Cabrini Day is the annual celebration dedicated to the legacy and mission of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the Patron Saint of Immigrants. It is an opportunity to express our dedication to social justice and the greater good.
“More than a century ago, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini urged her teachers to ‘educate the hearts’ of their students,” David Madway, mathematics instructor said, who helps coordinate Cabrini day.
Students, faculty as well as the public come together and discuss and learn about a topic, topics vary every year. This year’s celebration is Tuesday, Nov.12, with the theme “Food Matters.”
The activities and events of Cabrini Day provide an alternative to regular academic programming, and all students are expected to participate in reaffirming our commitment to leadership and social justice.
Cabrini day is a day for the entire community to come together to inspire and encourage people to advocate and educates on and for the topic of the year.
Food matters topis has to do with everyday consumption of food. The choices that people choose to consume and what people consider healthy and unhealthy.
Another topic is school lunches and what children are given to eat by schools every day and what things are good that they are being given verses what can change and help children chose healthier foods rather than the usual hamburgers hot dogs and french fries
Taylor Dimmerling, an exercise science major, is very excited about presenting at Cabrini Day. Her project is called “Rethink your Drink.”
“We are trying to inform people how bad sugary drinks are for you and how there us a tax in certain areas of the United States. The tax raises the prices on sugary drinks and how it is affecting citizens,” Dimmerling said.
Dimmerling is presenting this for her body composition and nutrition class.
Another highly reputable presentation is Dr. Zurek’s ECG class who annually presents an interactive simulation. They put two months of work into this simulation and put it all together for Cabrini day.
The series of events includes the student scholarship presentation from 10 am to noon in the Dixon Center and at 2 p.m.
The keynote speaker will be Atif Bostic, executive director, Uplift Solutions. His presentation is entitled “Uplifted from food desert to food hero.” He currently uses his leadership skills as the executive director at Uplift Solutions in which is a nonprofit that focuses on the Social Determinants of Health over the advancement of community-centric and community-informed business assets. “Mr. Bostic is an important community leader in developing sustainable solutions to social problems,” Madway said.
There are different stations set up throughout the gym that are prepared by students. Some are interactive while others are very informative and visual. Students from all majors attend this and relate what they are doing in class to the topic this year of “Food Matters.”
At the end of the event, there is an award ceremony where the best presenters are awarded for their work.
