Over 300 CCU students gathered
with local business professionals at the Denver Marriott South, examining
important ethical and economic issues at the annual Values-Aligned Leadership
Summit. With a theme of Red Tape: Ethical Failures and the Overregulation of
Business, this year's VALS was headlined by John Stossel and also featured
presentations by Free to Choose Network founder Bob Chitester and former
Congressman Bob Schaffer.
As VALS celebrated its tenth year, it
experienced its largest attendance to date. Around 700 students and area
businesspersons attended, up from approximately 560 last year. The greater
attendance spoke to the service the conference provides, both to students and
the local community.
"The opportunities afforded by CCU are
endless," commented Bela Franklin, senior political science major. "While the
conference has been excellent, it also shows CCU is a major player. We are a
school of 900 undergraduate students, and there are 700 people at this event
alone."
Part of the local attraction included Stossel's keynote
speech, based on his newest book, No They Can't: Why Government Fails -- But
Individuals Succeed. His celebrated and incisive commentary reminded listeners
to refrain from reactive legislation without considering potential
consequences. He promoted the wisdom of the free market to solve even the most
complicated problems.
The event helped showcase CCU students as
internship participants -- and possibly more -- to local businesses. Through a
series of videos, business owners spoke of their positive experiences hiring
students from CCU. Additionally, with time for discussion, a pre-lunch
networking break, and open admission that encouraged students to sit with local
businesspersons, the event connected students with the broader community while
examining policies and their concrete, everyday ramifications.
These ramifications were explored by Dr. Lee Hieb -- who focused on how
regulations interfere with the doctor/patient relationship -- as well as CCU's
own Dr. Gary Ewen, Thomas Scheffel, and Kevin Miller. In reminding the audience
that free societies focus on the spirit, rather than the letter, of the law,
Miller referenced the shared Christian faith of most in the room. Bob Schaffer
reinforced that same faith as he closed the conference, "The future of
America's businesses is a function of the language and character of the
people," he concluded. "For Christians it is our duty to be forceful and active
in the public square."