Memoir of the Mexican Border

dusty mattresses in Anapra, Mexico. Anapra is a colonious of El Paso. After crossing the cultural and national boarder by van, we played soccer with the kids in the neighborhood. We couldn't communicate verbally , but we could all smile. We could all laugh. We thought we could all play soccer, but those children kicked our butts.

Editors

Michael A. Kazanjian

Renee Tomcanin

Beth Ann Conaban and Amy Gassen

Tracy Timson

Geri Lynn Utter

Rene~ OiPietro

Jill C. Hindman

Justine Difilippo

Joe Holden

Charles La Cowte

Dr. Jerry Zurek

Staff Writers

Kenneth Baumbach

Marianne McKim

Lisa Broomall Ryan Mulloy

Maria Chambers

Leanne Pantone

Colleen Connor Michael Paolucci

Vincent DeFruscio Gina Roswell

He was sleeping when I first saw him. His dusty hair was every which way. He wore a pink and white floral pajama set. He napped on an old, beat-up couch next to his brother and his sister who slept in a toy-filled crib. His mother bad left the morning before, claiming to be' going shopping for a few hours. She never came back. His name was Jamie. I instantly fell in love.

This past May, I traveled a world away to the Texas/Mexico boarder with 11 other students and Mary Laver, coordinator of community outreach and service learning. We traveled by plane before America was afraid to fly. We landed in Texas.

David, a volunteer at the charity houses that we stayed at, served as our tour guide. He picked us up at the El Paso airport in an old, white van.

During the first three days of our week-long trip, we stayed on

The first night in Anapra, we sat on the front porch of the stone house we stayed in. The front faced the American boarder. A mile from where we stood, there were high buildings, bright lights, many cars and a train track. On the side that we stood, there were many tiny, makeshift homes with sparse electricity. The view was beautiful, however, filled our hearts with sadness. It is a culture shock bow people can live so close to one another, yet live such different lives.

While in Anapra, we visited a library run by an amazing woman named Kristina. She told us how her colonious, which is severely poverty-stricken, is overrun with drug and alcohol abuse. She told us bow many of the children in her neighborhood are physically and mentally abused. While the main focus of her library is to educate, Kristina also emotionally supports the children who come to her to learn.

After our stay in Anapra, we traveled back to the United States. We went to Immigration Court and watched as nine men were tried for crossing the boarder and sent back to their respected countries. The Honorable Judge Penny M. Smith presided. She could have been the spawn of Judge Judy and Anne Robinson. She treated the men as if they were animals rather than human beings.

We also heard the stories of many other people who live in Mexico, or who are fleeing for a better life in America. One of the nights of the trip, we stayed in a shelter in El Paso for Mexicans who snuck across the boarder with hopes of starting a better life. I washed dishes with a few of the men after dinner one night. Our conversations consisted of a lot of hand gestures and smiles. One of the men showed me a picture of his girlfriend who snuck across the boarder with another group. .They had plans to rendezvous in Los Angeles.

During this Thanksgiving season, I can't help but think back to my trip to Mexico. I met many people who go without much of what I take for granted. I mainly think about Jamie. I wonder if his mother ever returned and what happened to him and his brother and sister.

Awareness of hunger spreads

Editorial Board

Renee DiPietro

Geri Lynn Utter

Staff Photogn,pbers

Sean Atwell Jeffrey Hardy

Marcel Bassett

Jennifer Brunner

April Caldwell

Maria Chambers

Tun Gordon

Catharine Hemson

Amanda Howard

Marianne McKim

James Mc Quire

Michael Paolucci

Diane Wizimir,;ki

Loqultur is established as a forum for stu• dent expression and as a voice in the uninhibited, robust, tree and open discussion of Issues.

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One week ago today I was gress to support aid for world hunger. The letter writsitting in the Grace Hall Atri- ing was new this year but important. Writing to U.S. um for the beginning of the officials who make the decisions of how much help Cabrini Day forum and had and provisions we will give to the hungry helped fuse the privilege of asking stu- our voices with many others. dents and faculty to help edu- See, all the U.S. hunger policies are decided in cate, advocate and fill the D.C., and the people making these decisions affect plate, which is the slogan for world hunger. The world needs more bread. The US the Hunger and Homelessness provides the largest amount of financial aid each year Awareness program. My for the hungry. I was so proud to learn that fact. But Renee Di Pietro friend Devon and I stood be- then it was followed by this piece of inform~tion, perspective editor fore the attendants of the which faded my smile. In comparison to the other Cabrini Day forum and spoke countries that give aid, we give the least pe{eeiit of about the different events that one could participate aid from our Gross National Product (GNP), whfchis in to support this campaign. the amount of money our country gives to goods and The different events such as the Hunger services. Though they do not give physically as much Banquet, arrested for hunger and Hunger 101 were as we do, they are making much more of a sacrifice. and are great way to get involved. The Hunger Ban- There is so much focus on terrorism today; the unquet is tonight. mediate needs of the hungry are unconsciously being

Results of this hunger campaign vary from food placed on the back burner. We cannot forget about and mo~e~ con~butions being sen~,fo:J~~~J88 ~ilft~~a-rn~:~~~~ ~.;~·::,,: ~., Thanksg1vmg dinners and letters bei~MJ!tJq,C{?(!- r,f."i!m .,.,fill uo'{