Members of the Elon community gathered in Whitley Auditorium late Wednesday afternoon for the dedication of the Isabella Cannon Centre for International Studies...
The ceremony, moved to Whitley because of rain, featured remarks by former prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto.
Senior Ryan Schultz played the bagpipes to start the ceremony. “Isabella Cannon, good Scots woman that she was, loved the bagpipes,” said President Leo M. Lambert. Cannon, who died last February at age 97, was a 1924 graduate and longtime supporter of Elon. The Centre for International Studies and the new International Studies Pavilion both bear her name.
“We are here to celebrate the fulfillment of a dream — the dream of an international gathering place on the Elon campus — a dream which Isabella Cannon shared,” Lambert said. “My only regret is that Isabella cannot be here today to cut the ribbon and lead the procession to the Centre which bears her name.”
Trustee Jeanette Hyde gave a tribute to Cannon, her friend of more than 25 years. “As a student here, and for the rest of her life, she loved this school,” Hyde said. She added that Cannon would be delighted to have Bhutto participate in the ceremony.
The former prime minister spoke of her country’s struggle for democracy and its role as neighbor to India and Afghanistan. “The war on terror has made Pakistan a critical country,” she said, adding that the Pakistanis are searching for empowerment through democracy. “Pakistan and its neighbor India have been in actual conflict three times,” she said. “When I analyze these conflicts, I see that each one took place when Pakistan was under military dictatorship.”
Bhutto said the best way to avoid conflict is to trust the people. “Democracies don’t go to war against other democracies,” she said.
Professor Chalmers Brumbaugh spoke of Cannon Centre programs such as international studies, El Centro de Español and study abroad. “The number of students that study abroad has almost tripled in the last decade,” he said, explaining that the experience helps students prepare for the international challenges of the future.
Dean of International Studies Bill Rich concluded the ceremony with the help of 12 Elon students dressed in traditional garb from their native countries. “The new Centre will play a great role in carrying out the mission of the Isabella Cannon Centre,” he said. After President Lambert cut the ribbon, the students led the crowd to a reception in the Centre’s new home in the Carlton building.