Gettysburg College Celebrates 5th Annual Peace and Justice Launch
Students stand near the Peace Pole during the event. (Photo Credit Aly Wein/ The Gettysburgian)
By Alicia Method, Staff Writer
On Monday, Oct. 4, students and professors gathered by the Peace Pole to kick off Gettysburg College’s Fifth Annual Peace and Justice Week. The launch event featured group discussion, a poetry reading, and a musical performance by Sebastian Garcia ‘23.
To start the event, members of the Peace and Justice Student Council asked participants what peace means to them. Those in attendance formed a semi-circle on the grass and offered up definitions of peace. Some suggested that peace is about more than “not war”. Others commented that peace means respect, acceptance, and conversation. After this group discussion, one council member, Ben Johnson ‘22, read a selection from Maya Angelou’s poem “Caged Bird.” Johnson suggested the poem speaks to “our duty to listen and learn.”
Council members detailed the rest of the week’s events which will include a “Listen to Our Stories” interactive theater show, Ghost River Panel, and Recovery Yoga.
Speaking about the council’s preparation for the week, council member Angely Arriaza ‘22 said, “Our focus with this semester’s Peace and Justice week is to showcase the inherent intersectionality that lies within every corner of the field that is Peace and Justice Studies.”
To accomplish this goal, the Peace and Justice Student Council partnered with many on-campus groups and organizations for these events, such as Title IX, Students for Indigenous Awareness, and the Black Student Union.
The launch event concluded with a musical selection, “Imagine” by the Beatles, sung by Sebastian Garcia ‘22.
Garcia summed up his performance experience, stating that “It was a really great experience. Singing a song such as “Imagine” is so moving and shows the purpose of humanity is to unite everybody, bring each other up, and create dignity for all humans.”
Participants were then invited to visit Glatfelter lodge for pizza and refreshments.
