of emergency in Virginia in preparation for Hurricane Sandy, which is anticipated to affect the state and much of the East Coast over the next few days. As of this time, the hurricane is not expected to cause great concern for the Lynchburg area. However, the National Weather Service is forecasting the potential for high winds and rain, which could lead to power outages and other damage.
Randolph College’s community has multiple communication vehicles in place in the event of an emergency situation. Should any weather related situation escalate, information, including closings or delays, will be sent via text messaging*, mass campus emails, and/or in case of power loss, hand-written notices will be prepared and posted on all residence hall entrances, and in other conspicuous locations across campus. In addition, should the College lose power, there will be places on campus powered by generators that will provide access for phone charging and other needs. The location of these spaces will be communicated by the above methods should the need arise.  

As always, we encourage you to stay aware and alert of the weather conditions outside and to keep up-to-date with the latest College communications through one of the available communication methods.

*If you have not already done so, you may sign up to receive free Randolph Alerts on a cell or iPhone here: http://web.randolphcollege.edu/security/emergency_alerts.asp.  

More information about the storm is located: http://www.weather.gov/ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ http://www.governor.virginia.gov/News/viewRelease.cfm?id=1473

Global community center will enhance intercultural experience

Thanks to a generous gift from an alumna and her husband, Randolph College students have a new place to gather and share experiences and perspectives across cultural lines.

On Wednesday the College dedicated the Fitzgerald Global Community Center, a lounge in Bell Hall that is set aside for multicultural activities and discussions. It is situated near the newly designated intercultural floor of Bell Hall, where several students have chosen to live in an environment focused on intercultural connections.

Zara Sibtain ’13, Mike Fitzgerald, Susan Klein, President John E. Klein, Marilyn Fitzgerald ’68,
Carl Girelli, and Jennifer Dugan cut a ribbon to open the Fitzgerald Global Community Center.

The center was made possible by a donation from Marilyn Hicks Fitzgerald ’68 and her husband, Mike, who have been avid supporters of the College’s global studies program for years.

“It’s exciting to join together today to celebrate their latest gift to the college,” President John E. Klein said in the dedication ceremony Thursday. “This center is both a social and an academic resource, and it blends well into Randolph’s Quality Enhancement Plan, ‘Bridges Not Walls.’”

Terry Bodine, assistant dean of students and director of residence life, said that the center contributes to the College’s goal of helping students immerse themselves in a global experience. “Students at Randolph College are strongly encouraged to study abroad,” she said. “However, not every student can study overseas. For those who cannot, Randolph College works intentionally to create opportunities for intercultural exchange right here on campus.”

Marilyn Fitzgerald ’68 visits with Jim Kwon ’14, a student from Korea, in Cheatham
Dining Hall before the dedication of the Fitzgerald Global Community Center.

Jennifer Dugan, a political science professor and head of the College’s Model United Nations program, said the center will provide a place to hold meetings to discuss international issues that come up throughout the year, including lunch hour meetings when international events and questions provoke discussions. “In the international arena, we can’t anticipate what issues, or challenges, crises, or even peace may break out. It’s very nice to know that we can have this environment open to us and be flexible in the ways we come together,” she said.

Marilyn Fitzgerald talked about how living overseas, including a study abroad experiences in college, helped her and her husband develop an appreciation for the world’s many cultures. “When we met each other later in our 20s, our common bond was the fact that we had both studied abroad,” she said.

They developed a passion for helping students to increase their global awareness. Ten years ago, the Fitzgeralds created the Sheldon and Chrystine Hicks Endowed Global Studies Fund. Named in honor of Marilyn’s late parents, the fund makes it possible for Randolph students to travel to the National Model United Nations conference each year.

“We love the new center,” said Marilyn Fitzgerald. “It just makes me want to be a student again.”

Students present research at conference for women in science

A recent nationwide conference honoring college women for their accomplishments in science included two Randolph College students.

Zahra Adahman ’14 and Chiamaka Asinugo ’14 were selected to present their research in the Conference of Undergraduate Women in Physical Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Chiamaka Asinugo ’14 presents earthquake research at the Conference of
Undergraduate Women in Physical Sciences at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

“It was such a great environment to have all these women and be able to sit down and talk about physics, and about science in general,” Adahman said.

Asinugo said she applied to present at the conference at the suggestion of Tatiana Gilstrap, a physics and environmental studies professor with whom she conducted research this summer. She was honored and humbled to be chosen to attend.

“There are so many research programs being conducted, and I have come to find that every contribution—no matter how little—is vital on the broad scale,” Asinugo said.

Asinugo presented research from her summer project with Gilstrap. They analyzed seismic data from several earthquakes, including the aftershocks following the August 2011 earthquake in Virginia.

Zahra Adahman ’14 presents her research about the ultrasonic  mouse vocalizations

Adahman gave a 15-minute talk about research she has conducted with physics professor Katrin Schenk for the past two years. They are studying the ultrasonic vocalizations of mouse pups and the ways that mouse mothers respond. They hope to learn things from studying the mice that could shed light on autism and other communication disorders that affect humans.

“My long term goal is what really keeps me into science. I want to be a doctor,” Adahman said. “Research is very important in medicine, and I want to be involved in it.”

Student Center Renovation Update: October 25, 2012

Amazing progress is being made on Randolph's $6 million Student Center renovation. Check out this week's photo slideshow here: http://web.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter/slideshow/oct25/index.html.

Take a look back at all of the coverage of the renovation project at www.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter.



Belief in Randolph's future prompts Allison Gulick Muller '71 to accept nomination to Board of Trustees

Editor's Note: This is the fifth in a series of articles on the five new members of Randolph College's Board of Trustees.

During her first-year at R-MWC, Allison Gulick Muller ’71 took an art history course at the urging of a friend. That class helped Muller rediscover a love of art that ended up shaping her college career. “It set me on a path to the total joy and passion of learning,” she said. “I continue to be energized by my field of study. I find that all of the things I enjoyed academically in college are things that have stood me in good stead as an adult learner.”

Muller, who is originally from Manhasset, New York, but now lives in Greenville, South Carolina, is one of five new members of Randolph College’s Board of Trustees. After graduating from R-MWC with a major in art history and a minor in studio art, Muller worked with the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., before serving as assistant registrar for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

While working in Boston, she met her husband, Carl, who was in business and law school at Harvard University. Muller went on to serve as assistant curator for the Greenville County Museum of Art in Greenville, South Carolina. Later, she made the decision to stay home with her three children. She has been an active volunteer, both with Randolph and with her community. She has focused much of her time with advocacy in public education. She served as a chapter president, a class agent, and most recently as a class secretary for the College’s Alumnae and Alumni Association.

Muller is also a legacy. Her sister, Priscilla Gulick Tomlinson ’63, her late mother, Katherine Schaefer Gulick ’32, and an aunt, Elizabeth Schaefer Branch ’30, all share her connection with the College.

Muller is excited about the opportunity to join the Board during such an important time in Randolph’s history. “We are in such a good place after the stewardship of John Klein,” she said. “We are at a place where we can really thrive.”

Randolph, she said, still maintains the qualities she loved when she was a student at R-MWC. “There is an intensity to the educational experience, an intensity to the relationships you develop, and an understanding that a liberal arts education is about educating people to be lifelong learners and good citizens. That is taken seriously here, and it is an important way to look at your education.”

She has also enjoyed the students during her visits to campus. “The energy of the place is very positive and vibrant, and the students understand the value of the faculty we have here and of the experience they are receiving. They understand how much there is to offer, and it is almost like a palette they can choose from.”

Between the Student Center renovation, the variety of courses, and the expanded athletic offerings, Muller has been impressed with what Randolph offers its students. “There is more available than when I was at the College,” she said. “It makes me wish I could be a student again.”

Visiting writer Heather Sharfeddin

By Tory Brown ’13
College Relations Intern

Heather Sharfeddin will share excerpts and insight from her most recent work as part of Randolph College’s Visiting Writers Series Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. in the Alice Ashley Jack Lounge in Smith Hall.

The Visiting Writers Series allows Randolph students and other community members to hear published and up-and-coming writers read their works aloud and talk about the writing process. Each year, the program invites six writers to visit campus, present a public writing, and visit writing classes.

Sharfeddin, who is from McMinnvile, Oregon, has recently published four novels, including Blackbelly, Mineral Spirits, Windless Summer, and Damaged Goods. All of her books are based in the northwestern United States

Heather Sharfeddin

Sharfeddin began her career with the hope of entering the field of visual art. “I found that the storytelling process is much more difficult through visual arts and not as holistic,” said Sharfeddin.

After trying her hand at writing, Sharfeddin soon found her calling. She gets inspiration from the idea of “underdogs” or ordinary people who get to shine through in the end. “I think people step out and do something extraordinary all the time, so telling that quiet story is important to me,” Sharfeddin said.

She enjoys sharing her craft with college students. “I encourage them to understand what drives them to write,” she said. ”Do you want to write because you want living out of it? Or do you want to write for the art?”

For her, the joy is being able to do both, and she works hard to refine her craft. A fan of the unconventional, Sharfeddin said she often gets her better ideas while visiting cemeteries. “I really love catching those quiet stories,” she said. “You can laugh, talk, or cry, and no one will bother you.”

Sharfeddin wants her readers to connect with her stories. “I want the characters to resonate with them,” she said. “Maybe later, they will be charitable to people they meet who are like my characters.”

For more information, see www.sharfeddin.com.