In nova tion
mag a z i n e volume
6 Issue 3
2
Feb. 2011
When you innovate, you’ve got to be prepared for
r everyone telling you you’re nuts. ~Larry Ellison
vol. issue X
FROM THE STAFF
SARAH CARRATT
Monique Mansour Executive Content Editor Liz Brownback Executive Design Editor Tauras Vilgalys Executive Publishing Editor Sean McEvoy Executive Business Editor Mukta Mohan Executive Public Editor Gabby Dematteis HRC Coordinator Marty Roers Staff Advisor Design Editors Katrina Sherbina Caleb Nyberg
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Innovation! In Latin, innovare means “to renew or change.” In light of current events, it only seemed fitting to go back to these roots and highlight student perspectives on innovation in social justice. On our own campus, the University recently elected the first lay President of LMU. Even before his inauguration, President Burcham set a standard for the University with an inaugural week of service. Elsewhere in the world, turmoil in Egypt brings into question the dark side of innovation as political progress places a heavy burden on the people working for change. At LMU, we only touched the surface of innovation when we joined together in the inaugural week of service. If students could host 40 service events in one week, and feed 2,000 homeless people at the Midnight Mission on one Saturday, what can we do with a year? With four years? As Editor in Chief, I would like to dedicate this issue of Passion to the visionary events, people, and projects that inspire us and to those who have suffered the cost of innovation.
What’s Inside:
Copy Editors/Staff Writers Brendan McNerney Jennifer Hamlin Katie McGrath Sahar Mansoor
4
EDITOR’S NOTE by Sarah Carratt
6
Campus Events
8
Innovation: A Process of Evolution by Sahar Mansoor
10 The Cost of Innovation by Tauras Vilgalys 12 The Problem of Poppies by Mukta Mohan & Sarah Carratt
16 Electric Vehicles by Darryl Yip 18
A New View on Myself by Alex Newgard
20
Theatre of the Oppressed by Rebecca Dzida
22
In Defense of Prisons by Sean McEnvoy
14 Innovation in Photography: Strange Loops by Austin Nguyen
4
Mar. 2011
Innovation is not the product of logical thought, althoug
WATCH
Hans Rosling’s innovative explanation on population growth and the future of our world: www.gapminder.org/ videos/population-growth-explained-with-lego
READ
No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet, and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process
LISTEN
To Human Rights Watch Radio online at www.hrw.org to stay informed about world events like the protests in Egypt
SUPPORT
Homeboy Industries by buying baked goods from the Lion’s Corner Café in University Hall
SEE
Salvation Mountain in Niland, CA and be inspired by Leonard Knight’s “outsider art” masterpiece that literally spells the message: “God is Love”
GET INVOLVED
In the LMU Community Garden by applying for a plot with your group or organization
vol. 6 issue 3
gh the result is tied to logical structure. ~Albert Einstein
o T s Date ! r e b m Reme
Marc P r e h 8th sid Bur e cha n t m Inau gura ’ s tion
8th on! 1 h th c a r Ma Mar m e 11 p c n 5Da
2nd 2 h c r a M avez h C r a Ces r s ’ e k r W o on i t a i c e Appr rvice e S r e y Pra eon h c n u L & onvo c g n i r u D 6
Mar. 2011
Every H u m Tuesday a C o a n Rights liti on P a & s s i o n Magaz ine 9 p m meeting in t Chap he el Bas emen t
Creativity is thinking up new things. Innova
March 18th 5-11 pm Check in at 4:15 Sign Up At Convo!
For The Kids!
Y
St Rob’s Auditorium
ou should never need a reason to get up and dance, but here’s one anyway! This year, LMU will join over 120 schools across the nation in hosting a Dance Marathon for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. It Costs $10 will be a 6 hour dancing fiesta in St. Rob’s Auditorium featuring multiple DJs, games, and even a synchronized group dance number to some truly classic jams. You don’t want to miss what is sure to be one of the best new LMU traditions in its inaugural year. Dance Marathon was founded in 1991 and last year alone raised over 6 million dollars for local children’s hospitals. It is also the only non-profit that has increased its fundraising abilities since the recession began in 2008. The funds raised will do directly to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Going to Dance Marathon means not only having a great time on your feet, but also supporting children who need care to get healthy again. Once you sign up for the dance, you will have the opportunity to find sponsors to back up your fancy footwork with donations. So check out the Dance Marathon table at convo and register to dance. Grab some friends and create a team, grab a date, or just bring yourself. This is not your typical college dance.
OUR MISSION PASSION MAGAZINE publishs articles that put a face to the struggles of the forgotten, in the effort to reveal their dignity as human beings. Being a place where our stories are shared, we encourage a cycle of inspiration in our community—where one student’s experience in social justice can inspire another student to seek his own. We want to hear your thoughts! contact us at:
- or -
find us online:
passion.magazine@gmail.com http://lmupassion.wordpress.com/
ation is doing new things. ~ Theodore Levitt
vol. 6 issue 3
Innovation
a Process of Evolution
By Sahar Mansoor
I
nnovation has changed the way we think about the world. We live in a world eager for improvement. Innovation is the product of unchartered, constantly evolving thought. It is a line that weaves throughout the tapestry of world history —an electrified kite string that transforms into a high-voltage power line, a telegraph wire, an optical phone cable, and an antenna that eventually dissolves into a cloud of wireless information. Samuel Morse wasn’t the only inventor working with telegraphy, but he was the first to offer a reliable, working system of communication. His accomplishment removed the physical limits of exchanging thoughts, and was a huge breakthrough. With his device, communication could travel faster than the swiftest carriage or train. Alexander Graham Bell invented a device to transmit the human voice, and soon people could move ideas as quickly as they were being thought. Early users felt awkward about shouting into a receiver and listening for a loud reply. By the 1980s however, Martin Cooper’s invention of the cellular phone eliminated the awkwardness of phone conversation. Telephone receivers shrank in size from a brick to a large earring, and today it’ s become hard not to listen to other people’ s phone calls. Telecommunication has evolved, altering our life style forever. Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb with carbonized bamboo fiber changed the lifestyle of American society and consequently the world. With
8
Mar. 2011
The innovation point is the pivotal moment when talented people seek
electric light, night lost its power to regulate family lives. Business operated around the clock. As cities grow brighter the electric glow washes out the sky for miles. Today more than ever there is a great need to reduce wasted light and energy demands. Quiet, yet lifechanging innovation was continued. George Stibitz began building the digital computer. B y 1 9 4 0 t h e d ev i c e could perform sophisticated mathematical calculations. Eventually, the personal computer made its debut in the late 1970s. At first a PC seemed as practical as a personal aerospace p r o g r a m . Ye t i n n ov at o r s s u c h a s Apple’ s Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak developed affordable computers for everyday business operations, thus heralding a phase of digital technology in daily life. Bill Gates genius for programming and business helped him build the Microsoft Corporation. Today technology is changing every minute. We live in a society where innovation is the norm not the convention. Soon, thousands of people around the world began share documents and programs through the World Wide Web. In the 1990s, Larry Page and Sergey Brin built Google, Inc. to
help the world surf the rising ocean of information. Google would locate Web sites based on their titles or their content, while also promoting new methods of sharing information. Today it is difficult to imagine a world without Google. W h at s p a r ke d Thomas Edison to ignite the world? What made Ale xandra Grambell connect people the world with the invention of the telephone? What made Larry and Serge make infor mation universally available and accessible to ever yone with the invention of Google? Is Innovation caught in the web of consumerism and materialism? Or is innovation moving with the tide of immerging consumer needs? How do a company’s innovation and its response to innovative ideas change as the company grows and matures? The culture of innovation enables man to share roots, while encouraging experimentation and growth—each spark fueling a fire for more innovations. Today and now the world is in dire need of sustainable innovation. We cannot have unlimited economic growth with finite resources. We need to figure out how to build an economy and society that is healthy for people and the planet.
GET INSPIRED TO CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE:
Annie Leonard’ s The Story of Stuff: www.storyofstuff.com/film Tesla Motors story: www.teslamotors.com The Sustainable Innovation Podcast Series: inventionmachine.com vol. 6 issue 3
k the opportunity to act on their ideas and dreams. ~ W. Arthur Porter
The
Costs of
Innovation
A Case Study of Egypt Anarchy
I
Peace
by Tauras Vilgalys
nnovation: the introduction of novel ideas or methods. In modern society, it has an overwhelming positive connotation. It is innovation that has allowed society to progress, innovation that has opened new doors of discovery, and innovation that will allow humanity to move forward. However, this decidedly positive outlook leaves out a darker side of innovation, the social costs needed for change. This double nature of innovation can be examined in the fall of Egyptian President Mubarak and the wave of protests throughout the Middle East. To fully observe the affects of innovation, the changes wrought must be compared to the status quo. Before the protests, there were a combination of economic and political factors contributing to Egyptian instability. Most notably of the economic factors was high unemployment, particularly among young men. While most of the country rests at about 8% unemployment, almost a quarter of males age 18 to 24 are unemployed. This creates a particularly volatile group of citizens with little vested interest in the status quo. In addition, with a fifth of the population under the poverty line and increasing inflation, the likelihood of social unrest becomes greater. This situation was magnified by the political policies of President Mubarak. Initially, Mubarak was a beloved leader and famous war hero, but over time he became more afraid of the people taking away his power. Recent elections have appeared to be 10
Mar. 2011
America demands invention and in
nothing more than a sham, as he won over if the military will follow through with the 90% of the vote in 2005 and the ruling change they promised or reinstate the status quo party took over 80% of parliament in 2010. In and maintain power. Also, if free elections are
February of this year, the military abolished held, an extremist group or another authoritarian ruler could take power. parliament altogether. In addition to these future repercussions Of all the groups left out of the political process, the youth were one of the most of political innovation, the current physical disenfranchised. They have had the same results need to be taken into account as well. President for their entire life, with no way to elect During their revolution, Egyptians experienced an alter nate official. Out of the duality of looting, the collapse of institutions, and a virtual political and economic unbalance, the youth took cessation of public life. Protesters across the region have experienced violent assault by police to the streets and protested for political reform. A similar story has taken place in many forces and government supporters. other parts of the Middle East. Disenfranchised However, at the same time there are benefits groups of different standing and creed have risen coming in the form of potential increases in against the ruling class from the relatively human rights and economic equalities. It’s affluent Bahrain to the poor of Egypt. Across the u n c e r t a i n h ow t h e i n n ovat i o n swe e p i n g board, the call has been for economic equality, throughout the Middle East will effect the civil liberties, and political reform. What truly region’s future, but the one thing for certain is makes each of these public uprisings incredible is that there will be change, both positive and their populist nature. They are not rioting for or negative. against or against any “-ism,” rather this appears to be a populist movement of social empowerment for the individual’s right to be recognized. Such action is truly one of innovation. Never before have people from so many different backgrounds risen up to call for their rights. The results of this innovation, however, have yet to fully develop. Before Mubarak resigned, he maintained an immediate departure would only tear gas, men protest President Mubarak’s government in Cairo. lead to chaos and it has yet to be seen Braving Photo courtesy of: www.thirdage.com
nnovation to succeed. ~ Kit Bond
vol. 6 issue 3
President Burcham: As Interviewed by Mukta Mohan & Sarah Carratt Passion Magazine: How do you feel about being president? Are you ever surprised when you sit in this office? President Burcham: I’m honored and excited about being president. It’s an absolutely terrific job. In my mind, what makes this university so special are its students and its faculty. I get to work with both of them very closely so it’s sort of a dream job for me. PM: You’re the first lay president. What do you think it says about LMU and the direction we’re going in? PB: I think it says that LMU has some courage in that they’re willing to attempt innovation…I feel great responsibility to make sure that the Catholic and the we do, but especially academic excellence. That means Jesuit Marymount identity and traditions are not only making sure that our faculty has sufficient resources carried on but are enhanced, and that we redouble our and sufficient time to devote both to the students as well efforts to be true to who we are. as to their research and creative works. It also means that I have the responsibility to continue to raise a lot PM: You’re already starting that with your week of of money for student scholarships. I’m worried that service. What was the inspiration behind that? we’re becoming less and less affordable and therefore PB: Students. We have such wonderful students! I’ve less accessible to the kinds of students that we want. never met students like I’ve met here in terms of their I feel an obligation to do everything I can to get more twin commitments to their studies and to the service of scholarship funds for our students. faith and the promotion of justice…I thought a great way to do that was to really highlight what our students PM: Are there any changes that you hope to make? have been doing for a long time, and to put a spotlight PB: There won’t be dramatic changes, but I do think on it so that it gets fully noticed. that as a university we can do a much better job at communication. By that I mean, not just between PM: What are your goals for your presidency? students and professors, which is important, but also PB: One of my objectives is to make sure that we are between faculty and administration, and between focused in a very important way on our Ignatian Catholic faculty and faculty. To make it a much more transparent mission. The second thing I’d like to really focus on is campus is something that I am very much committed to. academic excellence. Excellence in all that 12
Mar. 2011
Innovation is the central issue in eco
PM: How has LMU itself changed over the years? PB: It’s hard to say. I’m in my fourth year here now. I think that everyone would say is how much the physical campus has changed. I think the physical nature of the campus certainly has changed dramatically. I hope that the core of it has not changed. I have a real obligation to make sure that we’re true to our core values.
PM: Do you ever miss practicing law or teaching? PB: Yes. I miss teaching. I miss it a lot actually. I’m trying to figure out how to deal with that. In fact, as provost, I taught a class to seniors about political science in the supreme court. I’m now going to do that in a team teach with Dr. Gerstmann in political science next year in a similar course. It’s really difficult to find the time but I enjoy teaching and I enjoy the students, so I’m going to give it a try.
PM: Do you think that the physical appearance of the campus has changed the perception of LMU? PB: It’s easy for people who have been to our school to PM: How do you think your background in law will affect perceive us as just a beautiful spot. I work really hard how you run LMU? when people comment on the beauty PB: I’ve always been grateful for my of our campus to make sure that I legal education, because the education, Fun Favorites: say, “Well, yeah, but that’s not what as well as my years working for the Band: The Eagles makes this a special place.” I don’t court system and as a lawyer gives you TV Show: Meet The Press want to recruit students to come a really finely honed set of problem Food: Fresh Peach Cobbler here because it’s beautiful or because solving skills. Lawyers are pretty much Animal: Dogs it’s close to the beach and all that. I problem solvers. People think of lawyers Color: Blue want people to understand that they as on TV and in front of juries, but what should come here because of our Literary Book: Team of Rivals they really try to do is solve problems academics, because of our mission - problems that are really complex and Holiday: Thanksgiving and because of the type of students difficult. I think that with my job here at that we currently have here. Sure, I would like for people the university, much of my day is spent solving problems. to notice that we’re one of the prettiest campuses in the That’s where those skills come into play. nation, if you listen to the rankings, but great universities aren’t built on the quality of their architecture or location. PM: College freshman and seniors are at very different Great universities happen because of the people, the points in their lives. What advice would you have for each students, the faculty and the staff. I don’t deny that we’re of them? a nice campus, but there’s a lot underneath that beauty PB: Find your passion. It could be in a particular subject that people need to discover. matter, a line of work, a profession, or what you want to do with your life. Understand that no choice is irrevocable. PM: Why did you choose this school? Your passion can go with you. I’m an exhibit of that. I PB: I began as a student at Loyola Law School 30 years started out as a high school teacher, then I went to law ago. I loved my legal education. It was special because of school. Then I was a lawyer. Then a professor. Then a the emphasis on teaching. The faculty did great work in dean, and now I’m a university administrator. Everyone publishing articles for law journals and the like. When I of those jobs, I was passionate about. Every one of those came back, I had a choice to go to various places to teach. jobs was similar in some ways and different in others. No I chose Loyola because I wanted to be a part of that. I decision is irrevocable. Whatever you decide to do for never regret that. I wasn’t sure I was going to be the the first job or career out of college, you’re probably not president here. I applied for the job near the end of the going to do all your life. In fact, the research shows that search process. I turned out that the search committee you won’t. But whatever you do, be passionate about it. and the board of trustees wanted me. It was mutual. I wanted them and they wanted me too.
onomic prosperity. ~ Michael Porter
vol. 6 issue 3
Innovation in Photography:
Strange Loops Austin Nguyen
as you are falling down the rabit hole, each paradigm repeats infinitely until you end up where you started
As an artist captures the absurdity of a strange loop in his photography, Passion Magazine reflects on the cycles of injustice in a socioeconomic setting. Complementing these photographs are real life examples of s i t u at i o n s o f c r i p l i n g s t r a n g e l o o p s i n o u r ow n c o m m u n i t y.
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Innovation is creativity with a
UNEMPLOYMENT: a sign in a downtown Los Angeles window reads: “Help Wanted: Must be Currently Working to Apply” GLASS CEILING: a woman cannot get a highprofile job without prior experience, but most high-profile positions have been held by men
a job to do. ~ John Emmerling
SMALL BUSINESS LOANS: a small loan could help a family get out of poverty and get a start in the community, but without good credit, this family is unable to secure a future
vol. 6 issue 3
By Darryl Yip
I
magine a car that released no tailpipe emissions, almost never had to go to the auto shop, and ran an EPA estimated 99 miles per gallon. Now imagine that instead of our current cars powered by fossil fuels in an internal combustion engine, we all had more efficient forms of personal transportation. Once only a dream, the first mass-produced electric vehicles have arrived in the United States, and now we have an opportunity to revolutionize America’s car culture. The new all-electric Nissan Leaf, for example, used to only be a dream for the future, but now has over 20,000 eager people on its waiting list. The new Chevy Volt has both an all-electric motor for short ranges and a gas engine for longer ranges. These innovations, coupled with a strong market to back them up, have the ability to significantly reduce our impact on the environment. Electric vehicles provide zero tailpipe emissions, meaning less air pollution and 16
Mar. 2011
Innovation comes from the producer - not f
better climate change mitigation. On another note, because most electric vehicles will be charged at night, when electricity demand is relatively low, even electric vehicles powered from coal-fired power plants are much more energy efficient than traditional vehicles. In addition, electric vehicles reduce our dependence on foreign oil and increase our dependence on cleaner sources of energy produced locally. Finally, the cost per mile will always be cheaper for consumers, since an electric motor is much more energ y efficient than gas engine. Improvements in battery technology and more efficient energy sources will only add to the benefits of transitioning to electric vehicles. Despite these positives, many obstacles stalled deployment of bringing electric vehicles into the mass market. As car companies already were already making lots of profit on traditional vehicles with inter nal combustion engines, oil companies lobbied to keep the federal oil subsidies and prevent electric vehicle research subsidies. Technological barriers in battery technology and manufacturing prevented those innovations from reaching its highest capacity. Those reasons, on top of consumers’ anxiety about electric vehicles and fear of not being able to recharge their car when away from home, have made it incredibly difficult to change a system of transportation that we seem to be trapped in. When these fears rush in, federal, state, and local governments play a strong role in helping to make this transition. For example, the Obama Administration recently invested in tax credits of up to $7,500 per electric vehicle sold, $2.4 billion in grants to battery manufacturers, and $115 million of electric vehicle infrastructure in 16 pilot cities. State government has a strong
role in funding electric vehicle charging stations placed around major hubs, where people are most likely to drive. And local g o v e r n m e n t s, s u c h a s t h e c o u n t i e s surrounding the San Francisco Bay, have created the San Francisco EV Corridor Initiative, which seeks to turn the Bay Area into the Electric Vehicle Capital of the nation. Innovative businesses are important to bringing electric vehicles to the market. Helping to ease fears of charging batteries for electric vehicles, the Bay Area-based company, Better Place, is innovating pilot programs in Japan, Denmark, and Israel that would allow drivers to rent (instead of own) electric vehicle battery packs, much like a cell-phone user buys minutes to use for their cell phone. With enough user s, batter y-switching stations could be as common as a gas station, and electric vehicle owners will be able to go to a station and switch their drained battery for a recharged one at a minimal cost. Possibilities like this could revolutionize the way we think about cars. Some good news came from President Obama’s latest State of the Union address, in which he said, “We can break our dependence on oil…and become the first country to have one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.” Although the current inter nal-combustion engine car powered by fossil fuels probably won’t go away soon, I would not be surprised if electric cars soon dominated every vehicle on the market. But if we want that to happen, we need to change thousands of electric vehicles purchased this year into hundreds of thousands in the next few years. It may not be the ultimate solution, but we will continue to foster innovations that both help our economy w h i l e s i m u l t a n e o u s ly p r o t e c t i n g o u r environment.
from the customer. ~ W. Edwards Deming
vol. 6 issue 3
You can call me a pioneer So, Contrary to popular belief I do in fact exist, Or should I say I have the potential to exist However, People often resist, Change is often feared Don’t confuse me with invention, I have much more commercial value And fame The foundations of economics Attributed to my very name Feared by some Created by others My very essence lies in you all
by Alex Newgard 18
Mar. 2011
With recent advances I have become, A paradox In the form of a blessing and a curse I redefine society By making its members disperse While improving the lives of some I destroy those of others Maybe my actions are not as good as you think, I in fact might be worse Some would argue Time was simpler Without me Trying to immerse
Innovation distinguishes between a
LMU GRADUATE PROGRAMS PREPARATION FOR A CAREER EDUCATION FOR LIFE Laying the foundation for lasting careers, Loyola Marymount University Graduate Programs provide the educational tools needed to flourish in an increasingly complex world by developing skills in empathetic leadership with vision and values. Explore one of our 30 Graduate programs in: • • • • • •
Liberal Arts Business Science & Engineering Communication & Fine Arts Education Film & Television
Take the first step to realizing your potential, visit http:/graduate.lmu.edu or call 310.338.2721
One day, I will resolve all, But I can’t do it on my own, People have improved On learning how to stall I’m a byproduct of creation and then in a circular motion, You become a byproduct of me Outside of the norm Is where I tend to be Habitual behavior- my receding enemy See, I’m not another paper Advocating my strengths Claiming I can improve society
a leader and a follower. ~ Steve Jobs
At any great lengths I, Like all of you Know that I am far from always true I’m not as great as everyone thinks I am, But hell, No one seems to give a damn, After all, I’m just one being, One idea One new look at things Just trying to be Merely suggesting There are other ways you can look at me vol. 6 issue 3
Theatre of the Oppressed: Social Justice at Work
T
by Rebecca Dzida
he idea of “social justice” has been embedded into my brain ever since I first walked onto the LMU campus as a freshman. In my opinion, those words get thrown around a lot here. It’s like when someone asks you the meaning of a word; you’ve read it in tons of books and you’ve seen it in so many places. You know what the meaning of that word is, but for some reason you just can’t verbalize what the meaning is. I confess that’s how I felt about social justice. Theoretically, I know it’s meaning, but whenever someone asked me about it, I would just throw in, “It’s part of Ignatian spirituality,” and then close the subject. I was one of those people until about three months ago. Ironically, this change did not occur at LMU. Last semester I studied abroad in London and interned as the marketing assistant for Cardboard Citizens, a charity in London that works with the city’s homeless population. The organization provides all
20
Mar. 2011
The essential part of creativity is not
types of support for their members, who “ S t o p ! ” , c a m e o n s t a g e , a n d t o o k t h e have at some point in their lives experienced protagonist’s place, making a different, and homelessness, or who are at risk of becoming hopefully better, choice. Each time we were homeless. Cardboard Citizens isn’t your asked, “Is this progress?” Sometimes there typical homeless support center. In fact, it would be progress. Sometimes there would has the dual personality of being a charity as be the possibility of progress. Sometimes we well as a professional theater company. wouldn’t get much progress at all, but even Cardboard Citizens is the UK’s only homeless when one’s intentions didn’t play out quite as persons’ theater company. (In other words, planned, progress was made because the perfect placement for a theater geek who audience member s, including myself, goes to LMU.) Members of Cardboard continued to work out the problems ourselves, C i t i z e n s, w h o h a v e a l l e x p e r i e n c e d not only in the play, but in our own lives. And homelessness in some form or another, tour this is how social justice unfolded before my shelters, day centers, and prisons, and eyes. Cardboard Citizens literally stops perform shows that deal with issues like reality and asks what can be done to change substance abuse, eviction, th i ngs, to make things alienation, etc.- things the better. They allow those homeless face everyday. The who most desperately need company uses a specific type of “now I understand change within to do so by theater created by Augusto Boal literally enacting out their social justice” called Theatre of the Oppressed. choices and then discussing While interning with Cardboard the outcome right then and Citizens, I went to see one of there. Cardboard Citizens their shows “Or Am I Alone?” by wants the audience to cease Lizzie Nunnery, which went on tour last year. being spectators, to stand up and say, “Stop!” The show consisted of three plays. Before the and then do something about it. show began, we were told to keep track of Theatre of the Oppressed isn’t just which story we were especially drawn to and happening in London. Its close partner Jana which choices we would do over. After Sanskriti reaches out to India’s marginalized watching all three stories unfold, in which communities. I’ve physically seen how the each of the protagonists eventually spirals arts can change individuals and a community, downward into addiction, homelessness, and which is something that not many people loneliness, we were asked to pick which story believe to be possible, and it has sparked we’d like to “Forum.” Ah, now here is the s o m e t h i n g i n my s e l f b e c a u s e n ow I beauty of Cardboard Citizens. The audience understand social justice. I want to contribute, chose one of the plays to see again and as it and now I have an idea how. began a second time, someone shouted
t being afraid to fail. ~ Edwin H. Land
vol. 6 issue 3
In
Defense
Y
of
Prisons
By Sean McEvoy
ou know how we are afraid of all the poor people making trouble in the ghettos? I have a great idea. First, we need to charge into the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country, round up anyone who even thinks of breaking the law and throw them in jail. Because these kids grow up with an almost third-world education, surrounded by violence, crime, and drugs, they are bound to be doing at least one thing wrong. Forget that most drug users and dealers are white, I bet we could get 75% of incarcerated drug offenders to be minorities. And to make the cops feel obliged to arrest as many of them as possible, we’ll pay them more for putting up higher numbers. Not bigger criminals, just more of them. Next, now that we have a prison population that has increased 400% (even though violent crime actually dropped 20%) we will need something for these felons to do. They can’t just sit in there and lift weights; they might get unruly and start trouble. So, we do what Americans are supposed to do: make them work. 22
Mar. 2011
If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you
I’m not talking about slavery, that’s crazy. I’m talking about paying them 3-6 cents an hour to make things that other people don’t want to make while we keep them in cages for extended periods of time. Hey, they shouldn’t have screwed up in the first place is all I’m saying, right? But turning our prisons into factories isn’t the end of it. You know how southern California has all these wildfires? Well, it gets awfully hot in there, so maybe instead of only sending in paid firefighters, we can send in some prisoners with minimal training too. And better yet, lets just have the female prisoners make all of the firefighter’s
uniforms for almost no pay. Genius, I know. But I haven’t even gotten to the best part. Can you guess what’s missing from all this? That’s right, privatization! We’ll actually make it profitable to run these outfits, corporatizing the whole system the way America does it best. Forget rehabilitation, we want these people to keep coming back forever! The more people we get in prison, the more money gets made. Hey, slavery might be over but I bet we could get more African-Americans working in prisons than we had enslaved back in 1850. In fact, I bet my life on it. How’s that for American innovation?
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$35.00
Take charge of a migrant's stay in our institution and become a constant donor and sponsor a day or more days of migrants in the institution. To request the donation form, email us: sadelmig@yahoo.com BROTHER WILLIAM BECERRA CS
contact brother william cs Or dobecerra it via mail: In the US In Tijuana, Mexico Casa del Migrante en Tijuana, A.C. sadelmig@yahoo.com P.O. Box 430387 San Diego, CA 92143-0387 Casa del Migrante en Tijuana, A.C Calle Galileo 239, Col. Postal Tel:011-52-664–6825180
C.P. 22350
De Colores vol. 6 issue 3
u’re not doing anything very innovative. ~Woody Allen
How does your faith invigorate your life of service with and for others?
A determined spirit fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. - Mohandas Gandhi
How do your acts of servcie enliven your faith?