On Nov. 15, approximately 60 Saint Louis University students traveled by bus to Fort Benning, Ga. They plan to participate in a rally and vigil in honor of those killed by militia from the School of the Americas.

The SOA, a military-training program for Latin American soldiers, says that it aims to end civil violence in some South American countries by providing the national leaders with forces trained by staff at the fort.

While aiming to teach and enable these leaders, SOA has contributed to some violence, said Jenn Lay, the social justice intern at Campus Ministry. Lay said that the school has violated the basic human rights of the civilians of these countries, Lay said, murdering thousands of civilians and some rebel leaders.

Among those who have been killed by SOA-trained soldiers are SLU Jesuits who lived in El Salvador. Graduates of the University, a housekeeper and her daughter and church attendees also died in the massacre with the priests.

Lay organized a memorial in Spanish on the evening of Nov. 13 in the Notre Dame chapel, called the Martyr’s Fest, to honor those who have died. She also helped with a visual remembrance at the clocktower on Nov. 14, with pictures of those members of the SLU family who were murdered, “to spread awareness in the SLU community of this, and give students a place to reflect on the actions and offer prayers for those who have died.”

Students offered prayers before the memorial and dropped rose petals in a white cloth that Lay said represented a funeral shroud.

The protest this weekend will involve several speakers in a gathering called the Ignatian Family Teach-in, said Lay, including Sister Helen Prajon, a nun featured in the film Dead Man Walking. Before the vigil on Sunday, Nov. 18, SLU students will rally with other college students from across the country in a street festival featuring singers and musicians.

According to Ben Smyth, the minister organizing the event, the vigil should last two to four hours. Smyth recalls the solemnity and power of the event.

“The names of all the people who have died are read, and the attendees say ‘presente’ after each name,” he said, “and as people reach the fortress, they place crosses into the fence with the names of those who have died.”

Lay describes the vigil as her favorite part of the event, although she said that she was hard-pressed to choose.

“It’s the energy,” she said. “Everyone there is really seeking justice, and everyone is so friendly. They want to see change.”

Some people leave roses and letters to loved ones, she said: “any memento for those they have lost.” A celebration will follow the procession.

“It’s a celebration of life,” Lay said, “which is such a Latin American thing, but I think it’s important, too. We’re celebrating the life of those who have died.”

There are musicians and dancers, and dozens of information tables, Lay said of previous SOA protests.

“You get to meet students from all over the country, and hear about the programs they’re running. They tell you what has worked and what hasn’t,” she said.

“We can network with people from all over who care about the cause.”

Lay said she became passionate about the cause after spending a semester in El Salvador.

“When I saw how the soldiers from the SOA had affected the lives of my family and friends in El Salvador, I knew I had to do something,” Lay said.

“Knowing that my country is organizing this abuse of human rights, that my tax dollars are paying for this school, inspired me to go to the conference.”

Lay hopes to attend the conference each year in the future.

“The SOA needs to take accountability for the effect on these countries,” she said. “I want to see some form of acknowledgement on the part of the school.”

Campus Ministry provides a $60 stipend for each student, and each student will spend $140 in travel expenses. Some students plan to miss school. Smyth said he thought Campus Ministry’s sponsorship of a political event was appropriate, because he said that the trip is more than a political rally.

“We’re seeking justice,” he said, “for the greater glory of God-the SLU slogan.”

Smyth said that the students hope to learn more about the world around them, and that “sometimes learning about the world involves taking action.”

Chris Ryan, S.J., a graduate student in Philosophy and a senior Jesuit, said he plans to go “to learn more about the cause, and about how others feel about [SOA].”

He first encountered the issue of injustice in Latin America when he studied in Chile last year. There, Ryan learned about the United States’ part in the 1973 military coup.

“Learning about the dark side of this country’s history inspired me to look deeper into the policies in Latin America,” he said.

Ryan looks forward to meeting other people who share his beliefs at the event. He also hopes to hear Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit, a former president of Pax Christi, speak at the rally on Saturday night.

While the SOA has not yet been dispersed-the goal of the protest-some change has occurred in the program.

“Since the early ’90s, when the protest began as a small hunger strike, the annual movement has grown to around 20,000 protesters,” Smyth said.

And this year, according to the SOA website, the government has reduced the size of the program: whereas once 60,000 militia trained in the SOA at a time, now the program trains approximately 1,000 at a time.

“A common misconception is that the goal of the conference is to close Fort Benning,” Ben Smyth said. “We don’t want to close Fort Benning; there is nothing wrong with a Fort. We want to close the SOA.”

But the goal isn’t just to close the SOA.

“We want to seek the truth,” Smyth said of the trip. “And we want to achieve justice for everyone.”