This month, UM-St. Louis is shining the spotlight on issues around the world with Social Justice Month. Events held throughout the month highlight issues such as capital punishment, war, genocide, racism, homelessness and poverty.
The Catholic Newman Center, Amnesty International, SGA and UPB sponsored events that emphasized the weekly theme.
This week, the issue is "Homelessness and Poverty." The Newman Center is organizing a "Shantytown" for students to experience life as homeless people. After a lecture on Thursday night about homelessness and poverty, they will camp out on the MSC front lawn with only a cardboard box.
"The next day [Friday], we do our urban plunge where you are thrown into city life where you're the working poor. You take public transportation, you work for minimum wage," said Tracy Van de Riet, Newman Center campus minister.
Participants will spend the day at a volunteer work site before going to the Salvation Army to serve dinner. They will then go back to the Newman Center to discuss their experiences and relate them to larger issues facing their community and the world.
"Poverty is right at the back door but many students don't realize it," said Bobby Wassel, Newman Center campus minister.
Other social justice events this month included a film viewing of "The Life of David Gale" and a discussion about capital punishment, a guest speaker and discussion about just wars and a film viewing of "Hotel Rwanda" and a discussion about genocide and racism.
Approximately 30 people showed up for the events over the month.
"The goal is for students to get a greater awareness of what's around them," Van de Riet said. "I think just anyone showing up is great. It shows there are still people wanting to learn about these issues."
Dan Sinnett, junior, horticulture, a student at St. Louis Community College-Meramec, attended the discussion about just war.
"It was something that I was interested in but I had never seen it laid out so plainly," Sinnett said. "It was enlightening to the point that it makes you think if you can ever have a just war."
The lecture also related just war to current issues, including the United States' current war in Iraq. According to U.S. Catholic Bishops' criteria, some of the conditions for a just war included a just cause, legitimate authority, the probability of success and proportionality and other norms governing the conduct of war.
Angie Burton, senior, elementary education, said the lecture challenged some of her beliefs about war.
"I was pro-war and pro-life so that didn't seem like they go together," Burton said.
For more information or to be involved in Social Justice Month, visit the Newman Center's Web site at http://umsl.edu/~newman.
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