Every year Spring Arbor University cancels classes for a day to host what is called the Focus Series. It is a day designed to bring the university together and as a community thoroughly discuss a topic. Themed, “Just Economics”, this year’s Focus Series took place on Wednesday, March 3.

Roger Varland, associate professor of art who served as the chair for this year’s Focus Series, said the event used to be a week long and was the main emphasis of J-term. He said SAU began the focus series soon after it became a four year college.

“Liberal Arts is about connecting the dots between disciplines,” said Varland who added the Focus Series serves an important role in encouraging discussion across the many disciplines that make up a liberal arts university.

The event featured keynote speakers Chuck Collins, financial analyst and co-author of
“Wealth and Commonwealth” with Bill Gates Sr., and Tomas Sedlacek, former economic advisor to President Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic. Aside from the keynote addresses, more than twenty workshops were offered by faculty on topics relating to the main theme.

“If God might not know the future, why would the future make an exception for economists?” Sedlacek asked in his keynote address. “We didn’t see it [the downturn of the world-wide economy in 2008] coming; we didn’t have a clue.”

Without notes, podium or powerpoint, Sedlacek shared his message with a mixture of humor and sincerity as he paced the front rows of the sanctuary in the Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church.

“Despite being the richest generation ever, we are still unsatisfied . . . unable to save,” said Sedlacek. “Instead of saving during the good years we were running budget deficits.”

The economic guru referenced the story of Joseph and how the Hebrew outcast turned ruler was successful in having the Egyptian people store away the surplus of grain during the seven years of abundance thereby staving off starvation when the seven years of famine came.

Sedlacek serves as the chief macroeconomic strategist for CSOB, the largest bank in the Czech Republic and recently published “The Economics of Good and Evil”, his first book.

In a morning session led by Thomas Holsinger-Friesen and Brian Lugioyo, who are both professors of theology at SAU, the documentary “The Corporation” was shown and was followed by discussion. The film dived deep into the disregard companies can have for human life and the environment in their pursuit of money.

“How can they [big corporations] be permitted to be so irresponsible?” asked junior Ashley Elliot. “It [the film] did kind of make me feel hopeless. It’s unsafe to be alive in the world.”
Although the film was a clear indictment on corporations, highlighting crimes such as sweat shop labor and pollution, the film also served as a wake-up call to consumers.

Freshman Katie French saw the documentary as challenging and educational, pointing out that people are ultimately what make up corporations and the more people make better choices, the more likely positive change will occur.

“We can make a difference if we can just be content with what we have and stop wasting,” said French. “Then we start breaking down the corporation.”