Power and poignancy

"I was 11 when my foster sister, Marie, came from Rwanda to live with my family. Marie shared wonderful stories of beautiful hills, banana beer, and hyenas in the outhouse. Later, she told me how she escaped when her homeland spiraled into chaos and war. So I was eager to plan a campus visit by Paul Rusesabagina, whose heroism was chronicled in the film Hotel Rwanda.

Funded by grants, student groups, and the Lewis & Clark community, Mr. Rusesabagina spoke here in March 2005. In 2004 I had traveled to East Africa on the overseas study program. I learned Swahili, researched the culture, and lived with three families. Then I journeyed to Rwanda with Marie, reuniting her with her family. The experience, like Paul Rusesabagina's campus visit, remains powerful, poignant, and inspiring."

--Ashley Smith, Class of 2006