“What is Justice?” is the campus theme for North Park’s 2009-2010 school year, and many students and faculty alike feel strongly that justice is a dominant part of the environment on this campus.

The campus theme started as part of the general education program of the North Park Dialouge. Each theme is formed as a question. North Park rotates between ten themes such as “What is Community?” “Why be Ethical?” and “Who’s Life is it Anyway?” “The idea was to make the campus theme an important question that should be discussed,” said Dean Peterson. “It’s open-ended with no clear, ready-made answer.”

Dean Peterson also said that while there is not a lot of intended student initiative to promote the campus theme, teachers should be including campus themed lectures to bring the discussion into the classroom. “I’m not sure how successful it is,” said Peterson. While a few students didn’t even know we had a campus theme, many said their teachers talked about it in class and also felt it was an important issue to discuss.

“I think it’s very important to take a step back, analyze, and have a position on it,” said junior Eunice Walters. “It’s productive for the student community to have someone telling you to take a look in the mirror.” Other students agreed. “It gives a person a sense of empowerment,” said sophomore Marcaux Methavichit.