Being More at St Ursula’s College

See how St Ursula's College has taken up the Be More Challenge...

to learn about the Be More Challenge and join the online community visit: http://www.bemore.org.au/

Being More at St Ursula’s College

By Emily Montgomery

At St Ursula’s College, Toowoomba, we take on a justice project every year. Last year we challenged ourselves to support the School of St Jude in Tanzania. This year, instead of just raising money, we have decided to make a more lasting action for justice by taking up the Caritas ‘Be More’ challenge.

All students and teachers are behind the challenge. The ‘Aspire not to have more but to be more’ quote has been the focus of our challenge and has been printed on all our school ID cards. The letters of ‘Be More’ have been cut from huge pieces of card, spray painted and prominently displayed in our school hall where assemblies and Masses are held. Some of the year 12 students were able to attend the Caritas Leadership Day facilitated by Jenifer Byrne. They discovered numerous ideas which they could take back to some of the service groups and use to raise awareness of their different causes. Each person at St Ursula’s has made their own individual Be More pledge and these are displayed on the walls of the College.

Currently, all the service groups are working together with the Student Representative Council and the House Leaders, to conduct a ‘Be More Week’. For example, for Be Aware we have invited some of our international students to share their stories; for Be a Voice we have a debate on the topic ‘There is more than enough love but not enough action for justice’; and for Be Just we are concentrating on the growing global food crisis. As the year goes on more and more of us are coming forward to bring Oscar Romero’s words to reality in our lives. We are committed to converting the Be More mantra into authentic action for justice.