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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 1996)
The Journey to Grace Three travelers are collecting words of wisdom from prominent national figures for a Disney documentary By Kristin Bailey Student Activities Editor COURTESY PHOTO MTV alumna Kathleen Kelly films the Journey. Call it a road trip. Call it a project. Call it a quest. But Eric Saperston, Kathleen Kelly and Paige O’Brien call it The Journey. The three 20-something travel ers have stopped in Eugene not only to interview author Ken Ke sey, but also to help bridge the generation gap. Each of the three calls a different part of the coun try home. But together they have embarked on a project to find out what the people of this country know and then pass that knowl edge along. “One of the words we use in our project a lot is ‘serendipity,’ which literally means having an aptitude for making desirable dis coveries by accident,” Saperston said. “We really have an incredi ble aptitude for that. But [when we spoke to Ken Kesey], he was saying serendipity is kind of be ginner’s word, a beginner’s idea. But what you really should be af ter is grace.” The history of The Journey is long and full of twists and turns — and plenty of serendipity. What began a six-month escape from responsibility following Saperston’s college graduation evolved into a four-year trek inter viewing some of the country’s most prominent figures. “The Chinese have a saying, ‘While on the road ahead, ask those coming back,”’ Saperston said. “We’re the only country that discards our elders, and that’s re ally dysfunctional. They’ve walked in many more valleys and on many more mountain tops than we have.” The group will be compiling the collective wisdom of the country — amassed from the likes of Billy Crystal, CNN President Tom Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Gov. of Texas Ann Richards, Jerry Gar cia and Former FBI Director Bill Sessions — and making it into a Disney documentary later on this year. Book deals stemming from The Journey experiences are also in the works, and a Journey cloth ing line is slated to appear soon at the University Bookstore. “One of the things we’ve learned as we’ve traveled the country is that we’re caught up in a lot of illusions that we see pow erful and influential people as un touchable and god-like in their appearance,” Saperston said. “But these people get up in the morn ing every day and put their pants on the same way we do. And I guess one of the greatest revela tions to learn — I’ve learned — is that even though they have big of fices and sometimes big salaries, they’re little boys and little girls trapped in big peoples’ bodies.” Saperston packed up his 1971 Volkswagen bus with his dog Jack, a journal, a mountain bike and a few other bare necessities in June 1993. Serendipity kicked in when he met up with O'Brien, who was fully entrenched in a corporate job in Atlanta, at a party about 14 months ago. O’Brien of fered to help The Journey while Saperston traveled through Geor gia. But the New Hampshire native said after her brush with The Jour ney, she was unable to go back to the routine her life had become. “I’d never been challenged so much — not in college, not in my Turn to JOURNEY, Page 5 COURTESY PHOTO Jack the Dog and his new friend. HOW TO SEE THEM ■ WHERE: Ben Linder Forum, EMU Lower Level ■ WHEN: Today at 3p. m. The members of The Journey will be spreading their messages of self fulfillment and sharing some of their trip experiences. COURTESY PHOTO Eric Saperstom raps with Jerry Garcia. Saperstom bridges the gap with fomer President Jimmy Carter. COURTESY PHOTO UO School of Music World Music Series presents IRISH Music, Story and Dance Featuring Mick Moloney, Tommy Sands, Winifred Horan, and Seamus Egan, with stepdancer John Jennings Join us on Hallow Eve for a fabulous evening of jigs, reels, hornpipes, polkas, slow airs, and a variety of traditional and contemporary songs in Gaelic and English, all linked with stories of Irish emigration and settlement in America. Thurs., Oct. 31 8:00 p.m. BEALL CONCERT HALL For more information, call Mark Levy at 346-2852 TICKETS: $10 Reserved Seats ($8 Students / Seniors) available from the Hult Center (687-5000), or at the door. Co-sponsored by UO Office of International Affairs BOARD POSITION MAKE A DIFFERENCE GAIN EXPERIENCE BE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS! Due to a change in plans of a student member, there is a vacant graduate student position on the U of O Bookstore Board of Directors through June 1997. Applicants must be currently enrolled in the Graduate School and must maintain a minimum of 9 credits. Members attend monthly meetings and serve on two committees. Bookstore board members represent students, faculty and staff of the U of O. Board members are directly involved in making major policy decisions for the store. All members receive a $50.00 monthly stipend for serving on the Board. All applications are due on Friday, November 1, 1996. Please pick up your application at the Bookstore administrative office upstairs. UNIVERSITY 13th & Kincaid, 346-4331
