Holding identity accountable | Patrick Cines | TEDxPSU
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0:19 - 0:22When I first stepped foot
on Penn State's campus, -
0:22 - 0:24as a high school student,
-
0:24 - 0:26I fell in love with the people;
-
0:26 - 0:27I fell in love with the community
-
0:27 - 0:29and the campus.
-
0:29 - 0:32But looking back on it now,
what I had fallen in love with -
0:32 - 0:34was Penn State's identity.
-
0:34 - 0:37I fell in love with what it means
to be a "Penn Stater". -
0:37 - 0:38As a business student
-
0:38 - 0:42and a member of the Smeal College
of Business community, -
0:42 - 0:46from day one we are taught what is
arguably the foundation of our college. -
0:46 - 0:47And that is our honor code.
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0:47 - 0:51Our code states that we,
the Smeal College of Business community, -
0:51 - 0:54aspire to the highest ethical standards
-
0:54 - 0:56and will hold each other
accountable to them. -
0:56 - 0:59We will not engage
in any action that is improper, -
0:59 - 1:02or creates the appearance
of impropriety in our academic lives, -
1:03 - 1:06and we intend to hold this
in our future careers. -
1:06 - 1:09This is Smeal's identity.
-
1:09 - 1:12And it's an identity
that is on every wall of our building. -
1:12 - 1:15It's an identity that our professors
uphold and preach, -
1:15 - 1:19and it's an identity
that we all sign onto and make our own. -
1:19 - 1:22Unfortunately, every year,
a company called Altria -
1:22 - 1:25donates thousands
of dollars to my college. -
1:25 - 1:28In return is given the title
of corporate partner. -
1:29 - 1:32Altria is the parent company
of Philip Morris, USA. -
1:32 - 1:36The largest manufacturer
of tobacco products in this country. -
1:37 - 1:42Last year alone, 480,000 people
died from smoking. -
1:42 - 1:46And about 42,000 people died
from second-hand smoke. -
1:46 - 1:49With one in every five
deaths in this country -
1:49 - 1:51caused by tobacco-related products,
-
1:51 - 1:56I realized that this company's identity
didn't align with my college's identity; -
1:56 - 2:00that while we're able to hold our students
accountable to our honor code, -
2:00 - 2:03we aren't able to hold
ourselves, our institution, -
2:03 - 2:05and our partners accountable.
-
2:06 - 2:09A couple of weeks ago,
while I was studying for an exam, -
2:09 - 2:13in a mandatory class about business ethics
and corporate social responsibility, -
2:14 - 2:16I realized that something had to be done;
-
2:16 - 2:21that I had to stand up for my
college because it's college. -
2:21 - 2:24I started a petition called
"Stand Up to Altria", -
2:24 - 2:26that requests that my dean
-
2:26 - 2:29not allow Altria to renew
their corporate partnership, -
2:29 - 2:32and reject any type
of donations from them. -
2:32 - 2:34It also stops them from receiving
-
2:34 - 2:37any type of elevated branding
or support from my college. -
2:37 - 2:40That's what they receive
now as a corporate partner. -
2:41 - 2:45But the one key thing
that it doesn't stop them from doing -
2:45 - 2:46is from recruiting on campus.
-
2:46 - 2:49Because I believe
that at the end of the day, -
2:49 - 2:53it should be left up to each and every one
of my fellow students and classmates -
2:53 - 2:55to make the ethical decision on their own
-
2:55 - 2:58if they want to work
for a company like Altria. -
2:59 - 3:03In the past couple of days,
I've received a ton of support. -
3:03 - 3:05Hundreds of students
from the business college -
3:05 - 3:07and across the Penn State community
-
3:07 - 3:10have signed my petition,
from professors to faculty, -
3:10 - 3:13and even the staff
that maintain our buildings. -
3:13 - 3:16They have all said
that they do not want Altria's money, -
3:16 - 3:21and that Altria's identity
does not align with Smeal's identity. -
3:22 - 3:26But with the support that I've received,
I've also had much push-back. -
3:27 - 3:30A lot of people have said
that because we are a business college, -
3:30 - 3:32and because Altria
fundamentally creates a product -
3:32 - 3:34that is demanded by the public,
-
3:34 - 3:37that it shouldn't matter
that we're partnered with them. -
3:37 - 3:40Others have said
that this is a slippery slope; -
3:40 - 3:43where do you draw the line
between the companies that you deny -
3:43 - 3:45and the companies that you allow?
-
3:45 - 3:50To which I say it's important to realize
that cigarettes have no safe use. -
3:51 - 3:53That while banks,
while they were complicit -
3:53 - 3:56in the financial crisis, have a safe use.
-
3:56 - 3:57And defense contractors,
-
3:57 - 4:01while they do create weapons,
are necessary for national defense. -
4:02 - 4:05I've chosen to take a stand against Altria
because I fundamentally believe -
4:05 - 4:09that their identity does not align
with my college's identity. -
4:10 - 4:12I've come here to TEDxPSU today
-
4:12 - 4:14not to ask you to sign my petition,
-
4:14 - 4:18and not to ask you to come and join me
in collecting more signatures. -
4:18 - 4:21But I've come here today because
I believe that it's important -
4:21 - 4:24to think about who we are,
and what we stand for. -
4:24 - 4:26What is your identity?
-
4:27 - 4:29And do the values
that you uphold and believe in -
4:29 - 4:34align with the organizations
and institutions that you care about? -
4:34 - 4:38If they don't, speak up
for what you believe in. -
4:38 - 4:40Speak up for your identity.
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4:40 - 4:45I've chosen to hold my college
accountable because it's my college. -
4:45 - 4:47It's my identity.
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4:47 - 4:48Thank you.
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4:48 - 4:51(Applause)
- Title:
- Holding identity accountable | Patrick Cines | TEDxPSU
- Description:
-
Patrick Cines is a Marketing major in the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University. He started a petition in his college called “Stand Up to Altria”, which calls on his business school to drop Altria, the parent company of Philip Morris USA and largest manufacturer of tobacco products, as a corporate partner.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 04:54
Ellen edited English subtitles for Holding Identity Accountable | Patrick Cines | TEDxPSU | ||
Ellen approved English subtitles for Holding Identity Accountable | Patrick Cines | TEDxPSU | ||
Ellen edited English subtitles for Holding Identity Accountable | Patrick Cines | TEDxPSU | ||
Elisabeth Buffard accepted English subtitles for Holding Identity Accountable | Patrick Cines | TEDxPSU | ||
Elisabeth Buffard edited English subtitles for Holding Identity Accountable | Patrick Cines | TEDxPSU | ||
Daniel Balton edited English subtitles for Holding Identity Accountable | Patrick Cines | TEDxPSU | ||
Elisabeth Buffard commented on English subtitles for Holding Identity Accountable | Patrick Cines | TEDxPSU | ||
Denise RQ commented on English subtitles for Holding Identity Accountable | Patrick Cines | TEDxPSU |
Denise RQ
http://amara.org/es/profiles/profile/daniel_balton/
Hi Daniel,
You can not review your own subtitles.
Best,
Denise RQ
Elisabeth B http://amara.org/es/profiles/profile/ted_ogrebattle/
http://amara.org/es/videos/5C8ZvMtIvMyK/info/holding-identity-accountable-patrick-cines-tedxpsu/?tab=activity
Please kindly note that returning tasks to users in this case, is not the right or best way to do it.
Please kindly contact the TED team.
Thank you!
Elisabeth Buffard
Denise, I flagged this video to Ivana as the English subs were in fact Asian. SOmething happened that needs clarifying, perhaps why Daniel got it sent back?