Thought-provoking. It's the best way to describe the evening inside the beautiful Hutton Honors College at Indiana University, Bloomington for Themester 2012! The topic: "Good Behavior-Bad Behavior: Molecules to Morality."
Warmth filled the room, from both the relaxing fire in the fireplace and the conversations fueled by "The Girl in the Yellow Scarf." As I spoke to the diverse crowd of students, staff, and Bloomington area residents, I felt the connection between a group of people who dared to explore the dynamics of racism, the culture of small communities and the unwritten rules of conduct among families.
It was striking to be in such a rich environment designed to foster knowledge, growth and culture and yet realize that just 30-minutes from where we sat a community still struggles to emerge from a tarnished reputation of bigotry.
We talked about the 7-year old child who witnessed Carol Jenkins' brutal murder, and the four letter word, "F-E-A-R" that kept an ugly secret locked away for too many years.
For more than 90-minutes we bantered back and forth, and afterwards more private opportunities to share about everything from my role as a reporter working on the case, to the dueling roles of the media and law enforcement.
Most impressive was the emotional reaction of the students. Young people with hearts trying to understand behaviors that were once acceptable norms, while cultivating their own moral standards and paths to the future.
Reading the book is certainly one thing, but examining the underlying steps to morality is a valuable lesson for any student of life.
For more on the IU visit:
http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=89166
(ISBN: 978-0-615-60705-4) She was a child witness with an impossible choice... Now Sandra Chapman takes you beyond the headlines of the $7 dollar secret and the key to solving the 1968 case.
No comments:
Post a Comment