That evening, he spoke movingly about his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, where he lost so many members of his family. I’m sure that the more than 3,200 people who filled the Shannon Center to capacity will remember his lecture as one of the most powerful of the SXU Voices & Visions Speaker Series.Given that Mr. Wiesel is someone who has seen and personally suffered some of the worst of which people are capable, I was particularly inspired by both his warmth and his tireless desire to search out the best in humanity. He repeatedly shared his belief that the truest meaning he finds in life comes from how he shapes others with his ideas.
“I believe human culture to be an open palm, not a fist,” he said with the warmth of someone speaking to one person instead of thousands. “Shake my hand.”
I cannot overstate how important I believe our Voices & Visions Speaker Series is to the University’s mission of providing a scholarly, supportive community which helps students cultivate ethical and moral sensibilities promoting the common good. Prior to his lecture, Mr. Wiesel conducted a special classroom discussion with a small group of Saint Xavier students. Opportunities such as these are what make Saint Xavier such a unique school and community. Students can read of different eras and learn facts about the Holocaust, but nothing can make these periods more real or relevant today than to hear such stories told personally.
Those lucky students will remember the hour the spent with Mr. Wiesel for the rest of their lives. Hopefully, they will carry some of the wisdom he so generously imparted as they take their place within our society.
