Wiesel speaks of pace of present, pain of past


Wednesday, April 1, 1998	Wiesel speaks of pace of present, pain of past By CJ ENGEL Collegian Sports Writer After his introduction, after the initial applause became silence, Elie Wiesel sat down behind his desk and pulled the microphone closer. Slowly, softly, after recalling some memory, he posed the existential question. "Who am I?" he asked a full Eisenhower Auditorium last night. And so, with one question, the Holocaust survivor and renowned writer began a talk that was both philosophy and history. Wiesel pondered the connection between history and memory. The former is studied, the latter is lived, he concluded.
`The Nobel Prize Internet Archive: Elie Wiesel`	He spoke of racism, communism and oppression. He spoke of Nazism and the Holocaust. He spoke of God. He wondered aloud why the pace of life today seems so accelerated. Perhaps, he said, it is because we want to distance ourselves from the bloodshed of the past. "This century gave so much trouble, so much death," he said.
`Academy of Achievement: Elie Wiesel`	Prompted by a student, he even addressed a current issue at the University. Posters, depicting aborted fetuses and comparing abortion to the Holocaust, were displayed near Eisenhower Auditorium at the start of the speech last night. A student asked Wiesel about the comparison. "I feel that it's wrong," Wiesel said. "Once you start comparing, everyone loses." Speaking of his faith, he said he does not feel Judaism is superior to other beliefs.
*"My commitment to my tradition should never be an insult to someone else."* - Elie Wiesel	"My commitment to my tradition should never be an insult to someone else," he said. "I used to call this tolerance, but I don't use that anymore, it sounds condescending. I like the word respect." Tuvia Abramson, executive director of HILLEL: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, lauded the speech. "I feel that the great achievement of his speech tonight is that 2000 people are now messengers of his message of humanity, civility and respect," Abramson said. Near the end of his speech, the Nobel Peace Prize winner talked of compassion and remembrance. He urged the audience to talk to the witnesses, the Jewish survivors of the Holocaust. "Speak to those who were there," he said. "Believe me, my good friends, this is the last chance you have." For Heidi Fritzinger (graduate-mass communications), the speech delivered a powerful message. "It was a warning based on history," she said, "but it was also a message of hope for the future."