| Bastyr University » Alumni Resources | May 16, 2008 |
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Bastyr Alumni eNews
February 14, 2007 Dear Alumni Friends, While it is a sad time on campus these days, rest assured that life goes on as usual. There is laughter in the halls, and stress in the library (it’s midterms week), and Bastyr students in all disciplines are moving forward in their education with energy and commitment. Valentine’s Day is being well celebrated – last week the Development department and contributing BU employees raised $5,000 in an auction to benefit the student scholarship fund; and this week we are hosting the now-traditional V-Day activities to help stop violence against women. The bookstore is offering a sale with special low prices for gift items featuring the colors red or pink, and there’s chocolate pretty much everywhere. Dr. Mitchell would have liked this – to see the University bustling with such energy and life. His vision for Bastyr was huge and vital – its core lay in his love and knowledge of naturopathic medicine and plants, but it went way beyond that, imagining a whole wide world in which people could and would feel better and be happier because genuine healers were available to them – many of them educated and trained at Bastyr University. I was lucky to be a personal friend – an easy occurrence, really, he was such an open guy. Our friendship began over sushi after his yoga classes, when we would often talk about Bastyr. He would tell me, with no little passion (trying to instill his conviction in me, I imagine) that he thought the alumni were the heart and soul of the Bastyr community. And not just NDs – he wanted to see everyone succeed and prosper. You may not know that besides teaching plant medicine and advanced therapeutics, Bill also taught reflexology, and he had a deep desire to study Chinese Herbal Medicine - though I must say when he talked about this I could see his eyes look inward, as if he was studying some internal calendar and wondering just when in the world he would have time for that. Sadly, Bill had even less time than he imagined. His heart broke and he left us - heart broken, too, but not despairing. I am reminded of a story from the Tibetan tradition and since Bill loved to share wisdom through stories, I want to share it with you. “Once upon a time” there lived a man named Avalokiteshvara, who had the deep intention to benefit all sentient beings. When he first developed this commitment, Avalokiteshvara proceeded with great energy and inspiration to do all that he could to help, but after a while he became very discouraged. There were so many many beings in need! What could one person do? Realizing his own limitations, Avalokiteshvara despaired. Tears rose to his eyes with the force of a torrent, his compassion was so deep and helpless. He cried so much that his heart broke and his body shattered into a thousand pieces. Seeing this, Buddha, in his infinite compassion for this kind fellow who meant so well, blessed Avalokiteshvara to live again, turning the shattered fragments of his body into a thousand helpful arms, each with an eye of wisdom in the palm. You, Graduates of Bastyr University, are the thousand strong, wise arms of our dear heartbroken Dr. Mitchell, and of the other great healers and teachers who have shaped and continue to shape Bastyr. Indeed, you are 2,500 strong now, with your numbers growing fast, each of you in your own way holding the promise of a gentler, healing world. He lives on in each of you. In closing, here is an excerpt from a chapter Dr. Mitchell wrote for The Foundations of Naturopathic Medicine textbook (Copyright 2006), being compiled now under the leadership of Executive Editor, Pamela Snider, ND ’82. Another modality in medicine, and one that is particularly important in naturopathic medicine, is the human modality itself. I refer to this as the application of “people and organizations” to the patient. Giving the patient people, or groups of people, contains within itself a healing power. This may seem obvious to us, but we seldom prescribe people as a medicine or modality. In the practice of naturopathic medicine, as I view it, I often refer patients to a yoga class, not only for the exercise, a well recognized modality, but for the interaction of the patient to people who are also seeking wellness. People are each others’ medicine in the ideal world. - William Mitchell, ND, submitted 12-22-06 Dear Alumni, thank you for all that you do and will do to bring benefit to our ailing world. Take care of yourselves.
Memorials for Dr. William Mitchell Bastyr University is hosting two separate public memorial services to celebrate the life, contributions and accomplishments of William A. Mitchell, Jr, ND, a beloved co-founder of Bastyr University. The first memorial gathering will be held on Friday evening, February 23, 2007, on Bastyr University campus. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the chapel. At 6:30 p.m. the gathering will re-assemble at the fire circle on the hill overlooking the herb garden. This event will include the opportunity to share memories and offerings. The second service will be held on the Bastyr University campus the following day on Saturday, February 24, at 2:00 p.m. in the Bastyr University Chapel. This event will be a formal service that will be web cast for possible overflow crowds and those unable to attend the service on campus. Everyone is welcome to attend either or both events, and no tickets are necessary. For more information, please go our Web site, www.bastyr.edu. Web cast link information and additional details will be updated as soon as they become available. We look forward to welcoming you to our campus, and to celebrating Dr. Mitchell's life with the wide community of people who love and appreciate him so deeply. Remembrance Web site Memorial Radio Show Christopher Lepisto, ND ’02, will be dedicating a music show on Colorado’s KAFM Radio to celebrate the energies that Dr. Mitchell continues to bring to our profession and the planet. The show will air on Tuesday, February 27 from 9 a.m.to 12 p.m., Mountain Standard Time. If you know of Bill's musical interests, or if you have a request for a song or artist that you would like to hear, please send Dr. Lepisto an email at drchristopher@mac.com. (FYI, music by Hildegard von Bingen will be included.) CAMPUS EVENTS School of AOM Celebrates Chinese New Year on February 25 The Year of the Pig is upon us! You are invited to help the folks in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine usher it in with a delicious late afternoon buffet dinner of traditional food from Sichuan Province. The event will be held at Chengdu Chinese Restaurant in Bellevue, beginning at 3:30 p.m. until about 6 p.m., and will feature entertainment from the Huong Viet Performing Arts Group at 5 p.m. Tickets are $12 and can be arranged with Donah Natividad at dnatividad@bastyr.edu (By the way, according to Chinese astrology, Pig years are great for the self-employed – money flows in! The rub? It also flows out.) The Magic Penny Reiki Project On Saturday, March 10, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. a class on Reiki for people living with cancer will be offered at Bastyr. Instruction is being donated by a number of Reiki masters, and all proceeds will benefit the Bastyr University Research Fund for Complementary Therapies and Cancer Research. For more information, contact magicpennyreiki@gmail.com. Bookstore Events The Bastyr Bookstore has a number of interesting talks coming up including presentations on Ayurvedic medicine, saving the world with mushrooms, and using natural medicine to care for kids. The last is a talk by alumna Mary Bove, ND ’90, LM ’92, about her book, The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine for Children and Infants. Dr. Bove will be here on March 1, at noon, in the auditorium. Opportunities in Continuing Education As we have come to expect, Bastyr’s department of Continuing Education has many worthwhile programs on the agenda. Here are a few that the department thinks may be especially interesting to you. For more information call: (425) 602-3075.
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