At the end of every school year, The Bucknellian recognizes and honors people who have made enormous contributions to the University community. This year’s People of the Year are:
Tracy Shaynak
Kristin Vallis ’11
Missy Gutkowski
Click the links above to read profiles of each of our award recipients. We congratulate all of them and thank them for everything they have done for the University community.
By Olesya Minina
Writer
Greg Mortenson, author of the best-selling book and the University’s first-year reading experience selection “Three Cups of Tea,” has been accused of partly fabricating his inspiring memoir as well as mismanaging his non-profit organization, the Central Asia Institute (CAI). This institute builds schools and promotes education for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The controversy has made University administrators, faculty, and students question whether the book should remain in place as the first-year reading experience as well as whether Mortenson should still be brought to campus.
On Sunday evening, “60 Minutes” aired a story making allegations about the credibility of Mortenson and “Three Cups of Tea.” The book recounts his descent from K2, the second largest mountain in the world, after a failed climb. Mortenson, weak and exhausted, came to Korphe, a small northeast Pakistan village, where he was nursed back to health. After witnessing the kindness of the villagers and the barley existent schooling systems, Mortenson promised to return and build schools in some of the most isolated areas in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Recent reports from The New York Times, The Bozeman Chronicle and a CBS report suggest that Mortenson’s book and charity could be misleading. Some of the moving stories in “Three Cups of Tea” are argued to be partly false. The CBS report, citing sources, stated that porters that accompanied Mortenson in 1993 said he did not actually visit Korphe until a year after the descent, falsifying a central story in the book.
Reports have also surfaced that Mortenson has been using the charity for personal interests, stating the CAI is spending millions to advertise Mortenson’s books. CAI’s public 990 tax form shows that in 2009 the charity had $14 million in income. It spent $3.9 million on schools overseas and $4.6 million on travel and guest lectures promoting the book. “60 Minutes” also reported that it checked on schools CAI claims to have built and found “some of them were empty, built by somebody else or simply didn’t exist at all. Many of schools said they had not received any money from CAI in years.”
Mortenson has issued a statement saying he stands by all the information his book as well as the value of the CAI and the work and help they provide. His publisher, Viking, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, is staying silent and standing by their client.
“Recent allegations against Mr. Mortenson have sparked a controversy on whether or not the book should still be the first-year reading experience,” Provost Mick Smyer said. “An advisory committee is taking the matter very seriously, considering the pros and the cons, and is going to decide in the next week or two.”
“Three Cups of Tea” was chosen as the first-year reading experience for this fall and copies have been offered to all new students as well as faculty. Mortenson is also scheduled to speak on campus this October.
“Like many on campus and beyond, I am deeply concerned about the questions recent media reports raise about the credibility of ”Three Cups of Tea’ and the range of activities funded by this charity through Mr. Mortenson’s work,” University President John Bravman said. “While all reports continue to underscore the meaningful difference he has made in Afghanistan and Pakistan, we all know these reports raise troubling ethical questions, especially for universities, where academic integrity is a fundamental value. The book selection committee and the Bucknell Forum Task Force have met already to examine these issues carefully, and I trust them to determine whether we should continue with this book as our first-year reading experience focus and whether Mr. Mortenson should come to campus as a forum guest.”
Bravman and the Operations and Management Group will also be debating the impact of the claims against Mortenson.
Mortenson’s goal was to promote peace through education in conflict-prone areas, which prompted him to co-found CAI, whose mission is to promote and provide education, especially for girls. The Institute claims to have established 170 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, partially or fully supported 687 teachers, and educated over 58,000 students.
“[I was] disturbed and disappointed that the author could have possibly abused such an inspiring story for personal gain which also invalidates other non-fiction writers who have used the power of the written word honestly,” Madison Stevens ’14 said.
Smyer stated that he is “torn between the value of the message in the book, and the value of the messenger.”
By Katie Monigan
Staff Writer
For typical students, the spring concert is a Friday night activity requiring no more planning than making sure their tickets are purchased before they sell out and picking out what to wear.
For the Concert Committee, it’s all about details. The concert is an exercise in coordinated planning, advertisement and physical labor the day of the event, and it all starts when the performers are selected.
The artist selection is actually quite simple. According to Concert Committee co-chair Brenna Deck ’11, the process starts with online surveys distributed through the Message Center. The committee then works with a “middle agent” to see if the top choices are on tour and assesses whether they fit within the budget.
According to Deck, the Goo Goo Dolls have been thrown around as a possible choice for her entire four-year tenure on the committee because of a successful show they played in Sojka Pavilion the spring of 2007. The committee was waiting for the final class to see that performance, the class of 2010, to graduate before having the Goo Goo Dolls return to campus.
As for Mike Posner, “He’s just all over the place right now—just a strong player in the fun, contemporary, dance-party music scene that Bucknell tends to respond to the most,” Deck said.
Once the performers were selected, the committee was tasked with advertising. For University students, advertising came in the form of a Facebook group, posters and music in the Elaine Langone Center mall to direct students to the box office. To reach the community, advertisement also took place downtown and as far as Penn State with flyers, posters and local radio stations.
The day before the concert, the physical labor started. “We started at two on Thursday afternoon, unloading the truck from the production company, and we finished up at nine,” Mike Christiansen ’13 said. They built the entire stage, which comes on the truck in pieces, and assembled the lighting rigging.
They were back to work at 8 a.m. Friday morning once the Goo Goo Dolls’ equipment arrived and were finished by early afternoon. Then, according to Christiansen, “we took nap breaks in turns.”
“Sometimes we get to watch sound check, which is my personal favorite part. The stage is up, the backdrop is up, the lighting is up and running, the fog machines start and the band or musician comes on and runs through a bunch of material. It’s like a private concert just for us. We get to just sit back and take it in and feel proud of ourselves looking at the massive, very tangible result of all the work we just did,” Deck said.
During the concert, the committee members are responsible for taking tickets, crowd control, line management and just generally helping people safely enjoy the show. They get to watch most of it too.
Once the concert ends, the purpose of their afternoon nap breaks becomes apparent, as they have to break down everything they set up before leaving. This year’s work ended at about 3:30 a.m., which, according to Christiansen, was “early” as they were projected to finish at 5 a.m.
Deck expressed the same positive attitude toward the late-night labor. “We always have plenty of help from student volunteers, so the process moves much more quickly during load-out than it does for load-in,” she said. “We have a fantastic group, and it makes for great committee bonding time. “
By Jessica Domsky
Contributing Writer
Students for Asian Awareness at Bucknell (SAAB) sponsored the annual Asian Gala in Larison Dining Hall last Saturda. The organization is designed to promote awareness of Asian heritage and act as the voice of the Asian and Asian-American community at the University.
Before the Gala, campus organizations were allowed to reserve tables, and members of BSG, faculty and various Greek organizations collectively comprised the 200 attendees.
SAAB is one of the few cultural organizations on campus that prepares and cooks all of its food from scratch. The students began on Thursday evening and continued into Saturday to prepare 16 Asian dishes for the event.
“I think the food was really well-received,” said Brian Chiu ’11, a member of SAAB who was very involved in preparing the food for the evening. “The lack of leftovers was testament to that.”
Nikujaga (Japanese beef and vegetables), Japchae (Korean noodles) and Num Treap (Cambodian sticky rice) made up the buffet-style dinner and desserts. Several national dishes were served that are rarely served in America, such Hainanse chicken rice from Singapore.
“I hope we inspired people to try more culturally diverse dishes in their diets,” Chiu said. “If a bunch of college kids with little or no cooking background were able to cook it, anyone can.”
While guests enjoyed the delicious flavors and textures of Asian cuisine, student members of SAAB performed for the audience.
“This year there was more cooperation between different cultural clubs than ever before,” said Yinan Yu ’11, former Vice President and member of SAAB. “All the Asian countries were fairly represented in the performances, and there were dances and songs from India, Korea, China and Japan.”
Performances ranged from traditional Mongolian dancing to a Tae Kwon Do demonstration. Students performed several musical numbers, including a rendition of the Korean song “Nothing Better” by Brown Eyed Soul.
“My favorite part was the cultural fashion show,” Yu said. “I know many international students wore their own traditional costumes all the way from home for the Gala.”
The campus organizations Korean Cultural Association, Japan Society, South Asian Student Association, Burmese Cultural Organization and Chinese Cultural Association all came together to make the Asian Gala a success.
“My favorite part was when my friends or professors came up after the event, or even today, to tell me how much they enjoyed the food and performances,” said Anna Uehara ’12, President of SAAB. “I’m very happy that I was able to make those people’s evening enjoyable, and I am proud of what the group has done as a whole to make the event possible.”
By Greg Stevenson
Senior Writer
One week after entering the national top-20 polls for the first time this season, the Bison men’s lacrosse team proved itself again by taking down two top-ranked teams, the No. 20 Penn State Nittany Lions and the No. 16 Albany Great Danes. The two victories give the Orange and Blue an 8-2 record heading into the heart of their Patriot League schedule.
Behind a strong defensive effort, the Orange and Blue upended their in-state rivals Penn State 8-6 at home Tuesday night. Trading the first seven goals with the Nittany Lions, the Bison scored consecutive goals in a minute span midway through the second quarter to go up 5-4.
After leading by one at halftime, the Bison shut down the Nittany Lions’ attack in the second half, allowing just one goal. Goalie Kyle Feeney ’13 saved 14 Penn State shots, a season-high, and held the Nittany Lions scoreless in the final period.
Offensively, Chase Bailey ’13 and Ryan Klipstein ’11 each contributed two goals to lead the Orange and Blue. The goals from Klipstein were the only two in the second half by the Bison and provided the cushion needed to pull away from a tough Penn State squad.
On Saturday, the Bison hosted the Great Danes in another down-to-the-wire 11-9 victory for the Orange and Blue. The Bison outshot the Great Danes 54-22.
With the score tied at three early in the second quarter, Albany scored three straight goals in a two-minute span to take a 6-3 advantage.
The Bison registered five straight points at the end of the first half, reclaiming the lead. Klipstein led the way again, scoring twice and assisting on another goal in that stretch.
Trailing by two, Albany rallied early in the second half, scoring two straight to tie the score. Three straight goals by the Bison and solid defense in the final quarter were enough for the Orange and Blue to emerge victorious.
Peter Burke ’14, Todd Heritage ’14 and Charlie Streep ’12 each added multiple goals and an assist.
Throughout their non-conference schedule, the Bison have made Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium a difficult place to play for opponents. With the two wins at added this week, the Orange and Blue now have a perfect 6-0 record at home.
The Orange and Blue will host the Holy Cross Crusaders tomorrow at home. Last season, the Bison blew out the Crusaders 11-2 in Worcester, Mass.
By Meghan Finlayson
Staff Writer
The University’s annual House Party Weekend kicks off today with numerous events being held on campus. Many organizations have put in a lot of work to prepare for this highly anticipated weekend.
Almost all fraternities are featuring live music, such as the Bruce Springsteen cover band Tramps Like Us at Sigma Alpha Epsilon on Friday night. In addition, the DJ mash-up group The White Panda will be featured by Kappa Sigma.
Saturday afternoon Phi Psi is featuring the band Franzo and Friends, who will perform oldies by artists such as Jimmy Buffet, Eric Clapton and Van Morrison. Along with the vibrant music, many of the fraternities will be hosting barbeques throughout the day.
Saturday night, Delta Upsilon is featuring Hoodie Allen, while Phi Gamma Delta is hosting IMG, TOD and Mic Galper, and Sigma Phi Epsilon is featuring The Dean’s List, among others.
Theta Chi, although not hosting a band, will be giving out free pizza and playing games on the lawn Friday evening.
Additional groups besides fraternities have also planned events. Tonight from 8-10 p.m., CHOICE is hosting a game night in Kress basement, and on Saturday, from 10 p.m.-12 a.m. it are hosting karaoke and dancing at Uptown, with cash prizes.
“We’ve had a karaoke event for House Party for the past couple years, and it’s always turned out well,” said Rush Chaklader ’11, one of the Student Programming Assistants for CHOICE.
The Craft Center will have extended hours from 12 p.m.-12 a.m. today and Saturday.
“We will be offering half-price glaze and fire from 5-midnight on both evenings,” said Kelly Finley, Program Coordinator of the Residential Colleges.
The Lewisburg community is also involved. The newly opened pizza restaurant Pizza Phi, located at 316 Market St, is donating five percent of all sales Friday through Sunday to Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger Hospital in Danville, Pa. When ordering, the word “P-Safe” must be mentioned to secure the donation. Public Safety and an anonymous donor have pledged to match the donations.
Six House Party information sessions were held Monday night by the University’s Interfraternity Council (IFC). These sessions went over policies and procedures, and answered any questions students had.
“IFC is working harder this year to make sure students outside of the fraternities are aware of the policies and procedures,” said IFC president Michael Higgins ’12.
IFC and the Department of Public Safety have taken care of safety precautions for the weekend.
“Public Safety has taken the lead, meeting and planning with the IFC, Greek Life, Facilities and other on-and-off campus resources to ensure all safety and preventative measures are in place. These measures include lighting, food and alternative beverages on Fraternity Road. Additionally, we do all pre-party inspections and require a break between parties to clean and restock,” said Jason Friedberg, Chief of Public Safety. “We use all of the local security companies to provide security across campus … many of the fraternities have contracted with the security companies to provide party security.”
All students attending are required to register themselves and any guests and obtain a wristband. Greek students can register four guests and non-Greek students can register two. According to Higgins, about 200 guests are expected to attend.
“Last year, the event was the safest it has ever been, and we intend to work to make sure that is continued,” Higgins said.
IFC is also selling House Party t-shirts.
“House party is one of the most highly anticipated weekends at Bucknell, and I am so excited for the live music and to see the alumni,” Paige Cobbs ’13 said.
By Greg Stevenson
Senior Writer
When G.W. Boon ’11 caught an inbounds pass near mid-court to let the final 0.3 seconds run off the clock in the men’s basketball team’s 66-64 victory over Lehigh Sunday night, Sojka Pavilion exploded with cheers from over 4,000 Sojka Psychos in attendance. The Pavilion had not heard that kind of cheer in a Patriot League Semifinal game in a few years.
With the tough victory over the Mountainhawks, the Orange and Blue earned a berth in the conference final, their first since the 2007 season. The Bison had to earn every bit of the win, though, as Lehigh pressured the Orange and Blue and kept fighting until the final seconds.
“We focus on having a winning mentality,” said point guard and team leader Darryl Shazier ’11. “Even with the game as close as it was, I believe that none of the players on our team had a doubt that we would pull out the win. Composure and toughness plays are what win games that come down to the wire.”
Early on, the Bison looked confident, building a double-digit lead in the first seven minutes. During that stretch, Shazier led the charge offensively, recording eight of the Bison’s first 12 points and two assists. Patriot League Player of the Year Mike Muscala ’13 and Joe Willman ’13 each finished the half with eight points, giving the Bison a 36-30 advantage heading into the locker room.
Behind the Bison was a packed, orange-clad, and raucous crowd of Sojka Psychos, who cheered loudly and helped energize the Orange and Blue on both ends.
“Home court advantage is a tremendous component to have on your side,” Shazier said. “I don’t think anyone tops the Sojka Psychos and the energy they bring to the game. The other team not only has to play Bucknell’s basketball team, but also the other 4,000 fans, and I believe that poses problems for other teams coming into Sojka.”
On the defensive end, the Orange and Blue had to find an answer for Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum, who led the Patriot League in points this season. His three-pointer with two seconds left cut the Bison lead from nine to six at the end of the half.
“Our game plan for stopping C.J. is put our best defender on him, which is Bryan [Cohen ’12], and then have everyone else be ready to help if needed,” Bryson Johnson ’13 said. “Bryan is the best defender in our league, and he does a great job on any scorer, even one as good as C.J.”
The effort by Cohen, two-time Defensive Player of the Year in conference, was enough to limit McCollum to under his season point average.
Despite the deficit at the break, Lehigh stepped up the defensive pressure, forcing the Bison offense into costly turnovers in the second half. After two consecutive threes from Lehigh’s Michael Ojo, the Mountain Hawks fought back to tie the score midway through the second half.
“They play a lot of different defenses and really turned up the pressure in the second half,” Muscala said. “We were missing a lot of shots that we usually make, but what kept us in the game during the second half was our defense. They hit a couple threes to make it a close game, but we didn’t panic and stuck with our defensive principles knowing that our offense would turn it around.”
With the score tied at 50, the Bison went on a 7-0 run to seize the momentum in their favor, capped off by a three-pointer by Johnson.
But the Mountain Hawks would not go away and pushed the Orange and Blue as far as they could go. Clinging to a four point advantage with a half-minute remaining, the Bison nearly cost themselves the game. Shazier missed two key free throws, and Lehigh responded with a basket to cut the lead to two.
On the ensuing inbounds pass, Cameron Ayers ’14 turned the ball over on an errant pass. However, Lehigh could not convert on their next possession and two Muscala free throws gave the Bison a hard-earned two-point win.
“While we’ve done a good job recently of hanging on in close games, we’ve also been on the losing end of games like Marquette and Boston College when we were close the whole game and couldn’t pull it out in the end,” Muscala said. “I think those games, as well as the ones like Holy Cross and Lafayette that we were able to win have taught us how important each possession is and at the same time the importance of staying composed in pressure situations despite mistakes that may have been made. Good teams will do whatever it takes to win.”
With the victory, the Orange and Blue advance to the Patriot League Championship game against Lafayette Friday afternoon in Sojka Pavilion. On the line will be a conference championship and a coveted berth in the NCAA Tournament, which starts next week. But, for the Bison, this game means more than just winning a title for the school.
“The support has been awesome the whole season, and it means a lot to the whole team,” Muscala said. “I really hope we can get it done on Friday and make all the fans proud.”
By Eric Soble
Senior Writer
After three successive failures, Egyptians had almost made it across the October 6 Bridge from Zamalek, the small island nestled in the heart of Cairo. The bridge had created a bottleneck for the protesters, an obstacle before Tahrir that proved difficult to pass. Tear gas rifles popped in and out of rhythm, rubber bullets shot at close range, circles of Egyptians dragged bodies back from the bridge and handed them into ambulances.
All I could think of was that other study-abroad students in Europe were looking at thousand-year-old statues and casually observing Impressionist paintings. A weird thought for the time, I admit, but a thought that still stays with me.
I was with six other American students on Jan. 25. We were living in downtown Cairo in a small dormitory, fresh off the plane from JFK Airport, still learning our salutations in colloquial Arabic and getting accustomed to the general cacophony of the city.
As we walked down the Nile towards Tahrir Square on that Saturday, we realized the full extent of security detail. In every side street, there were barricades and around 30 policemen stationed at intersections. In front of the state-run media building, there were approximately 200 policemen in riot gear. This was a powerful aesthetic of oppression: the police guarding this tower symbolized the insane extent the government went to in order to maintain its power over the people.
A woman told us that we should leave the region along the Nile. This became increasingly obvious as we witnessed the beginning of the revolution. We had hurried onto a hotel roof to watch the beginning of what would be a multi-week affair.
The fight for the bridge seemed to last forever. Water trucks blasted water at a high velocity into the crowds. Egyptians hugged the ends of the bridge. Police were intent on holding their position and continued firing rubber bullets and tear gas canisters. These canisters would rise high in the air and fall to the ground quite suddenly, making them dangerous in more ways than one. A few of these canisters landed in the hotel, catching fire to some furniture. Tear gas clouded the roof of the hotel, and we had to go inside to escape it.
Tear gas is rancid. Water and masks don’t help; many protesters used vinegar on their keffiyehs, which seemed to work sometimes. It burns both your eyes and your throat and makes it absolutely impossible to see.
In the lobby of the hotel security guards were blockading the entrances. A protester had suffered a major wound to his head and was bleeding profusely. Police were directly outside, pushing back protesters and setting up blockades on the roads leading to Tahrir. It seemed we were stuck.
Once the line at the bridge was broken, chaos ensued. People in the front of the protest charged the police, forcing them to retreat from their previous positions. Egyptians broke curbs apart to make stones able to be thrown. They broke down guard stands (in Cairo, there are small individualistic pods for guards to stand in) and rolled them towards the police. People took control of the water trucks and pointed the hoses in the air. Egyptians overtook the military vehicles. Fired tear gas canisters were either thrown back at police or pitched into the Nile by brave Egyptians.
The sun faded behind the palm trees of the Nile. Some in our group wanted to stay in the hotel, but we ultimately decided to brave it back to our dormitories. The 30-minute walk proved quiet enough; there was no one in the streets because Mubarak had declared a curfew, but in the distance we could see the explosions of Molotov cocktails and hear the firing of guns. I have not forgotten the yelling and chanting that seemed to flow over the rooftops. Shouts of “huriyya, huriyya” (“freedom” in Arabic) continued throughout the night.
All the students in the dorm were crowded around the television in the main common room. The news was haunting: almost 100 killed, with thousands injured. We all stayed up early into the morning, listening and watching as the city outside of our door erupted. Egyptians, after 30 years, were demanding their rights without concession—and they didn’t plan on giving up any time soon.
The immediate effects of the protests were tangible, even in the early hours of the morning. The streets were empty; stores had either been ransacked or were closed. Broken glass was everywhere, and it seemed that the stores that were open had moved all of their goods inside, where they were less likely to be stolen. The grocery store, Metromart, was the only store of its kind that remained open. Most of the meat was gone, and there were no fresh vegetables.
Cairo had effectively come to a standstill. The government had shut down the Internet and all phone services. A few of us decided to go down and take a look in Old Cairo, off the island of Zamalek. Small pockets of protests were still going on, but the army had arrived and proved less hostile than the police. Oftentimes, they would join the protesters in chants. They often allowed Egyptians to climb on top of tanks and hold the Egyptian flag high. The distinction between the army forces and the police—which act more like Mubarak’s personal security detail—was not a distinction that the U.S. and the U.K. media made.
One event that sticks out in my mind occurred as we were proceeding back across the Nile to return home. Protesters were streaming the opposite direction towards Tahrir Square. Bullets from the previous night were strewn across the bridge. An Egyptian man suddenly began picking up these bullets as we approached, and he pointed to the blunt end of the bullets, saying “Look, American … America” in Arabic. As it turns out, the very bullets fired against the demonstrators were made in the U.S.A. I have never felt so disappointed in my country.
The next day, the State Department began evacuations. Buses lined our dorms as students swarmed to catch a bus to the airport. Leaving Cairo was like exiting a war zone. At every turn, there were huge tanks with handfuls of troops. One doesn’t really understand how gargantuan a tank is until it is up close. The streets were still relatively busy, but the tension was tangible. As the bus went up an incline near Suleiman’s castle in Cairo, I caught my first—and only—glimpse of the pyramids. After a split second, they were consumed by the foreground of Suleiman’s castle. I would leave Egypt without visiting its flagship institution.
The State Department evacuation line extended past the airport. There had to be a thousand people in this line that showed no signs of movement. We unloaded our baggage and queued for a plane. We only knew that we would be evacuated to one of three locations: Athens, Istanbul or Nicocea. We waited for 10 hours. As it happened, my plane landed in Istanbul. I had Internet, food and phone service. I ordered what seemed like the best pasta I had ever had. As I contemplated what I was to do for the next three months of my life, I turned on the television to see Egyptians still gallantly fighting. My heart ached for what had been my home for only two weeks. As is inscribed by Ramses II on Queen Nefertiti’s tomb, “My love is unique and none can rival her … just by passing, she has stolen away my heart.” I hope I will visit Egypt soon. May she be in better health and without her previous government.
[Editor’s Note: Eric Soble is currently located safely in Morocco and will continue his semester abroad there.]
By Olivia Seecof
Writer
After witnessing the Rwandan genocide right in front of his eyes, Rwandan native, hotel manager and hero Paul Rusesabagina stated that the world closes their eyes to the problems of the world that surrounds them, and it is time that we chose to fight back but not with weapons, with dialogue.
On Tuesday evening, in the Weis Center of Performing Arts, Paul Rusesabagina shared his personal experience in the discussion titled “Hotel Rwanda: A Lesson Yet to be Learned.” Rusesabagina is credited with saving 1,268 refugees during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and his personal experience was adapted into the acclaimed movie “Hotel Rwanda.”
“History keeps repeating itself, and yet, we fail to learn any lessons,” he said. He spent much of the speech talking about his personal stories and memories from the genocide.
This film, said to be “an African ‘Schindler’s List,‘” is based on Rusesabagina’s real life events. It documents his acts to save the lives of not only his family members and loved ones, but also the lives of other refugees. Rusesabagina sheltered these refugees in the Mille Collines luxury hotel in Kingali, of which he was a general manager.
“While the movie made the hotel a popular place, Hotel Rwanda started at my home,” Rusesabagina said.
He described what it was like when the attacks first started, and how he opened his home to his family and neighbors as a safe house. As the amount of people showing up at his house grew, he decided that he had no choice but to take them to the hotel.
“People kill each other because they fight for power, but dialogue is the best weapon” he said.
This statement reflects the conflicts between the three groups in Rwanda. Rusesabagina, a Hutu, married a Tutsi woman and together, they turned the hotel into an impromptu refugee camp for 12,000 terrified Tutsis and Hutus.
Life as a refugee in the hotel was extremely hard. Refugees had little clean water, and people would take a few drops of water each day from the hotel swimming pool. They had at most two meals a day, consisting of smuggled beans.
Rusesabagina told the audience about the multiple times he would drive down the streets only seeing dead bodies. “No one was alive; everything was killed,” he said.
He also spoke of the time he woke up with a gun to his head, being threatened to clear out the hotel in 30 minutes. He refused to give in because he wanted to protect his people. During the lecture he proudly yet humbly reported that none of his refugees in the hotel were killed or beaten; all 1,268 survived.
For his courageous and selfless efforts, Rusesabagina received Amnesty International’s “Enduring Spirit” award as well as the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.
“Nothing is as heartbreaking as seeing your loved ones and thinking, ‘This is the last time I’ll see my children. This is the last time I’ll see my life,’” Rusesabagina said.
Rusesabagina closed his lecture with remarks about what the Western world could do to help.
“You are the only ones who can change this world. You are tomorrow’s leaders. You have the world’s future in your hands, so shape it how you want,” he said.
“I really hope the student body, and everyone in attendance left with a new outlook on things and learned how to treat others,” said Hillary Mann ’13, a member of the Student Lectureship Committee.
The fact that the speaker was the real man from “Hotel Rwanda” attracted many students to the lecture, but the influence of friends also accounted for the phenomenal attendance at the lecture.
“My friends convinced me to take a break from schoolwork and attend the lecture, and I am so glad that I did,” Harrison Winters ’14 said. “Mr. Rusesabagina’s words were extremely powerful and I will keep them in mind for the rest of my life.”
The audience gave a standing ovation for Rusesabagina and his powerful speech.
By Mike McPhee
Managing Editor
The class gift from this year’s outgoing seniors won’t be formally unveiled until a traditional champagne toast in April, but it is already attracting attention from students who pass through the new student lounge in the Elaine Langone Center (ELC) .
The Senior Class Congress brainstormed gift ideas and found inspiration in their three favorite gifts from past classes: the Christy Mathewson Gates, the bison statue outside the Kenneth Langone Athletics and Recreation Center (KLARC), and the basketball mural on the wall just inside the entrance of Sojka Pavilion. These ideas are incorporated into the mosaic they designed and purchased as their gift.
“The concept for the design was focused around our class motto, ‘Live with Integrity. Empower through Knowledge. Lead with Courage.’ We felt the Christy Mathewson Gates and the bison signified this. We feel like we entered the gates of knowledge during our freshman year orientation, Christy Mathewson was a man with great integrity that all Bucknellians should aspire to, and no animal leads with greater courage than a bison,” senior class president Matt Hotard ’11 said.
Many students can be seen peering over the caution tape surrounding the new mosaic, which is located in the floor on the ground floor of the ELC.
Hotard would like to thank Gretchen Heuges, the director of the Craft Center, senior class adviser Dean Kari Conrad and the members of the Senior Class Congress for their help with the planning and implementation of the mosaic.