Under the baobab: Honors, goodbyes and the pursuit of peace
“... sustained and soothed by an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave, like one who wraps the drapery of his couch about him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.” -Thanatopsis, W.C. Bryant
Sisters and brothers, unless you have reached a certain age you should not read the rest of this. Young people do not like it when we, elders, talk about death. Perhaps it is because they have not yet reached the point where “transitioning” consumes a regular part of their daily thoughts. They do not read the obituaries looking for what colleague has passed. I recently had a post-80 colonoscopy, my last. As the doctor explained, when you have reached “a certain age” colon cancer will not likely be your cause of death.
I have lived longer than any male in my direct line of succession and longer than a third in the history of our country. Each additional day is a gift for which I am grateful. I am thrice blessed. I have a partner, best friend, co-caregiver of nearly 60 years who has accompanied me on this journey. I also retain the better part of my faculties though my memory and physical stamina are slipping. Most are not so lucky.
Our friend and colleague, Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli, as Jay Paterno wrote, “left this world far too soon ... it will be impossible to count the people who will feel the impact of his loss.” Our lives touched several times. He fixed my elbow. I was the voiceover actor in “Believe,” the short film about Adam Taliaferro, PSU’s greatest sports story. Wayne was 68.
Others who have prematurely passed on are the nearly 90,000 people, mostly women and children, nearly all non-combatants, who have been killed in the U.S./Israeli/Iranian/Lebanese/Palestinian war. For example, almost 10% of the population of Gaza has been killed or injured. The U.S. population equivalent would be 35 million people.
This war has got to stop. It is not about oil and gasoline prices. It is about people’s lives. WE are the people.
Around town
Congrats to the Penn State men’s lacrosse team for winning the Big Ten Title and Alex Ross, Jon King and Reid Gills for being honored as All-Americans.
Penn State men’s gymnastics owns half of the honorees on the 2026 Big Ten Men’s Gymnastics All-Freshman Team. Eliran Ioscovich and Shaun Smith were both honored.
Congrats to all Penn State grads and undergrads. Elsewhere in the community, friend and colleague John Affleck is joining his wife on the faculty of Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn. Bon voyage, John.
The homegrown eight-piece roots, blues, soul, R&B band Code Blue with Terri Parker, Jerry Zolten, Richard Sleigh, Rene Oakean, John Raiser, Chris Younken, Harry Werner and Barb Neumuller, performed in the Attic at The State Theatre on Friday night.
The AAUW Used Book Sale will be held this weekend at the PSU Ag Arena. It is a good opportunity to support a good cause.
The WPSU Multicultural Children’s Festival will be held at State College High School on Saturday, May 16 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
And the resistance continues. “Get up. Get down. State College is a union town:” There was a May Day rally at the Allen Street Gates to defend higher education, sponsored by the American Association University professors, which honored the Haymarket Martyrs and other current struggles.
A film about the war in Gaza, “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” was presented by the One Hand Foundation (OHF) at the St. John’s Episcopal Church in Bellefonte. It was hosted by Rector Rev. Ruth Ferguson and Wael Jabr of OHF. It told the story of trying to rescue a little girl trapped alone with her deceased family. She wasn’t. The Red Crescent rescue workers were bombed by the IDF during the attempt.
You are not alone.
Charles Dumas is a lifelong political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for the U.S. Congress in 2012. He is a Lions Paw honoree. He lives in State College with his wife and partner of over 50 years.