Call to Action, Moral Issues

On Thursday, March 26th, I took part in the Call to Action Day at NDNU. I volunteered to be part of the Mural project for the library.

Before we started on the mural, we had a discussion with the artists that created the mural for the library. The mural was inspired by a hate/vandalism crime that occurred on campus in the fall. The incident was in JB, during the third day on WOW week, an individual wrote discriminatory words on students name tags that were on the doors. The words were array of racist, homophobic, bigotry words that were very hurtful. The RA was in disbelief that such hatred still exists here at NDNU and so, she took the name tags down and had a conversation with her bosses about the incident. Unfortunately, the incident didn't get much attention here at NDNU where I think it should have. After her meeting with her supervisors, she had an activity planned to notify the students that had their name vandalize. So the RA, spread the name tags on the floor and told the students to look for their names--and when the students found their names and read the words under them--many of them were upset, hurt and some even cried. How can someone be so malicious to people that they don't even know--labeling, assuming that you haven't met?

As much as I am disgusted with what happened. NDNU/administrators did not mention to student of such acts-- this says a lot about how it is important for students to participate more on issues that aren't talked about on campus. So the mural is to bring awareness of what is not being said and to educate our community about the incident/hate crime that is not being talked about at NDNU and around the world. Hoping this mural will open up discussions about race, prejudice, etc. and not feel uncomfortable.

This mural does serves the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching in regards to treating each human/individual life with great dignity because we are God's creation. The mural brings into light of the wrongs that has been with the students at JB and also trying to bring awareness to such prejudice/racism/homophobia at NDNU and because the RA believed that every person deserves the right to have a life filled with justice and every person's life are to be treated with great dignity.

Overall the project was very enlightening and informative.