IJM

IJM stands for International Justice Mission, and on April 5th the organization had their first big meeting on App's campus. It was founded in 1997 by Gary Haugen as a group that fights slavery by freeing slaves using the law. They have freed hundreds of slaves around the world, and this meeting was an informative presentation of the organization and their partners.

The meeting was held in the Turchin Center, in one of the lower rooms. At first I thought this was a bad choice because of the amount of people that showed up to the meeting, but even though people had to sit in the aisles it gave the meeting a feeling of unity and closeness, a group of people tied together to fight injustice. The room was otherwise easy to get to, accessibility wise. it was downstairs and there was a ramp to the door, perfect for anyone.

The impact of the meeting was much more than I would have ever expected. They introduced their Freedom Project, mission, founder, and partners from other organizations. Gary told personal stories of slaves IJM has rescued, and it gave us students plenty of opportunities to get involved. I was even able to talk to some of the leaders afterwords to get a sense of where this chapter of IJM is going. As an international organization, it is only improving, growing, and changing lives.

"Ignorance is not an excuse, indifference is not an option."

(Individual, Club)

Banff Film Festival

As part of the Banff Film Festival World Tour, Banff brought clips of the top films created for the Festival to Boone. On March 30, I attended the Friday night showing of the films in Farthing Auditorium.

The film festival was one of the events that i've enjoyed most out of the ones I've attended over the semester. Like the Power of Design Lecture, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I knew that it involved films from all over the world and nature, but that was about it.

My first impression was the audience. Almost every seat in Farthing was full, and the noise was astounding - people yelling and cheering for the speakers and their favorite films. It never died out, and that's how I knew that I'd stumbled onto something great. Farthing is a huge auditorium, and yet isn't the most accessible place on campus. It's up a hill, has stairs in all the hallways, and has narrow bathrooms. Not the best for the disabled, physical or otherwise. But it was on campus, which catered to students who wished to attend.

And the films themselves were mind-boggling. Urban skiing, a trip across Europe that lasted over three years, advanced cinematography, beautiful landscapes. It all came alive immediately, and appeals to those of all ages, regardless of experience. It was a beautiful thing to see an audience of all kinds of people come together for an event like this, despite the limited seating and location. And the website was clear and simple, making it easy for me to find out more after the films were over. It was definitely an experience you wouldn't want to miss.

(Group, Banff Film Festival)

Power of Design

This was Appalachian's fifth annual Power of Design lecture, but the first that I was able to attend. Hosted by Nancy Skolos and Tom Wedell on March 27, the lecture lasted about an hour and a half and was located at the Broyhill Inn.

The lecture certainly went beyond my expectations - I expected talk about graphic design software and fonts, with basic instruction on principles of design. It was so much more than that. Tom was the speaker, and he absolutely blew my mind. He and Nancy have been in the business since before computers were the primary method of the design. They merge photography, cubism, fonts, and live models into their designs, rather than just doing 2-D art on a computer. It was inspiring and well worth my time.

As far as the location goes, the Broyhill Inn was a beautiful location and certainly suited the topic, but it's location in relation to the rest of App's campus. It's at the very edge of campus and up a hill - my friend Andrew and I didn't realize this when we walked. It was a steep hill and someone with a physical disability - no matter the kind - would definitely need to take a bus or drive. The building itself, once you get to it, was accessible, however. It had wide hallways and doorways, as well as smooth flooring. So the location itself was the only problem.

As for the topic of the lecture, the beauty of art is that no matter who you are, you can appreciate it. For the visually impaired, it would be more difficult to see and admire the art, but for the most part it appeals to all audiences. His speaking style was a bit repetitive, but all in all I'm definitely planning on making attendance an annual thing.

(Group, Power of Design lecture)

The Last Mountain

On Tuesday, March 20, the last of the three part Sustainability Film Series was shown in I.G. Greer Theater. It was the only one of the films that I was able to attend, but I was not disappointed.

The film (titled "The Last Mountain") was about coal mining in West Virginia - or more specifically, the practice of blasting mountains apart to more easily obtain the coal beneath. But these blastings are dangerous for more than just the appearance of the mountains. The entire landscape is changed, resulting in flooding and ground that is incapable of growing plants. The air and water is poisoned, and a giant silo of coal hangs over an elementary school, endangering the future of the town. Massey, the leading coal company of the area, is criticized most as the cause for the destruction.

I.G. Greer was chosen to present the film, and made a good location. Because it was on campus and free, anyone could come, even a college freshman like me. The aisles were wide and there was enough seating for everyone, which made it ideal. The only problems I really saw were that there was no elevator, so someone who is disabled would be limited to sitting in the bottom section, and even then would have difficulty finding a seat. Because Greer is older, the bathrooms were also difficult to get to - they are located in the back of the theater, through doors and a long hallway. If someone has trouble finding a seat, they'd definitely have problems accessing to single-room bathrooms. Luckily, App's newer buildings are much more accommodating.

The film certainly opened my eyes to a very startling reality that is seldom covered in the media, and kept my attention. I walked away wondering what else was going on in the world that the average citizen is not aware of.

(Group, Sustainability Film Series)