Students commemorated lives lost on the Mexican border in a "Day of the Dead" event on Sunday, Nov. 4. The evening, co-sponsored campus organizations including Collis Governing Board, Por Latinoamerica and La Alianza Latina, celebrated the traditional Latin American holiday Dia de Los Muertos. In honor of the holiday, which pays homage to the dead, organizers built an altar in dedication to those who lost their lives while crossing the U.S.-Mexican border. Rocio Magana, the Cesar E. Chavez fellow of the Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies program, gave a presentation on border-crossers and their deaths with pictures and stories before leading a discussion to add a human element to the immigration debate. The event also featured traditional Latin American food and a performance by the professional tango dancer Keysi Montas during the event.
Gil Hoffman, chief political reporter for the Jerusalem Post, addressed the challenges and solutions facing Israel in a lecture at the Rockefeller Center on Nov. 2. Hoffman, often called "the most optimistic man in Israel" by the Israeli media, encouraged the audience to see Israel not only as a war-torn region but as a modern democracy trying to maintain a sense of normalcy. He stressed that there was much more to the country than the publicity of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and professed a hopeful outlook on the country's condition as a whole. John Tepperman '08, who attended and helped publicize the lecture, said that Hoffman addressed these issues in a thoughtful, diplomatic manner which fostered a calm environment for discussion, rather than a shouting match. The lecture, which saw an audience of about 60 people, was followed by a Chabad dinner.
Over 200 people participated in the 5K Out of the Darkness Walk, an event sponsored by Active Minds at Dartmouth College and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and held on Nov. 4. This turnout constitutes the largest for any walk in Maine or New Hampshire this fall. The event was a fundraiser for the AFSP's main programs, such as suicide prevention research and college suicide prevention campaigns, but also served to raise awareness about the stigma of mental illness on the Dartmouth campus. Participants, who walked to show support for those who suffered losses of loved ones to suicide, included both Dartmouth students and Upper Valley community members. According to organizer Taylor Dryman '09, president of Active Minds, the walk's many volunteers contributed to the smoothness of the event.
