Editorial: Director knew a good line when he heard it

The death of Sydney Pollack at age 73 prompts thoughts of his memorable films, of course, like "Tootsie" and "Out of Africa." But it's also a moment to reflect on the intellect that infused them -- and not only through his customary casting of himself in subordinate roles.

If any line from his movies were to be engraved on his tombstone, it would likely be this: "You think not getting caught in a lie is the same thing as telling the truth." That flash of insight struck Pollack as so apt that he used it in four different films, among them "Three Days of the Condor" (1975) and "The Interpreter" (2005).

"We're getting so used to lying," he told Charlie Rose in a 2005 interview, "particularly public people .... It's just as relevant and stinging a line as it was in '65 or '70." Pollack explained that he kept repeating the line "because I like it so much," and that he tried to wait a few years between each use. It's sad to think we've seen the last.

Global citizens From the price of oil to air pollution to food production, the global connections are more apparent each day. As the world gets smaller and more interdependent, the need for multinational cooperation and understanding is greater than ever.

In that spirit, kudos to St. Paul's Macalester College for recently breaking ground on its new Institute for Global Citizenship (IGC). Once finished, the center will be home to several innovative programs designed to produce community and global leaders and citizens. The new multimillion-dollar building will house several programs that prepare students for international and community leadership. It will be a symbol of Macalester's internationalist mission at a college where more than half of all students study overseas and 15 percent come from other countries.

And the new facility will be constructed with another global concern in mind -- environmental stewardship. Architects designed it to qualify for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification for meeting the highest standards of energy efficiency and sustainability.

Commendations are also in order for Ruth and Bruce Dayton and Shelby and Gale Davis for giving $3 million and $1 million, respectively, to get the project going. To date $6.5 million has been raised toward a $7.5 million goal.