'JOURNEY TO A HATE FREE MILLENNIUM':
Speaker Brent Scarpo will present "Journey to a Hate Free Millennium" at 9:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 4, in Maucker Union Ballroom. "Journey to a Hate Free Millennium" is a multiple award-winning documentary that centers around true stories taken from national headlines. The inspiring documentary addresses the subject of hate by searching out the origins of how it is "taught and learned," the scope of its danger beginning with childhood taunting to murder. Sponsored by the Campus Activities Board, UNI Greek Life and Violence Intervention Services.
The documentary focuses on three violent hate crimes that happened in the U.S. and shocked everyone who read about them around the world: the murders of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming and James Byrd in Texas, and the Columbine shooting. It shows emotional interviews with relatives of the victims, as well as an interview with a former white supremacist who is now an activist for tolerance. Scarpo's message was to reflect about hate and how to stop hate with love. He urged the audience to become a part of the solution, and not a part of the problem.
His message became slightly confusing when he said "...pick a side, I'd rather you be a hater than just do nothing". A student in the audience asked him to clarify that comment, because he thought that thinking this way leads to further division. Scarpo answered that sometimes it is only through experiencing hate that one can see the light and change. Although his message was well-intentioned, I think it might have confused the audience. In any case, the value of this type of activities is creating awareness of what goes on in the world and our societies.