Campus & Community / Magazine Feature

Class of 2010 dedicates peace pole

peace pole dedication

Members of the DU community dedicate a peace pole, which was given to the University by the Class of 2010.

Nestled among the pines and evergreens surrounding DU’s Evans Chapel is a peaceful concrete plaza passed by scores of students, faculty and visitors every day. This is also the site where the Class of 2010 chose to place and dedicate its gift to DU: a peace pole.

The 10-foot tall, seven-sided limestone pole features the words “May peace prevail on Earth” in eight different languages.

According to Tuyen Bui, an alumna from the Class of 2010 and one of the presenters at the dedication, the pole is both the physical remembrance of the Class of 2010 and an enduring symbol of the values of the University. The pole will be erected later this fall.

“The peace pole serves as the symbol of diversity and inclusive excellence that DU is striving for,” she said.

According to Chancellor Robert Coombe, the peace pole will be a place for students of all races, backgrounds and cultures to come together.

“This amazing gift will stand for generations as a lasting and important part of the University,” he said. “Peace is one of the things we all hope for and the desire for it binds us all together as humans.”

About 50 students, faculty, staff and alumni from the Class of 2010 attended the dedication, including Lance Tsosie, who represented the Native American Student Alliance and shared a Navajo story about peace.

Peace poles are one of the most recognized international symbols of peace in the world. There have been more than 200,000 peace poles placed throughout the world as part of the World Peace Prayer Society’s Peace Pole Project.

The event culminated with a “sending forth the cranes.” Throughout the week, students have been at the Driscoll Bridge folding origami cranes, a symbol of peace. Participants at the dedication were asked to take a crane and pass it on — so that the message of peace continues to grow.

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