Peace Pole and More - Princeton Part II

One of the events that happens at the major Reunions and not the off-years is the memorial service, to honor not just the classmates lost since the last major but all that we’ve lost since we matriculated. So far, the number is small, but it does keep growing, which in itself is sad. And the past few memorial services have been especially moving. Ten years ago I was not just weeping, I was sobbing – to the point where people were turning around to see who was crying so much. Five years ago I managed to mist over but remain composed; this year I was somewhere in between. It’s just sad to think of lives cut short and of loved ones left behind.

Another thing that I did at Reunions this year but not every year is attend the Triangle show. Triangle is Princeton’s version of Wharton Follies (I usually describe it the other way but since I mentioned Follies a couple of posts ago…actually Triangle is more impressive because the music is original too). This year’s show, “Store Trek,” about a big-box store and people who try to fight it, was excellent. And for some reason, Triangle offers free tickets to the 30th Reunion! That is a relatively new tradition of theirs, and it worked out for us!

Maybe the highlight of highlights, though, was the Peace Pole ceremony. I’ve seen Peace Poles in my day – I used to bicycle past one in Chicago all the time – and now I have seen them in lots of places around the world. I love their simple message – May Peace Prevail on Earth – in different languages. When I was in Boulder last year, my friend said that her class gift to her school was a Peace Pole. Wait, you can donate them? Where do you find them, peacepoles.com? Actually, it’s peacepole.com and yes! I suggested that this be our class gift, but the other class officers didn’t rally around the idea. I tried to pursue it independently, but the grounds people at Princeton didn’t answer me. So I offered to donate one to Quadrangle, my eating club – and the grad board enthusiastically accepted! This pole has locations rather than languages (May Peace Prevail at Princeton/in New Jersey/in America/on Earth – the one in Chicago has locations too). We had a little ceremony on the Friday afternoon of Reunions – the undergraduate Quad president spoke, someone from the grad board spoke, I spoke, and the pole was unveiled – and I felt proud to have made it happen. I think it’s in a great place.