Peaceful gathering
By Emily Baker
Staff Reporter

TCU Peace Action took advantage of sunny skies and a pleasant spring breeze Thursday afternoon to host the third annual Peace Fest, a festival designed to celebrate what peace there is in the world, said Jeff Brubaker, Peace Action president.

“Right now it is hard to think of what peace we have left,” said Brubaker, a junior history major. “Even though we are at war, we have to savor what peace we have left and enjoy the freedom we have now that we might not have tomorrow.”

Peace Action members tie-dyed T-shirts to raise money for a trip to participate in a protest this fall in Fort Benning, Ga., Brubaker said. Amnesty International also attended to ask festival participants for signatures on letters protesting the development of oil pipelines in Ecuador.

A moderate-sized group of people attended the event, which began at 2 p.m. and lasted all afternoon in front of Frog Fountain. Several students said the main reason they attended was to listen the live music.

Recent TCU graduate Sean Grost said he came to play music and promote peace.
Michael Misquiston, a freshman business major at Tarrant County College, said he writes music with Grost and that the two came to perform at the festival.

“I feel war is immoral, and it goes against everything I believe,” Misquiston said. “It isn’t good for children to watch 24-hour war coverage. We teach parents not to spank their children, and then we go to war? The inconsistencies don’t make sense.”

Grost said he also cautions against inconsistencies and suggests that people research their views to determine their validity.

Junior engineering major Andy Walker said he attended the festival for several reasons.
“I love to tie dye, I love live music and I love peace,” he said. “This isn’t a protest but an event to get students out on the lawn having a good time celebrating peace.”
Other participants said they were attending just because they wanted to perform.

Rob Harris, a guitar player for Nectarr, said he wasn’t really sure what Peace Fest was, but he came anyway so he could play music.

“I’m pretty indifferent about the war, but it is cool that people want to come together for this,” said Harris, a sophomore telecommunications major at Baylor University.

Brubaker said that even though no government authorities or decision-making bodies were present, the event could make a difference in the world.

“It only makes a difference if you want it to,” Brubaker said. “The people who came all want change, and they are here saying they want change. Some people don’t want change, and that’s cool. But this is just a big jubilee and a big party.”

e.k.baker@tcu.edu