Black mirrors were originally made of polished obsidian rock (also known as volcanic glass – forms from lava that cools immediately after eruption usually into water). Obsidian rocks are considered to have powerful metaphysical properties that help to shield one against negativity. Aztec priests used black mirrors to communicate with the dead, the angels, and the Gods to learn about the future and, using the information received, change things in the current real world. Similar black mirrors have been found to be used by rulers and leaders from the Americas to Asia. The newsletter, “Black Mirror,” will be our tool to look into our future and craft an equitable vision for our campus. Knowing the future and having the information on how to get there, or avoid some aspects of the future, can help us make the desired changes in our current perceptions and lifestyles.

In another explanation, quoting Svetlana Boym: “The black mirror offers a different kind of mimesis and an uncanny and anti-narcissistic form of self-reflection, in which we spy on our own phantoms in the dim internal film noir.”  With your surroundings reflected on a black surface, the intricacies fall away, and all that is left is the essence of real life — a featureless face staring back at you, asking for a deeper insight than what’s tangible. As we read the newsletter, we should focus on those aspects that truly impact us and then slowly bring the focus just to ourselves – a deep process of self-reflection. Further, as we learn more about where we are headed, the black mirror forces us to question, rather than oblige to the atrocities occurring around us, and think, “Is this truly what I want?”. These reflections can, and should, force us to act now.

Click on the pictures below to access the issues: