FRONTLINES
EVERYDAY ETHICS AL GINI
Living an examined life
I’ve been a student of philosophy all of my life. I fell in love with the discipline the very moment I read the Socratic adage, “An unexam- ined life is not worth living!” What Socrates meant is that for life to be authentic, to be lived well, and to be one of integrity and honesty, it has to be questioned, challenged, and confronted head on, without false pretense or illusion. With age and experience I’ve
come to realize that the examined life is not a one-time affair. It isn’t a permanent condition, a fixed state, or an unchanging point of view. Occa- sional reflection or casual meditation is not a sufficient method of dealing with the booming, buzzing confu- sion that we call life. In life, as they say, “stuff happens.”
We are constantly confronted with unexpected change, crippling mis- takes, unanticipated maladies, and mischievous miscalculations. The re- ality is, no matter how well prepared (or well examined) we think we are, life can challenge us, change us, and make cowards and fools of us all. The examined life is a process, not
a static phenomenon. As the facts, data, and experiences in life evolve and change, we too must evolve, reconsider, reanalyze and, when necessary, reconfigure our beliefs, standards, and affiliations. Life continuously confronts us
with challenges and questions, but it rarely offers us easy answers. Living the examined life is simple to state but difficult to master. We try, try again, fail again, and keep trying. To paraphrase the words of Aldous Huxley: Wisdom—or the examined life—is not just what happens to a person. It is what a person does with what happens to them.
QUINLAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Getting down to business on poverty
The statistics are startling: Fourteen percent of Chicago’s residents live below the federal poverty line, currently defined as an income of $24,300 for a family of four. “When we saw the impact poverty was having on Chicago- area families, we realized that we could—and should—use the expertise within our business school to help,” says John Cal- tagirone, director for Quinlan’s Supply and Value Chain Center. Launched in spring 2016, the
Urban Social Benefit Incuba- tor joins social entrepreneurs and business leaders to create innovative solutions to help
marginalized communities in the fight against poverty. The incu- bator began in the Supply and Value Chain Center but will be housed in the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Respon- sibility, one of the centers in the newly created Loyola Business Leadership Hub. It is staffed with students, staff, and faculty from all schools at Loyola. Services include providing counsel, orga- nizing resources, and creating strategic business plans to help better serve target audiences in marginalized communities. In recent months, the
incubator has counseled social
enterprises like A Safe Haven, an organization that works to combat homelessness in Chi- cago. Projects included creating marketing and operational plans and consulting on the structure and implementation of lean man- agement techniques to improve profitability. “Loyola students approach their assignments professionally and with an under- standing that the quality of their work would have a direct impact on the lives of many homeless individuals throughout the city,” says Mark Mulroe (MBA ’15), COO and executive vice president of A Safe Haven.
A consult with Quinlan students
In fall 2015, undergraduate Sam Mulroe identified two comple- mentary needs: businesses in search of new insights and Loyola students looking for hands-on experience. Three months later, he and a team of fellow students addressed both with the creation of Rambler Consulting Group. The student-run group works
with businesses and government agencies in the greater Chicago area on projects including supply
chain management, informa- tion systems, marketing, finance and accounting, and business plan strategy and development. Student teams are drawn from within Quinlan and other schools at Loyola, and are coached by Loyola faculty and staff. “The projects are true career
experiences for our students,” says Quinlan’s John Caltagirone, who oversees the consulting group with colleague Harry
Haney. “These are not academic cases or exercises but practical work engagements.” Rambler Consulting Group is
committed to more than quality business solutions. The group has pledged to donate 25 percent of all revenue to provide pro bono consulting services to local non- profits and social enterprises.
LEARN MORE
Ramblerconsulting.com
10 LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO
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