About a month ago, several of the faculty and staff met to discuss how we might create awareness among our college community about the violence in Mexico as well as remember the men and women who had been murdered south of Brownsville by the drug cartel.
There were several ideas put forward and it was decided to organize under the college's peace program. That afternoon the coordinator of the program met with Dr. Jackie Claunch, our college president about an upcoming speaker's visit, and at the meeting briefed her about our plans. She was enthusiastic about every aspect of our ideas and we moved forward!
We created a list of reading and viewing resources from our library and distributed the list in an email invitation to participate in the demonstration for peace.
Art Club and other students created numerous posters with information and eye-catching titles. Students wore tee shirts we had collected and recycled that we spattered with red paint to simulate blood. Students volunteered to lie along our college pedestrian bridge during the most busy time of day, in between classes at 10:45. Two faculty from the music department volunteered to perform a moving horn and guitar piece by a Mexican composer, and our president read a poem in both English and Spanish by Garcia Lorca. We then all kept 72 seconds of silence to remember the slain.
The results were a confirmation of what can happen when people work cooperatively and with enthusiasm.
I invite you to browse the media stories that were written and take part with us in remembering the victims.
The event was the headline of La Revista, our college publication for staff and faculty:
http://www.alamo.edu/nvc/employees/pr/larevista/092410/issue.htm
Our college online publication had a story written collectively by my students in Newsgathering and Writing:
www.thevistavoice.org
Texas Public Radio ran a piece by old friend and collaborator, Eileen Pace that evening:
http://www.tpr.org/news/2010/09/news/1009242.html
Local television stations covered the event, as well:
KENS 5
http://www.kens5.com/news/local/Nortwest-Vista-College-students-silent-in-memory-of-72-murdered-migrants-103672924.html
Telemundo KDVA
http://sanantonio.holaciudad.com/adjuntos/110/videos/000/409/0000409660.flv
KABB FOX 29
http://www.foxsanantonio.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/vid_3506.shtml
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