135th Founder's Day Address

ON THE OCCASION OF THE 135TH FOUNDER'S DAY EXERCISES OF

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA,

THE REMARKS OF THE GHOST OF JUDGE ASA PACKER.

To the scholars, leaders, future leaders, extroverts, introverts, extroverted introverts, honored guests, and parking services representatives here assembled, I extend a warm welcome and my thanks for your attendance today. Especially you, parking services, because it's free parking out there as long as you're in here.

This address comes at an interesting time for Lehigh, particularly for this current student body. It is a time when the behaviors of some and the silence of the many demand reflection and compassionate action. There has never been a more perfect moment to gather as many campus leaders in one space than there is right now.  And so today I wish to convey to everyone a message on the importance of emotional intelligence.

I have read the "Dear Lehigh" letter many times, followed the evolving coverage of this movement by the Brown and White, and also read some thoughtful responses to both posted on Reddit as I am sure all of you have.  The hurt is plain to see both in and between the lines written by all three "constituencies" (a term used for convenience, not purpose of exclusion). The hurt is a fact. Don't miss that by over-parsing the text or quibbling over details, as the scholarly instincts you've been well trained exercise are inclined to do. There is a forest here and we're likely to miss it if we don't commit to truly listening to each other.

Whether you agree with FBR's tactics or not, the simple truth is this: people have been hurt.

Whether you agree with FBR's status as marginalized or not, people have been hurt.

Whether you agree that the campus is an inclusive place or not, people have been hurt.

It may not be in our power to heal that which hurts another, but it is our obligation to put an end to that which causes it. It is not our place to question the substance of what another human being feels, but it is our obligation - our responsibility - to empathize with them in their time of trouble. As peer leaders that empathy is many, many times more powerful than anything the administration could ever convey. As peer leaders, your actions to change the campus climate can have a resounding impact for generations to come. This is your moment to leave a real legacy not counted in dollars donated or symbolized by names etched on buildings, but exemplified in the lives of generations of Lehigh students.

This cause is not the better of any man or woman here assembled, nor is it one that anyone in this room should dare shrink from. In fact, it is what a "servant of nature" is supposed to do. Homo minister et interpres naturae.  The university motto is not a technical call to arms - it is a distinctly human one. We, too, are nature. And today that call to serve each other should be ringing in your ears and stirring your heart to action.

You, the student leaders of Lehigh, have in your hands the power to leave Lehigh better than you found it. You are all here because you've known what it is to lead. You've been recognized for your operational capabilities, your creative skills, and your dedication to the task at hand. And if you didn't realize it before, now I'm making it absolutely clear: you are called to be servant leaders of all of your fellow students, not just your beloved alma mater or your fraternity or your dance team or ASA. This means hearing - not just listening - and responding not with defensiveness and dismissal, but compassion and empathy.

Remember a mentor who left a profound and lasting impression on your life. How did they come to be so well regarded? Likely it was because they cared enough to demand more from you using words and acts that hit you right where it had the greatest impact. They were inclusive, compassionate, and empathetic to everyone they touched. That's the kind of emotional intelligence that can't be taught in a classroom or aroused by a speech. It can only originate in love - not the passionate kind, but the love the Greeks called "Philia". It's affectionate in a way that regards the individual with respect and conveys loyalty. Could you think of any higher honor from your peers as to be thought of that way?

Ask yourself now: are you as emotionally intelligent as you are technically capable? Are you willing to push yourself to be the leaders that Lehigh needs right now to create a better campus climate?  Will your authentic voice be one of inclusion, honesty, respect, and trust? Will you use that voice without exception and without hesitation to shut down and correct any act, no matter how casual or accidental, that draws a line between "us" and "them"? Of course you're saying yes. But is your authentic voice and the voice of the organizations you lead being heard the same way by those who aren't already a part of it?

This week, both FBR and the Brown and White realized that their voices weren't being heard they way they heard themselves. Look at how quickly that descended into needlessly frustrating back-and-forth that had absolutely nothing to do with the real issue: the hurt. We all saw how one party's belief that they weren't being heard triggered uncomfortable feelings of isolation in many others. It was an ironically powerful moment: those who had the privilege of always being heard were isolated, while those who were originally isolated felt even more so when asked about the source of their isolation. What seems self-evident to one is not always so to others.  

FBR has done us all a great service by holding up a mirror to our campus and made the smallness of everyone's  behaviors (including their own) uncomfortably clear. This is no time for ideological purity nor is it the time to cling to the status quo. We here assembled are called to act in the spirit of philia, not just within our organizations but among the student body at large. This means openness, this means empathy, and this means inclusion as a matter of behavior not just thought.

Lehigh University recruits intelligent people and seeks to mold them into worldly leaders. Diversity and global thinking are an essential part of that transformation, but so too is emotional intelligence. It takes confidence and trust to lead people into through an uncomfortable transition, both of which have roots in genuine concern for everyone around you. This is your call to live up to the motto of this fine university. Rise above your comfortable existence and your entrenched position to build a more inclusive campus one person at a time. This is the challenge that can establish a legacy you will be proud of. Lehigh will be better for it, your peers will respect you for it, and you will be a better person for it.

With love,

Asa

@asapackersghost
10 October 2013

Homo minister et interpres naturae.