Waking Up the World with Faith, Reason, and Justice

In 2014, Eastern University revealed to the community a new marketing slogan: Wake Up the World. The university website states, “To ‘Wake Up the World’ means to become aware of your ability to make a difference in the lives of others.” This slogan is about finding various ways we can help others in the world and proactively striving to help them. Thus Wake Up the World is more than simple awareness that I can make difference for others; it involves actually making this difference by aiming to change lives while using my skillset and spiritual gifts. Another part of this slogan involves people making a commitment to challenge themselves to seek opportunities where they can positively impact lives.

While “Wake Up the World” is Eastern University’s marketing slogan, the foundational slogan for the school is Faith, Reason, and Justice. Eastern University defines itself as  a “co-educational, comprehensive Christian university that integrates faith, reason and justice for its 3,762 students.” The faith portion encourages students to expand their spiritual life during their college years. Reason invites students to develop critical thinking to combat adult life situations. Finally, justice is the use of faith and reason to fight proactively against discrimination.

“Wake Up the World” correlates to Faith, Reason, and Justice because both strive to inspire students to realize how they can individually help people and seek ways to do it. Both also challenge students to step outside their comfort zones to make a difference. Faith, Reason, and Justice are the steps for students to figure out how they can assist others while “Wake Up the World” is the application. However, the understanding for both slogans is different. Students have a better understanding of Faith, Reason, and Justice because they are required to take a course in its concepts. Some students aren’t yet sure what “Wake Up the World” means since only students who attended the reveal of marketing slogan and competed in the video contest for the slogan were deeply informed about the purpose of it. However, the new students who have attended Eastern since 2014 haven’t been notified of the purpose for “Wake Up the World” if they haven’t researched it on the university’s website.

In my experience, “Wake Up the World” has encouraged me to think of different ways I can help others, but “Faith, Reason, and Justice” has inspired me to turn my thoughts into actions. Therefore, the slogan that most effectively addressed the mission of Eastern is “Faith, Reason, and Justice.” Some students need a road map to help determine a way to they can help change lives, and the slogan “Faith, Reason, and Justice” provides a strategic plan to learn how one can individually help lives throughout the college experience. With the course INST150, I was able to read books and have class discussions about faith, reason, and justice. The process of reading various books and hearing others’ ideas on these topics allowed me to expand my ideals. Moreover, I started to question whether I was doing enough to improve my faith, expand my critical thinking skills, and seek justice for others. Also, this slogan was in some manner incorporated in majority of my courses’ objectives, so I was continually challenged to develop my understanding of faith, reason, and justice as well as implement active ways to assist others. Some steps I have taken to help lives at Eastern involve being a tutor for three years, serving as a resident assistant for two years, and co-founding a diversity task force at Eastern called the Hosea 4:6 Initiative.

I propose that the slogan “Faith, Reason, and Justice” be a guideline for students to learn and cultivate awareness for why changing lives is important and how they can change lives individually. Then, the slogan “Wake up the World” be used as a motivational tool while striving to actively help people.

Source: eastern.edu