Peace with Creation: Senior Seminar Essay
Please read the following paragraphs from EMU news articles published online within the last five years. Then respond to the prompt that follows.
Winner addresses violence in education system
Seven EMU students spoke out for peace and justice in the annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest held Mar. 27 on campus. Laura Cattell, a senior from Honey Brook, Pa., won first place with her speech, "Structural Violence in the U.S. Education System."
"If we are to do true peacebuilding, we must address structural violence," Cattell said in her speech. "Service and individual change are needed, but without advocacy it is short-sighted. As Christians, we must continue to serve those around us, but must also embrace the role of advocacy in building a more just world."
Campus garden provides teaching tools and produce
An expanding campus garden at EMU provides fresh, organic and local food for the cafeteria while giving students a practical exercise in sustainability. Several EMU courses use the garden as part of the curriculum, and students have been a significant part of the “grass roots” effort to create the garden.
Gingrich Goes Global With Sabbatical
When thinking about his sabbatical in 2008, EMU economics professor Chris Gingrich knew he wanted to do something that wasn't in his own backyard. Mennonite Environmental Development Agency (MEDA) presented Chris with a project that would take him halfway across the globe. In Tanzania, he worked with the distribution of insecticide treated mosquito nets that were used to prevent malaria. The Tanzanian government promotes the distribution of these nets in the private sector with subsidized vouchers provided for citizens to purchase the nets. The goal of the project is to develop a sustainable supply chain for the nets even after the project ends.
Writing Prompt:
- Think about the first time you became aware of the idea of sustainability.
- How did you experience this awareness?
- How does this awareness connect with your beliefs about the world?
- How do the news items above relate to your awareness of sustainability? Which items are more relevant to your understanding of sustainability than others?
- How has your understanding of sustainability affected your choices while at EMU?