And there she was, ready to talk to ¿Qué Pasa, OSU? students before she delivered a speech to the Ohio State community at the Mershon Auditorium. Rigoberta Menchú Tum offered us a seat, smiling kindly, and wearing a colorful güipil from Santiago Atitlán matched with a pair of necklaces made of South American seeds, coral and jade. The necklaces serve to hold a deciphered Mayan calendar and an Aztec Calendar that, beyond their sentimental value, bring her positive energy and equilibrium.
Fifteen minutes were not enough to ask all the questions we wanted, or to satisfy our curiosity. When our interview time was over, she kept us for just another minute to thank Ohio State for its friendship, encouraging students to continue their daily deeds with passion, and to maintain their values as a source of peace. Remarked Menchú, “My dream is to be a seed, for something to be born from my death. I’ll be gone and all of you will stay… trabajen por la humanidad! (work for humanity)”
On Oct. 15, 2007, Menchú came to The Ohio State University to deliver her message to hundreds of faculty, staff and students as part of the homecoming festivities. Alpha Psi Lambda Latino co-ed fraternity led the effort to bring this distinguished public figure to our campus. Menchú is a native of Chimel (in her native language Kí-Chè, meaning meaning “small water pond”), Guatemala, a small town destroyed during the country’s civil war. The recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 brought with her to Columbus, Ohio, a message of tolerance, service, and love.
For many in the audience, like Carla Muller, freshman from Venezuela in Speech and Hearing Science, the opportunity to meet an individual who has made such a huge difference in the world was “powerful and inspiring.” Indeed, the excitement of listening to this Nobel Peace Prize recipient permeated throughout the auditorium.
Menchú brought “the magic from Chimel” to our university community, a magic which inspires her children’s books, and reflects not only the Mayan spirituality she practices but also her philosophy about life. A philosophy encompassing a proactive participation, never fearing criticism and always daring to take risks as the only way to learn and gain experience. “If you have a goal, do it; if you have a dream, make it come true; if something gets in the way, overcome it,” she said.
Through a life shaped by many blessings and major hardships, Menchú has been able to learn positive lessons from the most painful losses. The loss of her parents and brothers when she was very young and the pain of a miscarriage contrast with what she considers her blessings: her husband, her son, and the Nobel Prize. For Menchú, the Nobel Prize is an instrument with which to fight for peace, justice and tolerance, against discrimination, racism, and impunity, a battle that Menchú urges each individual to be part of. In fact, she insists that “a life is only a life when is lived to serve others and when it strives daily for a more humane world”.
