Sophomore's Summer South African Journey Recounted in Newspaper

July 22, 2003

July 22, 2003, Greencastle, Ind. - "DePauw University couldn't have selected a better student than Shannon Starr to serve on a mission of diplomacy to South Africa," begins a story in the Pharos-Tribune of Logansport, Indiana. Starr, who will be a DePauw sophomore this fall, was nominated to participate in the National Youth Leadership Forum, based on his academic record and leadership abilities. He spent eight days in South Africa. (Starr, a member of the Tiger Pep Band, is seen in a photo by Daniel Reck)

"His diplomatic adventure began May 20 as soon as the Boeing jet from South African Airways lifted off the runway at Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport bound for Cape Town," writes the Pharos-Tribune's Deb Saine. Starr and his 80 traveling companions "got to see the Institute for A Democratic South Africa and visit South Africa's House of Parliament. They participated in activities at the loveLife Y-Center which tries to educate youth about HIV/AIDS, offers classes, sports and recreation. And they toured the jail and saw the cell where Nelson Mandela spent more than two decades. Starr had so much respect for the man who gave up his family to stand up for his beliefs. He said he couldn't believe their tour guard had served time in the same jail, his sentence briefly overlapping Mandela's, and just four cells away."

The article continues, "Starr asked the man how he could return to the jail to do the tours after what had happened there. It was then that the philosophy major learned a little South African philosophy. They believe in leaving the past in the past and moving toward the future, Starr explained. Mandela, Starr said, is revered and seen as a saint, a saint who was able to forgive his persecutors. 'He even appointed the prison warden to manage a shop,' he said."

The story, titled "Mr. Starr Goes to Africa," concludes, "By going on the trip, Starr said he gained valuable leadership skills and communication skills, and now has a greater drive to succeed in school. His goal is 'to build on my experiences to tell people about it and try to erase any misconceptions they might have.'"

You can access the complete text at the newspaper's Web site by clicking here.

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