Justice Week concluded Friday night with Just Expressions, where 15 student performers shared personal stories of injustice through poetry, spoken word and music to approximately 160 attendees in the Cougar Dome.

With varying backgrounds from the inner city of Los Angeles to upper middle class suburbia, performers shared their experiences and hopes on modern injustice.

Senior psychology major Katie Vasseur performed a poem on the mistreatment of women’s bodies as “toys and tools,” sharing her personal experiences in an effort to help women find a “voice about their body.”

“I was inspired by the world we live in, a world that off-handedly
markets in such a way that over sexualizes the body of a woman while
simultaneously devaluing her voice,” said Vasseur. “This suppression of women permeates
our whole society and we all add to it when we support movies, stores,
or even people who perpetuate these toxic ideals.”

The performers’ backdrop read, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.”

In the front corner was a picture of a tiger, with its mane comprised of pieces of paper with students’ experiences of injustices written on them. Two chalkboards read “Before I die I want to change…” and “I fight for justice because…” with spaces for attendees to share their thoughts.

Senior social work major and audience member Lauren McNair described justice as engaging with others in order to understand their stories. McNair said “everyone [should feel] validated and know that they are loved by God.”

“It’s a beautiful chance for us to share as a community our struggles and victories to break down those walls of apathy,” McNair said.