In Good Shepherd Chapel on Sept. 11, Dr. Lucas Hatlen led a CUI Bono event discussing the internet, its history, and how it can be used for both good and evil.

For those who might not know or haven’t attended a CUI Bono event before, CUI Bono is a gathering where Concordia students can connect with professors and talk about relevant topics that impact their daily lives. This fellowship often starts with dinner and community, and then leads into a talk led by a professor from departments across campus.

Geist McGehee, a sophomore who attended, said “CUI Bono covers philosophical/historical topics that I would never in a million years think about, and yet when I see the conversation theme, my interest is piqued. It gives me a chance to think about something ordinary in an unordinary way.”

CUI Bono desires for any student, no matter what year or major, to attend. Jillian Endicott, a junior and attendee, said, “I attend CUI Bono simply because I love to learn! The opportunity to know more about a specific subject without any pressure of tests or homework is very appealing to me, especially when it is explored in the light of our Christian faith.”

The talk started off by discussing what the internet has done in regards to accessibility in general, and how that has led to both hope and dystopian fears. This branched off into conversation about online censorship and stewardship. 

Hatlen, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, says that the idea of this talk started from a conversation he had with his colleagues. He said “I think that the way we engage with and utilize the internet is immensely important. It can be such a constant factor in our lives that it becomes invisible.” Hatlen wants students to “walk away with a sense of how to responsibly engage with various online media forms.”

One reason people should consider attending CUI Bono is because it will leave listeners impacted with something to reflect on and take away. The event’s attendees were left wondering about their own digital footprints and future internet use after hearing Hatlen’s words. McGehee said he was left wondering questions such as “What constitutes free speech?”, “What level of censorship is acceptable?”, and “What happens after you die?”

Trevor Leitz, junior and attendee, felt similarly and said he was left “thinking about our legacy and how long our social media profiles will be there after we are gone.” Leitz continued, “That was also the biggest takeaway, realizing that, through how I am representing myself on social media, I am essentially currently posting the legacy I will leave for my own children.” Leitz said that this talk helped “to put everything more into perspective” and that “our digital footprint doesn’t just matter here and now, but will continue to matter in the future long after we are gone.”

Andrew Shiroma, senior and the CUI Bono Assistant, encourages students to attend a CUI Bono event, saying, “Students should attend CUI Bono because attending CUI Bono develops the student into a more well-rounded person through discussion with professors and fellow students. Or as I like to think of it, you get to hang out with cool people, talk about their passions, and eat delicious free food. You come out as a person who knows a little more, who questions a little more, and is a little less hungry.”

For more information about CUI Bono events, please reach out to Andrew Shiroma at andrew.shiroma@eagles.cui.edu or Dr. Daniel Deen at daniel.deen@cui.edu.

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