By Mackenzie Halfhide and Jason Brown
Contributing Writers
We all know it happens to us: those moments as we’re walking by ourselves on campus at some odd hour, and in the distance another human or astronaut of the green space, navigating their person, appears as if on a crash collision course with your own bodily vehicle. Your heart begins to race as many questions flash through your mind.
“Who is that unknown alien? Do I know them from somewhere? Should I greet them? Smile? Maybe I should pretend I don’t have any idea who they are or, better yet, just completely ignore their existence.”
Too often it seems the latter of those possibilities is the go-to method that we act out upon our fellow students and therefore continue to create disconnect between our neighbors and ourselves. In examining these situations, does it call to mind the ways we react during other moments in our lives in which we are asked to come to resolution? Take for instance those when we are engaged in problems in class, dealing with conflict among friends and family, or entered into some type of artistic or intellectual exchange. In these situations, there seems to be a correct path out of the maze of conflict that one generally seeks to resolve the issue, so as not to remain in anxious suspension. If each of these circumstances has the potential for a positive outcome, there too must be something to learn from the mysterious encounter with the other.
Then comes the overarching question: how do we make this move towards what is good and resolving by departing from our own universe and entering into the enlightenment of the multi-verse?
Well, the only advice needed is to start by smiling and saying, “What’s good, homie?” and then it’s all downhill from there. You’ve bridged the gap and connected with the other to form an understanding and agreeable meaning through the connection. This movement from the individual to the ethical reflects the fact that it is in our human nature to be social beings. So please then, let us embrace our unity through as many aspects of life and community as possible.
For all those in agreement with the beliefs expressed here, a lot of good people have been working very hard to provide a fantastic opportunity to get down and dirty with some electrically charged connections. On Saturday, Nov. 12, there will be a Party for Peace, a charitable music and arts festival, held from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the University’s late-night venue, Uptown, located in Swartz Hall. The meaning of the event comes from its triangular form. The first point is to raise money to support Amnesty International in their promotion of peace and love around the world; the second is to showcase the artistic talent of our campus affiliates; and the third is a personal challenge, directly from that tall kid with the ‘fro who people call J-Brown, to participate in an out-of-comfort, out-of-body event.
The Party for Peace features a variety of talent from the visual, musical, and theatrical arts, which aims to parallel the historical progression of performing arts. The night will begin with the more ancient forms, including spoken word from Stadler Center poets and a performance from the improv troupe, We Break for Nobody. From there it will progress to live musical acts ranging from singer-songwriters, such as Max Kortlander, to full bands, like The Away Birds, and will conclude with the digital arts of live DJ sets. If the discovery of the desire to meet new people, see new colors, feel new sounds, and engage in novel experience sheds its light on you, then please join us for a night of positivity, peace, and art.
“You enter alone; we leave together.”