GREENEVILLE – As children from Doak Elementary School sang and international students from Tusculum University spoke in their native languages, peace permeated the Scott M. Niswonger Commons during a ceremony unveiling a pole on campus promoting that principle.
The Rotary Club of Greeneville organized the placement of a peace pole at the commons, which the current club president, Brandon Farmer, and past president, Lucia Fillers, uncovered during the event Tuesday, Sept. 23. The pole, a project of Rotary International, contains the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in eight languages – English, Spanish, Mandarin, Swahili, Bengali, Ukrainian, Arabic and Hebrew.
“A peace pole is an internationally recognized symbol of hopes and dreams of the entire human family, standing in vigil and silent prayer for peace on earth,” said club member Tony LaMarca, who led the initiative to install one at Tusculum. “The poles are intended to inspire unity among people of all backgrounds and cultures and to serve as a silent prayer for peace. Rotary peace poles are part of Rotary’s focus on peace-building and conflict resolution. Peace starts with each of us.”
In harmony with LaMarca’s remarks, Doak Elementary students delivered a stirring rendition of “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” infused with many different languages, at the end of the ceremony. Many Tusculum international students as well as club members and Dr. Faisal Al-khateeb, professor of computer science, spoke “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in their native language. Tusculum has about 140 international students from 38 countries.
“Peace is the best way to lead,” LaMarca said. “Caring is the foundation of peace – taking care of family members, your neighbor next door, your community and people in your neighboring country and throughout the world.”
Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president and a member of the local Rotary Club, highlighted how he was a Rotary ambassadorial scholar after completing his undergraduate studies that enabled him to receive a full scholarship to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He said the experience enriched his life. Today, Tusculum alumnus Eirik Dahlgren is following in Dr. Hummel’s footsteps as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar at the University of Stirling in Scotland.
“My experience with Rotary and at the Hebrew University very much broadened my worldview and very much demonstrated for me the need for peace in community with all peoples,” Dr. Hummel said. “It also gave me a great appreciation for my Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters.”
Dr. Hummel said Rotary performs many acts that promote peace and prosperity and make the world better. In honor of the peace pole being placed at Tusculum, 10 trees have been planted in Africa in the university’s name. Dr. Hummel said he was proud of that achievement and recognition.
As Tusculum’s president, Dr. Hummel said he is also grateful the university has so many students from other countries as well as from 35 states in the United States. He noted that many flags from other countries that represent the homelands of current students and alumni hang inside the Niswonger Commons. He also highlighted that two former international students became U.S. citizens last week in a naturalization ceremony on campus.
“We are incredibly proud of our international students and what they bring to the university and to the community,” Dr. Hummel said. “There is no other organization in Greene County that brings more of an array of international individuals than Tusculum University. That enriches our university, our community and our country. We are excited about what they will become after they graduate from Tusculum University.”
State Rep. David Hawk, R-Greeneville, emphasized the importance of peace through conversation.
“What I want to challenge you to do today is to seek out someone you don’t know and just say hello,” Hawk said. “When I walked in today, I shook hands with a dozen different people that I’d never met before. But I said, ‘Hello, my name is David. How are you?’ And we had that brief conversation. Take it one step further and get to know something about that person. It’s much easier to like someone if you actually know someone. In that vein, it’s harder to hate someone if you actually like them.”
Alan Corley, mayor of the City of Tusculum and a member of the university’s Board of Trustees, welcomed everyone to the ceremony. He encouraged everyone to return to the university frequently.
Further details about Rotary peace poles are available at https://rotarypeacepoles.world/. Additional information about the local club is available at https://www.facebook.com/GreeneRotary. To learn more about the university, please visit www.tusculum.edu.
