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APRIL 21, 2005 - Page 5 COMMENTARY Wiesel inspires student to expose injustices, to make voices heard, to make words count for students. horrific experience so early in any true importance; things riences into words. He said that rAT O'TOOLE Afte; sitting in the his life only to have his voice that should not define our he purified his language CO-EDITOR crowded 'Baker Memorial stifled when he tried to tell lives rule them on a daily ba- through silence, and the ulti- Chapel and hearing the elo- others what had happened. sis. mate message was better for it. For a man who has been The same apathy that through so much in his, tumul- quent words of a man who Countless publishers turned left millions of Jews in con- Without careful preparation, has done more for this world the right message can easily be Wiesel away before he finally tuouslife. Eli€ Wiesel IS ~ot a than Ican even fathom, Ican- found someone to publish centration camps, awaiting lost. man full of hate. He ndrruts to not help but rebuke myself his message. To this day The next time you feel being angry, but he has nev~r their deaths, resides within for falling short in so many there are those who refuse to the young adult of today. No, passionately about something let the hate that he has seen 111 ways. Though his other mes- accept the travesty as a real- it has not gone to the same (and we all must be passionate the eyes of so many penetrate sages were undeniably re- ity. extent as it had 60 years ago, about some aspect of life), don't his peaceful soul. sounding as well, Wiesel's We have the opportu- but who are we to say that we Instead, Wiesel has em- call to action moved me in the nity to have our voices heard will be ready when the time just rant to someone about it barked on a lifelong journey to most powerful way. on a regular basis - to expose comes - when there is no Choose your words carefully end acts of hatred, a quest that Weare told time and injustices, to stand up for a and submit your opinion in a has earned him recognition as time again how privileged cause. But do we use that room for hesitation? public forum. a Nobel Laureate and even the we are, but we often hear freedom? Do we take advan- And simply speaking It is an insult to those who prestigious honor of a doctor- those words and pass them tage of what we all have? au t is not enough. If I am have come before us - those so dili- who have struggled particularly opinionated ate from McDaniel College. off as being simply the trite, But there is something No. We sit around and about an issue and I tell my gently to have their voices else that Wiesel contends with irrelevant ramblings of the complain about petty griev- friend about it inclosed quar- heard - to simply let this oppor- older generation. on a regular basis. Then, on Monday, we ances in our lives. We have ters, I have done nothing of tunity slip away. "I have fought apathy heard from a man who went embraced the "Seinfeld" great importance. more than I have fought ha- through an indescribably mentality, squabbling over Wiesel waited for ten tred," he said in the forum held things that should not hold years before putting his cxpc- Faith is a compass for the college journey and in life Iasked my dad one night "It was then I realized, that there was so much more to in the kitchen what he wishes JILL STONE the youth of today to under- STAFF WRITER religion than g.oing to church every Sunday" stand about religion. He fin- "Faith isn't just about ished drying the pot he had just solving your problems," my washed before answering. "I dad once told me. lilt can help cold water that she had just wooden pew to the other, so gtous," McDaniel student, want them to be able to live a you sometimes, but it's about scooped up from the rushing as not to fall in the "red hot Andrea Hooker told me. balanced life,and acknowledge so much more than that." stream in the Grotto, she told lava" that was the red check- "The church is her home. the spirit as being part of life." Upon the recent death of us that she came to pray for ered carpeted floor. When I When I'm away at.school, it's Being experienced in dif- Pope John Paul Il, I was bom- her handicapped son every was younger, I would fall a good support system for ferent religions and their teach- barded by news story after day, and often lets him drink asleep with my head on my her." ings is what he believes should newspaper article abo~t ~hat the "holy water" that she col- mother's lap, my twin Hooker wishes that she be our responsibility not only he accomplished in his lifetime, lects every so often. brother beside me, or we could attend church more of- for faith, but also for our indi- and how respected of a man he T looked in the back of would crawl onto the floor ten, but she hasn't found a viduality. was. And that left me thinking her station wagon, and there during the services and color church in Westminster quite When Ihear the stories of ~ Does the magnificence and I saw a grown man, knees in our coloring books. I then like. the Holy Family Catho- religion shaping these lives, I the accomplishments of this curled up to his chest, rock- moved to the nursery down lic Church in Waldorf, Mary- realize one important thing. No one man encompass the mean- ing back and forth, his lips the hall where we would land. Yet she always makes matter if you're praying for ing of faith and religion? Or can moving as if singing an inno- watch younger children dur- it home for Easter, and other your handicapped son, using faith come in smaller forms, cent childhood song. [t was ing the service. holidays, to join her mother your faith to guide your deci- and what role does faith play then Irealized, that there was J never really thought in the pew. sions, or sitting next to your in other people's lives. so much more to religion much about church as more Senior, Stephanie Buck- mom singing the hymns, every- Then, I went on a job than going to church every than a community social ler realizes that her faith is no one has something to believe in, shadowing assignment wit~ a Sunday. event where I could play longer black and white, like and knows that whatever faith Baltimore Sun reporter, Ctna I grew up in a church. with my friends, and spend she used to think as a child. they have, is what connects Davis. We were to travel to My father has been the min- time with my dad. Attending Millers United them to the life that they lead. Mount S1. Mary's and inter- ister of a tiny country United Now that I can't sit on Methodist Church near "A couple times I didn't view the people at the Grotto Methodist church in Gamber the floor and color, I have Manchester with her brother, feel like I was good enough to about their feelings about the for just over 11 years. This started listening to him while Buckler knows that religion is go into the ministry," dad con- death of the Pope. amount of time is practically he is ~ehind the pulpit, ex- more like a guide to make the fided. "But after a while, I felt We got the usual remarks, unheard of in the church plaining the Bible verse that right decisions, as does God was leading me to go in about him being a great, and community. was just read. This made me Courtney Jordan, who be- that direction." influential man who achieved It was there thet I ran in think about my own religion, lieves that religion has We all need to find direc- much in his lifetime, but one and around the old and and how everyone else's shaped her into the person tion in our life, especially as woman's remarks stood out cracked sanctuary pews with lives were shaped by their that she is today. "My faith coUege students. I guess faith among all the other responses. my brothers, playing tag, faith, or lack there of. is the basis of who I am," she isjust one way for some to find With a pitcher of clear, jumping from one hard "My mom is really relt- proclaims. that direction.