MT. HOOD STUDENTS ATTEND CONSORTIUM AT OXFORD

MHCC may not be the largest school in the area, but our school does not have to be massive in order to be able to offer opportunities that might take you around the world to remarkable places – such as Oxford University.

This past March, and the year prior, the Mt. Hood Community College Foundation sponsored two students to attend the Oxford Consortium on Human Rights at Oxford University, in England.

Consisting of 25-30 students, the consortium’s attendees represented a number of colleges and universities from around the country, but Mt. Hood was the only community college included.

The two students from MHCC, who have since moved on, were Brenna Schmidt and Hunter Boelow.

Cheyney Ryan, human rights program director at Oxford University’s Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict (ELAC), puts the Consortium event together every spring. Instructors involved in this event either know, or have some mutual contact, with Ryan.

In this case, Janet McIntyre, dean of Integrated Media/Performing and Visual Arts here at MHCC, had made a connection with Ryan and so was responsible for getting Mt. Hood to be a participant of such an impressive event.

Both MHCC students, along with Janet Campbell, Mt. Hood political science and business instructor, attended this year’s event.

The five-day seminar, “Human Rights in and After Conflict,” presented teachings and research workshops on human rights, global conflict, humanitarian aid, and peace building, “aimed at understanding and creating effective solutions for the issues of today,” according to organizers.

With contributions from a variety of “high-power people,” as Campbell explained, the seminar hosted the director of policy from the International Red Cross and one of the members that helped with the recovery of the Rwandan genocide, along with many other field workers.

Campbell described the Consortium as intensive, intimate, and inspirational.

“It’s… really, kind of intensive. We’re in there from 9 (a.m.) to 3 (p.m.) every day, then there’s an evening session, as well. It was five days, then the students do a presentation at the end, on the fifth day.

“It’s an intimate experience; they are living in the dorms together, and we spent so much time together, and the level of passion about human rights is so high, that everyone just inspires everyone,” Campbell continued. “Like, the people who are really big in the field inspire the students, but the future of the human rights movement are the students in that room, so the inspiration kind of goes back as well.

“It’s a really unique situation.”

There were many events that each student could look forward too, but as an instructor and someone already well-informed about the subject, Campbell was able to experience the consortium in a different way.

Her own highlight was being able to see the interaction between students, and the passion that each student had for human rights.

“My highlight was seeing the student presentations. Through their presentations, their own commitments to human rights came out,” she said. “And you know, especially when you follow the news, it’s mostly negative stuff. And just to see that caliber of students taking these issues really seriously gives you hope for the world. It really does.”

Attending the Consortium on Human Rights at Oxford University is an extraordinary opportunity for students to travel and advocate for human rights. If this is something that may interest you, MHCC will be attending again next year.

Students interested in applying must submit an essay explaining why they are interested in human rights, and actions they have taken to advance human rights. For more information, contact Campbell at [email protected].

Advocate Staff