Mortenson Receives Honorary Degree Humanitarian Author Emphasizes Education for Women
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FREEDOM AND FAIRNESS VOL. 105 ISSUE 2 FOGHORN.USFCA.EDU SEPTEMBER, 11 2008 Mortenson Receives Honorary Degree Humanitarian author emphasizes education for women CHELSEA M. STERLING has built 78 schools and educated 28,000 News Editor students. Keeping his promise to the village of Korphe was not easy. Mortenson was kid At the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit, napped for eight days by armed terrorists, which marks the beginning of the academ dealt with physical obstacles like building ic school year, USF was proud to present roads and bridges for a school to exist and humanitarian and author Greg Mortenson even received criticism and hate mail from with an honorary doctorate of Humane Americans who were angry with him for Michael Franti 8c Spear Letters. Although Mortenson could not educating Muslim children in the wake head and Ziggy Marley rock accept the award in person due to a flight of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. He the Power to the Peaceful fes delay, USF President Fr. Stephen Privett thought about quitting when his family tival in sun-drenched Golden S.J.'s homily focused on Mortenson's work was threatened, but his wife encouraged Gate Park. of bringing education to Pakistani children him to continue. N who are "famished for the freedom educa When dealing with Pakistanis, Afghans tion brings." and others with completely different back Mortenson is no stranger to receiving grounds, Mortenson recalls the title and honorary degrees, having earned seven oth message of his book, Three Cups of Tea; ers at colleges including Seatde University three cups of tea is the concept of build and Villanova. His bestselling book, Three ing relationships with people and without Cups of Tea, chronicles his transition from these relationships, peace cannot exist. He a mountaineer attempting to climb K-2, understood the fruition of his goal when the world's second highest peak, to raising he witnessed the kids of Korphe read money to build a school for poor villag ing newspapers to their parents and then ers in Northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. watching his own son begin to read. His story of crossing international and Students, faculty, and other readers cultural borders to provide impoverished lined up inside Harney Plaza on Monday children with a classroom and books has afternoon to meet Mortenson and get their captured the attention of students and books signed. Denise Johnson drove from world leaders alike. Sacramento to get her book signed. She Mortenson said that First Lady Laura said she admired Mortenson's humanitar Bush, former First Lady Barbara Bush and ian efforts. Freshman David Owens General David Petraeus, Commanding Jacklyn Gonzalez, a Resident Ministry discusses pros and cons of this General of the Multi-National Force in intern and Theology graduate student, par year's orientation and gives Iraq, have all read his book. Melissa Stihl/Foghorn ticipated in the Mass of the Holy Spirit suggestions for improvement. In his address, Privett said, "When Greg Mortenson, bestselling author of Three Cups of Tea, accepts an Honorary and waited in line to meet Mortenson. Doctorate of Humane Letters from USF President Rev. Stephen Privett, S.J. Mortenson came to the village of Korphe, She said Mortenson is a "prime example of s^W. the villagers saw not a white American, but the social justice that USF represents." a tired person. And Mortenson did not it". Growing up in Tanzania, Mortenson struggled to fundraise money and sold his While Mortenson was not able to speak see ignorant villagers, but kids who were had seen poverty before, but until then had possessions for the cause, but help from at the Mass of the Holy Spirit, he did give •hungry to learn." Mortenson regained his never felt he could make a direct impact. Silicon Valley philanthropist Jean Hoerni a speech at the USF Justice Lecture Series health due to the care and attention of Before returning to the United States, jump-started his efforts that eventually later in the day. A video of this presenta Korphe villagers. He said, "To understand he made a vow to the villagers of Kor turned into the Central Asia Institute, a tion is on the USF Website and the link poverty, you have to taste, smell and feel phe to come back and build a school. He non-profit, directed by Mortenson that can be found at foghorn.usfca.edu untimely Death of USF Athlete Makes Olympic Debut First Year Student LAURA PLANTHOLT * LAURA PLANTHOLT News Editor News Editor For most students at USF, August was a month for wrapping up summer jobs, Kenneth Vanderwall, a freshman at moving into new dorms and apartments, Walk a mile in these shoes? USF, passed away Saturday Sep. 6 in St. buying textbooks, and bracing themselves Chloe Schildhause highlights the Mary's Hospital. Vanderwall was trans for the start of a new school year. For off-kilter styles of Devin Coogan ferred to the hospital after he had been freshman Haley Nemra, August was the in this week's Campus Chic. feeling ill in Hayes Healy residence hall, month she flew to Beijing, met some of where he lived. the world's top athletes, and competed in sc VanderwaU's cause of death was cardiac her first Olympic Games. Nemra was in arrest, a result of low blood pressure caused vited by the Marshall Islands to compete by bacterial sepsis according to an e-mail in the 800-meter dash in the 2008 Beijing from Dr. Erica Pan of the San Francisco Olympics. Department of Public Health. Bacterial Nemra was one of five athletes cho sepsis is a disease caused by bacterial infec sen to, represent the island chain between tions. In the case of Vanderwall, the bac Hawaii and Australia, whose population terial infection was Staphylococcus aureus hovers around 60,000 and has a land mass infection, commonly referred to as staph comparable to Washington D.C. How infection. Though some strands of staph ever, having never been to Marshall Is infection are highly contagious, Pan wrote lands, Nemra may have seemed an unlikely of the incident, "This does not currently candidate to represent the country in the constitute a health threat to the USF com Olympics. munity." Nemra's father is a native Marshallese Nevertheless, the following precautions and is in close contact with family mem are recommended to prevent the spread of bers back home. He proudly updated staph infections. them about his daughter's successful run •Practice good hygiene. Women's soccer lost one, tied ning career in her home state of Wash •Wash your hands frequently with soap one in weekend action at Negoes ington, sending newspaper clips about her and water. If soap is not co. Meanwhile, Volleyball swept numerous athletic achievements, and thus available, use hand sanitizer instead. the Asics/Powerade Challenge for word of her talent spread throughout the •Showering or washing after contact the 4th time in five years. community. sports, gym use, or sex may reduce the When the International Olympic risk of skin-to-skin transmission. Committee approved the Marshall Islands •Keep wounds covered with clean, dry to compete in the Olympics in 2007, the bandages. country had less than a year to put to •Take antibiotics only as prescribed by a gether a team of athletes to represent them health care provider. in Beijing. Nemra became a natural con •Do not share personal items such as used tender, despite the fact that she's never so Photo Courtesy of Haley Nemra towels, clothes, razors, or anything else much as visited the Islands. Freshman Haley Nemra stands in front of the Great Wall of China during her free that makes contact with skin. Finding out that she was definitely time at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. •Use lotion to keep skin moist; damaged going to compete only three weeks after country coaches here at USF, because she the volume." Meanwhile, Nemra became a skin can provide an opening for infection. graduating high school in June left only would have to miss the pre-season train hometown celebrity, being nicknamed the (Health Advice courtesy of Dr. Erica Pan, about a month for her to prepare. Though ing. "I called Helen [Lehman-Winters, Olympic Girl by her friends and getting MD, MPH) short notice, Nemra knew it was an oppor head coach] and she just said, 'Go for it!'" her name printed on matching tee-shirts Similarly, Kama! Harb, director of tunity she could not pass up. "At first I was Nemra had little time to train seriously by her family. Health Promotion and Services, advises a little nervous. The Olympics are so big! relative to other athletes in the competi Before she knew it, it was time to trav anyone feeling ill to seek medical care as But realizing what a great experience it tion. "These people train for their events el to Beijing. Life became a whirlwind soon as possible, reminding that the stu would be and just the opportunity in itself, all their lives basically. And I was doing of meeting renowned athletes (Michael dent health clinic located in St. Mary's has I knew I had to do it." She only wanted to cross country training at the time, so I had drop in hours Mon-Fri from 2:30-4:30 or OLYMPICS: Continued on Page 7 first make sure it was okay with her cross- to start adding more speed and bump up SAN FRANCISCO FOGHORN 2130 FULTON STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118 NEWSROOM 415.422.6122. ADVERTISING 415.422.2657 SEPTEMBER 11,2008 NEWS San Francisco Foghorn Study Abroad Enriches Education Streets Around Campus Despite availabilty, only five percent go abroad Dangerous for Pedestrians QUIN HERRON of the USF parking and traffic commit StaffWriter tee from 2000 to 2007, pushed to get the speed bumps installed on Lone Mountain The semester is just getting started, last spring.