DR. AMANDA INGRAM TO GIVE 41ST ANNUAL LAFOLLETTE LECTURE SEE PAGE 6 SEPTEMBER10, 10,2021 2021 SEPTEMBER
“You’ve Gained an Angel”: Honoring the Life of Roland Morin ’91
COURTESY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
The recent passing of Roland Morin ’91 shakes the Wabash community to its core. His full circle moment of returning to the College ended with a legacy that will not be forgotten. REED MATHIS ’22 | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF •
The first weeks of the semester are often met with a period of finding normalcy and routine. August 27th was the exact opposite for the Wabash community. This day, all members of our community processed and are still enduring the loss of Roland Morin ’91 -- a man who commanded the attention of a room and expected the best out of those around him. A fine Little Giant who, even after his passing rewards and influences the lives of countless students, faculty, and alumni that had the pleasure to know him over the last 30 years. For most Little Giants, the bulk, or at least the more notable aspects, of one’s association with Wabash begins and ends during their four years enrolled in the
College. For Morin, his time as a student was anything but. Only someone like Morin could undergo the sustained verbal and the mental toll from fellow Wabash students yet find a way to give back and transform the very place that caused so many long nights and agonizing memories only mere decades before. News of his passing spanned throughout the Wabash community, and messages of sorrow and appreciation filed in on social media. “Roland Morin was a transformer. We always knew Wabash had the best alumni and career services but Roland’s efforts proved it. He turned the CIBE into a highly sought after program, for students and alumni both,” said Tony Unified ’03.
COURTESY OF JUSTIN KOPP ’21 TWITTER
Kopp is only one of many former students to express their fondness memories and lasting reflections on the influence Roland Morin had in their life. CONTINUED PAGE 2
Afghanistan Withdrawal
COURTESY OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
The almost twenty-year war in Afghanistan has displaced roughly six million Afghans. The US decision to withdraw paved the way for Taliban occupation of key provisional capitals, exacerbating feelings of shock, chaos, and betrayal. COOPER SMITH ’23 | NEWS EDITOR “No one -- not even people who had been interest of human rights,” said Wells. “And but when. • Last week, the US military completed its listening and reading -- expected this,” Biden is taking the position that we have to “Even then, as much as I had been withdrawal from Kabul, marking an end said Haidari. “They still thought that the be thinking about American interests… But concerned and hearing that the fall of Kabul to the twenty-year war in Afghanistan. Biden Administration would stay the course I think in a lot of people’s minds, we are was nearing, I still was hoping that the Shortly after the last US troops left the and maybe make a course correction,” also driven by the desire to do good things international community and US-NATO country, President Biden addressed the said Haidari. “Just go online and look at for other people. Where does Afghanistan forces would maintain control of the nation, calling the decision to withdraw the number of op-eds written by dozens of fit into that?” situation,” said Haidari. “the right decision, the wise decision, the former ambassadors and four-star generals To understand the situation, The Bachelor best decision for America.” Many in the US served from different services -- all spoke with Afghan Ambassador to Sri “No one -- not even people who and abroad, however, questioned whether advised against this. All asked for a lastLanka Ashraf Haidari ‘01. Haidari, a former the US withdrawal was the right, wise, and international student at Wabash, previously who had been listening and minute course correction.” best decision for the people of Afghanistan. In a recent address, President Biden said, served as the Director-General of Policy reading -- expected this.” With the 20th anniversary of the September “One more year, or five more years, of U.S. & Strategy of the Ministry of the Foreign 11, 2001 attacks approaching, discussions military presence would not have made a Affairs of Afghanistan and in several - Ambassador Haidari once again turned to US foreign policy and difference if the Afghan military cannot or positions in the Afghanistan Embassy to the the conflict in Afghanistan. will not hold its own country.” United States. But the US maintained its withdrawal Dr. Matthew Wells, Professor of Political Ambassador Haidari disagreed, Haidari discussed the Taliban’s advance timeline, occupying the Hamid Karzai Science, said, “It’s a hard lesson to learn, arguing that the Afghan military could over recent months. As the Taliban International Airport in Kabul and but one of the things that we haven’t done have maintained control had the US not advanced, occupying major provisional attempting to evacuate military personnel as a country is talk about how willing we withdrawn. capitals such as Kandahar and Lashkar Gah, and citizens. For several days, the tragic are to do things for other people that aren’t the Afghanistan question had changed -- it images at the airport flooded national media CONTINUED PAGE 3 necessarily in our interest, but are in the was not a question of if Kabul would fall, outlets. VOLUME 114 • ISSUE 03