Interacting with speakers from the United Nations and campaigning for politicians in the Big Apple are not typical weekend activities for most college students, but that is exactly what a group of five EMU students did during the past week. First-year students Emma Stahl-Wert and Larisa Zehr participated in a three day Mennonite Central Committee-United Nations (MCC-UN) seminar before joining Hannah Kraybill, Rhoda Shirk and Nathan Kauffman in Long Island, New York for three more days of intense political campaigning with the Brookhaven Town Democratic Committee (BTDC).

For many students at EMU, the years of study at this institution are spent within a limited sphere. Many students have classes in the same rooms, frequent the same computer labs and interact with the same faculty members. However, a short trek off the beaten path may disclose some of the lesser-known treasures that the university holds.

Perhaps one of the most hotly discussed and debated current national and regional issues is that of immigration. Local filmmaker Brent Finnegan explores illegal immigration in his documentary “Virginia Reports: The Latino Underground.” The film, slated to be shown at Common Grounds on Monday at 8 p.m., focuses on undocumented workers in Virginia, specifically the Shenandoah Valley.

First I would like to affirm the Tunnel of Oppression as an important and much needed focus for students and faculty alike to support and learn from. I also must say that I did not attend the T.O.O. this year, but I still have some critical thoughts about a specific area of the project. I have some significant experience with hate and rejection based on appearance, so I believe my thoughts don’t come out of complete ignorance.

This past Saturday, the women’s field hockey team competed in the ODAC (Old Dominion Athletic Conference) Championship that was held here on the EMU turf field. It was a rematch of last year’s championship with the Lynchburg Hornets. Before entering the contest, both teams were entering conference play with good records. The hornets had a mark of 18-4 and 7-1 in the conference with their only loss of the season to the Royals. The Lady Royals record was very similar with a mark of 10-7 overall and 7-0 in conference play.

Yet another documentary by Michael Moore, “Sicko” is a unique film about the failure and corruption of healthcare and medical insurance in the United States. Despite its informative and educational nature, this piece is in no way dry or uninteresting. The movie’s many clever quips and amusing comments make it plain to see that Moore knows how to connect with an entertainment-hungry audience and still get his point across. Underneath the layer of engaging jokes, however, a serious and distressing message is waiting for American movie-goers.