At the halftime of the Homecoming game, senior member of the homecoming court, Jackie Baartz, included in her bio: “is a part of the Students Opposing Slavery Club, which hopefully includes everyone else in George Mason and around the world”. This was when many at GM had heard about this club for the first time, and many asked what this new club was about. Wasn’t slavery eradicated in the United States?
Different forms of slavery exist, and some are still alive today. The Monday meeting of the Students Opposing Slavery club (SOS) started with a CNN report of a Mexican woman who was lured into the sex trafficking world at the age of 12. She was exploited multiple times every day to make money for the brothel that controlled her. Even more misfortunate, the girl by the name of Carla was one of two million children who are being exploited in the global sex trade. Today, she advocates against human trafficking.
At the end of the video, the club officers asked the members what they thought. The video evoked “sadness” in most at the plight of Carla and the situation of the two million other children who were coerced into the trade. One member, Genevieve Estrada, said it was “touching”. The mood and the silence in the room seemed to echo those sentiments. The issue of slavery is, in fact, very real today.
After this short discussion, the class officers showed a music video for “This Song Saved My Life” by Simple Plan and produced by MTV Next. This one showed children working in sweatshop making white shirts. One child can be spotted inserting a plea for help in the collar of the shirt. Eventually, investigators found the factory and freed the children. The video ended with the line “Freedom comes from knowledge” on the screen.
“The two million children in sex trafficking does not even include child labor,” said senior Kate Gilligan. The issue of slavery includes child labor. The club officers said the focus of their first semester would be on labor trafficking with an emphasis on child labor.
“Have you heard any of our political candidates talk about human trafficking?” asked club sponsor Ms. Tammy Chincheck. The club’s goal is mainly to raise an awareness that seems to be lacking around the issue.
At the conclusion of the meeting, club officers explained their agenda for the semester. It includes fundraising and the potential visit of a slavery survivor to give a talk at George Mason. They plan to set up a table at lunch where students will receive a reward for having the human trafficking hotline number on their phones. The club will also discuss fair trade brands, and the Good Weave organization that unites non-profits in the fight against child labor in the clothing industry.
The founders and co-presidents of the club — seniors Kate Gilligan, Ashley Smith and Tiffanie Chau-Dang — said they were inspired by a camp they attended over the summer called the SOS summit. The summit lasted a week and regrouped people from places as far as Laos and as close as Falls Church. People from non-profits, government officials, survivors and a psychologist all taught attendees about slavery today. Also in attendance were some students from TC Williams High School who provided resources for the club here to get started.
The club meets every other Monday in Ms. Chincheck’s room: D133. Officers encourage students to come to a meeting then.
