PASSION
magazine Volume 7 Issue 1
Knowledge is Power Student Perspectives on education
In 1974, Dr. Frank Sullivan works with students and nuns during a drama class in the Little Theater. Photo courtesy of the Archives and Special Collection Archives, William H. Hannon Library 2 Passion Oct. 2011
Scientia Est Potentia As LMU begins a new century by reviving both academic programs and the university’s Ignation identity, we at PASSION magazine also seek to take the next step forward. Through a series of structural changes and a revised design philosophy, we hope to bring you a magazine that inspires contemplation and action in the community. Entering the new academic year brought to mind questions about education: Who is entitled to it? Who gets it? What form does it assume? Throughout this issue, students give their perspectives on these pressing questions, ranging from observations on campus to mission trips abroad to contemplation on what it means to be a Jesuit institution. While reading these articles, we encourage you to think about your role in the education system and what you want to get out of your time at LMU. This wouldn’t be a complete issue on education if we didn’t include the students involved with its production. We would like to thank the students who spent countless hours working on the design, writing articles and fostering strong community relationships to help us produce this work.
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What's Inside Fr. O’Malley of Georgetown University gives a talk at the Bellarmine Forum. (More about school presenters on page 12).
Members of Engineers without Borders describe their experiences working on clean water projects in El Salvador (page 18).
Content 8
College Accredidation Monique Mansour
14 El Espejo Michael Homans
10 LMU at 100 Anonymous
16
12 Presentations at LMU Tauras Vilgalys
18 El Salvador Jennifer Rodriguez &
4 Passion Oct. 2011
Sodexo Sophia Pavlos
Engineers without Borders
Our Staff Editors-in-Chief: Monique Mansour Mukta Mohan Tauras Vilgalys Business Editor: Rubi Barragan
Design Editors: Sarah Godfrey Yvonne Le Katrina Sherbina Danielle Zeiter Photographer: Caroline Blasco
WATCH READ LISTEN PROTEST
CLICK SUPPORT
Waiting for Superman (2010): a documentary that
analyzes the public education system, following students trying to be accepted at highly competitive charter schools through a lottery system.
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn, a revisionist account of American history telling the stories of immigrant laborers, factor y workers, women and minorities.
Storycorps, a non-profit oral history project, launched its
National Teacher Initiative to celebrate the work of hundreds of public school teachers by preserving their stories and calling attention to their contributions.
University of California tuition hikes: Students could face
annual tuition increases bringing tuition costs to $22,068 by 2015. This price increase vastly limits accessibility to a school stystem supposed to be accessible to all.
http://www.khanacademy.org is a virtual school that is
radically shifting the current education system by offering free online video lessons about everything from calculus to the electoral college.
The Sodexo workers in their continued fight for fair working conditions and wages.
Also, find PASSION online!
PassionMagazine.tumblr.com www.facebook.com/LMUpassion passion.magazine@gmail.com We’d like to hear your thoughts and any ideas you have for future issues!
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. In cooperation with the Human Rights Coalition, Passion seeks encourage a cycle of inspiration in our community through the sharing of ideas; forming a community where one student’s experience in social justice can inspire another student to seek his own. vol. 7 issue 1 Passion 5
Accreditati
8 Passion October 2011
ion Matters
Monique Mansour
College accreditation was not something I thought too deeply about when I was applying to college as a senior in high school. I was set on applying to Jesuit schools throughout the United States, and I figured they were good, solid schools (thank goodness I was right!). It never occurred to me that the accreditation status of a college/ university played a major factor. I didn’t ask myself, “Did these schools have national accreditation, or regional accreditation?” “Can I apply to graduate school if I obtain an undergraduate degree from these Jesuit institutions?” Just recently, I began to ponder over these questions and research the accreditation of several schools after I had a conversation with my supervisor about the differences in college and university accreditation. For those of you getting anxious about this, don’t worry; Loyola Marymount University, and all Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States are regionally accredited, as opposed to being nationally accredited, which is a good thing. A great thing, in fact. Obtaining a degree from regionally accredited schools allows you to apply for graduate and doctoral programs, be eligible for financial aid, and have an easier time landing a sought out job, among other things. However, if you graduate from a nationally accredited school, you may not have these same privileges. For some, this may not seem like a big deal. College counselors, guidance counselors, SAT/ ACT tutors, among others, may have steered you in the right direction and helped you choose schools that were of the proper accreditation, and that seemed like the perfect fit for you. For others who are first generation college students, products of
disadvantaged public schools, or have extenuating circumstances and are looking into online programs, may not have the same guidance, support, and tangible knowledge base as some about colleges/ universities and the importance of enrolling in a properly accredited institution. Additionally, a variety of programs, particularly online programs, may “deceive” prospective students and not fully or properly inform them about the accreditation of their online degree programs. I have read stories of people who graduated with online degrees, who later wished to pursue a master’s degree, only to find that their undergraduate degree wouldn’t be accepted as “legitimate,” because it came from a nationally accredited school. What is one to do? Spend another 4-6 years obtaining a second, legitimate, undergraduate degree in order to pursue a master’s? Should online degree marketers be held responsible for informing prospective students about the accreditation of the program/school/ college/university? As a senior in college who plans on attending graduate school, I am grateful that I found myself in an institution that was properly accredited and will allow me to further my education. I bring up the accreditation issue because it was one that I was not fully aware of, and I can only imagine how many others are left in the dark about the accreditation process and its importance. Interested in learning more about college accreditation? Log on to http://www.braintrack.com/college-accreditationarticles/articles/college-accreditation-overview for more information.
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LMU at 100
anonymous
10 Passion October 2011
LMU @ 100 100 is LMU 100 here and 100 there 100 this and 100 that
100!
Oh, the nostalgia of the Magical number 100 100 years – yes indeed, we are blessed to be a part of this 100th academic year at LMU and just think… 100’s of classes we are privileged to take, 100’s of papers and exams we will write before we graduate. 100’s of hours of service we provide every year, & 100’s of graduates every year setting the world on fire for justice these past 100 years.
…a world in which… Less than 100 gallons of water is used per month by the average Ethiopian, in a world where over 1100 million people in 2008 did not have access to toilets or sanitation facilities of any kind, much less clean water, and where one LMU student consumes as much energy as 100 Bangladeshis, & we (as only 5% of the global population) produce over 20% of the world’s trash which is the equivalent of 100 pounds of trash per U.S. family per week. Where merely 100 dollars is the median monthly household income for a family in Mexico. While only 1 out of 100 Tanzanian youth might be lucky to attend college and approximately 100 people per 100,000 will die from Malaria in Africa, and over 100 million children under 5 yrs worldwide are underweight and yes, where 100 children die around the world in less than seven minutes it might take you to read this…
100 dollars merely for an important book or two for class, or 100 dollars as the approximate cost of an hour or two of education at LMU. Or 100 dollars for two bottles of LMU Centennial Cabernet Wine and a centennial ball ticket, or 100 dollars for simple lunches for 100 hungry people every week. Or why not 100 million dollars (or two) for a new campus library.
100!
100 gallons of water that we as student at LMU (Americans in general) use a day, 100 Kilowatt hours of electricity used per week per student and the 100 pounds of trash we discard on average in less than one month.
Just think…
100 years of living a mission of encouraging learning, educating of the whole person, and acting in the service of faith and the promotion of justice… So that in the next 100 years we might not merely be encouraged to learn to educate our (whole)selves, or seek a faith that might somehow connect with justice. BUT to educate ourselves to understand a world in need of change…
LMU @ 100! 100 years, yes indeed, and just think how we could change the world in this next 100?
LMU @100 or LMU @ 100 more… In which we are encouraged to learn the bold truth about the global reality to educate a whole person that positively impacts the whole human race, while living a faith that truly does service to a love of God, a love of neighbor, and a love of the world that embodies a justice of both a kingdom both here & now and yet to come. LMU @100 or 100 merely as a means to educate ourselves @ LMU? (Statistics adapted from the Fact Sheet of the Center for Sustainable Systems, WHO World Health Statistics 2011, and National Geographic’s 7 Billion, and Alternative Energy)
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Presentations A Student’s Perspective
Education is not limited to the classroom or professors. Rather, the entire college experience is an education in and of itself; a chance to interact with both your peers and experts in a variety of academic disciplines. These opportunities come in a multitude of forms, from random late night discussions on the nature of things, to attending speaker discussions and seminars. It is this second opportunity for outside the classroom education I would like to concentrate on. Here at LMU, we are blessed with numerous opportunities to talk with faculty and listen to professional talks. Unfortunately, it often seems these opportunities are seldom utilized by students. During October, I had the pleasure of attending 12
Passion October 2011
a series of speakers put on by the Bellarmine forum. Despite the expertise of these visiting scholars and LMU professors, there were no more than a handful of students present. This lack of intellectual curiosity represents more than losing an opportunity to listen to academic discourse. More importantly, it’s the loss of an opportunity to think for oneself and explore the world in light of the presenters’ insights and research. At the Jesuit Symposia, I was gifted with the opportunity to listen to Frs. John Haughney, S.J. and John O’Malley, S.J. from Georgetown University, in addition to other guests. The topics of their two talks differed greatly, but shared themes on the nature of Jesuit education and knowledge.
At LMU By Taur as Vilgalys Fr. Haughney was the first speaker I attended during the forum. He worked to apply the work of Teilhard de Chardin, an early 20th century Jesuit philosopher, to the issue of educating students in the modern era. Chardin was an evolutionary biologist who applied the basics of evolutionary theory to deep philosophical concepts, in particular the operations of the universe, and man’s relationship with the transcendental. Out of this wide variety of topics, Fr. Haughney concentrated on what Chardin
describes as “the above”. To Chardin, the mind drives to goals of “the ahead” and “the above”. The ahead is any of numerable worldly goals, ranging from knowledge to personal wealth and glory. The above is a higher level goal, a transcendental purpose the mind directs “the ahead” towards. Fr. Haughney argues an individual who concentrates solely on “the ahead” is unable to fully realize and actualize life. It is in searching for the greater reason that one finds the above and a strong purpose for their actions.
Later in the symposium, Fr. O’Malley raised the question of what it means to be a Jesuit University. He introduced the educational methods of Aristotle and Isocrates that later developed into two scholarly systems. Traditionally, these two systems are fundamentally opposed. The Aristotelian model concentrates upon the value of deductive thought, formal reasoning, and academic structure. Meanwhile, Isocrates concentrated upon more humanistic and creative issues, such as literature and the fine arts.
While historically these two views have been seen as incompatible, Fr. O’Malley argues that they have been combined, in part, within the Jesuit tradition. In mission statements, the academic excellence of Aristotle is joined with Isocrates’ development of the whole person. This integration of the two contrary viewpoints, though, is incomplete. While schools profess to make complete academics, Fr. O’Malley holds that it tends to teach the disciplines independently, and more complete integration is necessary.
Despite the fascinating and stimulating nature of these talks, few students actually experienced them. The transition in from listening to learning to thinking is an essential part of the educational process, one that cannot be practice solely in class. Rather, it is these out of the classroom experiences that allow students to truly develop as contemplative individuals. vol. 7 issue 1 Passion 13
EL ESPEJO MICHAEL HOMANS
We have all heard of, and may have even spoken of the “education-crisis” in America, we all seem to agree that it is unjust. However, by abstracting it into two simple words it is easy to remain blissfully unaware of its specific repercussions. Fabiola Martin, an LMU graduate, and director of afterschool programs at Lennox Middle School, who despite the demanding nature of her job, gives us an account of the human toll of the education crisis. Lennox Middle School when faced with budget cuts had let go of all teachers assistants, and thus as Mrs. Martin says, “lost all extra- help, making it increasingly difficult to control, an already large and growing student population.” In addition to letting go of all teachers 14 Passion October 2011
assistants, Lennox Middle school has had to cut hours of its educators, and been left without money for material or fieldtrips. According to Mrs. Martin, the Lennox Middle School staff feels as if they don’t have enough time to properly educate their students, and similarly sense increasing student disinterest in afterschool programs. “We can think of the education crisis in terms of dollars and cents, but we are missing the true-tragedy by doing so.” Perhaps Kanye West, said it best in “We Don’t Care” saying “you know the kids gon act a fool when stop the programs for after-school.” With more faces to keep track of, less time to educate, and no assistance in doing
so, how many more students will fall behind and never catch up? And, by the opposite side of the same tragic coin...
”How many students will be enthralled with some fact, or passage of literature, and never have that enthrallment embarked upon further?” When I’m at Lennox Middle School, I am subject to an array of emotions. One part of me is hopeful and sees tremendous potential in the (most times motivated sometimes lazy) students of Lennox Middle School. Another side of me feels nostalgic in witnessing
the witty sometimes cruel interactions of the students reminiscent of my own experience in middle school. Another part of me is saddened in similarly seeing myself in the lazy students who don’t apply themselves, and don’t yet see value outside the simple pleasure of an icecream and a bag of hot-cheetos. I think of how, inevitably... “Some of them will fall through the cracks of the education system, and am disheartened for, I was once one of those kids.” I consider how my life had been different if not for the kick in the butt methods of my middle school teachers. Thus in seeing those kids, I see myself in another light, one in which I
never received the proper kick in the right direction, and fallen through the cracks of the education system. So, when considering the education crisis we must consider yes, that there is a general lack of money, but that these cracks are widening. Now, as much as we can speculate about which partisan party created the economic conditions which have created this crisis, or where education should fall on the list of the nation’s priorities. We must above all consider whether this state of affair recognizes the dignity of others. For, as the Lion’s Code states “The respect and support that nurtures me is born of my respect for others.” As private-schools have been relatively unaffected by the budget-crisis...
“We must pour out from our blessed disposition, and recognize the education-crisis” as more than a topic of conversation, and truly build the community that sustains us all.”
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What do we want?
JUSTICE! When do we want it? NOW! I Sophia Pavlos
t’s my third picket, and so I know what I need to do as soon as I get there. I need to be loud; I need to get all the cars on Sunset Blvd to pay attention, I need to make all the guests of the Hyatt regret they’d ever checked in (“Don’t check in, Check out!”), I need to make the management shake in their boots (“If we don’t get no Justice, you don’t get no Peace!”), and most importantly I need to support the workers. For while it may be fun for me to chant and scream, the Hyatt workers are there because desperate working conditions have pushed them to act publicly in protest of their treatment. The workers are fighting for better jobs, they are fighting to end abuse, and most importantly they are fighting for dignity and respect in the workplace. So my number one priority is to stand in solidarity with them, and keep them strong by not faltering, by not letting insecurity or fear or social politesse get in my way.
That’s what finds me on top of a big pick-up truck, shouting into a microphone: 16 Passion October 2011
“Everywhere we go, People want to know Who we are! So we tell them: We are the Workers! The Mighty Mighty Workers! Fighting for JUSTICE, Fighting for RESPECT.” I may not be a worker, but this is my fight, too. Here at LMU, I have learned from the Jesuit tradition of solidarity to stand with those who are fighting for justice. I support all workers who are standing up for respect, dignity and justice in the workplace because I view their struggle for justice inherently linked to my moral responsibility to uphold justice within my community. Although the LMU Sodexo workers and the Hyatt hotel workers are fighting for justice in unique ways, their overall message of fair treatment and respect and dignity for all implicates my personal responsibility to others. If I were being mistreated I know that I would not be able to stand up without support from my friends and allies. We all have great relationships with the workers on our campus and view them as very close friends within our LMU community. The Sodexo workers have been actively engaged in a unionizing campaign for almost a year now. Since the union election last April (which was won 108-18 in favor of the union) the workers have gone through four rounds of negotiations and are slowly moving towards signing a contract
that will better protect their rights and allow for more stable working conditions. As students, I believe this is an opportunity for us to support our friends in their endeavor to create a better environment that will enhance their quality of life. Although we are not picketing for the Sodexo workers, we show our continued solidarity with them by wearing “Support Food Service Workers” buttons. The workers themselves wear red “UNITE HERE” buttons to show that they are proud union members. Buttons, like picketing, are a form of consciousness raising to promote social action. When students wear the button they are instantly communicating their support to the LMU workers, showing simultaneously that they are aware of the workers’ fight and that they stand in soldarity with them. The workers’ fight for justice inspires me to take action, whether it be walking a picket line in front of the Hyatt Andaz or putting on a button every morning before I go to school. We ask that you help us show support for the Sodexo workers by taking a second out of your day to consciously stand in solidarity with them by performing the simplest of actions: pinning on a button. The presence of the buttons in the LMU cafeterias has already proven effective in showing the Sodexo workers that they have support of the students in their fight for justice. Lets continue with the campus button-up and go one step forward by striving to build relationships with these workers, real relationships upon which mutual respect can flourish. It is past time for this school to reflect the ideals of social justice and service that it promotes, and it is our duty as representatives of LMU to stand up for what is right and demand dignity and respect for all. vol. 7 issue 1 Passion 17
REFLECTIONS OF LMU ENGINEERS W/O BOARDERS
El Salvador This summer I had the privilege of spending two months in a country I have only read about, but never dreamed I would once visit: El Salvador. During spring break of my sophomore year, I had the privilege of participating in the Ignacio Companion Trip to El Salvador. I fell in love with the country and the amazing people! On the island of Espiritu Santo, I witnessed several struggles El Salvadorians were grapping with, such as students not being able to continue their education because their families couldn’t afford the two-dollar ride to get them to the mainland to attend high school. I started to teach my host mom at the island, Ines, who was illiterate, and also didn’t have a job. I made it my goal to return back to the island one day, and help in any way I could. Upon returning to LMU, it wasn’t easy getting back into the swing of things. I wondered how I could be of further help to the El Salvadorian people. A few of my Engineering classmates and I decided
18 Passion October 2011
to collaborate with Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad (CIS), (the NGO we worked with), to start a water project in the summer. We faced struggles getting to El Salvador, from finding the money to fund a two-month trip, to figuring out when and how my engineering classmates were going to travel there. Fortunately, everything fell into place and we arrived in El Salvador. Cristy, the delegations coordinator at CIS, became much more than my host mom. I volunteered at the island Monday through Thursday, and taught English at Distrito Italia (the first
place to become militarized in El Salvador due to gang violence) on Fridays. I became used to this weekly routine of leaving Cristy’s house at 7am, taking a total of 4 buses and a short boat ride to get to the island at about noon. For the first time in my life, I looked forward to Mondays.
My summer not only taught me the value in education, but the value in helping others. I tried my best to tell my students that it was only through my education that I was able to join them for the summer. I was finally able to put my education in direct practice by teaching English, math, and conducting a small engineering water project.
As LMU Lions, we are all called to make a change and pursue the growth of the whole person, which includes putting into practice what we have learned for the promotion of justice.
by: Jennifer Rodriguez More Information: To find out more about CIS, or to donate to the organization, visit www.cis-elsalvador.org. Email elsalvador.lmu@gmail.com to find out how LMU students are getting involved.
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My experience in El Salvador was unparalleled to anything I had ever done before. I learned that many things that I take for granted such as running water, is a luxury most people don’t have on the island. It made me realize that my education at LMU is my most important possession because it is the key to getting ahead and actually being able to give back. This became evident in talking to my host mother, who was illiterate, and a grandmother to more than sixteen children. She explained to me once how one of her biggest regrets was that she never learned to read or write and how she urged one of her granddaughters, (who was living with her at the time) to return to school because she had chosen to stop at an early age.
Kevin Ramirez This past summer I was fortunate enough to be part of group of engineers that traveled to El Salvador. Our goal was to travel to a small island named El Espiritu, which is Spanish for “the spirit.� On this island we were given the opportunity to try and improve their water situation. While the island took some getting used to, it eventually became my home. Together, with the community and the LMU volunteers, we managed to bring water to the only school on the island and distribute a vast number of filters to the people. The task of replacing a water pump and laying in new piping that led to the school would have been extremely difficult without the help of community who was there with us on the many long days that began as early as 6:30 am. 20 Passion October 2011
Thomas Zachariah
The trip provided us with a setting in which we could truly apply concepts learned in class to make a difference. This was more than education of the whole person. We were in an environment where we saw real problems. As engineering students, we work together with the
community to find appropriate solutions to those problems. We are planning on doing future trips back to the community. And we hope other people get the chance to go. It is an incredibly eye-opening experience. For me, I learned so much about the people, the problems, and, ultimately, about myself.
“I look at things in a whole new perspective now that I witnessed the eliving situation in El Savador.” - Kris Wolf
For me, the trip was a culmination of everything I had learned about social justice at LMU. Not only did we learn even more about social justice (by learning more about Romero, the Civil War, and the inequalities in El Salvador) but we actually lived out the idea of social justice by working with the community to empower them and build up their community. It was taking all of my education, not just the technical engineering stuff, but the spiritual and personal education, and putting that education to use. Personally, it really confirmed to me that wherever my engineering career leads me, I need to be doing something that in some way shape or form is improving other people’s lives and the world around us.
“They remind me that it is not wealth and fame or many years of education that makes us human, but our hearts and how we use those hearts to touch others in our lives.” - Herbert Medina
Wes Walker
El Salvador
“It is important to bring LMU to this island again so we can offer more help and do what we promised to do, which is help the community get its feet on the ground” -Leonard Turcios
vol. 7 issue 1 Passion 21
ignacio companions
Belong, Believe, and Become
Campus Ministry’s Ignacio Companions (IC) program offers Faith-Based Service-Immersion Trips focused on challenging students to live more fully the LMU Mission and to grow in their relationship with God. These trips provide a transforming experience in which participants’ faith and understanding of the world intersects and grows. Through immersion in different cultures and opportunities to be in service with and for local communities, participants discover the deep connection between justice and faith. Participation in the IC program engages students in taking a deeper look at their lives, their faith, and their educational experience. The program challenges them to become individuals more fully alive. Our variety of trips include: Argentina, East LA/ Mexico, Jamaica, and El Salvador. Campus Ministry offers these Faith-Based Service-Immersion Trips with the hope of assisting students to truly “Belong, Believe, and Become” during their time at LMU and beyond. For more information please contact 310.338.2860.
ministry.lmu.edu
Graduate Education Here at LMU, a culture in undergraduate teaching and research is typically emphasized. However, unknown to many students, there exists an equally prestigious graduate division. With programs covering all schools and colleges, the graduate programs emphasize continuing one’s scholarship and education while maintaining a foundation in the Jesuit principles governing the University. In recent years, the graduate school has been expanding, both in student population and in program variety. Over the past several years, some programs have grown at a rate of 5-10% which has allowed for an increase in the degrees offered but maintained a small student-teacher ratio that encourages collaboration and participatory learning. The programs are flourishing and developing, the MBA program is currently ranked 13th nationally. The School of Education is ranked 86 having jumped 45 points from its national ranking last year. In addition, the School welcomed its first doctoral degree in Educational Leadership for Social Justice and graduated its first cohort in 2007.
Pub Night: The Centennial Year - John T. Wholihan November 9, 5:30PM @ Von der Ahe Family Suite John T. Wholihan will discuss his book on the history of the LMU College of Business Administration. Social Justice Forum - “Communication Strategies for Human Rights Advocacy” featuring Emma Daly, Director of Communications, Human Rights Watch. November 10, 7:15PM @ Dramatic Reading of “Speak Truth to Power” November 10, 7PM @ Laband Art Gallery Hidden Heroes: Service to the World November 12, 2PM @ Murphy Recital Hall The lives of seven C.S.J. women who have caused social change in rough parts of the world will be dramatized. “Holodomor: Remembering the Famine in Ukraine” November 16, T.B.D. @ Von der Ahe Family Suite Nadia Kim: Koreans and the Race from Seoul to Los Angeles December 7, 5:30PM @ Von der Ahe Family Suite