Graduation pledge keeps companies more accountable

Next weekend more than 10 graduating seniors will be taking a special pledge as they receive their diplomas.\nThe pledge: “I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work.” \nThis pledge was created in 1987 at Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif. Since then, many students at different institutions have adopted it. In 2002, 80 percent of the Princeton University graduating class decided to take the pledge, according to Graduation Pledge Alliance.\nAlthough this initiative is celebrating its 20th anniversary at Humboldt, it’s only the second year it has been promoted at IU. Sponsored by the Leadership, Ethics and Social Action program in the IU Department of Political Science, the graduation pledge has seen twice-as-many pledge-takers this year.\nJoelene Bergonzi, assistant director of the Leadership, Ethics and Social Action program, said that there are a few reasons so few students have heard of the pledge.\n“Students just look over the announcement and do not respond ... It has to build energy through the years,” Bergonzi said, and the pledge is “totally voluntary.”\nThough most students have yet to hear about the graduation pledge, it did not deter graduating senior Amber Bacavis from taking the oath. She first heard about the graduation pledge through an e-mail from the political science department.\nBacavis said she adopted the pledge because she’s “shied away from a lot of (companies) because they seemed a little opportunistic and that they didn’t want to help you out, so I thought it was a great thing and wanted to take it.”\nGraduating senior Isaiah Harf had not heard of the pledge and said he would not be willing to take it even if he had known about it.\n“To be perfectly honest I’m not really into pledges,” he said. “We have our own morals, ideals and values. ... I don’t need any pledge or doctrine to conform any of my thoughts or feelings.”\nIn the future, both Bacavis and Bergonzi hope more of a grass-roots effort takes hold, which in turn will encourage more students to take the pledge during graduation.\nFor more information, visit www.graduationpledge.org or go to Woodburn Hall 210 and talk with Bergonzi about the graduation pledge.