Nobel laureate visiting campus

Dr. Oscar Arias, 1987 Nobel Peace Prize Winner and former Costa Rican president, will arrive at IU Sunday afternoon to deliver two Patten lectures and spend time with students on the campus for the week.\nDr. Arias strove to institute his peace plan in Central America during a time of strife and civil war. For these efforts, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987. With the funds he was awarded, Dr. Arias established an organization called the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress. This foundation, geared to "promote just and peaceful societies in Central America and other regions," is split up into three divisions: the Center for Human Progress, the Center for Peace and Reconciliation and the Center for Organized Participation. \n"It's not every day we can get a Nobel Peace Prize Winner to come to our campus," said Mary Tilton, executive director of the Patten Foundation on campus. \nThe Patten Foundation brings professionals to speak who can relate the significant details of their field effectively to an audience. Each year the foundation sends out nomination letters to the faculty, and in November, the committee gets together to choose speakers for the year's Patten lectures.\nDr. Arias was booked for this weekend last December.\nIn 1990, Dr. Arias was at IU to inaugurate the IU Center for Global Change and World Peace. Professor Russell Salmon had the opportunity to witness that event. He is amazed that some people were not aware of Dr. Arias's presence on campus in 1990.\n"His message was incredible," Salmon said. "Dr. Arias is one of the most important people in the Western hemisphere, particularly for this time we are at war."\nThe first lecture, entitled, "Peace with Justice for Latin American and the World," will take place at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 23 in Room 100 of Woodburn Hall. The other lecture, entitled "Moral Leadership for the New Century" will take place at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 25 in Room 013 of Ballantine Hall. Both are open to the public and are free of charge.\nJeffrey Gould, director of the IU Latin American and Caribbean Studies Department, is also excited about Dr. Arias' visit to the campus and said he hopes students will take advantage of this rare opportunity.\n"I hope it will give them a greater appreciation for U.S. foreign policy toward the rest of the world," Gould said. \nGould said he admires Dr. Arias because he had a different vision for how Central America needed to achieve peace.\n"He worked hard toward achieving peace during a time of civil wars," Gould said. "He did a great service to Central America and humanity."\nDespite his busy schedule in Bloomington, Dr. Arias will do his best to have one-on-one time with IU students during the week.\n"He always tries to meet with students as much as he can," said Daniel Soto, the community affairs coordinator for IU International Center. "It is not a new or difficult thing to have him meet with students."\nOn Sept. 23, Dr. Arias will have breakfast with Costa Rican students on campus, allowing for an open discussion opportunity. \nSoto heard Dr. Arias speak when he visited in 1990. Soto said he admired how Dr. Arias always tried to enforce the significance of peace. \n"For him, peace is more important than anything else," Soto said.\nSoto said he has high hopes for the students who take advantage of the time they can spend with Dr. Arias.\n"Hopefully they can learn from him the high roads to take to the right places to do the right things," Soto said.\nEach time a Patten lecturer visits, he or she is invited by the Honors College to have dinner with the students as an open discussion forum. It has been a tradition that all of the Patten lecturers have thoroughly enjoyed. But this dinner is open to not only Honors College students but also any IU undergraduate who signs up ahead of time.\nCharlene Brown, the assistant director of the Honors College, said this is a wonderful opportunity for students to reflect on Dr. Arias' lectures and attend a discussion with him. \n"He was the head of his country and represents countries in the developing world," Brown said. "It's a perspective that is valuable for all of us to hear. He holds an extraordinarily responsible position, and he can speak to us as a neighbor on issues that are significant to everyone all around the world."\nMany are looking forward to Dr. Arias' visit and hope to learn much from his store of information and experiences.\n"It is an honor to have him here," Gould said.