Advocacy Events Spring 2009

Holocaust Remembrance Week: Holocaust Survivor Jay Ipson (April 23)-Mr. Ipson spoke of his experience surviving for two and half years in the Kuanas ghetto in Lithuania with his mother and father. They escaped and hid from the Hermans for nine months before they were rescued by Soviet soldiers. After all that he has been through he was advocating for tolerance for all races.

Festival Fest (April 18): This was the culmination of a week of eco-awareness and a new concept, how spirituality is tied into the environment. Festival Fest was truly a turn for the spiritual. Though it is a celebration of Earth Day, everyone seemed more focused on the bands and relaxed environment than saving the planet. I thought there would be more of a focus on advocating being eco-friendly and living green. There was a puppet show about global warming and a few people said some things about appreciating the environment, but the unifying theme for the day was to have a really good time and have fun with everyone that was there. I suppose everyone that attended indirectly was raising awareness for the environment. Overall the day was a great success; there was good attendance and the weather cooperated.

31st Annual Communication Exhibition (April 14)- The participants were all very well spoken and conveyed their arguments clearly and concisely. In particular, I appreciated the study of Bush's speech after 9/11. The analysis was thorough and pointed. Bush's speech told the world that America was entering a new era. We are still there and it can and should be argued that Bush's speech was the pivotal point in where we are today.

Take Back the Night (March 24)-I sat on the hill on the Commons and listened to Angela Shelton speak about sexual assault. Take Back the NIght does a great job of promoting Sexual Assault Awareness. Flyers and chalk messages were around campus in the week leading up to and then during the week. It is an extremely important issue and the Office of Sexual Assault and Prevention does a good job.