BETH VOGE | staff writer
Candlelit coffeehouse ambiance paired with Play-doh, crayons and blank sheets of paper set to the sounds of spoken word, singing, poetry and impromptu jamming sparked a night of expression in UTCC.
On Thursday, January 29 at 8 p.m., MAS and ASB presented “Just Expressions: A Justice Week Coffeehouse,” as a part of Justice Week 2009.
This was the first year “Just Expressions” has been held.
“We just wanted to give students an opportunity to share their experiences with social justice and how it has impacted their lives,” MAS Living and Learning Community Coordinator Katie Peterson said.
The laid-back event featured over 15 performances—mostly student originals. The members of the audience were encouraged to experiment with their own creativity by molding Play-doh, coloring and drawing during performances, as well as participating in an open-mic time.
“We didn’t want it to be necessarily our voice as administrators, but rather for students to express what social justice means to their faith and to their identity,” Peterson said.
The performers used a wide range of creative mediums: singing to the sounds of a guitar and a box drum, poetry readings, spoken word performances and a violin duet of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.”
The open-mic time featured five more acts from students who were inspired during the night to come sing or talk. There was also a spontaneous collaboration between acts with senior psychology major Everson Marsh doing spoken word, junior music major John Brazell playing on the guitar and singing and senior music major Stefan Lim playing the box drum.
The evening finished with a monologue entitled “Sorrow Is Only Temporary” by junior biology major Belen Castillo.
Although each performance brought a personal and unique perspective the message of various social justice issues was clear.
“There is a lot to think about as to what our response should be,” senior global studies major Megan Hoffmann said. “It challenges you to think about your own life and what you are doing.”
This year’s social justice week focused on faith in action. The performances also brought awareness of specific social justice issues, as there were booths set up representing different social justice organizations to provide information and how to become actively involved.
Senior sociology major Melissa Dorman performed a spoken word piece called “Dreaming of a Revolution” with Everson Marsh. Dorman said her goal was to inspire.
“Throughout time, there have always been revolutionary people who have taken their faith and put it into action for the betterment of others, and in our generation, I don’t see that yet,” Dorman said. “I just wanted to motivate people; let’s be that generation of people, let’s be those people who are taking a step forward to create a difference in the world.”
Another goal of the event was to provide a new understanding of what social justice should mean to the students of APU, emphasizing the importance of Jesus’ involvement as well as the importance of being proactive, especially for those of faith.
“One of the speakers had mentioned how, unfortunately, a lot of people associate social justice with a liberal attitude,” Dorman said. “Social justice is throughout the Bible in so many ways and its not this ‘liberal’ thing. It is a godly thing.”
All pieces shared the common aspiration for social justice, and had the same undertone: to expose the ironies and faults of our society, but also inspire change and action.
“When we are able to collaborate and do things as a group that individually we couldn’t do alone, we become bigger than our individual sum,” Dorman said. “I think this is vital to APU—actually taking large steps of action and getting people encouraged and informed and educated and activated.”
