Wedding Registry Zaps Enthusiasm — 04/07/12

By MARTIN SURRIDGE for the Union-Bulletin

Last week, I shared how my fiancée Lauren helped my family and me through one of the lowest points of our lives, the death of my father last Christmas.

Through that experience, I discovered there was no one in the world better at lifting my spirits during difficult times than the woman who would soon be my wife.

That camaraderie, mixed with a certain amount of toughness and a sense of humor, showed me we have what it takes to overcome life’s obstacles. And while the next hurdle may have been less daunting, it presented us with a completely different sort of challenge.

Until this year, the only experience I had with gift registries was picking out pink socks for a baby shower I attended a few years ago.

Much like each of those socks, my knowledge of such proceedings was rather small and admittedly pretty infantile. Last month, Lauren and I spent a couple of days setting up our wedding registry at a couple of department stores in the area.

She was quite excited, seeing the event as the beginning of our new life together under one roof. I was not in disagreement, far from it; I just wasn’t sure we were imagining the same size roof. The day before we drove to the store, I discovered we were both a little worried.

Lauren’s chief concern was that almost no engaged couple makes it through the registry experience without the whole event devolving into a near-shouting match over the price, texture and color of some unimportant kitchen accessory.

We know a groom who almost quit the registry process halfway through and refused to re-enter the store after just one too many disagreements and continual arguing. The whole process, hours spent examining fabrics and thread counts, wasn’t the most popular activity among most of the grooms I know.

The way I stayed engaged and entertained is actually pretty simple.

This is most likely something on which my fiancée would disagree with me, but the best part of the gift registry set up is being handed your very own barcode scanner.

I’m convinced that some marketing genius on Madison Avenue is responsible for the implementation of a handheld laser pistol in the modern wedding registry process – its inclusion allows for thousands of grooms to essentially play laser tag and roam the aisles fully contented, while their wives-to-be, freed from debate, select whichever items they wish.

Predictably, I was a little too trigger happy with the device and when Lauren would exclaim we should register for a toaster or a blender, I was already one step ahead of her, scanning the first appliance I found. While this did not lead to an argument, Lauren could only laugh and smile at me so many times until she finally threatened to take away the device.

As time passed, I realized how few of our items we had picked out. Lauren seemed to be a little stressed over which set of drinking glasses, which set of towels and which set of silverware to choose.

This time it was my turn to keep her spirits up, so I played a few practical jokes, scanning random items like a shiny, cheap towel rack and putting it on the registry. Not funny, I later found out. There were just so many choices – the fun was replaced with anxiety.

It was all rather overwhelming, too many pillows, too many frying pans, too many coffee makers. Sure, there were sets I liked more than others, but my choices often didn’t line up with hers.

As I held Lauren’s hand, we stared at the rows of blue, green, yellow, orange and a variety of other colored juice-dispenser jug-like-items, and we began to feel defeated.

“At the same time, let’s say which color we like the most,” I said, “One … two … three,”

“Blue!” she declared.

“Blue!” I copied quickly, just a fraction of second after her.

Lauren shot me a knowing glance and smirked. She still wasn’t sure though if it was even the right brand of the barrel-like pitcher thing. She proceeded to ask me another series of questions about price, size, design and shape.

“Well, does it hold liquid without leaking?” I asked. She nodded. “Well then let’s get it.”

Martin Surridge, who studied at Walla Walla University, now lives in Georgia.

Father’s death drove home fiancée’s love — 04/07/12

By MARTIN SURRIDGE for the Union-Bulletin

Last week, I shared how Lauren became my fiancée almost immediately after she coerced me into uncomfortably approaching a celebrated former member of Monty Python in order to introduce ourselves during a romantic lunch date.

In the hours following that amusingly timed proposal in the gazebo at Pioneer Park, Lauren and I made the customary phone calls, sharing the exciting news of both our comedic encounter and the proposal with our loved ones including my father, Robert, a big fan of Monty Python.

I had grown up the child of a preacher, and we had discussed having my dad as the officiating minister at the wedding, but I felt seeing his face in the audience as a parent rather than a pastor would be even more special.

My dad was delighted we were engaged, and my mother had told me he was actually rather relieved we didn’t ask him to perform official duties at the wedding. Like any other happy father, he simply wanted to sit in the congregation with my mother and other family members and look on proudly.

I was on the telephone a lot during the first couple of months of our engagement, often late into the night, not just with my parents, usually just humoring my fiancée by staying awake until her bedtime, which was three hours earlier than mine given that I live in Georgia.

So when I was awakened by the ringing of my cellphone at nearly 2 a.m. one Tuesday in early December, I was surprised, but not concerned.

The voice on the other end of the call did not belong to Lauren, however, but my frightened, panicked mother, who declared that my father suffered a stroke and they were on the way to the hospital.

The stroke was not major, we were told at first, but his brain hemorrhaged much faster than anyone anticipated.

His last words to me were slurred over the telephone through a bevy of drugs and drastically reduced brain function, but they were still clear: “See you on Friday,” he said.

I was unable to make it back to California in time for my father to see me that weekend, but I was able to see him and, along with my mother and brother Jack, spend a few hours by his side before he slipped away peacefully just before sunset.

It was all so sudden; the whole situation was a complete shock.

My dad had accepted a new job back in England only a week before his stroke. Instead of calling my grandparents in England with Lauren to speak with them for the first time about our engagement only weeks before, I was calling them from a hospital pay phone to tell them their son had just died, as my mother was in too much shock to continue the conversation.

I don’t think we would have made it through Christmas were it not for the selfless decision of two wonderful women – my grandmother and my fiancée, both of whom bought tickets and came to spend a very difficult and sorrowful Christmas with our family. It was during those first few days immediately after my father’s death when I realized my fiancée, who was so helpful and compassionate, was nothing short of incredible.

Lauren would clean the kitchen when my mother was crying and converse with my grandmother when the tired lady was homesick.

She watched movies with my brother when he was sad, and she would help me focus on so many important things that needed to get done. Whether it was writing my father’s obituary and life sketch for the funeral, cooking a meal for the family or organizing photos for a memorial tribute, Lauren was always there, ready to help me through it.

Most of all, I will never forget how, during the memorial service and in front of hundreds of people, when it was time for me to approach the pulpit and read my father’s life sketch, Lauren went with me, held my hand and pointed to the right words when I lost my place on the page, fighting back the tears.

During my family’s most difficult month, she spent weeks away from home during what was supposed to be her last Christmas with her family before she got married.

Lauren showed me what it meant to live one’s life selflessly for the sake of another loved one in need of care and affection. If that is not the meaning of life, I don’t know what else it could be.

Martin Surridge, who studied at Walla Walla University, now lives in Georgia.

Marriage proposal becomes Monty Python event – 04/01/12

By MARTIN SURRIDGE for the Union-Bulletin

My figurative journey toward marriage began with a very literal journey across the country.

Two years ago I made the agonizingly difficult decision to leave the Pacific Northwest, my friends, my colleagues and the woman I loved to begin my career near Atlanta. While the long-distance communication between my girlfriend, Lauren, and me was almost constant, we could no longer cook dinners together or sit back and watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

The only thing more complicated than a long-distance relationship across three time zones was a long-distance engagement across three time zones.

It began in October of 2011, over a year after I left, when I returned to Washington state, as I had on several previous occasions. However, this time was very different. I had purchased the slim, diamond and sapphire engagement ring only a week before I arrived in Walla Walla. I carried it with me everywhere in the days leading up to the proposal, primarily because I was paranoid.

On the morning I was to ask her to marry me, everything went smoothly. The night before, I had asked her parents for permission and was visibly shaking when I showed them the ring, but after a good night’s sleep, I had regained my composure and kept calm.

I’m a high school English teacher, so explaining and expressing myself through speech should come naturally, but on this occasion I was pretty nervous. I hadn’t planned out what I was going to say, but it would come straight from the heart, unfiltered and spontaneous. A less refined gentleman might say he was going to wing it.

So as not to make it either too obvious or too cliché, our pre-proposal meal was a lunch date during a break in Lauren’s class schedule. I thought it was a clever touch.

As we sat, enjoying our meal at Backstage Bistro, sharing stories that escape me today, I couldn’t help but notice a recognizable face behind my girlfriend’s left shoulder. The distraction frustrated me. I wanted to figure out my plan of action, not spend my time staring at an old man.

As I picked through my salad with an increasing disinterest, the elderly gentlemen sitting behind Lauren glanced my way and the disorganized thoughts in my mind started to fall into place.

“I think I know that guy,” I said. “He looks like he’s from England; perhaps he knows my grandfather.”

It was a guess, one I realized was wrong, but the man did indeed look English – sharply dressed, neat, polite to the waitress.

“That’s Eric Idle from Monty Python,” I remarked, stunned at my own conclusion.

Lauren turned around, covertly examined the actor and confirmed my suspicions with a quick Internet image search on her smart phone. She was giddy and begged me to approach the famous comedian and talk to him.

I tried to resist, not being one to speak to movie stars, but I desperately wanted the afternoon to be perfect and didn’t want to disappoint Lauren.

My walk to his table was unbelievably awkward, half shuffling, half strolling and with a unusual stutter, I addressed the Monty Python member right as he and his family began to stand up after finishing their lunch.

I couldn’t believe that less than an hour before I planned to propose marriage to my girlfriend, I was practically stalking a celebrity. I had no idea that the most intimidating question I would ask that day would be, “Excuse me sir, but are you Eric Idle of Monty Python?”

Mr. Idle was incredibly gracious, despite my brief but rather inane questioning, and it was all over very quickly, leaving me with a concluding sense of completion, despite the fact I still hadn’t actually asked my girlfriend to marry me yet.

Lauren, however, couldn’t stop talking about Eric Idle. I had never seen her so excited. She couldn’t wait to tell her teachers, her classmates; she texted her parents and friends about the big news and what happened to her at lunchtime.

Less than 40 minutes later, because I had rather regrettably planned the proposal about an hour before Lauren’s next class, I tried to change the topic to flowers and poetry, and how beautiful Pioneer Park looked that day as we strolled under the shade of the towering trees.

It really was a magnificent day, and Lauren was on such a high from meeting one of her favorite celebrities I didn’t mind sharing the spotlight with a comedic giant.

When I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me, she was completely shocked, as she had no idea it was coming. She said yes and remained in a state of joyous bewilderment for the rest of the day.

There was probably quite a bit of puzzlement in Walla Walla that day. I can only imagine the confusion when Lauren’s parents received texts as we left the restaurant exclaiming how “the most hilarious thing just happened to me in downtown Walla Walla.”

Martin Surridge, who studied at Walla Walla University, now lives in Georgia.

Ralph Nader Gives Students Advice on the Economy, the Environment and Democracy – 05/06/10

By MARTIN SURRIDGE for the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

WALLA WALLA — Former presidential candidate, environmental and consumer protection advocate, and notable author, Ralph Nader, spoke to an audience of students, faculty, and community members on Wednesday night at Whitman College’s Cordiner Hall, encouraging those in attendance to increase their participation in the democratic process and become more aware of corporate and environmental abuse in the United States.

Nader, who has spent much of his legal and political career fighting for an increase in consumer protection laws, particularly in the motor vehicle industry, was one of the key figures in the founding of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Nader was also the Green Party’s candidate for President in 2000 and finished third in that year’s turbulent election with 2.73% of the nationwide popular vote. He gave a spirited lecture to an almost overflowing auditorium filled with students and other attendees who gave Nader a standing ovation before he had begun to speak. He explained how disappointed he was with the current political system in the United States, a system which he himself tried to reform with four consecutive presidential runs from 1996 to 2008, but he did not place all of the blame for the problem on the politicians themselves.

“According to the polls, people are losing confidence in the two parties and approval ratings for Congress are low,” he said, “but people need to stop making excuses for themselves and assert the sovereignty of the people.”

Part of that battle, Nader claimed, needs to be fought not just in the political arena, but in the marketplaces of the economic arena.

“We grew up corporate,” he exclaimed, “Raise your hands if you’ve never been to McDonalds or Wal-Mart.” Very few hands were visible, but nearly every hand was raised when Nader then asked how many in the audience had never sat in on a town hall meeting or gathering of the city council. He then continued with a few words on what it means to be a functioning civic society.

“It’s about mobilizing consumers, tax-payers, and small business owners—that’s what makes a democracy work. Otherwise it’s just a plutocracy, run by the rich and powerful.”

Nader, who was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential Americans of the 20^th century, also shared experiences from his struggle to bring energy independence and sustainability to America, and explained that being environmentally friendly in your daily life does not have to be an expensive endeavor. His lecture was entitled “Going Green: Getting it to the Bottom Line,” and he gave several examples of how citizens can help the environment on a personal level such as, “reading up on what you should or shouldn’t buy” and shopping with reusable grocery bags. When these small actions are done “millions of times a day,” Nader explained, it “adds up to [a significant] reduction of waste.”

Nader also had plenty of positive things to say regarding the efforts that the students and administrators of Whitman College have taken in recent years to make the school more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

“When I went to university they wasted so much energy you’d think it was their duty [but] if where you go to school is your lab for green activities, you’re going to be a different person when you graduate.”

Best Selling Author and Christian Activist Speaks in College Place – 05/01/10

By MARTIN SURRIDGE for the Walla Walla Union Bulletin

Revolutionizing Christianity through the power of self-sacrificial love was the message that best-selling author, international speaker, university professor, and ordained pastor, Dr. Tony Campolo had for a capacity congregation on Friday night, during a vespers service held at the Walla Walla University church in College Place. The sermon was part of a two-day series of social and religious programming at WWU called “The Weekend.”

Campolo, who headlined the event and spoke several times during Friday and Saturday, has rocked the sizeable boat of the evangelical community upon occasion during the last few years with the release of books like the recent best seller “Red Letter Christians: A Citizen’s Guide to Faith and Politics.” The Pennsylvania sociologist has authored an astonishing 38 books in total and has also made several appearances on a number of television shows in recent years including “Nightline,” “CNN Headline News,” and, most amusingly, on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report,” when the prominent Christian activist went head-to-head with the satirical faux-conservative in 2008 during a fascinating discussion over what it means to follow Christ’s message in today’s society. The two grappled over how Christians should treat the poor and how they should behave toward homosexuals, a topic that Campolo addressed during his talk on Friday night at WWU. He specifically refuted the idea, widely held in evangelical communities, that successful campaigns, funded by Christian groups, to ban gay marriage in states like California are a victory for the church and for God.

“After that, tens of thousands of gays and lesbians marched in San Francisco, and New York, and Chicago, screaming their hatred of the church and saw Jesus Christ as their enemy,” Campolo said, “If you think that’s a victory, you and I are on opposite teams.”

Campolo also addressed the importance of reaching out to help those in need, especially children suffering from diseases like HIV/AIDS and the emotional neglect that often accompanies it. REACH Ministries, of which Campolo is the honorary chair, was one of the sponsors for the event and gave students a chance to sign up for a volunteer opportunity to work with children with HIV/AIDS at a specialty summer camp. Campolo explained that sacrificing your time, energy, and finances to spend time with kids like these is exactly what living a life of Christ-like love is all about.

“Its one of the few opportunities where kids with HIV/AIDS can play with other kids without them shying away,” he explained, “This is a very special opportunity to express the love of Jesus.”

The message delivered by Campolo, who also spoke for both Saturday services at the WWU church at 9:30 a.m. and 12:45 a.m., was well-received by the students in attendance, with some claiming they were close to tears and others, like Drew Ray, a senior business major, admitted that Campolo’s sermons the next day might make him temporarily change his sleeping habits for the weekend.

“I might even get up for the 9:30,” Ray said, “That’s how good this guy is.”

Economist sees need, hope in future of foreign aid – 02/24/10

By MARTIN SURRIDGE for the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

Foreign aid has changed over the years, sometimes being an expression of one nation’s altruism, at other times serving as a political tool, a former World Bank economist said Tuesday night at Whitman College.

Economist Inder Sud spoke as part of the school’s global studies lectures sponsored by the O’Donnell Visiting Professorship in Global Studies Endowment.

Sud, who earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University and worked at the World Bank for nearly three decades, has an extensive background in the economics of developing countries. He addressed a group of students and faculty members in Olin Hall about the current challenges associated with international relief and foreign aid.

The widely-traveled economist and visiting lecturer—who has worked extensively in Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa—started the evening by distinguishing official relief funds sanctioned by the United States government from humanitarian assistance. He continued with the history of foreign aid as used by the United States government, from the aftermath of World War II and the Marshal Plan to the current relief crisis in Haiti.

“The American public has usually been ambivalent about foreign aid,” Sud said, “However there was a lot of controversy about the Marshal Plan, with many Republican officials thinking it was the problem not the solution.”

Sud explained that while foreign aid to developing countries began as a type of governmental altruism, during the Kennedy administration it changed and began to be used as a strategy to contain the Soviet Union, as the United States wanted to increase their influence in the developing countries. Sud explained that the political issues that surrounded foreign aid during the Cold War continued into the 21^st century, especially following the terrorist attacks of September 11.  Underdevelopment was seen not only as a contributor to poverty and disease but also security problems and foreign aid became a key tool in the War on Terrorism. “Under a Republican administration we saw our first increase in foreign aid for many years,” Sud said.

Sud spoke enthusiastically about the prospects of foreign aid in the 21^st century, but was admittedly pessimistic and cautioned against overconfidence and assuming the job is already done.

“It’s easy to talk about the future when you don’t have to face it tomorrow,” he said, “If you were to ask me where foreign aid is needed the most I would say Africa, its still no where near where you would consider to be a satisfactory state of affairs. It’s not what needs to be done in some distance future but what has to be done today.”

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Whitman College played host to former World Bank economist, Dr. Inder Sud, on Tuesday night, as part of the school’s global studies lectures sponsored by the O’Donnell Visiting Professorship in Global Studies Endowment.

Sud, who earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University and worked at the World Bank for nearly three decades, has an extensive background in the economics of developing countries. He addressed a group of students and faculty members in Olin Hall about the current challenges associated with international relief and foreign aid.

The widely-traveled economist and visiting lecturer—who has worked extensively in Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa—started the evening by distinguishing official relief funds sanctioned by the United States government from humanitarian assistance. He continued with the history of foreign aid as used by the United States government, from the aftermath of World War II and the Marshal Plan to the current relief crisis in Haiti.

“The American public has usually been ambivalent about foreign aid,” Sud said, “However there was a lot of controversy about the Marshal Plan, with many Republican officials thinking it was the problem not the solution.”

Sud explained that while foreign aid to developing countries began as a type of governmental altruism, during the Kennedy administration it changed and began to be used as a strategy to contain the Soviet Union, as the United States wanted to increase their influence in the developing countries. Sud explained that the political issues that surrounded foreign aid during the Cold War continued into the 21^st century, especially following the terrorist attacks of September 11.  Underdevelopment was seen not only as a contributor to poverty and disease but also security problems and foreign aid became a key tool in the War on Terrorism. “Under a Republican administration we saw our first increase in foreign aid for many years,” Sud said.

Sud spoke enthusiastically about the prospects of foreign aid in the 21^st century, but was admittedly pessimistic and cautioned against overconfidence and assuming the job is already done.

“It’s easy to talk about the future when you don’t have to face it tomorrow,” he said, “If you were to ask me where foreign aid is needed the most I would say Africa, its still no where near where you would consider to be a satisfactory state of affairs. It’s not what needs to be done in some distance future but what has to be done today.”

Inequality at the Winter Olympics – February 2010

By MARTIN SURRIDGE for The Collegian and ReligiousLiberty.TV

In high school, the only sports I played to any significant extent were soccer and basketball. A lot of my friends went snowboarding or skiing, but it was a long drive to the mountains and I could not really afford all the equipment, which cost hundreds of dollars. So I never spent much time on the slopes. However, I have always been fascinated by winter sports. The Winter Olympics in Vancouver was the first of two major international sporting events this year, the other being the soccer World Cup, to be held in South Africa in June. Both events feature the best athletes in the world in their respective sports and enthrall millions across the globe.

However, after watching the Germans steer their bobsleds, the Russians twist and turn in figure skating, and the French ski down steep mountain slopes, I began to realize that the true reason that many athletes from cold-weather countries succeed in this frosty quadrennial competition is not climate or topography or even, dare I say it, talent, but rather privilege, economics, and wealth.

Of all the stunning statistics that were tossed around during the fortnight of games in British Columbia, one stat was not mentioned, although its omission is hardly surprising. Of the 238 total medals that were up for grab in Vancouver, over 50 percent were won by eight of the world’s wealthiest nations. The United States, Canada, Great Britain, Japan, Russia, France, Germany, and Italy—industrialized market economies, who together make up the world’s main economic council of wealthy nations, the exclusive Group of Eight, or G8—took home 130 medals and nearly half of the first-place finishes.

In addition to the success of the G8 nations, China, widely considered the second wealthiest nation in the world after the U.S., and South Korea, another powerhouse economy in Asia, took home just under 10 percent of remaining medals. It is also worth mentioning that Norway, which the International Monetary Fund places three positions higher than the United States in GDP at purchasing power parity per capita, and Switzerland, which also ranks in the top ten and is just one place behind the U.S., brought home approximately 9 percent and 3 percent of the Winter Olympics medals respectively. If you are doing the math, that means that 72 percent, nearly three-fourths, of all the medals in Vancouver were won by twelve incredibly wealthy nations. While similar patterns were displayed in Beijing and other summer Olympic games, one must remember that the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics were a competition where poorer nations like Ethiopia, Romania, Jamaica, Kenya, and Ukraine walked away with a half-dozen gold medals each. With the exception of Austria, hardly a nation of impoverished citizens, and Yugoslavia, the Winter Olympics has never been held outside of these twelve countries since the competition began nearly ninety years ago.

The lack of success among underdeveloped nations in the Winter Olympics is not for want of trying. Take, for instance, the story of Tugba Karademir, the young figure skater from Turkey, where the capital city Ankara has the country’s only real ice rink. Karademir’s father and mother, who is a certified aerospace engineer, immigrated to Canada and accepted jobs doing menial labor just so their daughter could have a chance to compete in the Olympic Games. While geography could be considered a significant challenge to athletes wanting to ski in the Pacific islands or snowboard in the heart of Africa, a large number of events occur indoors or on manmade ramps and tracks, and more often than not, poorer countries do not compete because they lack the finances to compete in sports that require such a large amount of equipment. Is it surprising that most kids in Brazil have never played ice hockey but are always seen with a soccer ball at their feet? Or that children in Cuba play baseball with a simple wooden bat instead of curling? Or that the best skiers in your dorm usually come from the most privileged families?

Understand that I am not insinuating that there is a vast conspiracy in winter sports against poorer nations, but that among all of the athletic competitions in the world, it is the most inherently unequal. While I enjoyed watching ice hockey and the rest of the winter games, as a liberal and a lover of equality, they pale in comparison to the World Cup, where 32 nations from across the globe compete on a much more equal playing field in a truly international competition, where success is determined not by how much equipment you or your country can afford, but by your skill kicking a ball on a field of grass.

The European Attack on Religious Liberty – 02/08/10

By MARTIN SURRIGDE for ReligiousLiberty.TV and The Collegian

As the nation of Haiti continues to suffer through one of the worst natural disasters in recent years, and the chaos and desperation that followed the earthquake, an incredible amount of material and financial relief has flooded into the former French colony. While Haiti may seem like another world for many people, what many do not realize is that Haiti lies only 681 miles off the coast of Miami, and that many American cities have substantial populations of Haitian-Americans. In addition, the United States government estimated that several thousand Americans were likely killed in the earthquake. Haiti, it turns out, is not as far away as we had previously thought. Sadly, the fact of the matter is that concerned citizens and other individuals tend to pay a little closer to attention to a global problem when the effects can be keenly felt in their own homes.

While they have been easy to miss, the news has been peppered recently with stories of serious threats to religious liberty not in the developing world, war-torn regions in the Middle East, or third-world countries struck by natural disasters, but in Europe, our own geopolitical backyard. In the modern era, Europe has been a beacon for personal liberty and religious tolerance, with religion playing a seemingly minor role in most of the continent’s wars and conflicts. However, one does not need an advanced degree in history to know that Europe has also been a bastion of religious persecution, a trait that has reared its ugly head in recent weeks, mostly as the continent struggles to define itself against growing waves of Muslim immigrants.

Radical, or at least conservative, Islam was seen as the enemy in the legislative decision made in Switzerland recently, when the Alpine nation banned the construction of minarets on Muslim places of worship. Not only is Switzerland a famously tolerant nation, it is also a nation with a grand total of four such minarets. The campaign that advocated for the ban preyed on people’s fears of Islamic terrorism and resorted to despicable tactics, including a poster that featured minarets rising skyward like nuclear missiles.

Perhaps less surprising that the minaret ban in Switzerland, but just as concerning, was a recent incident on the Greek isle of Crete when the only synagogue on the island was attacked by arsonists twice last month, which destroyed thousands of books, two offices and part of the historic building’s roof. Anti-Semitism is hardly new in Greece, but neither is the peaceful coexistence of Jewish and Christian communities in a country where some Jewish congregations can trace back their roots hundreds of years.

Religious liberty is also under threat in France, where parliament is expected to enact a law that will require dozens of conservative Muslim women to cease wearing the controversial burqa, the face-covering full length veils. Arguments abound on both sides of the debate. Those opposed to the veil argue that it degrades women, is an affront to gender equality, insinuates that men are incapable of controlling their lust, and is a threat to public security. Those who contend that such a law would infringe upon freedom of speech and religion claim that it unfairly targets Islam and have pointed to the fact that conservative nuns expose little more than their hands and face in their own full length dresses with similar head scarves. Regardless of political affiliation or personal opinions on the burqa, it is hard to deny that if such a law were passed it would amount to government interference in religion.

If this pattern of religious liberty infringements were anything to go by, the United States may not be far behind. Connections between North America and Europe run deep and while there may be several key differences between the two continents, religious intolerance seems to be an emerging, unifying theme. These incidents display a disturbing trend that scholars of religion and sufferers of anti-Semitism have known for a long time: laws prohibiting the free practice of religion are just the first in a series of slippery steps toward widespread intolerance and institutionalized discrimination. It is time that the Europe, and the other nations of the west, show the developing world that religious liberty is not optional, but rather a fundamental and guaranteed principle of our society.

Robots give Walla Walla University students a hand up with studies – 02/22/10

Two new robot arms have been installed at the School of Engineering.

By MARTIN SURRIDGE for the Walla Walla Union Bulletin and The Collegian

When most people hear about robots, they usually conjure up images of time-traveling cyborgs or other types of machines seen in science fiction movies and television shows. However, most robots are simply automated industrial tools used in factories and in laboratories, such as in the robotics lab at Walla Walla University, where two new robots were installed last week.

While these robots may not be able to cook you breakfast or chauffeur you around town, they will be able to give students in the Edward F. Cross School of Engineering at Walla Walla University a chance to work with professional equipment and understand the world of automated manufacturing and robotics.

Purchased using grant funds provided to the department, the two identical Motoman Six Degrees of Freedom robots each cost $35,000, effectively replacing the university’s PUMA 762, a much older robot that was not compatible with modern computers and ran on floppy disks. The new robots—which will be used in two classes, both robotics and manufacturing systems—look somewhat like a large mechanical arm that you might see on a factory assembly line. They are able to rotate through a total of six axes, and move in a series of motion quite similar to the human arm.

Don Riley, a professor at WWU who teaches mechanical engineering, made several comparisons between the motion of robot, which can move through six different axes, and the movement of the human arm. He also emphasized the practical use of working with equipment like the Motoman Six Degrees of Freedom robots.

“These are modern, industrial strength robots and they’re smaller than the big ones we have,” he said. “You can hit the record button and it will record all its positions and theoretically they can be used by any computer on campus. Learning more precise modern methods and giving students the opportunity to work with the robots is one of our major goals.”

Senior mechanical engineering major, Tim Rasmussen was enthusiastic about the new equipment and was excited about using it in class very soon. He also understood that the practical experience of working with robots and being trained in robotics could have a strong impact on the future careers of him and his classmates.

“It’s really exciting anytime we get new toys to play with its fun,” Rasmussen exclaimed, “It’s exactly the kind of thing we’ll be using after we get out of school.”

Helping homeless tugs at heart strings – 02/20/10

By MARTIN SURRIDGE for the Walla Walla Union Bulletin

Valentine’s Day weekend was a weekend of mixed emotions for me this year, but it had little to  with romance or roses. I was part of a group of students from Walla Walla University who went to Portland for four days to help the city’s homeless population and volunteer at several shelters in the area. While I was happy and excited to assist those less fortunate than myself, I saw enough sadness and despair in a few days than I usually do in several months. Ultimately, however, the trip was an incredible eye-opening experience and a reminder of the small things we can do to help the impoverished and downtrodden individuals that live among us.

Along with our school chaplain and a number of other university staff, our group of thirty spent the weekend working with the fantastic employees at the Portland Rescue Mission, a network of shelters and halfway houses throughout the city that meet the needs of the homeless and provides them with vocational training and a place to integrate back into society. We sorted through piles of donated clothes at the organization’s warehouse, painted dozens of rooms, swept sidewalks, and woke up at 4:45 a.m. to serve breakfast and hand out blankets downtown. A flat tire and bags full of blankets that split open a mile away from the shelter did not make our weekend any easier, but they were struggles that were minor when compared to what we encountered. This was not my first time working with homeless people—during my undergrad years in California I often took trips to San Francisco and Berkeley to hand out lunch—but I had never been so immersed in their world as I was last weekend. We spent time underneath bridges where several semi-permanent communities had been established, trying to convince a disheveled wide-eyed man, who sincerely believed that the city judges and FBI were trying to sue him, that all we wanted to do was to give him lunch and a blanket. We met a man who told us he had lost everything after becoming involved in what he later discovered was a pyramid scheme and another who explained that the death of his daughter drove him to alcoholism and eventually homelessness. I was shocked by the number of men and women, of all ages and from all ethnicities, who were living on the streets and the weekend shattered most people’s preconceived image of a homeless person—the drunk, grey-bearded, unintelligent Vietnam vet, carrying a bottle of whiskey in a brown, paper bag.

Yet despite the sorrow, and the pain we encountered, there were moments of joy and laughter in some of the city’s roughest neighborhoods. I met a man who grew up only an hour from where I lived in California and we talked about sports and how much we missed the San Francisco Bay Area. During our time at the women’s shelter in one of the more residential districts of Portland, where we painted a kitchen and several bedrooms, we met a young girl whose mother was in the process of getting back on her feet. She was excited to show us her new baby sister and tell us the story of when she fell off the playground equipment outside. Another man who was playing chess at one of the shelters, and who seemed to be able to defeat almost any other person who wanted to play him, humbly claimed that he didn’t couldn’t play chess, he just “moved the pieces around a little bit.” It was amazing how much people opened up when we looked them in the eye, shook their hand and talked to them like they were a real human being, an experience that is denied to them by most people they meet.

There were times that I felt that my actions were insignificant and too small to make a real difference. Yet, one of the greatest lessons that I learned during my time working with the homeless in Portland was the impact of each decision and of the smallest action, like painting a small bathroom ceiling, giving a pair of gloves or simply a smile to those who feel they do not deserve one.