Letters Three small points I enjoyed President Blumel's column in the latest issue of PSU Perspective. Please permit me one small compliment, one small hope and one small suggestion. First, the compliment. I think it is extraordinary that the campus is expanding to Include the old Blue CrosslWater Works building. Aesthetically, at least, this building is extremely appropriate for an Engineering and Computer Center. And. the price can hardly be beaten. Next, the exception. The comment about PSU's indistinguishable boundaries is, as I see It, not nearly as much of a benefit as it is a 2 Gandhi: A message for the 80s by Oavld Newhall When Ben Kingsley and Sir Richard Attenborough stepped on stage last month to accept "Oscars" for the movie "Gandhi," they both deferred to the Mahatma himself, whose inspiration had guided their work, Moviegoers across the nation have been similarly awed by Gandhi's remarkable life story, seeking more insight into the man and his principles through lectures, reading and even trips to India, What is it about Gandhi that strikes a chord in us in 1983? His life and thought seem an anachronism in a world obsessed with technology and the inevitability of nuclear warfare. a world divided by national interests and materialism. But our readiness to listen to Gandhi's simple words means we are looking for answers that his life might hold. In the center of Gandhi's ashram at Sevagram there is this sign: Seven Social Sins Politics without Principle Wealth without Work Commerce without Morality Education without Character Pleasure without ConK~nce Science wfthout Humanity Worship without Sacrlflw This statement of principles is as relevant to our circumstances as it was to his. We turn to Gandhi today, not for easy answers, guaranteed success at no cost, but for hope~inspiring contact with a person who never found himself helpless in pursuit of justice and the alleviation of misery. Gandhi was a man of courage and principle, who lived his life In a way which sets an example for the entire world. He was a real person who accepted enormous challenges and accomplished more than anyone expected. He did this, not perlectly. but suffICiently well to make~us consider his views. Gandhi was a doer, not a detached scholar. His convictions developed slowly and experimentallY out of his involvement in the injustices of colonial rule. He said of himself, "I am not a helpless creature," and he meant that neither are the rest of us. He always found something constructive to do even in the midst of the most distressing circumstances. Gandhi's commitment to non-violence and his effective use of it in leading India to independence is appealing to Americans in light of their own rejection of British colonial rule 150 years before. We still have far to go to achieve justice and security for ourselves and others in the world, but Gandhi's principles can be seen at work in modern resistance to injustice_Martin Luther King, Jr. used non-violence successfully in his struggle for racial equality; the student movements of the Sixties were almost completely non-violent; the nuclear freeze movement in Europe, England, Canada and the United States is being conducted according to Gandhian principles; and in Poland, solidarity leader Lech Walesa has adopted Gandhi as his guide. On a personal level, Gandhi moves us toward a more peaceful lifestyle. We see his simplicity, his courage, his emphasis upon personal encounter, his willingness to suffer, his patience. We all prefer to live with people who will not harm us. Let us, then, says Gandhi, cease to threaten those with whom we live. Thus commences the rising spiral of trust rather than the descending spiral of fear. We cannot eliminate all the violence embedded in the structures of our society, but we can reduce our personal contribution to them. Gandhi has shown us how to be peaceful without being door-mats, and how to seek justice without being unjust. We live in a society where lying has become easy; deception has become a familiar policy in business and politics. As a corollary. credibility is low and suspicion is high. The price of this widespread practice of deception is terrible: it is the erosion of the fabric of trust that is essential if we are to have a genuine community. Gandhi had a passion for truth. He learned as a lawyer and a journalist that truth means accuracy and honesty. In his campaigns of non-violent resistance, he learned that truth means commitment, putting even your body on the line, and striving for harmony between word and deed. Gandhi's truth is a very rich notion; we are hungry to recover this kind of Integrity. Ironically, Gandhi became a great nationalist leader in a century that has seen national soverignty become dangerous and obsolete. However, Gandhi's nationalism was based upon a world~wide humanitarianism. not a narrow patriotism. His nationalism was a threat only to those who desired to preserve an unjust system of government. Gandhi appeals to us not only because he brings back the lost idealism of the 60s. but because he offers us a vision for the 80s. Our struggle, like Gandhi's. is for "the development of more inclusive identities" with mankind, and with the environment that sustains us all. David Newhall has been a professor of philosophy et PSU since 1955. A G8Itdhian scholar, Newhall recently offered a lecture on "Gandhi, the Movie" which drew a tum-away crowd at PSU. He Is, needless to say, excited about the resurging Interest In Gandhi and the implications 01 his Ideas for today. hindrance. Without the physical trappings that people want to associate with universities, PSU has lacked a physical image in the community, and therefore had to fight harder for credibility and recognition. Quality publicity ~ I\!rspective Next. the hope. PSU has been sitting on a golden opportunity to tap the support and imagination of this sports-starved city. I hope that the OSU/PSU football game will be the start of a new era in PSU football and basketball. Lastty. the suggestion. People who are interested enough in PSU to read this "Comment" column are also likely to respond to specific needs of the university. Why not close each column with a "call to action," which directs readers on how they can further the progress of the university in the area reported? Don L. Dickinson ('68. 72 MBA) Portland. OR Recently enjoyed the latest issue of Perspective. Keep up the good work - This is the sort of quality publicity we have needed for years atPSU. Richard Thoms Geology Tracking 'em down Thanks for tracking us down in Kansas City, and for sending Perspective to us. It's nice to stay in tOUCh, Here in the Midwest, it's apparent that a strong alumni association is important to the Big 8 schools. Perspective is helping PSU do the same thing, David L. Shafer ('72. MBA 78) Julie Bens Shafer ('72) Overland Park, Kansas PSU ~w.1s pobIished quarterfy dUnng ltieyearbyNew38i1dln/ormalion5etvJces1or alumni, I&WHy and stafl and 'rlends or Portland Stale University. Editor CynttU 0 SloweK ContrIbu1ors Clarence Hein '85 Cliff Johnson Elizabettl Coonrod Clliendar Editor Pat Soon ChangtI of Hdr ...: Send tom new and old addresses 10 PSU PenpactIv., P.O Box 75t, Portland Slate UniY8fSity, Portland, Chgon, 97207. Plrwnta: II thi8 iSsue Is addressad kl your son or daught01 who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, pIIIase notify the psu AlUmni OffIce (503-229-4948) 01 !he new mailing _ .... PSUsuppoftsequaledueallonalopportunity wiIhout regard IoUI(, race. handicap. age. nationalorigin,maritalalatus, or religion.
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