Faculty-in-Residence Program: Dr. Walton to screen documentary ‘Food Inc.’

Dr. Justin Walton could make Cameron students question where their next meal comes from with his latest Faculty-in-Residence event.

“This is my second event this semester,” he said. “I’ll be screening ‘Food, Inc.,’ which is a documentary that examines corporate farming in the United States and focuses on industrial food production practices that could have unhealthy consequences.”

The 2008 film, which tied for fourth place as best documentary at the 35th Seattle International Film Festival, garnered extensive controversy among farmers, corporations and the government when it was released. The film examines corporate control over the food industry and how that has worked against the consumer in unhealthy ways. Dr. Walton said the aim of the screening is to encourage healthier eating by students, both on campus and at home.

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“As President Ross has outlined, one of our goals at Cameron University is promoting better health and fitness for our students,” he said. “It was my goal from the very beginning to incorporate a health-related issue into my Faculty-in-Residence programming. Health and fitness is determined by a variety of factors – certainly by what we eat – but also by the choices we make.”

Dr. Walton believes “Food, Inc.” is a thought-provoking film that will certainly divide students who view it. But, no matter what students’ views are of the film, he said it certainly promotes healthy debate and discussion. He hopes the movie will help students become more critical consumers of what they eat and buy at grocery stores. It certainly changed how he viewed some foods.

“I admit, I’ve adjusted some of my eating habits after seeing the film,” he said. “There is no way to generalize, but I hope the audience thinks about the substance of the movie. If you enjoyed ‘Super Size Me,’ you’ll want to see this one too.”

The screening will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday in the McMahon Center. Dr. Maxwell Kwenda from the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, will be on-hand to analyze the film and lead a discussion following the screening.

This is Dr. Walton’s first year as faculty-in-residence and has an interesting time coming up with activities for Cameron students. In general, he said he has been very pleased with the turnout at his events. He said he hopes students will come watch “Food, Inc.” due to the impact it can have on their everyday lives.

“We have so much going on on campus, and I know students have to make some difficult choices by what they want to attend,” Dr. Walton said. “This is a very active campus and I’m glad our students are taking advantage of these opportunities. It’s been a very enriching experience.”