How much is a human life worth?

Easy answer–priceless right? I think that would be the answer the majority of us would give. Life, especially human life could not possibly have a price tag. Well friend, I beg to differ, according to Free the slaves.com in the South in 1850, one human cost approximately $40,000.00 by today’s monetary standards. If you wanted to actually by a slave to mow the lawn for, or say, pick you fruit today, the average person would only run you about $90.00.

Shocked? I thought you might be.

Human life does have a price tag, but it doesn’t have to. Justin Dillon, director of Call and Response firmly believes that we are on the verge of a modern day abolitionist movement. I tend to agree. One of the most shocking realities I can provide to you right now, is to think about the nearest major city from your home. If you’re like me, that answer is Chicago. And do you know what? Slavery happens in Chicago. It happens in New York, and Los Angeles, in massage parlors and restaurants not only around the globe but in our own backyard. 27 million; and that is a modest estimate. The US government estimates that 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the US each year to be used as slaves. You’d think with numbers so high, there would be a rather large amount of convictions of human trafficking. 50, 50 is the number of convictions last year due to human trafficking. As Justin Dillon put it when he spoke after a special screening here at North Central, there are more bike thieves caught annually than slave traders.

You might be wondering a few things such as: wow, I want to know more, or, geeze, what can I do now, or even, how can I tell my friends and family about this? The answers, or at least some of them can be found in the links provided. This is not a problem that a few people can fix; it’s not a problem that government officials can cure either with their fancy rhetoric, or ‘solid legislation’. The only remedy for a human rights issue this massive is us; the people, who care deeply for the value of human life, and who know that there should never be a price put on a person.

To learn more, please visit www.callandresponse.com and www.freetheslaves.com each of these sites provide some fun, and creative ways to become more educated on this matter, and get the word out to others!

Also if you have not had the opportunity of viewing Call and Response, I encourage you to find a city where it is still playing, or a college campus that will be hosting the tour.

I think that this blog’s lesson is clear: Life is priceless, and never forget that.

When you ask students about week 5most will groan and talk about the myriad of midterms plaguing them. However, every once in a while, a term will come around where your week 5 is open, completely free of midterms. It’s when those dreaded tests and papers fall on weeks 4 and 6, leaving, if planned accordingly, an open week 5 for the taking.  I got lucky this term on week 5. Everything I had due was for weeks 4 and 6, and everything due week 6 was done well before the beginning of week 5! So what did I do with that glorious week of freedom you are asking? I went into Chicago. Three times. Yes, count them, one, two, and three.

Now who says you can’t have fun in the middle of a stressful term!

So what did you do? I be that’s your next question. Well, the first time I went in with three of my lovely friends, Mel, B, and Ellen*. We did the typical winter activities of ice skating (quite poorly I might add) in Millennium Park, taking silly jumping pictures in front of the giant colored structures, and ate dinner at the Bennigan’s on Michigan Ave.

All in all, it was quite glorious. Now this excursion was on Sunday afternoon, and our next trip happened the Tuesday after.

This time, I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with two of my amazing friends, Mata and Corn*.  After work and classes, we hopped on the 2:30 train into Union Station and proceeded on to the Field Museum! We were totally pumped because the Museum closes it’s entrance at 4 pm, and we entered the building at 3:58! Not only that, but it was a free day! Anyway, so we entered into the magnificent building filled with some of my favorite items (dinosaurs, I’m not afraid to admit it!) when a security guard stopped us! He informed us that the staff had already closed the registers for the day. We were SO BUMMED! However, after a completely justified use of my well practiced puppy dog face, and showing him my cell phone which clearly said 3:58, he gave us ‘Member’ stickers, and let us in anyway. The whole thing really was one for this history books!

The third trip closely resembled that of the first, only this time again I was joined by Mata and Corn. We entered the city on Saturday for a fun filled 50 degree day of ice skating in t-shirts! Seriously, I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

Okay—so moral of the story: yes, terms are stressful, and demanding, however, when you plan and set achievable goals for yourself, it does not mean you still can’t make time for fun!

*the names used, although not given by parents, are their real names which they respond to on a daily basis