Under the baobab: Gatherings near and far define community

These are sacred times.

This past weekend, our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the new year. Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, will begin next Sunday. Though many will gather in the synagogue to pray, fast and listen for the blowing of the shofar, it is not only the place, be it temple, church, mosque, ashram or under the baobab that renders the holiness to an event. It is the conscious coming together of the people to consecrate a purpose that renders it sacred. Where two or three are gathered ...

Congratulations to Coach James Franklin and the football team, which makes State College Pennsylvania’s third largest city six times a year. The student run No Refund Theatre group presented Paula Vogel’s “How I Learned to Drive” directed by Ryder Quiggle and featuring Judith Oiler, Jason Scansaroli, Charlie Plante, Ryan Rosignal and Jenna Meleedy with music by Caden Barley.

The 8th Annual Harvest Fest was celebrated at the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm, sponsored by Student Affairs, College of Ag Science and Penn State Sustainability. PSU President Neeli Bendapudi inspired the crowd of almost 700 people with her opening remarks. Tyne and the Fastlyne provided entertainment. Mostly homegrown food samples were provided by local chefs and caterers, including Taproot Kitchen, Paul’s Provisions and the Penn State Housing and Food Services chefs, the Village at Penn State and State College Area High School.

Announcing its coming season, the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State threw a wild and wonderful free party, Move Mix, on stage at Eisenhower Auditorium. It was a not-to-missed multicultural extravaganza, featuring Ady Martinez Dance Party, Caliente Dance Company and Sher Bhangra. It was headlined by Red Babraat, an infectious, Punjab, rhythmic percussion-based group from Brooklyn that had the hundreds of attendees on their feet dancing for much of the night. Afterwards we enjoyed food, cocktails, wine and remarks by B. Stephen Carpenter II, dean of the College of Arts and Architecture and Sita Frederick, director of CPA.

The Centre Film Festival and artistic director Pearl Gluck announced their schedule. There were 400 film submissions. Final selections will be shown Oct. 30 through Nov. 5 at The State Theatre in State College and the Rowland Theater in Philipsburg. This year Gary Farmer (“Smoke Signals,” “Reservation Dogs,” ”Pow-Wow Highway”) will receive the Chandler Living Legend Award and Gerald Abrams (PSU ‘61) will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Penn State Sustainability, under the direction of Lara Fowler, had a free showing of the classic film “The Grape of Wrath” on the lawn of the Arboretum on a beautiful starry night. Henry Fonda starred in the story of the Joab family struggling to survive after landlords and dust storms drove them from their farm during the Great Depression. It reminded us of the resilience of the American spirit and the painful roots of the American dream.

And along with a thousand other people, we visited the Flight 93 Memorial on 9/11. Governor Shapiro, his wife and the second gentleman, Douglas Emhoff, laid a wreath at the Wall of Names, honoring those 40 passengers and crew who sacrificed their lives to save the lives of their fellow Americans. Our collective recollection of their heroism on the ground that still carries their immortal molecules sanctifies the space. Like their brothers who fought and died for the Union in Gettysburg, a century and a half ago, just a few miles away — “they gave the last full measure of devotion.” As President Lincoln told us, we must resolve “that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Shana Tovah U’Metukah.

Charles Dumas is a lifetime political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for U.S. Congress in 2012. He was the 2022 Lion’s Paw Awardee and Living Legend honoree of the National Black Theatre Festival. He lives with his partner and wife of 50 years in State College.