U of G Students Spread Social Awareness Throughout Guelph
March 23, 2007 - News Release
A group of 19 University of Guelph students are taking their projects out of the classroom and into the city in hopes of spurring social awareness.
It’s all part of English professor Ajay Heble’s “Literature and Social Change” course, which challenges students to connect what they learn from their textbooks to the social struggles happening in their community in an effort to create change.
The students have planned and organized four events, all of which are free and open to the public. The first is a play called Haiti Held Hostage, an adaptation of The Noam Chomsky Lectures, a play by Daniel Brooks and Guillermo Verdecchia. The Guelph production aims to show how the media perpetuate the idea of Canada’s role in Haiti as one of peacekeeping, when in reality the country is contributing to the current bloodshed. The play runs March 29 at 8 p.m. at War Memorial Hall.
“Guelph Is Skin Deep” is the title of a student-run exhibit showcasing photographs of residents who have written on their skin what it means to them to live in Guelph. The goal of the exhibit is to encourage the public to get inspired about living in the city and being part of a community. This project will launch March 30 at 7 p.m. at the Guelph Youth Music Centre.
Students have also planned a night of art, music and poetry called “Power of the Word,” where artists will share insights on the power of language and encourage the public to get involved in social change. This event is scheduled for April 4 at 7 p.m. at the Woolwich Arms.
Finally, an audio and video art installation called “The Learning Project” will run from April 13 to 15 in the Old Quebec Street Mall. This project, which promotes the idea of learning from the world around us and not just in an educational setting, includes interviews with Guelph residents answering the question: What’s the most important thing you’ve ever learned?
“The students are doing these projects in part because of the course, but they are committed to them in a way that extends beyond the classroom,” said Heble. “I am convinced these works have the potential to have a big impact and will live on in some way.”
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, 519-824-4120, Ext. 53338, or Deirdre Healey, Ext. 56982.
