By Saúl Rascón Salazar ’23, International Relations major
In the months leading up to this year’s LMU Advocacy Teach-In for Justice, I never actually gave myself any time to sit down and appreciate what I was a partaking in. I did not realize the impact until the morning of the Teach-In when I saw all of our moving pieces come together to form great community engagement. Seeing all of my peers gathered in Sunken Gardens on a Saturday morning was my way of knowing that advocacy work, although tedious and frustrating sometimes, is a necessity in our community.
Students are hungry to engage and learn more about the world around us. It is our responsibility as a community to feed that hunger. The issues that this year’s Teach-In covered ranged from the political climate of our nation to local issues we often dismiss like the school to prison pipeline. Since this year’s theme was “Transforming Hope into Action” I was curious as to what the response from the speakers and attendees would be. It turns out that most, if not all, of the people on this campus, are ready to see some student-led change. Our main keynote speaker, Professor Mairead Sullivan, assistant professor of women’s and gender studies, challenged the student body to channel emotions and convert them into tangible change.
Overall, this event was one of many reminders for me and for my peers about what it means to be a part of a Jesuit university. Visiting Washington D.C. and bringing back the momentum nearly three months later reminded me of why I love this place so much. Seeing everything come together after the weeks of planning served as a symbol for hope that is now calling students, faculty, staff, and the administration to act in pursuit of our Jesuit Marymount mission.
