2008 Woodie Awards
Princeton’s first talk in its annual Public Lecture Series was given by Elie Wiesel, noted, among other things, as a writer, humanitarian, and Nobel Peace laureate. I had rushed to hear the lecture after an economics precept I left early (with permission because this was more important). The turnout was enormously positive as shown by the horendously long lines streaming out the entrance to the lecture hall. To my further dismay, the hall was already packed and everyone outside in line needed to go to nearby classrooms for the simulcast.
Though I had read his memoir Night in high school, I had never heard Professor Wiesel speak. And I have to say, it was very poignant: you could hear the realities of the tragedies that Professor Wiesel spoke about in his voice, which was soft, occasionally humorous, but somber, serious, experienced and personal throughout. For much of the lecture, he sounded like he was mourning, and for good cause. Here are some bits and pieces:
“This century belongs to your generation, not mine,” Wiesel began. He mentioned that tragedies have not ended yet, citing Darfur and the fact that every minute at least one child was dying from hunger, disease, or violence (by the end of his hour lecture, he said 60 would have died). Wiesel emphasized the events, and lessons, of the past and how we need to be more aware, to not let the memory of everything that went wrong repeat. After all, we know the name of the biggest threat, and its name is indifference. It’s up to everyone to not undo what was learned and be responsible. There is “response” in “responsibility,” he said, and there is need for further action. Wiesel also applauded Princeton’s services in helping others, from Princeton students’ aid and volunteer efforts to the University’s accepting students from hurricane ravaged areas.
During the question and answer session, someone asked what the single most important thing Princeton students could do. Wiesel responded by saying we, as one of the top institutions in the world, should sign a petition to the White House urging it to do more about Darfur.
In terms of what we needed to learn, he recommended that all fields be required to teach an ethics course, to have it be part of the general curriculum because without ethics in society, “we are lost.”
Wiesel provided a face and voice to the sorry aspects of the past, events that in all likelihood should not have happened but did. At least through the lecture more people became aware, I certainly was. Though we are in a new millenium, history tends to repeat itself. Let’s hope it doesn’t continue to.
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