McKelvy House Will Hold Dinner Discussion of “Slow Food” Movement and Civic Actions Sunday

The McKelvy House Scholars invite the campus to join a dinner discussion of the “slow food” movement and civic actions Sunday evening.

The meal will begin at 6 p.m. at McKelvy House, 200 High Street. Haotian Wu ’07 (Jiangsu, China), a double major in physics and mathematics, will lead the discussion at 6:30 p.m.

Founded in response to the international expansion of McDonalds, the slow food movement promotes an alternative to industrialized and fast food. It argues that fast and industrialized food standardizes taste and leads to over consumption and excess waste of agricultural products. In addition, the movement advocates the protection of culture, taste, and environment in the production and consumption of food.

Some suggestions include that people join local slow food chapters, purchase community-supported agriculture, trace food sources, visit a local farmers’ market, start a kitchen garden, and find foods that are originally from or best grown in their part of the country.

Wu’s discussion will focus on the following questions:

• Could the slow food movement be considered “unity against the domination of multinationals”?
• Does it oppose genetically modified food and industrialized agriculture? Is it justified? What effects do genetically modified foods have on society?
• Is the preservation of “rustic-artisan” traditions desirable or is it natural for industrial practices to take over?
• How effective is the slow food movement and how can people get involved?

Links to websites on the discussion topics as well as more information about the McKelvy House Scholars program are available on the group’s blog website.

Since 1962, the McKelvy House Scholars program has brought together Lafayette students with a wide range of majors and interests to reside in a historic off-campus house and share in intellectual and social activities. Sunday dinner discussions that engage the students in debate and exchange of ideas are the hallmark of the program; several Wednesday discussions have been added this school year. Most members also contribute to the annual McKelvy Papers, written on a topic of each person’s choice. McKelvy Scholars participate in activities together such as field trips to plays, concerts, and exhibits, and sponsor events for the campus as well.

Past discussions
Oct. 12 – Hugo Chavez
Oct. 9 – Molecular Nanotechnology
Oct. 5 – Folk Music as Vehicle for Social Change
Sept. 25 – Freedom and Other Remembrance Issues
Sept. 20 – The Powerful Thrust of Language on Civic Arousal
Sept. 14 – Apathy
Sept. 11 – Why Do We Care about One Another?