Now that Valentine's Day is sufficiently behind us, those who despise the holiday can relax because there are 360 days (sorry to remind you) until Cupid's return. For those who enjoy the holiday, you can continue indulging in half-price heart-shaped candy and boxes of chocolate from the clearance shelves.
Regardless of your feelings about Valentine's Day, it's important to stop for a moment and reflect upon the very thing that this holiday celebrates: love. I'm not talking about relationships or the mushy stuff. I'm referring to love in the general sense - love as the common denominator of humanity.
I am reluctant to admit that this article is partially inspired by Valentine's Day. But the true motivation for this article comes from a documentary I watched a week ago in my banned books class. The documentary, "Precious Knowledge" (2011), chronicles the termination of the Mexican American Studies Program in the Tucson unified school district. Nearly two years ago, Arizona state lawmakers effectively banned ethnic studies programs from Arizona public schools, as put into effect in May 2010 by Arizona HB 2281.
It wasn't the fascinating, surprising and sickening series of events leading to the banning of the Mexican American Studies Program in Tucson and other ethnic studies programs in Arizona public schools that made a lasting impression.
What resonated the most with me was the discussion of love as a common goal in all Mexican American Studies classrooms. The program's teachers discussed that the main thing they taught in their classrooms was love. They, too, were not talking about the mushy stuff or relationships, but instead about love in a general, holistic sense.
These teachers were talking about establishing a love and passion for one's ethnic heritage, a passion for being active and dutiful citizens, a passion for learning and education and most importantly a passion for life. It seems like an overly simple foundation for a classroom, but it makes so much sense. Love, by this interpretation, is not divisive but is common to all humans in some way, shape or form. Love is so common, yet so misconstrued.
Love has the potential to transform the current face of American public education that has been fractured by increased rigidity of standards and high-stakes testing. If students are able to experience love and develop a passion in the classroom, perhaps they will feel more connected to learning and less like they are just memorizing facts for the sake of regurgitation on a test.
An ownership of learning will translate into a vested interest in education for the long-term, something that has seemingly dissipated alongside increased standardization. Love can mend this broken system.
In the week since seeing this film, I have spent many hours reflecting on this notion of love. This is where Valentine's Day comes in, a day I do enjoy celebrating by remembering the important role love plays in my life. What has become clear to me is that love is universal. Love is the common denominator of humanity. Love translates into every language, religion and ethnicity. I challenge each and every person to reflect upon this dynamic, transformative, universal vision of love, in hopes that you realize love surrounds all of us and it can change our current system for the better.
- Burke is a senior from Nashville, Ind. majoring in education.