Your Blog Contribution is DUE: Monday, 9/10, 5:00 PM
- Your
Required Contribution: 300 words. (That's a puny
minimum. 500 words would be better. There is no maximum.)
- How
to Contribute: For this assignment, click
"Post a Comment," on this post.
- Option 1: You can do one big comment to
contribute, or you can post a couple of different smaller items.
- Option2: It would be terrific to see you
not only posting absolutely original comments but also commenting on each
other's comments. The blog allows your response to Convocation to become a
conversation in ways that plain-old paper printouts cannot. So let's
converse!
Convocation
is a traditional ceremony marking the start of every semester at Whitworth and
featuring an address from President Beck Taylor. Before President Taylor
speaks, there's a processions of professors in their full academic regalia,
eccentric hats and all.
Convocation
is an event through which the university tries to express something about its
values and priorities. It's a time to meet together and reaffirm our values as
we start the semester.
In
the comments area below, each of you should
contribute your substantial impressions of and ideas about the event.
A recommendation: Try
to say more by talking about less. That is, choose one aspect of the event that
struck you as interesting, and write a lot about that, rather than trying to
account for everything.
Another
recommendation: Try to use your concrete observations of specific things going
on at convocation to draw a conclusion about just what it is that Whitworth is
trying to say, through this event, about its values and priorities.
And,
as we've said above, try to make this a conversation, by responding thoughtfully
to one another. Be sure that at least one of your contributions gets up to 150
or 200 words (at least), but feel free to add as many small comments as you
can. If you agree with someone else's posts, say so, and maybe add your own
additional thoughts on the subject. If you disagree, you can mention that, too,
but take some time to say why, and to defend your position (in a friendly way).
Keep
it civil, of course.
But
don't be boring.
It has really been an unusual experience for me hearing about Sex Trafficking so many times since I moved in. Like many of you may be, I am used to church bodies where people don't like to acknowledge the hard things, the "dirty" things that are just as real as any other issues in the world. It seems that the church often tries not to say things that make people uncomfortable, and that many members of our culture tend to degrade the church when it says things that they don't want to accept. However, I find it ironic, because we are called to be followers of Christ, and Christ always told the TRUTH in love, no matter how hard it was for the people to accept. After all, if we are only ever told what we want to hear then we may very well become content and never change, and unless someone believes they are perfect, they will admit that change is necessary to improve. What I mean by this is that I admire Whitworth as a college stepping up to tackle a big issue that is often ignored. Also, having an actual victim talk to us was in my opinion a huge step toward making the issue "real". It's no longer distant to us, like a sad story, and it becomes a life threatening crime ring that can be severely hindered if people take the right steps. This isn't to say that I'm gonna get out there right now and do all I can. To be honest, because I have had no exposure to issues like this it would be scary to start doing something about it, because it would be acknowledging to myself that the issue was actually serious and that there was actually something I could do about it. I believe that for most students at Whitworth it would take some serious courage really get involved. What do you all think?
ReplyDeleteI agree that for most students it would take some serious courage to get involved in an issue as serious as this. Although I believe every person is moved by this vulgar injustice and was filled with a desire to make a change, most of us would find excuses like "I'm too busy" or "I don't think I would be much help". And the task is daunting. But I believe it is part of the Whitworth mission to get over these fears. The people and experiences we encounter here will provide the strength and encouragement we need to get involved in tackling the evil that is even 30 minutes away.
DeleteChristian, I agree that it is always difficult to confront ugly truths. However, I would say that without horror, evil, and fear, beauty, heroism, and truth would have no meaning. Unfortunately, some of the best examples of humanity are dependent on horrific circumstances. Injustice tests us as a community, and gives us the opportunity to fight back.
DeleteHaving said that, the main point I took away from the convocation ceremony was that action must be taken. The guest speaker's three goals (education, activation, organization), really seemed to be the heart of what we need to pursue as students. Trying to get involved in leadership and action right away as a new student can definitely seem daunting, but even going to functions, listening, educating ourselves is a step in the right direction. Understanding the problem and being able to recognize it is just as important as confronting it. Once we familiarize ourselves with the issue, then it will not seem so huge and unalterable.
Human trafficking is a crime against humanity, and as part of a caring community, it is our job to stand up and defend one another's rights.
It shocked me as well how so many of us were unaware of the sexual slavery occurring in the Spokane region. God created sex with good intentions so that we may all experience the greatest love imaginable. It kills me that so many men have taken advantage of this. My prayer goes to all the girls and women who have to suffer through this. Sexual slavery needs to be put to an end. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." If we set our hearts to it, we could put an end to this not only in our region, but in the world! Jesus never stood still on these topics and neither should we. We need to strive to be like Him everyday. Lets make a difference! Together, we can accomplish more.
DeleteIt is true that most people aren't going to jump out of their seats and start an anti-trafficking campaign tomorrow. And that's ok. However, I believe that the awareness level was raised significantly among Whitworth Students. I think that everyone in the room felt sympathy towards the guest speaker and all other victims. And because of we are now aware, we are probably more likely to do something later on, even if it is something as small as making a small donation. If all the efforts made during convocation had a big enough impact to make a difference in one victim's suffering, then all the efforts were worth it.
DeleteAny old university can pursue academic excellence, training young men and women to think critically about the world around them. Any old university can instill the values of integrity and morality into those students, giving them a process through which to apply their knowledge. For Whitworth, these two steps are simply not sufficient. The recurring theme of Whitworth's 123rd Convocation was just that. Improvements on mental and moral faculties are no longer satisfactory; action must be taken. Though President Taylor gladly emphasized Whitworth's lofty standards of achievement, he stated that more must be done. Community involvement is as much a priority as learning the tools that will assist in the involvement itself. For this year, following the recent police action in Spokane, human trafficking was targeted for Whitworth's activism. As such, the guest speaker's background was unfortunately appropriate. At the horrifically young age of ten, her parents forced her into the trafficking industry. The greed and selfishness therein are incomprehensible to me, and yet the speaker calmly presented a brief window into her life's story. Perhaps the assuredness came with time, but I was still surprised by how composed our speaker remained. Learning of her time in Berkeley made me feel somewhat relieved. Ever the hotbed of human rights activism, UC Berkeley was and is the perfect place for stories like that of our speaker to be told. Hearing our speaker's story at Whitworth gave more substance to the UNITE movement we learned about during orientation. Whenever people feel unconnected to a movement, progress is almost never made. The brief personal story delivered at Convocation certainly helped me become more invested in the UNITE movement and Whitworth's dedication to end local trafficking. Such a serious subject is not an easy one to take on, even with a full complement of faculty, staff, and students. Regardless, I'm proud that my university is taking action, and that I can be a part.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI was very impressed today by the initiative that Whitworth is taking against the sex trafficking that is apparently a big issue. I had no clue that such things were even going on in Washington, let alone right here in Spokane. I guess that's my ignorance showing. I am shocked that this is something so close to home, and I am glad to know that Whitworth is taking action. Having a victim speak to us was something extremely powerful and REAL -- to have this living, breathing, talking evidence (if you will) of this horrible situation. It really starts sinking in when you have someone who can share their story. I am also impressed with the grace and unashamed passion that Whitworth is using when handling this situation. I have been a part of (ultimately unhealthy) churches in the past that have completely ignored such things, because apparently such things are too dirty to speak about in church, and while Whitworth is not a church but a school with a Christian base, it is nice to see this action taking place. These people are being forced into things they don't want to do and are being hurt and something needs to be done about it. So thank you, Whitworth, for doing something. This is not a subject I was really thinking about before, but now I am letting friends and family know so more and more people are aware. Above all, people need to be educated about what's happening, and not only in this area. Learning (hopefully) leads to understanding, and this understanding can be used to make a difference. I'm glad Whitworth is providing this information so others will know. While ignorance may be bliss, it certainly doesn't do a whole lot of good for the rest of the world. Keep on educating! The more people know, the better.
ReplyDeleteI love what you said about the "grace and unashamed passion" with which Whitworth is tackling this issue. It's so true that it is a subject many people might shy away from because it is such a horrible reality.
DeleteThough I had at first felt uncomfortable with the mentions of sex slavery and trafficking, the Convocation as well as the initial Freshman Class meeting have really opened my eyes to how immense this issue truly is. I never really looked into this issue and I usually skip over articles having to do with this. It’s not because I don’t think it’s important enough to be reported upon. It was because I honestly didn’t want to think about any of it and these past ten years living in Washington state, I never ever knew that this was one of the top states that suffers most from sex trafficking in the US. So it came as a very huge wake-up call when the student body president as well as President Beck Taylor told us college students that eight brothels here in Spokane were shut down just this past Summer, and that one was just a block or two away from the Whitworth campus.
ReplyDeleteRather than trying to keep us college kids distracted by such news, I love that Whitworth is doing so much more than just acknowledging this reality. Instead of leaving students with a warning of awareness and a feeling of discomfort about the area or worse, leaving us oblivious to this problem, I love that opportunities have been created and accessible to the students. I don’t have to sit here and try to distract my mind from this subject- no, existence; I can get up and help remedy this reality. We can help ourselves and others, not just our fellow classmates at Whitworth, to transform this. Instead of just educating us to be self-succeeding, we are being taught to also care for the community, not just ourselves and our futures.
I agree with Christian McKinney that taking the ventures to help would take a lot of courage and a lot of admission to this tragic reality. Ultimately, this is a part of the “real” world, and taking part in the Unite movement is an excellent approach to resolve this.
Yes it is a great idea. I also approve of the focus on tracking down and breaking down the industry, rather than simply ministering to victims. Although helping them is a good thing, it is treating the symptom, not the issue at hand. I would love to see a ministry that goes even a step further than incarcerating sex traffickers and actually shows compassion to the traffickers themselves and seeks to help them. It is interesting how most people would rather help someone whom they think deserves it, despite the fact that the people who don't deserve help may be the ones that need it most.
DeleteChristian, this is an awesome point of view! I mean, we are told to love our enemies, right!? We can't assume that by just helping the victims, this situation will be resolved. The victims are in desperate need of help, but to actually cure our society of these problems, we also need to attack the problem at the root. I agree that attacking the root of the problem should include compassion towards the guilty. I’m not exactly sure how we, as a college community, can accomplish that, but I would love to figure out a way! In Proverbs 24:29 it says, “Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did.” Instead we are urged to forgive.
DeleteStephanie, I agree with you that the first mention of sex trafficking was uncomfortable. Personally, I felt uncomfortable because we were in a formal setting and we were hearing about such pain and hurt when normally convocations and other formal gatherings are used to communicate the good in the world, rather than the bad. I loved that Beck Taylor and Molly used the topic of sex trafficking to reaffirm our mission of mind and heart. They were willing to push us to an uncomfortable level because they wanted us to be moved by what they said so that we would actually get up and take action and not just take the convocation as another formal ceremony to sit through.
I thought Minh's story was interesting since she didn't seem to harbor a lot of anger or remorse for what she went through. I don't know how strong of a Christian back round she had but she seemed to have coped with her situation quite well. Correct me if I am wrong but she said that her parents were the ones selling her from ages 10-20 in many different ways for sex yet she did not seem to hate them so. The comment "Thanks to my parents I was a good student since teachers like obedient students" stuck out to me particularly because of the use of the word thanks. It was used sincerely so I assume that she doesn't blame her parents for what she went through. On top of that her parents were the ones who were greedy enough to help her get out. That word greedy to me sounded as an act of love from her parents to allow her to still attend college and to leave behind the shame she had for the sex trafficking she was involved for so long. Minh seemed to have taken this experience and become a better person because of it. Before Minh spoke Beck had stated, “Faith without action is meaningless”. Maybe this is what he is talking about. In order to make something happen you have to not only believe but also act on those beliefs. This year’s prime focus is to take a stand against sex trafficking and the use of brothels to exploit women in Spokane just a mere mile or so from our campus. When needs of this nature come up with schools all that seems to actually happen is talking about how to fix the problem. No actual action is taken and I think Beck was giving the problem a face and a voice through Minh, trafficking may only be a short drive away but the problem isn’t involved in our day to day lives so it is easy to push it to the back of our thoughts. When someone we physically see and hear who went through these atrocities I think causes more awareness to the problem and may stir more action than say a 3rd party bringing up the issue to a huge group of students.
ReplyDeleteI think that Minh deserves so much respect and honor. How brave of her not only to survive the abuse and horrors she expeienced, but to then describe her accounts in front of hundreds of people. She even had the determination to finish high school and college. It makes all my problems seems to small. And I have to again admire her for forgiving her parents and coping with her situations. It is so amazing to hear that Whitworth has taken such a strong stance on the issue and hopefully the efforts made will pay off. Minh's story proves that greatness can come from all corners of humanity and that we should not be ignorant of the issues and darkness we cannot directly see. I think that Beck, Minh, and Molly did a fanastic job of affirming the mission of providing an education of the mind and heart, affirming the sense of community at Whitworth, raising awareness for an issue, and speaking for those who don't have a voice.
DeleteBefore coming to Whitworth, my mind had never focused on much of anything other than what was going on around me and in my area. When hearing what Beck Taylor said about Washington, particularly Spokane, and it being one of the most common places for Sex Trafficking in the United States, I was amazed. I’ve lived in Spokane my whole entire life and never once have I thought that maybe something just like that happened here. I heard about several of the spas here being shut down for holding prostitutes but I never read into it enough to know that those ‘prostitutes’ were victims of sex trafficking and being forced to work like that.
ReplyDeleteSex trafficking victim Minh Dang’s speech was an eye opener for me as well as possibly many other students that had never thought of the topic much more than, “Oh, that’s bad that that’s happening over there.” Her instructions of “educate, activate, and organize,” as well as the bible verses spoken to the people within the fieldhouse (James 1 and 2) and Beck Taylor’s speech, truly helped me understand that there is more to serving God that going to church, youth group, reading the bible, volunteering, etc. The fact that Whitworth University is willing to follow their mission statement of “honor God, follow Christ, and serve humanity,” make a stand, and take action against something that most people don’t really want to hear about is an amazing thing that makes me absolutely proud to know I decided Whitworth over a few of my other choices.
I really hope that in the weeks, months, and year to come, many students can participate and help break down the sex trafficking that is going on, even if it’s just here in Spokane. It has been clearly stated that we cannot just idly sit by and do nothing; we need to do something. I will definitely try to involve myself and get educated on the problem so I, too, can make a stand. Will you?
What a great way for the school to start off a new year together by affirming our mission and asking for God’s blessing. I find it really special that Whitworth places so much emphasis on their mission statement. At many of the schools I visited last year, I never heard about their mission or goal as a university. They didn’t have a clear vision about what their goals were. I think it’s great that Whitworth takes that seriously instead of just having some statement for the sake of having one. And not only does the community take the mission seriously, they are passionate about it too. Convocation made it clear that Whitworth has made its dedication to living out faith a priority for the community. It’s important to have direction. We were created to live on mission, to serve the community we live in. Didn’t God give Adam a mission, or task in the garden before the fall? We were made to work and create with what’s around us. It seemed like convocation was a time to refocus before the start of a new year on not only the broader mission statement, but also on a specific goal– fighting human trafficking in the Spokane area. I noticed that Whitworth really takes the idea of living on mission seriously, and that is something I admire a lot about this school. I was really surprised to hear that the human trafficking industry was such a fast growing industry and that Washington has the highest rate in the country. That isn’t something I would have guessed, but knowing that, it makes sense that the Whitworth students and staff would choose to take on this issue. Portland, OR, where I’m from, has a nickname Pornland due to the high rate of strip clubs and sex trafficking there. Even knowing this, I was surprised at what a large problem modern slavery is in the US. The woman who gave her testimony was US-born. This opened my eyes to what a serious problem this is in all parts of the world.
ReplyDeleteI know that most people here are going to comment about the sex trafficking, and how inspirational Minh's life story is, and I completely agree. I think it's amazing that someone who could go through 20 years of abuse could stand so strong and have accomplished so much against all odds. However, during Beck Taylor's speech, something he said caught my attention, and while it's not on the topic of sex trafficking, it still is important that it be remembered. He was talking about the new campus in Costa Rica, and it was still on topic of reaching out to the community, and he said the students are “trying to love all of their neighbors.” When he said that, it got me thinking about the word “trying,” and why he chose to insert that word instead of just saying the students are loving their neighbors. He went on to say they were “especially” trying to reach out to the poor and underprivileged in the community. I thought, ‘Why are the poor so drawn to this religion?’ I think that it is because with wealth, comes distraction. When the rich and powerful can buy anything they want, why would they need, or even want a religion that teaches “The last will be first, and the first will be last,” (Matt 20:16). Jesus, I think, preached to the weak and the poor for a reason. There was, and still is, a problem with those whose sole mission is to ‘get ahead’ in life. When the people had made the temple a “den of robbers” by setting up a market in Matthew 21:13, Jesus flipped the tables of those taking advantage of the “house of prayer.” Speaking from a non-religious standpoint, when greed gets in the way, people lose sight of what’s really important. Material items are only good until you die. However, individual beliefs, which vary from person to person, are what give one character and substance. Does that make sense? Believe me; I’m just as guilty as the next person of being distracted by this new and exciting world of technology and privilege and wanting to have a career where I can make enough money to live comfortably. Is that what I need, though? Is that what any of us need? I want to advocate taking a step back, whether it’s going to live in an underprivileged area, or just giving up a cell phone for a week. Just getting rid of one of our many distractions that can take away from a spiritual experience that can either bring us closer to God, or just letting us relate with another perspective of humanity, depending on where we are in our faith (or lack of faith). Anyone can benefit from a change in perspective. Living in America and being able to come to a school like Whitworth, grateful as I am, tends to isolate us physically and spiritually from the rest of the world, and it’s easy to lose sight. That’s why I think having a campus in Costa Rica is a wonderful thing, and I love that UNITE is reaching out to the community here, and hopefully the rest of the world eventually. I mean, we have to start somewhere. I just want people to remember we aren’t alone. There are people all over the world that would give anything to be in our shoes, and we sometimes take it for granted. I guess I wanted to write about perspective in this post. If any of you have any other ideas, or want to add a comment or disagree with something I’ve said, please reply because I tend to ramble.
ReplyDeleteThat is really an interesting point. I have heard at several of these lecture so far, the term emotional poverty. It makes me think that there are all sorts of poverty people can be drawn into. We tend to think mainly of financial poverty, which is of course a problem and tends to foster other sorts of poverty (emotional, intellectual, moral, etc.). However, I would say that having money does not guarantee that a person is not poor in some deep spiritual way, and spiritual poverty is much scarier to me. Community is probably the best tool we have for fighting spiritual poverty, so projects like this really inspire me.
DeleteMolly caught my attention when she first introduced us freshmen to the UNITE program. It was clear this was something that she was passionate about and was disgusted by the fact that sex trafficking was happening so close to Whitworth University. She kept repeating the phrase "This is unacceptable!" and that caught my attention.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I was a bit shocked that Convocation was in a way centered on the sex trafficking issue. But it was powerful. I loved the scripture Molly shared along with the President Taylor's speech and how they tied it in to the "Whitworth mission". That this is a journey of mind and heart. A journey that will leave us "equipped to honor God, follow Christ, and serve humanity."
Serve humanity. What good is our education, our proclamation of faith in Jesus Christ if we do not use it to serve those around us? This is essentially what President Taylor was expressing. We are the ones that need to go out there and make a difference, and Whitworth University plans to not only make it easy to do so but constantly encourages us to walk in our faith and care about those less fortunate and in need. To love our neighbors; to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and provide shelter to the homeless. Molly said something along the lines of it being our time. Our chance to go out there and live God's word. Whitworth University is serious about this journey of mind and heart, which was made obvious today. Although I did not have any doubts, the stories and messages shared today reassured me that I am going to receive so much more than a quality education in my four short years here. Whitworth University is going to help change the world and create people who are not afraid to go out there and put a stop to injustice. I plan to be one of those people.
I totally agree with what you said about being a bit shocked the Convocation was somewhat centered on the topic of sex-trafficking. But I do think it is an issue that people need to be aware of, especially because of the fact that it's happening so close to our campus. I also like your last line, "I plan to be one of those people", and I plan to be one as well.
DeleteStep one: educate. Step two: activate. Step three: organize. Whitworth's goal of educating the mind and the heart could not be exemplified more than by its initiative to fight human trafficking. Since the first step in the process of fighting back is to educate ourselves, here are some facts.
ReplyDeleteAs many as 17,500 human beings are brought into the United States every year to be sold according to humantrafficking.org. The US Department of Education says that children are a common target for sex traffickers, because of their relative vulnerability and trusting natures. In January, USA Today published an article citing the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, declaring that the sex trade in America is a $32 billion industry.
Those are just the top three hits when you Google “human trafficking in the US.”
The second step is to activate our hearts and identify with the issue. As an older sister, the idea of young girls and boys being sold for sex in particularly disturbing to me. Children are the future, and they cannot be left to fend for themselves. I was brought almost to tears when the guest speaker mentioned that the first real love she felt was from her teachers. Teachers have infinite influence over children, and a caring teacher can change someone's life. I think the key to fighting child sex abuse is teaching them. If we can become caring teachers to the larger community, we can change lives.
Step three is to organize our actions. Action is the ultimate goal. Perhaps we will go into schools and educate teachers to recognize signs of abuse in their students. Perhaps we will visit juvenile detention centers, churches, the local YMCA centers. Perhaps we will initiate community movie nights, art projects, concerts. Perhaps our passion will fire more communities to look this monster in the eye. Does anyone have any specific education, activation, or organization in mind?
Check this out if you are not feeling inspired:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWMOxWlzCxo
The Convocation revealed Whitworth's mission and purpose, which I really admired, because although Whitworth is technically a Christian University, not all students enter Whitworth considering the religious affiliation. President Taylor's speech really excited me about how Whitworth desires to be a light in our community and serve both God and Spokane with the three big C's - compassion, intelectual competency, and moral courage. As students of Whitworth, we all should be willing to be voices for the voiceless in our community and around the world, as President Taylor stated. Taking a firm stand against issues, such as human trafficking, is a simple and effective way Whitworth can be a light for Christ and show the University's commitment to the three big C's. Similarly, Minh Dang, as the Special Guest at Convocation, promoted and strongly expressed Whitworth's focus against human trafficking this year. Her story of how her parents sold her into the trafficking business at the age of ten until the time she was twenty provoked a sense of reliability between the audience and Minh Dang. The part that shocked me was that after the enslavement her parents forced upon her, Minh Dang still spoke of her parents with great respect and love. She recognized how her parents encouraged her to go to college and find success, even though it seemed through their actions that they were doing the exact opposite. As a University with a Christian mission, Dang's response to her parents actions truly reflected the Christian mindset of honoring one's parents in an extreme way. She showed various Christian virtues in the few minutes that she was able to speak to the University. Her forgiveness and respect is incomprehensible. Although her response is the accurate Christian reaction, it feels like there should have been a point where her respect should have been withdrawn.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about Convocation revealing "Whitworth's mission and purpose." For me, coming from a public school where talking about Christianity is pretty much taboo, it was extremely refreshing to hear the President of the school discussing our faith and how we should be driven to love our Spokane neighbors and come together to help eliminate this problem. It was amazing to me to see a school come together and really feel united. This feeling of unity has really touched me since I've come to Whitworth, and Convocation was a wonderful example of the school's drive and focus on making the world better. So many people and organizations focus on countries around the world to lend their support, but I love that Whitworth is putting the focus on the brothels and the trafficking going on right here in Spokane. Unity is a powerful thing, and by combining that with Whitworth's mission and goals for this year, I know that we as a school will accomplish a lot this year. Convocation was just the beginning.
DeleteWhen convocation was described to me, images of stiff professors droning on and on about the academic standard of Whitworth came to mind. After all, teaching the students is a central part of a university, so I thought it would be the only focus of this event. I imagined professors taking a narrow, inward focus on the Whitworth classroom learning. I was pleasantly surprised when the focus became something different all together: service.
ReplyDeleteInstead of remarking on Whitworth’s vision being an education, President Beck focused on Whitworth’s mission calling us to serve. He shared his vision for Whitworth, hoping it to be a university that leads with courage, compassion, and competence. He bluntly stated that we need to act on behalf of those who need help, and if we fail to do so our mission “is as good as dead”.
The theme of service was embraced by not only the university president, but by the student body president as well. Molly reminded us that “change happens collectively” and encouraged us to unite together to serve others.
Up until this point in my life, my education has been through a public school system. In that system, learning and the education system is very narrow. Students come to school to learn what is written in the books and spoken by the teachers. In my mind, school is very black and white. I come to learn science, english, math, and social studies. Anything beyond that tends to take place outside of the school walls. That is not to say that spiritual growth and service cannot occur inside a public school, for God uses many arenas to help us grow, but that I associated school with only academic learning.
Convocation’s focus on service surprised me. The goal of convocation was to discuss the universities priorities, so where was the talk of students learning concepts in classes like Core and being accepted to graduate schools? It was a humbling reminder that there is so much more to Whitworth than just the excellent academics. Whitworth’s focus in not just on producing knowledgable students, but on enabling servants of Christ. I took away the idea that Whitworth highly values service and reaching outside its walls into the community and the world.
I agree completely. I was expecting something similar - a formal presentation on the school's academic goals for this year, encouragement to be good students, etc. Instead, we were told about Whitworth's goals for service for this coming year. This branching away from the narrow learning lens that I believe most of us as freshmen are used to was refreshing and at the same time frightening. No one wants to step out of their comfort zone, but at Convocation the desire for student growth and change was made extremely clear. We as students are not just expected to take classes and learn the material, we are also expected to serve our community and be a part of Spokane instead of an isolated college campus, hidden by pine trees. The desire to be a light to this city sets Whitworth apart from other college campuses. Convocation was one giant example of an education of mind and heart, and the focus that Whitworth as a school is putting on this issue is astounding compared to the public high school I come from. Even more astounding was the positive student response given to Convocation and the issue of sex trafficking. Instead of blowing it off, the students responded enthusiastically, ready to do their part. This is simply another example of why Whitworth is special. In addition, it was fun to see the President telling jokes and making light of his injury - I was expecting a very serious ceremony, and it was, but it was nice that he still tries to relate to the students and insert fun into every situation.
DeleteI am proud of Whitworth for the Unite movement and I am proud to be at an institution that is trying to raise awareness of the human trafficking issue and through increasing awareness, increasing action. But I find that people treat world issues like cultural fads. Two years ago we all talked about Haiti, before that Central America. And now it’s as if those problems have simply vanished. Help was given yes but nothing was “fixed.” I do not want to see that happen again, especially with an issue that hits so close to home. This will not just go away when the lectures stop, when the year stops. I will not deny that continuously thinking about hard, painful subjects will only bring misery, but to only acknowledge them when being lectured says a lot about our character. And to bandwagon issues only to leave them behind when people stop talking about it or a new, more flashy one catches our eye says even more. I do not want to accuse, what I want to see is more than just a “movement,” a new fad. I hope that Whitworth will be able to grow deep roots in our hearts, so when the world and the community finds a new issue to lecture on, Whitworth will still be striving to end sex trafficking and the slave trade. The victims will always remember, the slave that made the clothes we wear and the food we eat will always remember, Whitworth should always remember.
ReplyDeleteI hope so too. I agree - people get so caught up in the current "issue" that's floating through the news, on Facebook, into conversations, then a few weeks later it's forgotten. I have seen this happen so many times - with the Kony 2012 Movement, with the aftermath of love and support after suicides at my old high school, with any disaster that occurs in the world. Usually after a tragedy people are flooded with love and help right after it occurs, but weeks later when they really need the support, no one is there. I desperately hope that this does not happen at Whitworth. At any other school I would be more worried about this happening, but there is something about Whitworth's mission, it's students, and the combined effort of the President and Molly Hough that makes me think that this push for aiding the stop of human trafficking will not just be another fad at our school. Whitworth is unlike any other school I have ever seen, and is not known for hypocrisy. The passion and dedication that I saw at Convocation gives me hope that the school will see this through and not forget about it once the next "fad" comes along.
DeleteConvocation is a special time in the Whitworth academic year, made obvious by all the energy and devotion that the staff and representatives have when it comes to making it clear what Whitworth’s mission is. To provide an education of the mind and heart for all the students that are here. And at this university, where Christian values are upheld just as much as education, it’s very inspiring to see. One of the messages really stood out to me as well, the passage from James that both President Taylor and the representative from the student body repeated, “Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead”. And I think that is a very interesting way to start the year. As President Taylor said, at Whitworth you’re supposed to be able to ask the tough questions. And I think challenging you to take action, is a tough question. Does your faith matter enough to you to take action, or are you comfortable enough in your own actions to justify your beliefs? And can you be courageous with it? I think that was the underlying challenge in the convocation address, that maybe we should all take to heart. That we are starting a new school year, a new year filled with new people, new friends, new lessons, and new challenges. And at a school that challenges you to be strong in your faith as well as in your studies that you need to be courageous in everything you do, so that you can grow as a believer as well as an individual. So that we can make the world a better place for ourselves, Christians, non-Christians, and everyone across the world. Because change begins with action, and faith dies without action, so in a way, our faith is change. And that change can do anything. We all began this journey together, and I think we can make it an incredible one. I’m looking forward to travelling it with you all. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteBeing at Whitworth for the last week has been a continually eye-opening experience, one that I think is really well-illustrated by both Convocation and these blog posts. Like Madison, before this I had an exclusively public education (although my experience was different than hers), and while Christian, I’ve never really felt a sense of belonging in a strong religious community. It’s still really new for me to be in a place where people are so open about what they believe, and where one tradition is definitive for the majority of the people there. Because of this experience, there were a lot of things that I found surprising and, ultimately, inspiring, at Convocation.
ReplyDeleteSomething that stood out a lot for me was that Convocation was run like a church service. (I was especially surprised by the morning hymn in the program and by Beck Taylor ending his address with an “Amen”). This is entirely different from what I’m used to, and it still catches me off-guard. But even though it still makes me a little uncomfortable, it also amazes me how being so open with religion seems to positively affect so much of this campus. Because everyone has an equal grounding, it makes it easier for people to understand how they stand with everyone else at the school and how they can use that connection to begin to make the world a better place. I’m not trying to discount the values of diversity, because personally, I think that an understanding of diversity is one of the most valuable things a person can have. Rather, it seems to me that allowing people to be open with religion helps them to better connect with their world and understand who they are, and it gives them the courage to live their lives the way they feel is necessary. Seeing the way that Whitworth wants to honor its mission through the UNITE movement (and also the ways that everyone on this blog is inspired by it), is really beautiful and affirming of religion, and I haven’t had much of an experience with that before.
I’m still adjusting to this environment, but even though it’s different, I’m really glad that I’m here because it’s forcing me to re-evaluate my world view. Thanks to all of you for sharing how you feel and for helping me think about the world in a different way!
Convocation focused largely on helping to educate the students of Whitworth about sex trafficking in the United States as well as around the world. Sex trafficking is one of the issues that I have been passionate about in my life, and so I was ecstatic to hear that this was the issue that Whitworth would be focusing on during the year. I was unaware that sex trafficking was such a huge issue in the Washington area and was surprised to hear that several brothels had been busted in Spokane in the last year. Sex trafficking is a demoralizing, demeaning, and absolutely disgusting slave trade in the world, and it’s awesome to see a student body surround such an intense issue. It was powerful to hear the story of someone who has suffered within the slave trade itself and shocking to hear that her perpetrators were her very own parents. As someone from a typical affluent American home, I cannot imagine the kind of brokenness that would lead parents to sell their own children. I cannot imagine the kind of scarring a person would receive from being a sex slave and the deep healing that such a person would need. I loved watching the passion of the student body president as she addressed the issue at hand and the Whitworth community rising up in support of the issue. The need for action through community is so apparent with this issue and it’s going to be amazing to be a part of a community that tries to be the hands and feet of Jesus within the local community with such a massive issue like sex trafficking. The verses chosen to support this idea like James 1:22-35 were perfect for outlining our need as followers of Jesus to attack this issue. This verse so clearly strikes at the heart of what Christians typically struggle with; we tend to get stuck in ruts of conversation and we forget that action needs to follow conversation. I am very excited to be a part of a community that is excited about educating people and then acting on what has been learned. Sex trafficking is a horrifying issue and the sheer magnitude of the problem can very easily become overwhelming. However, I am excited to be a part of making small changes within a community and watching those small changes become huge ones.
ReplyDeleteFollowing the silliness and recreation associated with tradiation, I found the year's Convocation to be a stark eyeopener to what my first couple of months at Whitworth will be like. To be honest, going into the Fieldhouse, my mind was busy anticipating what I would have for lunch, wondering if any of the girls from Duvall noticed my pod's excellent singing during hall-in the night before, and pondering where one could purchase the sweet Whitworth-style bling President Beck Taylor was wearing around his neck. Though the freshman class was introduced to the issue Whitworth will be tackling this year (sex trafficking for those of you who didn't attend the Convocation) numerous times before we were addressed on Thursday, nothing that had been said up to that point had really grabbed my attention. I mean, I firmly believe sex trafficking is definitely one of the lesser known evils in America and every action should be taken to stop it. With that being said, it wasn't an issue on the top of my list. I know it's selfish, but I was too busy worrying about classes, meeting new people, and getting enough sleep to think about what actions I could take within my community to put an end to sex trafficking. It wasn't until Minh Dang began her address to the Whitworth community about the issue, and subsequently mentioned that she grew up in the Central Valley of California, that the seriousness of the matter really hit home for me.
ReplyDeleteYou see, I grew up in Fresno, CA, which is smack-dab-in-the-middle of the Central Valley. Though I knew sex trafficking was definitely a prevalent issue within my community, I had never known, or heard anyone speak about, being affected by it. To receive information from Minh Dang's eloquent speech, I thought, was on the verge of enlightening. Her struggles put the issue into perspective for me, and really allowed me to reevaluate what I want my priorities to be while studying at Whitworth.
Like Minh and Beck said, there are victims of sex trafficking everywhere, some closer than we'd like to realize. The thought of others who are suffering in such a way is appalling, and, as a member of the Whitworth community, I hope to do something (even if it's just the smallest of actions) to assist victims of the sex trafficking industry. As a new resident of Spokane, my heart goes out to my brothers and sisters in the community.
As Matthew 25:40 says: "'The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."'" Honestly, I very much anticipate a great year of involvement from myself and others. Yet, words are simply not enough, as action is also required. Simply put, let's do all we can to make the world a better place this year!
Similarly to quite a few of the previous posts, the portion of the Convocation Ceremony that Whitworth devoted to discussing the UNITE movement and our guest speaker, Minh Dang stuck out to me the most. The entire topic of sex-trafficking is something that I think is difficult for anyone to talk about. The main thing I took away from Molly Hough speaking about it as well as Minh Dang was that a lot of people think that sex-trafficking is only a foreign problem, which it is not. It was very surprising to me, as I imagine it was to many others as well, that 8 brothels were raided in Spokane. This horrendous thing is going on in our very own backyard. This issue hits home for me because at the end of last school year I did an entire project on this subject for my sociology of women class and the results I found were shocking. As a whole, I think this is an amazing act on Whitworth’s part to take on this issue and be part of the movement to end sex-trafficking. A specific part I appreciate about Whitworth’s approach to join the movement to end sex-trafficking is that they are very clear that as an individual there are things, small things, that you can that will make a big difference. I think when people hear of this issue they think that it is too big of an issue for them to even attempt to tackle. Not only at Convocation, but in the freshmen meeting as well when Molly talked about this issue she gave many examples of what we can do as individuals to help in this movement. I am thoroughly impressed at the devotion they have already shown to this issue and I am so proud to be part of it and to see the progress we are able to make.
ReplyDeleteWhat caught my attention were the themes involved in Convocation, and how they were all interconnected. Three themes in particular stood out to me: Whitworth’s idea of “an education of mind and heart,” Minh Dang’s mission was to “educate, activate, and organize,” and Beck Taylor’s statement in his speech that “faith without action is dead.” I thought all three of these themes could easily go hand in hand. Put together, they create the idea of educating the mind, activating the heart, and then doing something about it. This could almost be a lesson plan, and Convocation followed it. First, Beck Taylor came forward and gave the nuts and bolts about sex trafficking. He explained what it was, how big of an issue it is, and told us that the issue was local, here in Spokane. He educated us. He engaged out minds. Minh Dang came out to speak next. She told us an appalling, emotional story that shocked us all. She gave the story of a survivor, and she hit home and activated our hearts. To close us off, Molly Hough came forward and told us of how Whitworth was getting involved. She gave us dates and events and told us about the university’s partnership with Unite. She looked out at the crowd and said “this is not someone else’s fight. This is our fight.” We had organized dates for service. By the end of Convocation, we had been educated in mind and heart on the issue at hand, and we were educated, activated, and organized. We were ready to take action and participate fully in stopping sex trafficking. The use of these three themes helped get us all engaged, and I’m glad it did. These three ideas—knowing the issue, caring about the issue, and acting on the issue—shouldn’t just be a requirement among us. It shouldn’t be something we’re just expected to do. Instead, we should all be ready to answer this call to action, and want to take part in stopping this. We should all be excited in the opportunity to show how we are, as a university and as men and women of a community.
ReplyDeleteConvocation was a very interesting and engaging experience for me. I was not sure what to expect other then a speech from Dr. Beck Taylor. Beyond that I went into this with a completely fresh and open mind. So Convocation was a pleasant surprise for me. From the greeting to the students to the surprisingly strong stance the school is taking on human trafficking. Ultimately it this that really spoke to me of the whole event. It seems in recent years for me I have surrounded by people who will, as said in convocation, get stuck in conversations. People who constantly talk about doing great actions and creating change, but never actually do anything when change comes around. It is something that bothers me greatly because I want to do great actions and cause change but i have been surrounded by people who are content with going through the motions of everyday life. People who do this for the simple sake of comfort. A serene tranquil bubble they can live in with no change. So it was incredibly encouraging to see Whitworth taking such a strong stance against something. It would be nice if it were almost any issue but to be tackling something as serious and predominant and human trafficking was a real shocker to me. A good shocker at that. Convocation was a good end to end the days of preparation we have gone through. After this I do not know if i can get any more pumped then I am for the year. I can look back and say convocation got me even more pumped up when I thought I was already maxed on excitement for school. It has cemented that this is definitely where God wants me to be and I can not wait to see how this next year unfolds.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I also had no idea what to expect. I honestly thought it was just going to be like every other church service. I was surprised to see how much of the event was dedicated to the issue of human trafficking and I thought that the speakers were very successful in conveying their stance on the issue. I also appreciated the fact that the speakers were not shy in making us students fully aware of the issue, and the suffering of victims, and how close to home it was. It really eye-opening.
Deletewas
I think that I am the first person to comment about this, but I was really interested by the academic regalia. I sort of knew before that the colors on the academic dress are more than just the alma mater's colors, but I wasn't sure what it was, so I did some research. (Okay, I looked it up on Wikipedia), but it was interesting. Apparently there's a inter-university agreement for coloring of academic dress, though some universities diverge from that. The conventions for dress were started in 1893, when Princeton appointed John J. McCook to look into creating an inter-university set of conventions, though apparently it has changed in many of the details over time. The idea was to have uniform clothing that also reflected the wearer's alma mater and degree. However, even before the conventions of academic dress were standardized, academic regalia was widely in practice. In the eighteenth century, students at universities were required to wear academic dress at all times, however, by the beginning of the nineteenth century, it was a much rarer practice. The coloring of academic robes typically has a black base, the facings on the sleeves and front of the robes relates to the wearer's subject of study. For example, the humanities are white, engineering is orange, and philosophy is dark blue. There's a whole index of different colors for different practices. If there's not a color to someone's specific discipline, they are supposed to use the color of the discipline closest to theirs. The hood (which as close as I can tell is sort of like a cape) is in the colors of the school attended. I'm not sure if this is in the colors of the school at which one gets the undergraduate or graduate degree, but it's in the colors of some school.
ReplyDeleteI hope this short history was fairly interesting. I think the history of the academic dress is really interesting, especially since it has been in practice so long, it feels like such a rich and interesting tradition.
Here is my source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_regalia_in_the_United_States
Absolutely no joke: I just got off of wikipidea five minutes ago looking up the academic regalia!! I was (finally) sitting down to write my comment and was trying to think of the thing that was most surprising to me. While sitting in the bleachers I was so fascinated by all of the different colors and seemingly randomness of our professors dress. My first thought was that the colors must be from the school they graduated from. However, just like you I decided to look it up for my essay, in which I also utilized wikipedia. I am not going to lie, I was slightly disappointed to see that somebody had already reported the information to the group. You did a wonderful job providing the background information!
DeleteI was mildly curious, but I just assumed that the differences marked which school they attended. I think it's really nifty how if you know the basic color system you can tell exactly what each professor teaches based on the sleeves. I'm planning on becoming an english professor so I can't wait to find out what my future regalia will look like.
DeleteCorey Burt
ReplyDeleteThere were several mind blowing facts that were spoken about this past Thursday at convocation. I found it very intriguing how much Whitworth voices its opinion on being a “voice” to the voiceless. If we cannot help those around us, our mission is dead. Whitworthians are very knowledgeable, but, what’s the point of being knowledgeable if we fail to share our knowledge with those who don’t know what the issue is. Whitworth’s prime mission is to spread awareness to those who are oblivious to what is going on with sex trafficking. Sex trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry today. 500 sex slaves are being used daily near to our community. These poor women are literally forced into their actions. In today’s society, we have placed money above so much. I have to say that sex is easy money. Most of these women don’t have the money and drive to get a job were you actually have to think a bit, but it’s not their fault! Parents have the strongest influence on their daughter; however, they will support the issue of sex due to the income. It nearly becomes impossible for these women to stop. If a daughter were to stop, this means the income stops which angers the parents. They tell her that she needs to bring in money. At this point, sex is all that she knows of---right back to the grind. Before I was apart of the Whitworth community, I had no idea of the atrocities that were taking place. And I must add that they were occurring closer than ten miles from campus! Thanks to Molly, many of us are now aware of the mental and physical abuse that these innocent women are undergoing. However, sharing the knowledge isn’t enough. We must act now. Most of us will listen through one ear and the information leaves the other 45 minutes later. Whitworth’s mission is useless if we do not decide to act on this issue. Molly and her crew have done there job. Now it’s our turn to help in whatever needs to be done to stop this abuse. Get involved with UNITE. Don’t pass up this opportunity.
Convocation was a unique experience. I was amazed at the warm and welcoming atmosphere and was surprised by the large outcome of students. I loved seeing the dedication the all Whitworth faculty members, as well as student, have to the area of service. I was greatly involved in service back home and wanted to have my college community be ass involved as I was. I am happy to see that Whitworth is being more diligent with their service for the coming school year. With the outreach into the Spokane community as well as the Unite movement, I am excited to see the many opportunities to serve throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteAfter spending some time pondering Convocation, I have come to know that Whitworth is a community centered on the community. As a Christ-centered university, Whitworth strives to be a place that builds a place where people can grow and prosper in the world. Therefore, Whitworth strives to be the kind of place that nurtures the greater community as well as its own environment. Convocation showed just how much Whitworth strives to do such things. What President Taylor said about being a “voice to the voiceless” hit me in a profound way. As Disciples of Christ, we are called to help those in need and to be the light of Christ in the world. After sitting in Convocation, it is more than clear that Whitworth has a calling to serve just as Christ did.
Although I am deeply disheartened by the facts of sexual slavery in our community, I am very content with the effort Whitworth University has put into stopping sexual slavery in the Spokane region. Before attending Whitworth, I had no knowledge of these horrible acts in the region. I was shocked to hear that sexual slavery is not only a foreign issue, but a local issue as well. There is even a great possibility that I have walked past someone who has struggled with the issue. Now that I have become aware of the issue near our campus, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for suspicions. My prayer goes out to all the people who have been a victim. In my own opinion, there is almost nothing worse than the abuse of the gift God gave us for good intentions. I do not and will never understand how a man, or in some cases a woman, could ever disrespect another person in such a manner. When God created Eve, the soul purpose was to give Adam companionship. Women were never made with the intention of being taken advantage of. God gave the gift of sex with the intention of allowing man and woman to experience the greatest love imaginable. This is why God asks that we practice abstinence until marriage; a man and woman who are willing to wait for the appropriate time will experience a love that indescribable. It shatters my heart to know that there are women, sometimes girls as young as six, who know nothing else than to be forced to give their bodies to men they may not even know. The creation of the woman was such a precious point in our history and my desire is that every man would realize that God wants us to experience true companionship. Sexual slavery in the world could be stopped with our help. Many people feel that there is nothing we can do about these huge problems. The only reason this seems true is because everyone has the same mentality about the issue. To make a difference in this world, one needs to be different. Once one becomes different, a chain reaction will form and many people could potentially be saved. If I have to work my whole life just to find out only one person was saved from sex slavery, all that work was definitely worth it. Remember, a candle loses nothing when lighting another candle. So, make a difference in someone's life today and lets put a stop to sexual slavery!
ReplyDeleteOn Thursday’s Convocation, the major theme that stuck out to me was that of speaking out for the voiceless. In Proverbs 31:8 it says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” This theme was clearly addressed by Molly Hough, President Beck Taylor, and Minh Dang in regards to the issue of sex-trafficking as a world issue and a local issue.
ReplyDeleteI was astounded by the information that these speakers all had to share. To begin, it truly amazed me to hear that the second most profitable illegal industry in the world is sex-trafficking, second to drug trafficking. This just comes to show the amount of atrocities the human race is capable of inflicting, and for that matter, willing to inflict on each other merely to make a profit. It is, obviously, completely inhumane to use one’s sexuality for money, but it was possibly just as horrible to know that this happens essentially right in our back yard; as Beck Taylor put it, “Only a few blocks from Whitworth’s campus”. Beck Taylor also noted that the state of Washington has the most sex trafficking out of all the states in America. After all of these facts were revealed, I recall sitting my seat in utter astonishment and helplessness with how to deal with this issue and what to do next.
As Minh Dang’s story followed and Molly read scripture verses relevant to the issue, I soon became inspired by their words of hope. Minh Dang’s point to “Educate, Activate and Organize” locally really spoke to me. I know many times I pictured myself going abroad to help out people of suffering societies, but Minh’s perspective of local tribulations moved me to want to activate and speak out in our society about this issue. Finally, I thought Molly’s final words of encouragement to speak up for this action was really insightful. She did a brilliant job of pulling applicable scripture and universal lessons to address this issue of sex trafficking here in Washington and the rest of our country. Her main point was to inspire us all to give a voice to the voiceless, or those afraid to come forward about past abuses or experiences, by raising awareness about this issue and showing support to those traumatized. My favorite line from her speech was, “look outside of yourself, because that when you come alive”. I think Molly, along with Minh and Beck, were saying that in order for us to live fully in faith, we need to act on what we see and hear by reaching out to our neighbors. This can be as big as raising awareness of the realities of sex trafficking in our greater community or it can be something as simple as approaching each person with a smile and hug. Either way, living with and for each other is what we should all be getting up for when the day begins, and then hopefully baby steps at a time, our society can change to one better than it was yesterday.
Elizabeth, I really liked how you related the message to not just helping to bring an end to sex trafficking, but also to the little things that we do every day to make a difference in other people's lives. Being a voice to the voiceless isn't just about the big movements--like you said, it's also about helping people feel comfortable and letting them know that they're in a community where they are valued (and where everyone around them has value as well). It's so easy to get excited about big gestures, and I think we should, but I also think that it's so important to remember that there are other people that need our help, and that we are always capable of making a difference in someone else's life, even if we aren't at a rally or on a mission trip. So thank you. :)
DeleteWhat value is there to be found in a traditional ceremony like convocation? That question kept running through my mind Thursday morning as I got ready for the function. I had no classes that day, so it was with much reluctance that I attended. The first thing I noticed when I flipped through the program was all the members of the Laureate Society as well as the students who had received honors at entrance. I realized that among other things it served as a chance to praise and make note of the accomplishments of the students and faculty. When the speakers got underway, the talked passionately about the goals they had for the university. When you go off to college it's too easy to get caught up in the fun activities of student life, without even mentioning the rigors of studying and attending classes and I can't imagine there will be many opportunities to slow down and think about something bigger than yourself. Finally, when Professor Scott Miller lead us in song it joined us together as a community while reinforcing the religious beliefs the school believes in. Convocation is more than just a tired, crusty ceremony, it's an occasion for those who have come before us to pass a little of their wisdom onto our new generation.
ReplyDeleteThis year’s convocation ceremony provided a clear glimpse into the heritage and tradition of Whitworth’s academic environment. Minh Dang’s speech was a sound focal point of the ceremony; and the UNITE cause that Whitworth is so ardently supporting this year provided a strong emotional aspect of the ceremony. To think that just this summer eight brothels in the area were raided is a shock to me. It’s very easy (especially for those of us who have lived in the US our whole lives) to believe that the issue of human trafficking and forced prostitution is distant and not something to necessarily be concerned about. I think the actions of our school’s student government in publicizing this issue are wonderful and giving the students and faculty a more clear idea of the proximity to our campus that this violation of human rights plays in the Spokane community. Minh Hanh’s speech really caused me to reflect upon my upbringing and helped me to realize how blessed I truly am to come from a supportive family who would always have my safety and best interest in mind. Although the story of her childhood came as a shock to most people in attendance of the event, her ability to work through her circumstance and end up breaking free from the bondage of her forced occupation and be as successful as she was in doing so is absolutely incredible. Even with all of the excitement of the speeches and music, I kept find myself drawn towards the event program that I received upon entering the fieldhouse. Although just a small brochure of the event schedule along with some lists of different awards, my eyes kept returning to the lists of names being honored. These names are those of fellow students of this university. I felt honored to be among the list of incoming students who entered into the honors straight from high school. The lists of names were long and intensive, and it got me thinking about just how fortunate I am to be attending Whitworth. I am surrounded by some of the highest caliber of students available. Tons of intellect and ideas flow between the classrooms, dorms, and even the lunchroom. As my eyes scanned through the lists of names I felt an increasing sense of peace in my decision to attend Whitworth. I truly feel that God placed me at this university for a reason and although I do not currently know it, I’m excited to see what each and every day brings. My greatest takeaway from this ceremony was more of an internal one actually: I realized just how blessed I am. I’m blessed to come from a loving and supportive family, I’m blessed to have the friends here that I have already made in the first week of school, and last but not least, I’m blessed to have the opportunity and the privilege of attending Whitworth University. I’m excited to get to know you all better as this first semester progresses!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed going to Convocation, it was a neat way to start off the semester. I like how it was used to bring the Whitworth community together to share its future goals, and to refresh on its values. As I listened to the topics I was inspired and felt thankful to be a part of the Whitworth community and then the topic of the horrible crime of human trafficking was addressed and I was stunned at the magnitude of the issue. I wasn’t even aware this criminal activity existed in the United States. I’ve heard about human trafficking and seen programs on TV, but it was all happening in foreign countries. I had never even entertained the thought of America as a place of possibility for this type of evil behavior. I was shocked and surprised to learn about the eight local brothels taken down this summer. This stunning awareness has made quite an impact on my thoughts and attitude towards this criminal activity. I have three younger sisters and just the thought of the pain it would bring my family if they were taken from us and forced through this human trafficking chain all so some guy can make some more money is more than I can fathom. I never really saw this issue as something I would have to deal with or think much about. But with all the information and awareness I received on the topic last week it has made me look at it from a completely different perspective. I now understand we have significant problems in the United States — particularly among home-grown young teenagers — and we don’t have the credibility to address the problems abroad unless we clean up our act at home. Which means something needs to be done. Whitworth is doing exactly that and it’s doing it as a whole community, which is great. It now gives people a voice that may not have one for a number of reasons. I have since learned one of the best ways to help combat human trafficking is to raise awareness and learn more about how to identify victims. The more people know of and understand the crime of human trafficking so close to home, there will be more people helping to put a stop to it. It’s a great and honorable goal that Whitworth has and I am proud to be a part of a community that is purposing to be a powerful positive voice.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you Kolton! We should feel so proud that Whitworth is standing up for such a worthwhile cause. I love that Whitworth is so excited to get out into the world and make a difference. Whitworth is a community that wants to take action and do it by following Christ and honoring God in order to serve humanity. I think that is such a positive attribute of Whitworth University!
DeleteI was most surprised to find out how many of them were homegrown, you here about human trafficking problems occasionally, but I've never realized how many fellow americans have been victims of this crime.
DeleteHow can we help? It’s a seemingly simple question, but often puts people at a loss for an answer. Most of the time, excuses are created to advert the situation; “I have too much homework” or “I’m way to busy, not enough time in my schedule”. When really lending a helping hand may only take a few minutes. And we all have a few minutes to spare.
ReplyDeleteI will admit that I am one of those people who comes up with an excuse about being too busy to go out and do something that helps take a step towards changing the world. But as I sat and listened to Molly Hough and President Beck Taylor talk about the changes we, as the Whitworth Community, can make towards stopping the sex trafficking in the greater Spokane area, I realized that helping was not so hard.
Sure we cannot go out tomorrow, point to the culprits, and yell stop; that’s irrational. What we can do is donate a little bit of our time and energy into finding ways we can take the necessary steps to begin the process of making more people aware of the issue and bringing it to a halt.
When such a broad topic is lectured about we – or at least I – tend to be unable to see the affect it could have individually and instead see the issue as a distant thing from my life; like a sad story that feels unreal. However, it became very clear how real and horrifying the situation was when they introduced the guest speaker to tell of her personal experience with sex trafficking. I could hear the pain in her voice, see the humility in her face, and sense the terror she must have felt in those 20 years when her life was not her own.
Unfortunately, it’s not an easy thing to prevent. It’s a worldwide matter that may not be resolved in our lifetime. But we can start the process here; on the couch I sit on as I type this paper, in the chair you sit in as you score it, and as we walk through the campus loop. Even thinking about a way to help is enough to get things started and that is the biggest message I took away from Convocation: with compassion, caring, and courage we have the power to make a difference in this world.
I noticed that obviously, religion was an overtone throughout the Convocation. Through the word of God and Jesus Christ we have been taught to never turn our backs to someone whom we have the ability to help. We should not be ignorant of the darker parts of society and we should not be selective with our service. If we have the ability to act, we also have the responsibility to act.
ReplyDeleteThen the issue of sex-trafficking was brought up. Multiple speakers talked about the issue and many facts, statistics, stories were mentioned. I personally thought that the speakers effectively explained the issue. The issue of trafficking was appropriately depicted for the audience and event and I think many students, myself included, were shocked to be told how common trafficking occurs, not only in America, but in the Spokane area. Because of the eye-opening statistics and detailed first-hand accounts of Minh Dang, I think that the awareness level has been raised and Whitworth students are much more likely to become involved in this issue in the future. I would also like to point out and honor Minh's bravery and courage throughout her life's challenges and then to tell her stories in front of hundreds of people. She is truly and inspiration to many.
The main goal of this event was to establish community among faculty and students of Whitworth and then present a local, national, and global issue. As a community, we have the ability to make a difference in the issue of human-trafficking. And since we have the ability, we also have a responsibility to act. We should not be ignorant to the things that make us feel uneasy to listen to. We do not live in a perfect world and it is our duty to try and make it better.
One of my favorite parts of the convocation was when Beck Taylor was discussing our Whitworth mission and how we can keep it alive. I loved that when he went to share about the things Whitworth had done well in the past, he told us to NOT pat ourselves on the back or say that we are now done. He instead hoped that by pointing out Whitworth's positive accomplishments, we would be encouraged to CONTINUE action and move forward to work for "justice, health and healing." It is rare nowadays to hear presidents of universities and organizations focus on how we can help the community in the future rather than just bragging about what we have accomplished until this point. It was also said that without action, faith cannot be nurtured. I agree that faith is so often a result of taking action and not something that is formed only through conversation. In order to fulfill our Whitworth mission we must take action to HONOR God, FOLLOW Christ and SERVE humanity.
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned above, Convocation reminded me of a church service. We started as a congregation, led in prayer. Then we heard a message, sang a hymn, and concluded in prayer. For me, this structure was powerful. It reminded me of home and reinforced Whitworth’s aim at community. One of the lines in the hymn is “Our God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Be Thou our guard while life shall last, And our eternal home.” The staff and students of Whitworth know that when we have God as our protector, we will always be at home with Him. A lot of times though, it’s hard to feel at home when we’re in a strange place; especially as freshmen in the first week of college! Whitworth recognizes that though, and intentionally tries to make this place feel like home. I sincerely felt that during Convocation. President Taylor addressed everyone equally, as adults, and as a united body of people. He was honest, genuine, and respectful. His words reminded me that everybody needs community, to feel a part of something bigger than themselves, and Whitworth can provide that. And although Whitworth wants people to feel at home, that doesn’t mean it wants people to become homogenous. Having a faith-based foundation is just that; a foundation. It allows people to build off of it in a multitude of ways. It allows people to be creative and, of course, diverse. I really got this out of Convocation. We’re developing our minds and hearts through not just education, but through the life experience that Whitworth creates for us. We’re creating our foundation, establishing a home, with God as our protector.
ReplyDeleteHarry Potter is one of my favorite childhood past times. I listened to the magical world of witch craft and wizardry on my Mother’s lap with my brother close by. Then as I grew older (and bigger) I spent days rereading the series while blocking out the real world. This is probably why when Maggie mentioned the reference to Harry Potter and the dress I was secretly excited to attend this seemingly boring tradition. Just as promised, the even attire was very “Wizardy.” I was so completely fascinated by our faculties academic regalia that they so fashionably sported thursday morning. There was such a variety of colors and styles that had hidden meanings unknown to me. At first I thought that the different colors must be related to what school they graduated from. Upon consulting wikipedia I discovered that the colors actually relate to what field they have studied. Hannah has already done an excellent job relaying the information about the history of the attire so I won’t be repetitive. However, I would like to add that at Sewanee (no idea where that is) there is a student group that still wears their academic robes to class. I would also like to add that the length of the hoods depend on what level of degree obtained. Bachelors wear a 3 foot length, masters a 3.5 foot length, and doctors a 4 foot length. The “cape” like hood Hannah referred to is a doctoral hood which is unique in that it has panels on the sides of the hood that lie across the back giving it the cape like look. While the most obvious connection to Harry Potter is the dress, there are similar motives between the best selling series and Whitworth Universities 2012 Convocation. This may just my nerdy side coming through but I saw a little bit of Harry Potter in the message as well. Human Trafficking is a tragic and appalling issue. I loved the way that our leader, President Beck Taylor, was rallying his troops to fight against injustice, for each and everyone of us to fight against something that was bigger than ourselves. The weapon that we must use is even more magical than a spell from a wand. We are urged to band together and use love and God to cast away the evils of our world. This is the only magic that can defeat this evil and who better to use it than a bunch of student’s led by Professors in Harry Potter robes?
ReplyDeleteI agree entirely with your statement that having a faith based foundation is actually a steadfast point in which growth and expansion can safely take place. Especially as all the new freshman are experiencing the freedom of being in charge of themselves, and not being watched out for by their parents, i think it is important for students to have an underlying strength and anchor that will be there for them if they were to falter in any way. Whitworth definitely allows us to grow spiritually and mentally in an uninhibited way. The feeling of community can be a tremendous help to someone in need and it can be that feeling that persuades them to confide in someone about there problems and thoughts instead of bottling them inside and being torment by feeling separate. So, basically, i'm just saying a big "amen" to your post.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say the one thing that really stood out to me was the fact that every year, Whitworth decides to strive for a certain goal. Every school tries to push towards something, but this seemed different. When I was in high school, my school decided to work towards things like ‘academic excellence’ and ‘spiritual community.’ I love the fact that Whitworth already does that, but goes above and beyond the simple expectations of this kind of institution. When the topic of human trafficking was introduced, I had to take a mental step back and realize just how deep they were planning to go. I thought the ceremony would be a light-hearted welcome to the incoming students of the 2012-13 school year. But when the seriousness of the issue at hand was presented, it made me really appreciate the school I chose. I looked at the way Molly, the student body president, took charge and really stressed the depth and meaning of supporting the cause to stop human trafficking to everyone listening. Not only did it make me look at what I had done that could compare to something of that importance, but it made me realize how serious Whitworth is about making a difference in not only the community of Spokane, but in the lives of thousands, even millions, of the victims who suffer daily from the human trafficking industry. I started to question what I had originally thought going to college meant for me. When I thought about attending more school, what came to mind was the fact that I was going to be able to meet countless new people and further my education so I could be qualified for a serious job in my future. I never imagined I would be able to be involved in something this big; this important. I know it will require a lot of hard work and dedication, but I love knowing that the school I am attending for the next four years of my life is ready and willing to do just that.
ReplyDeleteWhen convocation was described to me, images of stiff professors droning on and on about the academic standard of Whitworth came to mind. After all, teaching the students is a central part of a university, so I thought it would be the only focus of this event. I imagined professors taking a narrow, inward focus on the Whitworth classroom learning. I was pleasantly surprised when the focus became something different all together: service.
ReplyDeleteInstead of remarking on Whitworth’s vision being an education, President Beck focused on Whitworth’s mission calling us to serve. He shared his vision for Whitworth, hoping it to be a university that leads with courage, compassion, and competence. He bluntly stated that we need to act on behalf of those who need help, and if we fail to do so our mission “is as good as dead”.
The theme of service was embraced by not only the university president, but by the student body president as well. Molly reminded us that “change happens collectively” and encouraged us to unite together to serve others.
Up until this point in my life, my education has been through a public school system. In that system, learning and the education system is very narrow. Students come to school to learn what is written in the books and spoken by the teachers. In my mind, school is very black and white. I come to learn science, english, math, and social studies. Anything beyond that tends to take place outside of the school walls. That is not to say that spiritual growth and service cannot occur inside a public school, for God uses many arenas to help us grow, but that I associated school with only academic learning.
Convocation’s focus on service surprised me. The goal of convocation was to discuss the universities priorities, so where was the talk of students learning concepts in classes like Core and being accepted to graduate schools? It was a humbling reminder that there is so much more to Whitworth than just the excellent academics. Whitworth’s focus in not just on producing knowledgable students, but on enabling servants of Christ. I took away the idea that Whitworth highly values service and reaching outside its walls into the community and the world.