Activism is a lifestyle

As we come back to Gonzaga and prepare for another year of our education, I wanted to highlight the importance of learning beyond a classroom.

Civic activism can teach, mold and shape you in ways that a textbook cannot. By doing hands-on work within the field of your interest or a field completely unrelated to your studies you learn things about the world that will open your mind. This call is not just simply for an increase in volunteerism, this is a call for everyone to get out into the community of Gonzaga University and Spokane and do something to benefit that community. We need to take the promotion of justice that we all know is essential to a Jesuit education and actually apply it. This is not just for the nice new entry on your resume, but so that you can leave a mark, no matter how small, on a community that is helping you reach your goals in life.

I have had the wonderful pleasure of knowing that I have some impact on my community. For the past year and a half I have interned at the Center for Justice in its Community Advocacy program. We specialize in providing civil legal services to the poor, many of whom cannot afford the phone call to an attorney, let alone the costs of having one represent them. These are people who have trouble with landlords, getting state benefits and getting their driver's licenses back. It's not exactly the stuff of Hollywood. Most of the work I do on a regular basis is not the type of legal work the average attorney was aspiring to in law school. And if it is they either worked for a pittance at a nonprofit or charge  for amounts that none of the clients could ever  afford. It is tough and frustrating work; many times I cannot help my clients with their issues.

 It is by far the most rewarding experience in my three years here in Spokane. Even though my community impact is pretty small, a person-to-person basis, if I am able to help a client with whatever their issue is, that service I provided has a impact on their life. In turn knowing that I was able to help someone who would not get service becasue they couldn't afford it is very rewarding. It lets me know that justice for everyone is possible.

I feel as if every single Gonzaga student should have the ability to say they were able to impact our community. Gonzaga is blessed with a talented, thoughtful and intelligent student body that is very focused on their education. However it is time that we collectively realize that our education tells us to go beyond the walls of Gonzaga into Spokane. That we use our talents to help the greater good whether that be providng a legal service to the poor or joining a different nonprofit or even an entirely different organization, we need to make an impact.

My point in all of this is to encourage every single Gonzaga student to get out there and get involved in some kind of civic activism. Gonzaga and Spokane are helping to nurture each and every one of us to ensure our success later in life. We should feel obligated to leave our communities better off than when we first came here. Whether it be helping in GSBA to ensure that the student body is well-represented and taken care of or joining a group like  the Center for Justice it is worth it. Any impact you may have on the community of Gonzaga or the community of Spokane is well worth your time.