The return of Sister Helen Prejean to the University of Oregon was not only warm and welcoming, but also a nice reunion for the returning Global Carnegie Oregon class of 2015 members.  With our busy schedules The CGO 15 members have been together just a few times since Spring term, so the return of Sister Helen was just what we needed, a way of bringing the members back together.

Sister Helen Prejean is the author of “Dead Man Walking”,the book that we CGO 15s had to read before fall term last year, “Death of Innocents”.  Not only is Sister Helen known for her books, but also for her incredible activism in calling for the abolishment of the death penalty.

On our first visit with Sister Helen a year ago, we asked questions geared towards the subject of the death penalty, but with her second visit, we opened up more and asked deeper and more broad questions. Although she had a slight cold, Sister Helen was still her spunky and fiery self and was up for any question brought to her by any one of the CGO 15 members. For example, one of the questions asked really intrigued me. Someone asked asked Sister Helen what kind of questions she asks someone when she first meets them.  She described that after a conversation with someone, she will not remember if that person had glasses or a beard, but she will remember their interests and what they like and dislike.  She said that she remembers these kinds of conversations better than simple conversations (such as the weather), because they are more intimate.

We followed our intimate 2 hour discussion with a small pot-luck and had further discussions about the popular topics in the world today. We really enjoyed Sister Helen’s visit, and we hope to see her again in the near future!