Pacific Index

Issue date: 1/21/10 Section: Student Life

Media Credit: Hailey Hawkins These Peace Dove puppets were carried by marchers around campus.

Media Credit: Hailey Hawkins Activities were available for children, like ones held at this table allowing them to write what their dream is, and how they plan on making it come true.

Media Credit: Katie Sipos Hanamura speaks at the U.C. fireside

This year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a portion of the Forest Grove community gathered at Rogers Park and marched to the steps of Marsh Hall, singing "We Shall Overcome," "This Little Light of Mine" and "If I Had a Hammer." Their banner read, "We believe in the Dream." Above them, two cloth doves soared. These Giant Peace Dove puppets are part of Roots & Shoots, a service organization created by Jane Goodall.

After a brief photo opportunity, they progressed to the University Center where Pies for Peace sold handmade treats whose profits benefited victims of the Haiti quake. The Psychology Club had tables set up with activities for the children including word searches and scrambles.

At noon, speakers took to the stage set up in Fireside Lounge. Pacific professor and Master of Ceremonies Bob Van Dyk welcomed the community before calling Assistant to the Provost for Diversity Alfonso López-Vasquez to the stage. López-Vasquez explained that the theme of the day, "Where do we go from here;" came from a 1967 speech of King's and that today Americans need to reflect on King's messages.

President Lesley Hallick followed, speaking briefly of Pacific's vision for 2020, to "enhance and enrich the university as a result of diversity." Hallick then introduced president of Hanamura Consulting, Inc. and member of the Diversity Collegium Steve Hanamura.

Hanamura, who is blind, was lead to the podium by his wife who oriented him and returned to her seat before he began his speech. He recalled sitting with his nose to the television in 1963, when enough of his vision remained to make out the image of King at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. He claimed that King would disdain Twitter and texting due to the lack of physical community and would be horrified at the treatment of Muslims as well as the lesbian, gay, bisexual transexual community. Hanamura wants to remind people to listen to each other even if they disagree with one another. Hanamura said that "leaders today are not creditable," that people need to "restore, rebuild and transform leadership."

The audience was then invited to join Van Dyk's Civil Rights Winter III class and pianist Ingrid Unterseher, Executive Assistant to the VP for Student Affairs, in "Lift Every Voice and Sing" before birthday cake for King was served.

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