Classes of 2000-2009

MY TIME BETWEEN DRIVEL AND INSPIRATION: A LETTER TO ELIE WIESEL FROM A FORMER STUDENT July 23, 2016  Dear Dr. Wiesel, I don’t know how to do this. And I’m embarrassed to admit that. Because I am a writer. This we shared. And in ways…

Dr. Elie Wiesel was an inspiration in many ways, but the word I associate the most with him is testify. Years before I had the opportunity to hear him speak and then eventually take two Winter Term classes with him, I remember reading his book Night in eighth grade.…

Memories, Madness and Desire In a college course, I was given the advice, “Life is not made up of years, but of moments.” That course always resonated. I referred to the same advice during my oldest brother’s wedding ceremony. I was his co-best man. I…

During my Winter Term in 2009, I took the class with Elie Wiesel called Souls on Fire. I had taken my college search very seriously and visited a number of schools across the country to find my perfect fit, the school that would help shape me…

Elie Wiesel’s life, and the power of his example, urges us to be better. In the face of evil, we must summon our capacity for good. In the face of hate, we must love. In the face of cruelty, we must live with empathy and…

It was an incredible privilege to speak to and learn from Dr. Wiesel. Every time he spoke, the room quieted and filled with the power of his soft-spoken words. Once we got more familiar with the nature of discussing a man’s autobiography with the subject…

I was honored to attend a class taught by Drs. Wiesel and Carolyn Johnston at Eckerd College. Reading his books was life changing, but listening to him speak touched my soul. Thank you for your work for the world and for being a teacher in…

As I look back at the time I spent with Elie Wiesel during that Winter Term, of course I remember the intellectual experience and emotional weight of reading his works and discussing them with him. I particularly remember being struck by his ability to grab…

When I first heard Dr. Wiesel had passed, I remembered being with him in Carolyn Johnston’s office in January of 2008. We were having an argument. He was sitting across from me, surrounded by books. His legs were crossed, his eyes were focused on mine,…

The first thing I always think of about Dr. Wiesel is how unlikely it was to have had that experience. Few people get to meet such individuals, but fewer still get the opportunity to have conversations with them! Since I left college, I realized how…