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"Choose to KNOW, Choose to CARE, and Choose to ACT" -- | |
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| Can you imagine a 7-year old abducted and forced into slavery in today’s world? Francis Bok speaks of it from personal experience. His award-winning autobiography chronicles ten years of slavery, beatings, hard labor, and demeaning treatment in northern Sudan, and the freedom of his new beginning in America.  In October Bok spoke at Dean College to standing room only audiences at afternoon and evening events. Congressman Jim McGovern (in photo opposite, with student ) opened the afternoon event with information on humanitarian issues and genocide in Dafur.* |
A Dean sophmore and business major, also from Sudan, introduced Bok after sharing his own experience of escaping war in his homeland and coming to the United States as a UN refugee. At 26, Bok has spoken on Capitol Hill, radio, and television, been profiled in the Wall Street Journal, and carried the Olympic torch. He continues carrying the message of modern day slavery throughout the country. | |
| COMMENTS FROM STUDENTS | |||
 "Francis Bok stands as a reminder of what most of us find easy to forget -- that one man can make a difference, and that evil can be fought with more than just violence." -- Ed, sophmore |
 "I think having Francis Bok speak on our campus helped to open the eyes of students. We came to realize that not only are we fortunate to be blessed with all we have, but we need to help those less fortunate." -- Trevor, freshman | ||
 "It is truly amazing to hear someone speak out about the troubles they went through, and for them to want people to try and help out in the relief process. Someone who is not greedy, and who just wants peace like most moral people." --Martin, sophmore"The Francis Bok speech was touching, but there is nothing like finding out that a student on your own campus went through the same thing." -- Kaitlyn, sophmore | |||
| COMMENTS FROM FACULTY |
| "Francis Bok not only bears witness to the brutality that humans inflict upon each other, he also demonstrates the responcibility we all have to speak out against social injustice. Dean students, by reading Bok's text and attending his presentation, learned first hand not only of the horrors that still exist in the world, but also the hope that exists if people refuse to turn the other way. The introduction offered by a current Dean student who has also survived the war in Sudan brought home the point that none of us are removed from these events. As a result, students on campus are talking about how they can make a difference in this, and other, important social issues. " |
--Melissa Read, Dean for Curriculum and Assessment, adjunct faculty member in Political Science |
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* Dafur was the selected topic of a formal student debate event in November. As part of the Honors program curriculum, Dean students participated in a debate and Q&A on Dafur, hosted by Professor of Philosophy William Bauser. Six debaters took opposing sides on the issue "Should the US become involved in humanitarian aide and the protection of the people of Dafur?"
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OXFAM HUNGER BANQUET-- On November 21 over 100 students participated in an experiential activity where they learned about some of the world-wide issues pertaining to hunger and poverty. Professor Robert Bellinger of Suffolk University gave the keynote lecture. Dining Services provided meals of chicken & vegetables, rice & beans, or just rice (depending on the group to which students were assigned). Faculty and Student Development staff also attended the event and participated with the students, who left the event ‘hungry’ for more information about the issue, and what they can do about it. Students also participated in a Food Drive for Hunger to benefit the local food pantry.
The facts presented at the event even had a reporter from the Milford Daily News stunned at the extent of poverty and hunger in the U.S. and the world....
Oxfam hunger banquet sends strong message
By Teri Borseti / Daily News Correspondent
Since it was around dinner time, many students were hungry. Tickets were passed out randomly at the door and the lucky ones with the green tickets were ushered to banquet tables set with fine linen tablecloths and china. Those with yellow tickets were asked to sit in rows of folding chairs on the other side of the room. Finally, red ticket holders sat on the floor.
"We have set up this large-scale experimental activity to help students to understand just how many hungry people live in this world. After tonight I think they'll have a much better understanding of the worldwide hunger and poverty problem," said Dean of Curriculum Melissa Read.
There were a lot of unhappy campers when students learned that those sitting at the banquet tables represented the world's highest income group, or 15 percent of the world population, with an average worldwide income figure of $9,000 per year. This table would comfortably feast on a nutritious chicken dinner complete with tasty vegetables.
The yellow ticket holders represented 25 percent of the world's people with an average income of $912 to $9,075 per year. Their dinner consisted of a traditional meal of rice and beans, and a glass of water.
Finally, the largest group which accounted for 60 percent of the world's inhabitants with an average income of less than $911 per year was given a modest scoop of rice and a small glass of water.
It wasn't long before students had a clear and vivid picture of the world's hunger problem.
Leonard Howell, president of the Upsilon Zeta Chapter of Phi Thetha Kappa, said the hands-on learning activity delivered so much more of an impact than reading about hunger in books would have done.
"We are all surprised by the figures but they're accurate. More than half of the world population is hungry. I think we will all remember this lesson for a long time. Students expected a dinner and learned a lesson by what they were given to eat," Howell said.
Guest speakers included Assistant Vice President of Student Development Kevin Hearn who told students that "Human rights know no boundaries and no one deserves to be hungry or die from hunger."
To further illustrate the hunger problem, a large scorecard at the front of the room kept track of the 17 adults who die of hunger every minute -- at the end of the 90-minute workshop 1,530 people around the world had died from hunger.
"I think students realize they are becoming citizens of the world and that comes with responsibilities. I want them to know that we can think about poverty in a positive way," he said.
The evening was part of a series of events in connection with Hunger & Homeless Month at the school. Read said that Saturday night several students slept outside in cardboard boxes to understand homelessness.
"We try to instill in the students the idea that they can choose to know, care and act," she said. Past events have included food drives and debate on the subject of hunger.
The Hunger Banquet was developed by Oxfam
"What's going on in this room is an accurate depiction of what's going on in the world. Life is not fair and what you eat is really just a function of chance," Read said.
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