CMC Corner
Nancy Genova
By Nancy Genova
When it comes to education, there may be nothing more important than reading.
That’s one reason I was so glad to see such a positive response to our Common Reader program over the past few months, culminating in a visit from the author of our chosen book.
Daoud Hari, a Zaghawa tribesman, wrote “The Translator: A Tribesman’s Memoir of Darfur.” This memoir tells how he saw the horrific genocide in his home country of Sudan, and how he took great risks to help spread word of the tragedy by guiding journalists into and out of the Darfur region there.
Through the Common Reader program, we gave out about 2,000 copies of “The Translator.” At six different Colorado Mountain College campuses we held free classes and discussion groups about this riveting memoir.
And then Hari came to talk with us. Though his talks were free, during the week he visited our campuses, our students, employees and community members donated more than $7,600 to help end genocide in Darfur, including more than $450 at our campus in Rifle.
About half of those funds will go to the nonprofit Reporters Without Borders, which defends journalists and media assistants imprisoned or persecuted for doing their job. It also helps expose mistreatment and torture they endure in many countries. The rest of the funds we’re donating will support nonprofits that help the people of Darfur and Chad.
The author began his visits to our campuses with a talk in our Clough Auditorium in Rifle. It was both riveting and sad to hear him recount not only the deaths of his compatriots, but how he endured torture himself for helping reporters bring attention to the conflict.
Some seniors from Coal Ridge High School made this their senior project and helped us during his appearance, too.
We were also pleased to partner with the Garfield County Public Library District in this year’s program. Together, we featured a presentation of a haunting HBO documentary, “Sand and Sorrow.” Narrated by George Clooney, the film shows the conflict through the stories of aid workers, journalists, women and children. The library district and CMC also hosted a discussion after Hari’s visit, to talk about what he had said and our reactions to reading “The Translator.”
In addition to the Coal Ridge students and our library district, I want to thank the Bud Werner Memorial Library in Steamboat Springs for partnering with the college, and Annie Stephens at our Roaring Fork Campus for helping with a silent auction there.
Anyone who read “The Translator,” met and listened to Daoud Hari or watched “Sand and Sorrow” probably wanted to try to help. There are many ways to do that, whether by writing a letter to the president or Congress, donating to an international aid group or just helping to spread the word.
Getting involved and working to make a better world is what Colorado Mountain College’s vision is all about – to create a better future. I’m so glad our students, staff, faculty and community had a chance to help us work toward that vision by reading a good book – together.
Nancy Genova is the acting CEO of Colorado Mountain College’s West Garfield Campus.
