HAMMOND | Purdue University Calumet opened its Martin Luther King Jr. holiday celebration Monday featuring an exhibit and convocation, which will include a musical drama, dance performance and recitation of King's "I Have a Dream" speech during the week.
The exhibit focuses on the lives of King, Mohandas Gandhi and Daisaku Ikeda, president of Soka Gakkai International, a Buddhist association. It features photographs, inspiring quotes and information about the three historic figures. The exhibit, titled "Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace," is located at the Student Union & Library building and will be on display through Thursday.
It was initiated by Lawrence E. Carter, dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at King's alma mater Morehouse College. It is designed to give attendees an opportunity to examine the lives and differing cultural paths of Gandhi, King and Ikeda and apply their ideals of peace and nonviolence.
During the opening ceremony, Phyllis Goodson, of the Soka Gakkai International-USA, along with the
Social Justice Club and Black Student Union, led a discussion on peace. Goodson said the country has a legacy of peace as well as a legacy of war.
The Soka Gakkai International-USA organization is a culturally diverse Buddhist association with more than 90 centers located throughout the United States and in 192 countries and territories globally. Its community-based activities encourage a commitment to the values of peace, culture and education.
Meanwhile, Goodson said it is important to create peace in our lives, as well as changing the way each of us sees ourselves.
"The exhibit will stimulate you to create change, and help you to focus on what you can do as an individual to create change," Goodson said.
Senior Alicia Griffin, 22, of Gary, who was at the presentation, related the celebration to the election of Barack Obama, who is the first black man to be elected president and will be the 44th president when he is inaugurated Jan. 20.
However, Griffin does not see the election of Obama as the realization of King's dream. She said it may make some people think that "racism no longer exists, but that's just not true."
Hobart freshman Ron Delhaye, 18, stopped to have lunch in the student union building, and had a front row seat during Goodson's discussion on the pursuit of peace.
The computer graphics major thought the discussion was very insightful, focusing on how people can come together to work for the common good.
"I think Barack Obama has a lot to offer this country," Delhaye said, saying he voted for the first time and supported Obama.
Delhaye thinks peace is important, and that Obama has the "right plan to get this country back where it needs to be."
