NNU has been asked to be responsible for significant efforts associated with the Global Stewardship (or “Greening”) aspect of this world event.    The Greening of the Games initiative is funded in part by the Walmart Foundation. 

NNU’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team has reached an agreement with the Games Organizing Committee to assume responsibility for two projects designed to emphasize and teach the greening initiative to participants from around the world.   The projects include; 

• Eco-Bags:  Gift bags given to every participant, delegate, official, coach, press and VIPs will be created and delivered by NNU.  We will incorporate a strong Stewardship message into the gift bag effort, and the participants from around the world will carry our bags, and our message, back to 113 home countries
• The Games Mural:  NNU has created a dual-themed mural (themes are Greening and Education) that is now located in downtown Boise at the corner of 8th and Main, directly across from the Boise Center on the Grove; the Center on the Grove will house many activities, including the Olympic Village experience.  The mural is approximately 300′ long by 8′ high.  If you are in Boise in the next couple of months, go by and see the Mural

These efforts involve commitments from the entire NNU campus community.   Essential consulting and engagement will come from Education, Social Work, Counseling, Graphic Arts, Science, Mass Communications, Art, Computer Science, and others.   Expertise of both students and faculty will be employed.  Additional support will be contributed by staff and administrators in public relations, IT, printing, fund raising and more.  

NNU continues to fulfill its mission through social responsibility and creative engagement.

Contributed by Bill Russell

Panel members were Boise State University Athletic Director Gene Bleymaier, Council of Better Business Bureaus Senior Vice President of BBB Capacity Nora Carpenter, former Washington Group CEO Steve Hanks, and former Boise Cascade CEO George Harad.  Moderators of the event were Associate Dean of the NNU School of Business Bill Russell, and President of the Boise BBB Dale Dixon. SIFE collaborated on the presentation with the Boise Better Business Bureau, Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, Peppershock, and Idaho Department of Finance. Questions asked to the panelists were written by members of the SIFE team.

Local TV station KIVI reported the event at http://www.kivitv.com/global/story.asp?s=9156851 under the title “Local Business Leaders Talk Ethics.”  The video report may be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de6eW3mx-x4.

Comments from the panel include;

• Honesty is disarming and the right thing to do.  Telling the truth is difficult, but gets better afterward.  To withhold the truth just gets worse and worse.
• Ethics is the constant that does not change when circumstances do.
• Integrity will do more to drive people to your leadership than anything else.
• Business is not transactional, but relational.  It’s what happens over time.  The Golden Rule works because it is relational.
• When things are easy, ethics is not a challenge.  Ethics becomes harder when we lose things or pay a price. But even when paying a price, do what is right.  It’s the smart thing to do.

R.G. Vanderpool