Morals, ethics, and power:

The CAMFEL assembly

September first, 2009, Sixth period at Goleta Valley Junior High School. Students file across the school into the tightly packed auditorium. Eighth graders will remember a different version of the assembly; CAMFEL does one every year. Now, you are going to go with them, and experience the assembly with them. You finally find a row of seats in the packed auditorium, and spend the time until the movie starts chatting with your friends. There are three screens set up on the stage, each one pointed slightly inward. A projector plays a short, looping clip on each. Finally, the lights begin to dim! You are relieved the waiting is over, and you are looking forward to the feature presentation. After a short announcement, the movie finally begins. You are quickly greeted with thunderous music by some well known artist with a male voice explaining that life can't always be fair. The volume increases, as if the sound barrier hadn't already been broken, and the movie launches into several detailed examples of people who either don't have a fair life, or those who have made the life of others unfair. You notice you are beginning to get used to the audio! Finally, the video begins to wrap up. You see that the people who did bad things get a new life, and you see the people without fair lives either deal with their problems or enjoy their life. The bell rings! Suddenly, you remember you still have sixth period! You groan as you trudge back to your classroom, defeated.