News
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
6
St. Peter’s Accepts Famous Author’s Heirloom By Justin Roberts
When asked if another magazine of Jubilee’s quality, his answer was blunt. “No. Back then we had enthusiasm. I worked for $35 an article In a small ceremony on Friday, March 27, in the ‘60s but it did not matter. We had the poet Ned O’Gorman presented Fr. Michael freedom to do whatever we wanted. Back then, Braden, S.J. with two feathers taken from questions of the clergy marrying or how best to peacocks owned by Flannery O’Connor. The worship God were still on the table. I saw no event, organized by Dr. Anna Brown, was contradiction in being a gay man and a devout followed by a lecture and a brief recitation of Catholic. Today, though, the Church has closed several poems by Mr. O’Gorman. itself off.” “I had originally tried to sell the feathers While showing no hesitation to criticize the on EBay, but no was willing to buy them,” Church, O’Gorman had no doubt about his faith. O’Gorman said, “Then I realized I could give “I say my prayers every day. I have no problem them to Anna (Dr. Brown).” reciting the Creed. I really do not understand O’Gorman, born in 1929, has written six people who do.” books of poetry, taught at Brooklyn College, the The students in attendance were captivated New School and Manhattan College and is the by O’Gorman’s reminiscence. “Its almost hard recipient of two Guggenheim fellowships and a to understand what he was saying, “ Jonathan Rothko Chapel Award for Commitment to Truth Carrillo, a senior political science major said. and Freedom. He counts among his friends “The speaker was clearly from a different era many major authors, including Miss O’Connor, where political correctness took a backseat to Fr. Dan Berrigan and Julian Green. intellectual quality.” “O’Connor was great because she never Dr. Brown added, “O’ Gorman is a brilliant flinched from the ugly side of life. Her writing mind. During his lecture, he mentioned a was completely dark. But light follows the dark, number of books and authors off the top of his meaning that the dark has light in it. That’s how head. I know a lot of the students did not get she was able to stare into the abyss without his references, but I hope this will serve as the surrendering hope,” O’Gorman said. introduction to a new way of thinking for them.” O’Gorman also discussed his literary career Anyone interested in seeing the peacock and Catholic faith, paying particular attention feathers can go the King-Kairos Social Justice to his experience writing for the Catholic House at 125 Glenwood Avenue. “We have magazine Jubilee. “We had an amazing amount one more piece of history at Saint Peter’s,” of freedom. I would write articles about Dr. Brown said. “Hopefully, more events like abortion, birth control, anything,” remembered this can reinvigorate the intellectual life of our O’Gorman. student body.” News Editor, ‘10
Photo courtesy of blog.syracuse.com/shelflife
From O’Connor work, A Good Man is Hard to Find, Featuring a Peacock that may have resembled the peacock’s that O’Connor owned.
Poli Sci Conference Gives Community Ability to Discuss Pressing Issue of Race in America
Photo courtesy of spc.edu
Logo of the Political Science Conference on Race in America.
By Justin Roberts and Gary Young Editorial Board
On March 26, 2009, the Political Science Department at Saint Peter’s College organized a conference entitled, “Race in the United States.” The conference included speakers from Pax Christi USA, students, and faculty from the Political Science Department. The conference was organized to give students and faculty the ability to discuss the pressing issue of race in America. The first presentation was by David Robinson, the executive director of Pax Christi USA. Pax Christi is a UN recognized Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) devoted to, “Create a world that reflects the Peace of Christ by exploring, articulating, and witnessing to the call of Christian nonviolence.” Robinson discussed his recent visit to Iran and his experiences there. He discussed the racism he found inherent in U.S. foreign policy, especially in the U.S.’ treatment of Iran. His thesis was that the United State’s demonizes Iran because of the 1979 hostage crisis, and our desire for Iran’s natural gas and petroleum reserves. Professor Alan Sanders of the Political Science Department gave a lecture titled “Race and the Obama Presidency.” Dr. Sanders provided an hour long analysis of the President’s election strategy. He
described Obama as a, “Post-racial President who is very race conscious.” Sanders’ argument was that, in order to be a candidate who transcended race and the electoral prejudices that are attached to it, Obama and his campaign staff had to identify those prejudices and then devise strategies to neutralize them. The effort was made doubly difficult because many of the negative perceptions voters have of black candidates are also attached to Democrats. Sanders summarized this in his explanation of why Obama had to win the Kansas primary. He said that both democrats and black candidates are often seen as being soft on crime by conservative voters. Whereas it is easier for a white democrat to change the subject to his trademark issues, the question of crime in the minds of many cannot be explicated when African American candidates are considered. By overcoming pitfalls like that one and winning the Kansas primary, Obama showed his party that he could woo conservative voters, making him a viable candidate. The final event was a panel on race, moderated by Dr. David Gerlach of the History Department, and featuring SPC students Noel Borges, Alexander Rivero, Rhoda Mia Severino, Jolevette Mitchell, Meghan Ellerman, and Ismael Cid Martinez. They discussed the impact race has had on their lives and years at Saint Peter’s.