Grad at Grad Reflection by Mr. Mark Howell

The following “Grad at Grad” reflection was delivered to the Loyola faculty, staff, and student body on Ignatian Awareness Day, April 8, 2014.

“A Loyola student is becoming more committed to doing justice.”

Mr. Mark Howell Good afternoon students and staff. I was fortunate enough to be asked to deliver today’s Grad-at-Grad talk on what it means to be “Committed to Doing Justice.” Students, if there’s one message I’d like emphasize in the next several minutes, it is “You will make a difference”... not “you can make a difference” or “you are capable of making a difference”…but “you will make a difference”. You see, service is something that you have to choose to include in your life…so again, if you choose to, “you will make a difference.”

So, I have a tendency to start important discussions or talks with a childhood story or memory…you know…something that helps me remember why I am who I am. With that said, let me tell you a short story about my dad’s deli. I remember working at the deli from the time I could stock shelves and make change at the cash register. One weekend morning at work, when I was helping a customer check out, there was a minor issue. The customer was extremely polite and had been in the deli before, but the problem was that he didn’t have enough money to pay for his meal. It was only a buttered roll and coffee, which totaled to an amount of just two dollars, so I was confused when he told me he was 43 cents short.

Being a young person, that was the first time I had seen a first-hand example of poverty. That day, I was also extremely blessed to have my dad in my life…able and ready to explain things to me. He gave the man his meal, asked how his family was doing, and told him not to worry about the missing change. He then talked to me about how there are people who have been dealt a tough hand, or born into a rough life…and how we need to help those that we can.

This experience was my springboard to asking the question “How can these injustices exist?” I think the simple answer is analogous to the famous quote, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” This statement, that has been heard over and over again in history, really says it all. If we, as a society, do nothing to help others overcome these injustices, they will continue to be present around us.

As many of you know, over spring break some members of the Loyola faculty and staff went to Belize. I was happy to be part of this group of adults devoted to serving others. There is no way for me to explain exactly what this experience meant to me, but I’d like to share some points that really emphasize what it means to be “committed to doing justice.” While on the trip we worked hand in hand with some of the locals. Several worked with us on the actual building of the house while others were there to support the mission of Hand in Hand Ministries, the organization that runs the service trip. It was in working with the natives that we had just met, and would probably only work with for a few days, that we became members of the larger community of Belize. Being given the opportunity to speak and work with the people of Belize was our chance to understand their situations. This leads me to the point that: unless we are aware of, and understand, the injustices present, we cannot truly make a commitment to serve others.

When I was a junior at Villanova University I decided to sign up for a fall break service trip. Once our group was determined we met four times before the trip took place. The trip I was placed on was to Juarez, Mexico and was called a Border Awareness Experience. I soon questioned this awareness experience that I was about to embark on. Since our trip schedule was not based on physical service but primarily on meeting people and hearing their story, I remember asking the question, “So what actual service are we doing?” I also remember how I wasn’t the only participant with that question in mind. It wasn’t until during and after the

trip that I really saw the big picture. The objective of the Border Awareness Experience was to “…facilitate face to face meetings and encounters between participants and people and groups on both sides of the border.” Its main intentions were to “raise consciousness about the issues facing the border such as immigration, economic development, human rights, and social justice,” as well as “…educate North Americans about our role and responsibilities in today’s globalized world.” From this service trip, I learned that I need to be aware of my surroundings, and events in the world, before I can even begin to help others.

The following year I was happy to be selected to travel to the Dominican Republic in the fall and to Costa Rica in the spring. It was on these trips that I was able to experience a more tangible form of service, in addition to learning about the culture of the countries and social injustices present. While in the Dominican Republic we helped educate children in the local schools during the day and continued to work at one of the orphanages at night. Part of the trip also focused on becoming knowledgeable of the border issues that exist between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In Costa Rica, the trip was primarily dedicated to a different type of service, serving the environment. Near the village of Mastatal, we helped to reforest parts of the rainforest, rebuild a local soccer field that had eroded, and fix houses. Although these two trips consisted of mainly physical service, we still reflected on our actions and understanding of the issues at hand.

To close, I’d like to take a moment to discuss the question that many people present at the end of a service experience, “What happens next?” My answer is, “What happens next is whatever you make of it.” Some people choose to continue their lives and they go back to their daily routine. Others take what they’ve learned or seen and share it with the world, in an effort to help inform those who may be blind to these global injustices.

Remember, in the end, you are blessed with having a choice. Choose the option stating “I will make a difference� to help those who may not have a choice.