Food
for Thought
Technology & Philosophy: At the Crossroads
This Year’s Theme
Hosted by John & Victoria Cech on behalf of Carroll College, our technology & philosophy themed 2023 Food for Thought Fundraiser was amazing. And Mother Nature pulled out all the stops with superb weather from start to finish!
Our night started out with appetizers & mingling, street performances by our robot team, live music by Ken Nelson & Friends, and an original theater performance in The Flex!
After that, we communed over dinner, live music & conversation under the shaded trees in St. Francis Grotto, followed by our conversation nook sessions where we enjoyed intimate philosophical conversations with guest speakers about technology and the humanities.
View photos, the performance, funds raised, shout-out’s to our hosts, sponsors, volunteers, and more below.
Guest Scholars
Opening Performance
Technology plays a huge role in our everyday lives and the speed at which it is advancing, as well as its scope is astounding. It merits thoughtful reflection and inquiry. The story is meant to be just that…a story….and a playful (albeit serious) invitation to think about technology, our relationship with it and it’s place in our world. It is also a philosophical and artistic expression of technology (in many ways) appearing to proceed at its own pace…like a wave we’re either riding, ahead of, can’t catch, or getting crushed by. What are we to make of this technological ocean ….and where are WE amidst all of it? In the end, an overarching question is posed — one intended as yet another and ongoing invitation to us all.
This video (recorded with a phone on a tripod) captures the opening performance of our 2023 Food for Thought Fundraiser. Woven throughout this ‘performance as story’ are elements addressed by each of our guest speakers during the table talk/conversation nooks portion of our eve, ranging from foreign affairs and global civics, privacy and public safety, agency, internet technologies, AI and the arts, criminal justice, education, medicine and bioethics, economics, and more.
The script was written for this Merlin CCC event by Ross P. Nelson, performed/narrated by Mitch Conway, produced/directed by Marisa Diaz-Waian, and features sketch illustration images by Tim Holmes and digital animation by Ross.
Hosts & Sponsors
Our 2023 Food for Thought Fundraiser was hosted by John & Victoria Cech on behalf of Carroll College. We are so grateful to them and the entire Carroll College staff, theater crew, and facilities team for rolling out the red carpet for our organization and fundraiser guests.
We are also extremely grateful to sponsors Ray Kuntz & Susie Alt Kuntz for sponsoring this event for the third year in a row….and for inspiring us to create our Food for Thought fundraiser event series in the first place. Your generosity, kindness, and support are so appreciated.
Thank you so much to Donna Davis who helped cover the costs of dessert and coffee, to Louise & Barry Ferst for sponsoring our live music for the eve, and to the Carroll College Philosophy Department for covering our theater tech fees!
Event Photos
Volunteers
Thank you to all of our volunteers for their tireless work and dedication to helping make our event such a success!
Ashley Dugdale, Mitch Conway, Mike McGuire, Shane Sater, Amber Johnson, Rachel Ritacco, Daniel Rosenberg, Javier Rodriguez, Jess Barkemeyer, Cesar Urquilla, Leroy McKitrick, David Nowakowski, Mike Chapman, Marie Z. Bourgeois & Tricia Clemons.
2024 Celebration
