WAC 100B 1J @weundercommonsstudy-blog - Tumblr Blog

Nothing Set in Stone

To me, college has been both a self exploration and a world exploration process. WAC 100B was completely in line with this. It gave me an opportunity to think and reflect about social issues and injustices. Very often, we think of the systems we have in place, to govern our lives, as true and constant as the air we breath. We take for granted that those systems are our own creation - human creation, therefore they are not perfect and completely malleable. WAC 100B was a great reminder of this. It encouraged me to challenge systems like the criminal justice system, look at its flaws, and think of alternatives. An example of a judicial system that I found to be very interesting, to say the least, is Netherland's system (and I encourage others to learn more about it). It heavily utilizes both fines and community service as penalties for crimes and guess what? The Netherlands is suffering from a unique problem: it has too few criminals to fill its prisons and prison workers are in jeopardy of losing their jobs as crime rate is expected to keep on falling and prisons to close. The logic I made out of this is as follows: people might actually value money more than time. I mean if you think about it we give up our time and effort working jobs in exchange for money. Therefore if the judicial system enforcers a risk of losing that valuable money (through fines) in the face of committing a crime rather than the risk of losing time (through imprisonment) then people might be significantly less likely to commit a crime. This is just a thought and a simple analysis of mine, and although this alone doesn't serve as the solution to all our problems, the point is that we need to talk and discuss! We should not think that our systems are set in stone, they were once ideas and thoughts just like mine that were discussed and eventually enforced. Thus, we should always encourage the discussion to keep on going through outlets like WAC 100B, Undercommons, and others. This is the only way change can ever be brought about! - Sultan AlFalasi

One of the most engaging and interesting classes I have taken. I did not really know what to expect from “Art as a Moral Action.” I spent a decent amount of time thinking about what kind of Art can be used as a moral action. I thought about Dosteovsky’s statement: “beauty will save the world.” I pondered on this notion of beauty saving the world; I thought about all the art, music, paintings, extraordinary monuments we have, but is this saving the world? I don’t believe it is. I had to think long and hard to figure out what is a beauty that can save the world. It is in us. The beauty that will save the world is generosity, it’s sharing, it’s compassion. It is all the values that we might perceive as outdated and yet they still lead to colossal energy; the energy of love.

“And its funny how it's the little things in life that mean the most. Not where you live, what you drive or the price tag on your clothes. There’s no dollar sign on a piece of mind. This I've come to know” -The Foundation (Chicken Fried).

-Abed Kawakibi

A Reflection on this Quarter

I think it's safe to say I've never taken a class quite like this one. There were many aspects of my experience this quarter that I appreciated, but the one that stood out to me the most was how there truly was the absence of the usual classroom hierarchy, with the professor at the top, then the TA's, and the students at the bottom. This structure has sometimes made me feel intimidated to ask questions or participate in discussions in other classes, but I did not feel that way in this class whatsoever. Whether this was attributable to the Undercommons style discussion sections, or Professor Sellars' informal lecture style, I appreciate that it made me feel like I was on the same level as the professor or TA's in my role of contributor to the class. Something else I appreciated was that there were guest speakers at every lecture. We focused predominantly on the criminal justice system as our topic for the quarter, which was something that, looking back, I can say I was quite ignorant about before taking this class. I had never been exposed to the rampant corruption and pressing need for reform. I'm grateful that this gave me the opportunity to open my eyes to this issue. Now I know that this is something I would want to improve by using my voice as a citizen and my power to influence change as a human being. None of this would have been as clear to me as it is now if I hadn't been exposed to the firsthand experiences of people who have spent time in our prisons, who have spent countless hours and days fighting for a related cause, or whose families and daily lives have been drastically altered as a result of the shortcomings of our justice system. For this, I am truly grateful that I was able to hear their stories when they came to our class as guest speakers. Most of all, I am thankful to Shamell for being the positive light that she has been throughout the quarter. This was a time period that was full of technical challenges at home for me, and her determination to spread positivity and encourage us to love ourselves, love one another, and allow ourselves to heal in adversity were ideas that I needed present in my mind. I will take the themes that were presented to me this quarter and apply them to my life to the best of my ability, and I sincerely believe that only good can come of that. -Anna Oganyan

“To all of the young people out there who are creating social change or even fomenting social movements: hold on to your idealism and your belief in your ability to change the world. Your lofty goals demand attention and deserve support.” -Lynn Schusterman

To start off, I want to thank Shamell Bell and Professor Peter Sellars for giving me the opportunity to be part of their wonderful discussions and lectures. I want to also thank them for creating such a unique and enriching learning environment that I was very glad to be a part of. At the start of the quarter I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I’m more than happy that I chose to stick with it. This class exposed me to certain social phenomena that I would have never been exposed to had I not taken the class. These ideas that I’ve been exposed to have pushed me to come to the sad conclusion that all of us who believe that the world we live in now is fine as it is are fools. One specific example is the justice system. Most of us have never even questioned the justice system or why it even exists at all, and that was just one of the things we talked about. We are all fools until we realize the extents of the various reformations that our society has to go through in order to create a more humane and less unfair world to live in. We are all fools until we join together, act upon these realizations, and make the necessary reformations a reality.

-Ehab Ghanem

#WAC100B

WAC 100B

Before taking this class, I honestly did not know what to expect. Prof Sellars perfectly set the stage his first time lecturing when he told how art and culture are both part of the class. During the whole course, I noticed how this was true being part of Shamell’s discussion. We presented at or near the undercommons which is unlike any class I have had before. The material itself is quite enlightening. The class definitely showed me how the justice system works in the US; something, I had little knowledge about before taking this class. I hope other students discover this class and take it because like Shamell said, the class is unlike any other in its unique way of teaching and content.

- Mohammad Almalla

WAC 100B

This course has truly been a life changing experience. When first enrolling into the class I was not sure as to what to expect. My friend had taken the class before and just mentioned that it was fun and I would really enjoy Professor Sellars. However, I believe that this quarters topic on “Reforming the Prison System” really gave me insight. The different guest lecturers, the passion from Sellars, and the discussion sections really helped me internalize the content from the class. The fact that I took this class around election time made the class even more meaningful for me because I took the information that I was being given and spread it around my community (friends and family). One lecture that touched me the most was the lecture with the two men who had previously been incarcerated, telling us about the importance of Prop 57. Another lecture that touched me was the last lecture with the two UCLA Law School professors and criminal defense lawyers, giving us insight on the work they do, helping those who have been convicted with non violent crimes, to get out of jail. Their experiences with this work and the cases that they shared really touched me because I know that I have a calling to serve underprivileged communities. Many of the people that they work with come from low-income background and therefore have a higher chance of getting incarcerated. These lawyers have inspired me to look into the type of work, not only career wise, but also volunteer wise, that I can do in order to help bring about positive change to these communities. This class has truly been inspiring, and I think that taking it now during my senior year was great because it will definitely help me as I choose the type of career I would like to pursue.

-Olakunbi Latona

WAC 100B Response

This class truly got me to think about the number of incarcerations throughout our state—incarcerations that could be substituted via rehabilitation services, among many others. It is no secret that a majority of our minority communities are targeted, and thus comprise the majority of our jails. As part of the final response due for this class, I have decided to discuss my overall experience with Professor Sellars, this class, and my discussion. I initially enrolled in this course after reading Professor Sellar’s reviews on Bruinwalk. It did not take much for me to be positively sure that I want to enroll in his class. Nonetheless, as the beginning of the quarter quickly approaches us, I would like to personally reflect on this course, and how incredibly beneficial it was for me to take it. In Week three, Bryonn Bain discussed the abolition of prisons, the negative affects they leave on individuals, and the various courses he offers at our institution. I truly appreciated having guest lecturers that were imbedded within our large community—as I have had many courses that introduced guest lectures via Skype, etc., making these individuals very unapproachable. I have looked into enrolling in one of Bain’s offered courses, and was very pleased with his lecture that week. In writing the final paper, I was forced to address certain memories that I have truly attempted to suppress and never re-open for discussion. I found myself becoming very angry with the people around me—for no apparent reason—and could not understand where this immense hostility was emerging from. Nonetheless, after reopening those wounds—as I was asked to do in my final paper—I recognized that this immense anger was stemming from my unresolved issues. I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in this class and to have written this paper. Unlike many of the papers that I have written in my academic career, this paper will be one that I will cherish forever—the honesty and unparalleled effort that I have put into addressing all points of the prompt truly did me justice (and will hopefully continue to do so). Also to note, Shamell Bell was truly inspirational and one of the best TA’s I've ever had.

-Arya Goel

We're clueless

Before enrolling in this class, I looked at the structure of the justice system as a part of society that had been around for so long that there was no room for any improvement — and boy, was I wrong. Throughout the course we heard from many inspiring speakers and victims of the system who have made breakthroughs to step up and speak up about the problems that the current justice system has. The amount of people who are wrongfully incarcerated is beyond what most people think. Moreover, beyond those who are wrongfully incarcerated, the system is set up for total failure for anyone who may fall victim to it. Given job deadlines, fees, lack of education, and minimal human value, often times, incarcerating people results in an punishment that can harm the human being in ways that are way worse than the crime itself. In discussion we spoke about ways to change this and we concluded that the first step towards change was creating awareness. The greatest issue is that the general public is so clueless on what's really happening. People need to do research and go out and find out the truth and not settle for the facts that they think they know. As we learned, don't be a Peter (biblical reference) and rather stand up, speak loud, for what is right so that less members of society are clueless to the damage we are doing to our people, children, and many valuable lives. - Antony Basta

Some hope and light!

This photo is from Aleppo, Syria. The city that faced the most destruction due to the Syrian Revolution. Professor Sellars talked about hope and helping others throughout the course and I though this picture would reflect that. This kids didn’t have access to pools, parks, or anything else that other kids their age have access to. They were living under brutal circumstances but despite that they were trying their best to find the light in that darkness. They found a spot of water, without caring about the risks or diseases they might get from water, and all they cared about is enjoying whatever is available for them. Each one of us should be like them, enjoy anything we have and appreciate it no matter how small it is because some people around the world might not have the simple stuff to enjoy. Live every day of your life to the fullest and surround yourself by positive people so you can find the light in the darkness or even be that light.

Fadi

I enrolled in this class after looking at the reviews on bruin walk, but I knew nothing about Peter Sellars or the course. I had no idea what “Art as a Moral Action” meant and I didn’t know anyone who was majoring in World Arts and Cultures. I essentially had no idea what I signed up for. Although, I’m really glad I took this class. Coming from a minority background, it was honestly great to see an older, white man advocating for the rights and speaking about important issues involving mostly minorities. It made me feel very comfortable in class and discussion.

I knew about the current prison system coming into this class, but I learned more in depth about it and the challenges the families face as well. I think that the play presented in class had the greatest impact on me. It made me really think about how imprisonment affects family members; it literally tears a family apart and children have to grow up in a single-parent household which obviously negatively impacts the children. Because of this, many children end up going down the same path, too.

Other than that, I learned so much in this class and all of these topics were so real and taboo. These are issues that everyone needs to discuss and advocate for. This is reminded me how important that is and how important it is to make a positive impact on the world.

- Aisha B.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had it right when we said that the only way to conquer injustice, violence, and intolerance, was with peace, hope, and love. The way I see my experience in Art as Moral Action is this: I was provided with a framework or lens, so to speak, with which and through which I can encounter any situation, any issue with eyes of radical mercy; in particular, the genius of this quarter was that it allowed me to test this framework along the way by looking at the causes of restorative justice many are undertaking in our state, across out country, and around the world today.

WAC 100B was, in a word, r-a-w. And so is life. I cannot emphasize enough the sheer importance of the content of this class so closely paralleling our real, lived experiences. So much of what we are fed today by mainstream media and those in authority is intended to suppress rather than to stir-up any real passion, desire, or aspiration for something greater and something more. Among the most prevalent issues is that society forgets about the human person, the individual. As Pope Saint John Paul II said, “As the family goes, so goes the world.” What he meant by this was that as so many societal ills chip-away at the family unit (which was created to be the foremost reflection of the love God has for us)--unjust imprisonment and inhumane punishment, racism and prejudice, and especially abortion--any semblance of balance, harmony, and peace will become less and less attainable.

This course was a real call to action for all of us to remember that if we want to change the world, all that’s required to start is to go home and love our families. We need not wait a single minute! When we begin to realize that we are in fact loved perfectly by Our God who created us, we can then love ourselves and will not be able to contain the desire to love others in return.

Sincerely,

Matthew M. Zahn

#mercy MLK JPII MamaT totustuus letpeacebeginwithme

I had no idea what I would learn from this class when I signed up. I hadn’t even heard of the WAC department or what it was. So when I was told by my friend to take this class I was confused as to what it even was. The only thing I had heard was how everyone gets an A, but I’m glad that’s not all I got out of the class. The guest speakers, topics, discussion, professors, TA’s that were in this class cumulatively worked together to open my eyes to the problems we face in the world today. No other class I have been in has talked about topics such as laws, props, or the prison system because it’s usually just about memorizing facts or history. The things I learned in this class have stuck with me more than any other class because there is no pressure, instead its an open space to talk and express your feelings and I wish every other class was like this one.

-Lori Panossian

Reflection of WAC 100B

When I first came into this class I had no idea what to expect. The beginning of this school year was really a soul-searching journey for me, and I am beyond grateful to have taken this class at this point in my life.

I remember one lecture in particular when Professor Sellars spoke about his experiences in Southeast Asia when he met a local wiseman. The man told him “life is slow- but the mind moves quickly”. This, to me, was revelatory and really struck home the point that peace of mind over body is the most important thing any human can have.

Thanks to Shamell for leading a great section and discussion and for showing me another side to Los Angeles that I had no idea existed.

-Sean O

WAC100B Reflection

From the first lecture with Peter Sellars, he inspired me to go out and change the world. I remember I was in the midst of applying for business school, knowing deep down, it wasn’t what I wanted to do. And that one lecture with Peter made me turn on my feet. Here’s what he said that stuck with me, and will maybe stick with you too.

“Become close to who you actually are.”

“Take the chance to do in your life what you want to do.”

“Make the breakthrough that the rest of college doesn’t let you make.”

I knew I always wanted to help people, to make this world a better place. And meeting Peter in office hours helped me realize that was possible. Peter’s lecture and guest speakers emphasized how much “wrong” there is in our world and how much “good” the world could actually use right now.

We also got to write a paper, a paper for ourselves. For me, the paper was an important aspect of the class, because I got to use language, non-academic language to retell and revisit an event in my life that had a huge impact on me. Peter is right, academic writing calcifies and falsifies the nature of reality, so being able to express myself in that way was new and great.

Going forward, I will try to keep the messages of WAC100B somewhere in my mind. We do need to be constantly reminded to pause, look around, and think about what we can do to make the world a little better.

-Toffy C (Dis 1K)

Reflection

When enrolling for this class, I had no idea that Peter Sellars’ class would be like no other. It looks like a typical lecture where he is speaking at us for hours, but it turned out to be so different. Thank you, WAC 100B, for teaching me things about the world and opening me up to new perspectives. Thank you for teaching me what really matters -- and what I thought I would never actually learn in a lecture hall. Shamell and Andy’s personal story resonated with me the most this quarter. They are both extremely unique individuals, and I have never met anyone like either of them. Because of those two people in particular, at almost 20 years old, I am now learning about the injustices of mass incarceration and our prison system. That can be pretty embarrassing to admit, especially because of the fact that Shamell’s son has known and fought for this cause practically since the day he was born. There may be a maturity gap between a young child and an almost 20 year old, but there is something extremely powerful in the way that a young boy can offer perspectives that grown men and women are blind to. I am proud to have better knowledge and understanding of these controversial topics. Better late than never! Peter talks about how this class isn’t to tell us what to think, but to provide the facts and have us decide on our own. I appreciate that he makes this distinction. I may not be as passionate as some others in this class about these topics, but I’m on your side. Thanks, everyone!

-Casey C.

Reflection

When I came to class and heard Peter Sellars tell us that this class would be life changing, I didn’t believe him. I signed up for the same reason that many other students in the class did, because we had heard good things and it wasn’t very difficult. I have learned more in this class than I have in many of my other classes. To have the opportunity to just immerse yourself in the material and connect with people you wouldn’t regularly without constantly worrying how many points you’ve earned and how your GPA could be affected was a mystifying experience.

My favorite part of the class was getting to listen to the testimonies of real life people that have been affected by things I had never been exposed to. I find it so unique that this course cannot only talk about where our society needs real and meaningful change, but about what we can do right now to help rectify these issues and how I can use my own privileges and talents to pave the way for some of these changes to become realities. I think the best thing to come from the culture this class creates is the realness it exudes. We talked about real life issues and real meaningful things that are applicable to society RIGHT NOW.

- Cassidy S

Reflection

Art as moral action was the first class at UCLA that truly opened my eyes to all the injustice our world has faced and currently faces. But it also opened my eyes to everything we can do to right these wrongs. WAC was unlike any course I have ever taken. This class was so refreshing and I’m incredibly thankful I had the opportunity to take it during my senior year at UCLA. I know before coming into this class I thought that to be “revolutionary” you had to do something spectacular and grand that would somehow affect thousands or millions of people. Peter taught us that we all have the ability to revolutionize the world no matter how large or small our contribution is. Simply loving one another is revolutionary considering our world today is filled with so much hate. I learned how, even though I may not think it, my life is affected by everyone around me and their struggles. Thinking of yourself as privileged and above others’ struggles actually makes you underprivileged. This was especially interesting to think about. So often I think of myself as being just an outsider or unaffected by things that aren’t directly related to me. Because of this mindset, I often dissociate myself from others who identify with the issue and I don’t even think of ways I could help to remedy the situation. Now knowing that everything is actually directly related to me in some way has changed my outlook my role in making a difference. I want to graduate from UCLA and then go on to grad school to become a physician’s assistant. I always thought medicine would be the only way I could contribute to changing the world for the better. Professor Sellars taught me that I could not be more wrong in this sense. I have the power to positively affect others in every moment, every interaction I have with someone. Even if we don’t know it in that moment, what we say and how we treat someone may be the highlight of their day or cause them to change their outlook just like Professor Sellars did for all 300+ students in WAC. From this class, I also walked away with a more positive attitude. Even though we learned about all these terrible things going on in the world, I was instilled with new hope because I saw a generation of my peers who were all as inspired as I was to make a change in the world and actually start to make moves to demand justice for all those who have been wronged in some way.

-Lauren D.

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WAC 100B 1J