Panel Bios

TAYLOR MINOR:

Taylor Minor has lived in Cedarville for the last sixteen years. He has been married to his wife Amanda for four years and together they have two beautiful daughters, Emma and Madeline. After spending six years in the United States Marine Corp, Tay

lor decided to venture into the coffee industry as a way to culminate the experiences of his travels. Taylor has five years of experience in the specialty coffee industry and is the proprietor of Stoney Creek Roasters, a micro roaster located in Cedarville, Ohio. Stoney Creek seeks to provide its consumers with fresh roasted, superior quality coffee from various regions including a line of fair trade coffee.

If you would like to contact Taylor Minor, you may reach him through email, or you can check out his coffee shop Stoney Creek Roasters online.

NOEL ORTEGA:

Noel Ortega is an organizer that subscribes to many revolutionary philosophies one of which comes from Paulo Freire, which is the idea that liberation needs to come from the oppressed which will in turn not only liberate themselves, but also their oppressor. To achieve liberation activist for social justice need to engage in "praxis." Praxis, Friere defines as a dialectical process between revolutionary theories manifesting into revolutionary action, and from within action one needs to reflect on the outcomes of her/his actions. Reflection is needed to alter or change the theory, which starts the process again. Noel has used this frame of thought to guild him through many of his leadership roles as an activist and organizer.

Noel is co-founder of several student organizations such as Global Resistance Network at Mt. San Antonio College, and Students To End Hunger and Poverty at the University of California, Irvine. He has also taken on leadership roles with Students for Peace and Justice, the Worker-Student Alliance, United Students for Fair Trade, and in 2006 he joined the Student Trade Justice Campaign (STJC). Noel also interned for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), American Friends Service Committee, and Global Justice, and he is a OXFAM America CHANGE leader.

Noel holds two Baccalaureates in Political Science, and Sociology from the University of California, Irvine, where he conducted research on impacts on rural areas from regional free trade agreements between developing countries and developed countries. Noel plans to peruse a PhD. in Political Science with a focus on International Political Economy and a Doctor of Jurisprudence in International Human Rights Law with a focus on Indigenous Land Rights. Currently, Noel serves as the National Coordinator for the Student Trade Justice Campaign. Before becoming the National Coordinator for STJC, Noel held the role of coordinator for STJC's campaign Justice For the Americas that focused on defeating Free Trade Agreements between the United States and Latin America.

ESSAM MIKHAIL:

A graduate of Ohio University (OU) with a BA in Political Science and an MA in International Relations. He became a social activist in college when he and many other people fought the deportation of a Palestinian Christian student for conducting lectures and showing movies at Ohio State University (OSU) on the Palestinian Condition. This Palestinian's family member came to vist from Egypt, bringing with him gifts made by the garbage collectors. Sammy became interested in this because of his background in economic development, which he contin

ues to work with currently. He has since returned to Athens, OH, to help his elderly parents. In Athens he is connected to the Athens Fair Trade Group and later became connected to the OU Fair Trade Group; they made a market in the garbage industry as well as coffee, tea, chocolates and looking into dried fruits and honey.

BETHANY DUNCAN:

Bethany is a senior social work major at Cedarville University and member of Ekplesso, a student organization igniting change by evoking passion. Bethany's passion for social justice was cultivated through early exposure to diversity and culture and a strong commitment to the inherent worth and dignity of each person. Bethany has been researching the issue of Fair Trade for the past year and considers herself a lifelong student to the topic as well as other social justice issues. She is a member of several humanitarian organizations, member of a sex-trafficking focus group with Rahab's Hideaway and a passionate advocate for being a voice for the unheard.

If you'd like to contact Bethany, you may email her at bduncan@cedarville.edu.

MARC CLAUSON

Dr. Clauson was born in Huntington, West Virginia. He has a B.S. in Physics , M.A. in Political Science from Marshall University, Ph.D. work in Economics, West Virginia University, J. D., West Virginia University, M. A. in Historical Theology and Early Christian Thought, Liberty University, M. Th. in Church History, Liberty University, Ph. D. in Modern European Intellectual History and Church History, University of the Orange Free State, RSA. Dr. Clauson currently resides in Xenia. He is married to Jennifer, and has four daughters ages 8, 11, 14, 16. Dr. Clauson is currently the Associate Professor of History, Law and Political Thought at Cedarville University. He has been at CU for 7 years.

If you would like to reach Dr. Marc Clauson, you may do so by email CLAUSONM@cedarville.edu.