By Marty Dobrow
Statues are statements. Whether carved out of stone or forged in iron, statues state our values, the things that matter most to us.
At Springfield College, we have exactly one. The man I like to call “the original Dr. J” – Dr. James Naismith—sits at the center of our campus.
We know the story about his peach baskets in 1891. Well over a century later, when our teams are known as the Pride, we remain understandably proud of the man who invented the great game of basketball.
There is one thing about Naismith that we often forget. He was—get ready for it—an international student.
Just imagine (if we can use John Lennon’s most powerful verb) what the world would have been like back in the late 1800s if we had decided not to support international students. When James Naismith’s application came in, we would have said: No thanks. The guy is not an American. He’s from Canada.
If that had been the attitude, it is entirely possible there would not even be a game of basketball today.
Imagine there’s no hoopin’—it’s easy if you try.
As we think about the future of international students at Springfield College, it makes sense to try to learn a few lessons from the past.
We opened our doors in 1885 as the School for Christian Workers, and we were international from the start. That same exact year in New York Harbor, 350 pieces of copper arrived from France. They were assembled right next to Ellis Island. We know that piece of art as the Statue of Liberty.
In 1891, the year of Naismith’s invention, our college became the International Young Men’s Christian Association Training School.
Fast forward to 1964, more than a decade after we became known as Springfield College. That’s the year when the World’s Fair opened in New York with its own iconic statue, the Unisphere: a statement about the globe united. That same year, right at the peak of the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King delivered the commencement address at Springfield College. Among the many pieces of wisdom he imparted that day were these two:
“We are challenged more than ever before to achieve a world perspective.”
“We must all learn to live together as brothers, or we will all perish together as fools.”
I have been teaching at Springfield College for 26 years. During that time, I have been inspired by a number of fantastic students, many of them international students who, like Naismith, have made their own large contributions to the campus, to our country, to the world.
Just one example is Kushal Bhandari, a senior from Nepal. Two years ago, on an alternative spring break trip to Georgia and Alabama, I came to know Kushal’s sparkling intellect, his kindness and generosity, his commitment to the greater good. He has been an icon of our Humanics philosophy. Elected to the prestigious position of the student member of the Springfield College Board of Trustees, Kushal has won a slew of awards for his service. One of those awards, appropriately enough, was given out at this year’s Martin Luther King Lecture. That evening, Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper described Kushal as “one of the best people I have ever met.”
Trust me, she has met a lot of people.
This semester, my Advanced Journalism embarked on an ambitious multimedia partnership with international students. There was a documentary film component, a podcast component, and a written component. It would be a challenging assignment at any time, but this semester it was especially tough. International students are on edge. Journalism is under siege.
The work of cultivating that “world perspective” has never been more important.
There was some fear, there was some resistance, all of it understandable. But there was also a lot of good work, some of which is published in the pages that follow. It is our little effort to try to live together as brothers (and sisters)—rather than the alternative.
The good work of this project was not just academic. There was the tightening of bonds. The strengthening of community. The development of genuine friendships. A recognition from my students that their international peers are courageous and admirable people who make Springfield College—and, for that matter, the United States—a better place.
My hope is that in the years to come our commitment to international students will remain, like many statues, rock solid. That’s the kind of statement we need to make.
Photo courtesy of Springfield College