Hola! Students and staff alike are busy making preparations for Homecoming and Founder’s Day festivities. This year’s Homecoming theme is “Fiesta de Bradley.” Activities begin this evening with the “Fiesta de la Luz,” featuring the ceremonial lighting of the “B” on Bradley Hall. This ceremony dates back to 1928, when it was first placed atop what was then the Bradley Polytechnic Institute Tower to welcome everyone to campus.

I can’t help but sing the school song and the words, “shining as a beacon light,” whenever I see the “B” glowing in the dark. I fondly remember what Bradley President Frederick Hamilton said in 1932. He noted that from a distance, the “B” looks like one large light, but it really is made up of hundreds of small ones. He said the first light burns for the first student who enrolled at Bradley in 1897, and the last light burns in memory of those alumni who have gone before us. The lights in between represent those at Bradley now and those who have gone on to build their lives elsewhere.

Somewhere along the line, as the university and Homecoming festivities changed, the tradition of lighting the “B” was set aside. It was revived in 2003 when Homecoming was once again celebrated in the fall. Tonight, as the “B” is lit once more, may students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends all celebrate the joy of being associated with such a fine university. The “Big Fiesta” includes something for everyone: volleyball and soccer; an encore presentation of the Theatre Department’s Pajama Game; chats with President Glasser, administrators, and coaches; a concert and recitals; reunions and a tailgate party; and so much more.

Tomorrow’s Founder’s Day festivities promises to be an exciting time, as well. Not only will we honor some our our most outstanding alumni, but we” be taking a step into the future with the groundbreaking of the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center. The Class of 1959 will be the honored guests at these events as they return to campus for their 50-year class reunion.
So please, follow that “B” to campus and enjoy all that we have to offer. For a complete list of events, visit bualum.org/homecoming.

Things have been hopping on our campus at night lately. People have been entering the Hartmann Center for the Performing Arts to attend Bradley Theatre Department’s first production of the season: The Pajama Game. I spotted one of the actresses wearing something similar to an item that was invented back in my time: footed pajamas. The production runs through September 27 with a special encore performance being presented on Friday, October 2.

I’m not the only one noticing and enjoying the beautiful landscaping blooming all around our campus. I heard that an organization called Keep Peoria Beautiful recently recognized our campus for its exceptional landscaping and site beautification by awarding Bradley  an Orchid Award. Only six other local businesses and organizations were recipients of the award this year.

So, next time you’re out and about make sure you stop and enjoy our Bradley red roses, and don’t forget to enjoy the petunias, impatiens, daisies, geraniums, ornamental grasses, and more. You’ll see why Bradley received this award.

Today was a wonderful early fall day, a perfect day to be outside and listen to our Bradley bands perform on the Olin Quad.

Students seemed to simply enjoy soaking up the sun and listening to the beautiful music presented by our bands. Entertaining those lucky enough to be outside for the late afternoon concert were the Bradley Symphonic Band, Bradley Symphonic Winds, and Bradley Jazz Ensemble.

If anyone looked at me closely today, they might have seen a tear in my eye and a smile filled with motherly pride on my face as our campus welcomed Marion Blumenthal Lazan ’57 and her husband, Nathaniel Lazan ’54. Mrs. Lazan was invited to speak about her experience as a Holocaust survivor as part of Bradley’s Constitution Day observance.

Mrs. Lazan has returned to campus a few times in the past to share her message, but each time I listen to her story, I am moved even more than the last time. This time, she spoke on Olin Quad over the noon hour. The Bradley band was playing patriotic music as students went through a food line and enjoyed picnicking on the tables arranged on the quad. Our own ROTC cadets marched in with our nation’s colors and the U.S. Army flag, and freshman Matthew Webb was sworn in as an ROTC cadet.

Everyone who gathered witnessed a powerful reminder of why we should never take our Constitution and Bill of Rights for granted. Mrs. Lazan reminded the group that Germany had the Nuremberg Laws, which were the complete antithesis of our Constitution. Jews were not allowed in parks, pools, and similar areas, and they could only shop during specific hours. As harsh as that seemed, Mrs. Lazan went on to describe in vivid detail the horrors of living in a concentration camp during World War II.

She was only 4 years old when she and her family left their home and started to make arrangements to sail from Holland to the United States. Those plans were thwarted when the Germans invaded Holland a month before their planned departure, and the family was trapped.

She told about the first time she saw a wagon loaded with what she thought was firewood. When the wagon was in clearer view, she realized the wagon was carrying dead, naked bodies. She remembered going to the showers, never knowing if water or gas would come out. She told the group they can never underestimate the constant foul odor, filth, and fear the people in the concentration camps endured.

One way she coped with the horror of the concentration camp was to play a game, in which she told herself that if she could find four pebbles, all about the same size and shape, then she, her parents, and her brother would make it out of the concentration camp safely. She later wrote the book, Four Perfect Pebbles, to share her memories of life as a Jewish girl during the Holocaust. Visit www.fourperfectpebbles.com to learn more.

At the ceremony, Mrs. Lazan concluded by cautioning students that they would be the last generation to hear firsthand about the Holocaust. She urged the students to share what they heard with their friends and family, and someday, their children. She encouraged them to treat others as individuals, to enjoy the similarities, and to embrace the differences.

During the Holocaust, 6 million Jews and 5 million non-Jews, called righteous Gentiles, died. The righteous Gentiles were those who jeopardized their own lives to save Jewish people. Looking to those who were willing to sacrifice their lives for others, she said we must never generalize and treat everyone with respect and kindness.

Mrs. Lazan brought a message of inclusion and acceptance that’s important for everyone to hear. I’m so proud to call her one of our own. I’m also proud of her husband, Nathaniel. I overheard him saying after the program that sometimes, when he hears her tell about her experiences, it’s a bit daunting to think that at the same time, he was a young boy, celebrating his Bar Mitzvah and enjoying life in Peoria. He is one American who does not take the Constitution for granted!

View a slideshow from the Constitution Day ceremony.