Photo by Holly Heidelberger
White Eagle, a Native American opera singer, performed Friday night for students from five colleges
Wrestler
overcomes
handicap &
opponents
p.6
Smoking
lounge stirs
up heat on
campus
P-8
. 11t Ittirror
'Thursday, February 20, 1992 Volume 77, Issue 3 Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD 57197
My peace I give you. John 15:27
Peace prize forum unites college students with world leaders for reconciliation
by Kim Van Winkle
Mirror Reporter
Former Vice President Walter
Mondale addressed a full house at
the Elmen Center Saturday night,
saying that the fourth annual Peace
Prize Forum addressed the "most
important issue on Earth--peace."
Over 1,800 people
representing several area high
schools, colleges and churches
attended the forum, which
followed the theme, "Resolving
Cultural Conflicts."
"This is the right conference,
at the right place and the right time
with the right people," said Nobel
Peace Prize Winner and Holocaust
survivor Elie Wiesel.
Wiesel said he was optimistic
about the chances for peace in the
future. "Things are happening so
fast," he said. "Who would have
expected the fall of the Soviet
empire in my lifetime?"
Other keynote speakers
included Nobel Laureate Mairead
Corrigan Maguire, as well as
Helga Hernes of the Norwegian
Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Ryuzaburo Kaku of Canon Inc.,
Camelia Sadat, Cheryl Crazy Bull
of Sinte Gleska University, and
Robin Wright of the Los Angeles
Times.
"The whole weekend was just
overwhelming," said student
coordinator Stephanie Hals, an
Augustana senior. "The events
just kept building and students
went away with a lot to think
about."
Hals said that this was the
biggest Peace Prize Forum ever, in
terms of events. This year's forum
marked the first time that more
than one Nobel Laureate was in
attendance and the first time that
the events spanned three days.
"It was a very powerful event
for students," Hals said. "It was
really successful."
Hals said she believed that the
best events were the student
workshops.
"It was the only chance for
students to interact one-on-one
with the speakers, to ask anyone
anything and to see them as real
people," she said. "This was an
incredible opportunity given the
quality of the speakers. Too often
studepts get left in the dust."
Joel Wudel, director of
alumni relations at Augustana
agreed that the forum was a
success.
"All of the speakers were able
to make it, and attendance was
good considering the poor weather
on Saturday," he said.
The $100-per-plate
fundraising dinner with the
Laureates sold out with 200 people
attending.
"A lot of faculty and
administrators were involved. It
was an 'all hands on deck'
weekend, and it paid off," Wudel
said.
Hals said that student
participation made the weekend a
success. Students played a major
role in the Living Art Theatre on
Saturday and in the Sunday
morning multi-cultural celebration.
Next year's Peace Prize
Forum is scheduled to be held at
Concordia College in Moorhead,
Minn. Discussion will center
around the role of the United
Nations in the building of a new
world order.
Students
pitch in
at forum
by Kirstine Johnson
Mirror Reporter
Putting together this past
weekend's Peace Prize Forum
required the help of many
individuals. One of which was
Michelle Bendix who offered
her time, energy and support.
Bendix, a senior, became
involvt7d in the Peace Prize
Forum due to her internship in
Augustana's public events
office. Bendix, a double major
in communications and business
administration, worked closely
with student assistants who had
volunteered to be ushers and
hosts/hostesses during the
forum. Bendix also helped to
plan and give input on a broad
range of activities such as
registration, the Laureate's
dinner, the seminar on Friday's
and Sunday's program. She
says she learned a great deal
from working on the project.
"It was amazing to see such
a huge event actually put
together," Bendix said. "I
learned a lot of management
skills and about the planning
process that takes place."
Bendix gives an enormous
amount of credit to the other
students and faculty members
who worked on putting the event
together. She gives credit to
Stephanie Hals and Becky
Moen, whom she worked with
closely on the project.
"Without them, I would
never have been able to do the
work I did," Bendix said. "I
have a deep appreciation for all
the students who assisted [in
helping]."
Bendix felt the Peace Prize
Forum was a huge success due
to the speakers' moving
messages and the whole
coordination of the event.
Bendix put nearly 125
hours into the project, but
despite the long days and late
nights, she said the ends justified
the means.
"It was a most memorable
and rewarding experience,"
Bendix said.