St. Ignatius's The Eye: Volume LXXIX Number II

Faggot. Gay. Thug. Nigger. Chink. Spick. You seem to hear these words everywhere nowadays. As reported in a student survey last year, they are even casually used on our very own campus of Saint Ignatius High School. You’ve heard them before. Did you laugh? Did you watch in uncomfortable silence? Or did you interject and do something?
    Well, honestly, I can say I have done all three. As an underclassman, I often used to laugh when some of these words were used in a large group of people. Why? Insecurity, perhaps. Or maybe I just didn’t see the problem with them. Even today, I usually do not intervene when someone uses such words (perhaps a cowardly act itself.) I mean, what’s wrong with calling something “gay” if you don’t like it? Or what’s wrong with calling a white kid a “wigger” if he likes rap music?
    By junior year, I found out what was wrong. The students at Ignatius are not all the same. Students come from different cities, cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and even religions and sexual identities. I realized that conformity can be a very dangerous thing (just ask Derek Meitzer.)
    Fortunately, I was not alone. Several faculty members, namely Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Fujimoto, Ms. Zabransky, and Ms. Budzick, founded U.M.O.J.A., United Men of Just Actions. The Swahili term, selected by the students, is the Kwanzaa principle that stresses unity and the importance of togetherness for the family and community. The name is appropriate for the group’s promotion of acceptance and tolerance of others on campus. The group is divided into subcommittees to address the issues of racism, homophobia, elitism/ religious differences, and victimization of “weak”/treatment of women. U.M.O.J.A. members decided upon these issues because of comments they heard around school. As I attended the meetings with students varying from left to right I learned about some ostensibly “non-existent” problems among students, largely covered up by the school’s image. However, I also learned about how great our student body really is, and that the good at our institution easily outweighs our problems.
    Listen up for various activities of U.M.O.J.A. around campus. In being open to growth, I suggest at least learning a little more. If you have any ideas or would like to participate please feel free to see any of the moderators. However, if this article is your first and last exposure to U.M.O.J.A., then at least take away one word: respect. You may disagree with someone, but there is no need to disrespect him. As Jackie Robinson said it, “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”
    The diversity of the student body, however limited, is an asset to the entire Ignatius community. In order to be “men for others,” we must first be “men for each other.”