Arts & Entertainment
Day Two in the Fast for Nonviolence
Students in day two of the SLAM Fast For Nonviolence discuss the production of the day one video.
Tuesday's fasters in the San Leandro Academy for Multimedia (SLAM) Fast for Nonviolence were Celine Garcia, Leith Sheridan, and DeeJay Conic. They worked on Monday's and Tuesday's video, and are fasting for 24 hours.
Like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, leader of the United Farm Workers, was a proponent of nonviolent action. In 1968, Mr. Chavez fasted for 24 days straight in order demand the Farm Workers' commitment to nonviolence.
For four years now, SLAM has participated in the high school's Season of Service, Period of Peace by emulating Chavez's fast. Each SLAM participant fasts for 24 hours and then breaks his or her fast by being fed by the next faster—a kind of relay.
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On their fasting day, the studnets also present a media piece they have created to raise awareness on an issue of their choice pertaining to nonviolence.
This year we are focusing on an issue that is particularly close to our community: accepting differences. Intolerance and misunderstanding of others is the beginning of many conflicts that can lead to violence.
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The work produced by students ranges from animations, to videos, to graphic designs. Each piece expresses the student's personal take on the issue.
SLAM's larger purpose is to bring our school and community together and take action against violence that we have all faced. We have been deeply impacted by the violence against fellow students over the last several years. This is one way to deal with the reality and try to prevent similar incidents in the future.
