By Hannah Jaenicke
On Saturday, Haverford held a series of events designed to mark Rufus Jones Day in what is hoped to become an annual event.
Rufus Jones was a Haverford alumnus and professor, and won a Nobel Peace Prize for his instrumental role in founding the American Friends Service Committee. Due to his place in Haverford history and being seen by many as embodying Haverfordian values, a group of students and alumni decided to host a day of events that would highlight the values that Jones sought to promote.
The events throughout the day included blueberry pancakes for breakfast in honor of Jones’ home state of Maine, a screening of a PBS documentary about Jones which was followed by a discussion group with QuaC, a game of giant Twister on Founders Green, a panel discussion with Haverford alums, and a gathering of Seniors and faculty in Founders Great Hall.
Ben Powell ’93 and Tom Roberts ’93, alums who were instrumental in organizing the day, both said that Jones deserves more recognition at Haverford. Powell proposed that Jones’ teachings could be included in Customs Week, in order to help make him part of Haverford tradition.
Hilary Mislan ’09, one of the members of the committee that helped to organize Rufus Jones Day said that the events were designed to build community and would hopefully get students talking about Haverfordian values.
Powell further explained that, “Haverford doesn’t have that many traditions that bring the whole college together – people choose to come here because it’s unique and Rufus Jones Day will allow us to celebrate this.”
The panel discussion was an opportunity for students to hear from alums who had gone into fields of work related to social justice, and approximately thirty people attended. The panellists were Juan Williams ’76, a political analyst for Fox News and news analyst for NPR, David Wertheimer ’77, a Senior Program Officer for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Bruce Agins ’75, the medical director for New York City’s AIDS Institute.
Williams said that the discussion was designed “to talk about the Haverford experience, Haverford values and what happens after Haverford,” and the panel were candid in describing their regrets, hopes, and personal experiences. All agreed that their time at Haverford was a defining experience, and Agins said that despite their having graduated over thirty years ago, “it’s essentially the same” as a result of the Honor Code and student-staff relations.
Wertheimer disagreed slightly, saying that the real world did not seem to permeate Haverford during his student days, whereas the college today makes a real effort to connect students to the outside world through such programs as CPGC internships and CDO externships.
The floor was opened up to questions from students toward the end of the discussion. One question about the role that current Haverford students will have to play in a world where political and moral issues seem less well-defined than in previous eras provoked the panellists to argue that while the current issues may be different, they are no less important than in past years.
Social justice and responsibility was another important theme for Agins, Wertheimer and Williams. All agreed that the values and qualities that had been encouraged and prized during their times at Haverford had been integral in influencing their life after college.
Wertheimer said, “One of the things the honor code reinforced for me was how to live with integrity in your community.”
Williams agreed. “[After college,] you have to learn how to maintain a sense of self, you do not have to make the ends justification for the means,” he said. Williams explained that Haverford had helped form this perspective.
Adam Care ’09, another one of the organizers, said “[the panel] made the day.”
Mislan remarked that the speakers’ messages “helped us to realize our power as individuals.”
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Editor's note: Articles that appear in the Last Word section are works of satire.
