Tuesday, September 15

While sitting in the ceramics backroom I ran across an article in Collegmagazine.com which seemed to be pertinent to our class discussions. The article was titled "Get up, Stand Up- Three students changing the world" Doesn't that sound like a tag line from our brainstorming sessions! The main point of the particle was to enlighten and encourage the students of today into thought and action. Author, Trish Daly pointed out that this generation of college students is considered very egocentric and she feels that that is far from the truth. Rather than be labeled as selfish and uncaring, she points out 3 students that have taken it upon themselves to bring often overlooked subjects to their peers.

Chris Stevens, a junior at Penn State is focusing on labor issues and self-empowerment for workers. He has staged sit-ins, been slapped with a misdemeanour, arrested and lived to talk about it. He pointed out to his fellow Nittaney Lions that sweatshops were manufacturing their famous and favorite sweatshirts. He was able to have the administration of Penn State stop ordering from Russell Athletics collegiate apparel line. Penn is now one of 70 schools who have dropped Russell.

Alexander Scott, a senior at Georgetown University promotes sexual health and reproductive rights for all. She has gone to Capital Hill and lobbied and had blogged on the Worlds Aids Dy Blog-a-thon. "Speak up-,Join the movement, blog on!" Her project for HIV testing on campus was so well received that they couldn't test everyone.

The last student mentioned was Patrick Mulkern. He is a junior at Boston College and uses the motto "If you want peace, fight for justice!" His cause centers around a US run combat-training school in Georgia for Latin American soldiers. The graduates of the school have been noted for violating human rights and linked to abuses. He also has riled his fellow students up by blowing an air horn and holding up a sign "if you think this annoying, then make it stop (human trafficking) the obscenities of human trafficking; He feels that his activism is part of who he is

and feels that he is on the right path.