Anderson Distinguished Lecture: Robert GatesOn September 23, I attended the Farmer School of Business Anderson Distinguished Lecture Series in Millett Hall. The Anderson Lecture Series is an annual major event that expose students and faculty to the nation’s most prominent thought leaders whose ideas impact business and society and keep the school abreast of issues and current events of the day. Speakers cover a broad range of topics and the lectures will be free and open to the public. The series started in 2000.
This year, Miami and the Farmer School welcomed Dr. Robert Gates. One of the most respected leaders in recent U.S. history, Robert Gates served as a trusted advisor to eight U.S. presidents, driving U.S. intelligence and defense policies over the past four and a half decades from the Cold War to today’s ongoing war on terrorism. As Secretary of Defense under two presidents - Barack Obama and George W. Bush - and through two wars - Iraq and Afghanistan - Robert Gates shared with the audience his candid insights on global politics and world affairs, U.S. intelligence and defense strategies, leadership and leading change in a large institution and the global challenges of the 21st century. Considered “The Soldier’s Secretary” for his commitment to placing the men and women in uniform as his top priority, Gates made significant advances in soldier safety including replacing vehicles in the field with heavily armored vehicles, which according to USA Today, reduced roadside bomb attacks and fatalities by almost 90%. Personally, I had the opportunity to attend his speech but also a roundtable discussion with Dr. Gates. I connected with him in both settings. I enjoy politics. Hearing from a man who was in the rooms and a contributor to widespread policy was fascinating. He dedication to our troops warmed my heart.He made strong points that were rooted in experience and observation. He emphasized how it is everyone's "duty" to step up and educate themselves on what presidential administrations and Congress is really doing. Having students attend the Robert Gates lecture could have become an assignment for art students. Possible assignments for students could include: sketching a historical moment in which Robert Gates was directly a part of or having them listen to the lecture and have each sketch the takeaway. History is often best told through artistic representation. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Gates' lecture. My favorite line was, "I don't do maintenance," meaning when he takes on a role or initiative, he's not going to just steer the ship. He's going to change it for the better. |
Marius Valdes: The Secret Species
On October 15, I attended the lecture of artist, Marius Valdes. He spoke in the the Art Building to a diverse set of students from all over campus but mainly design and studio students. Marius spoke specifically about himself, his artwork, his inspiration, his process, and his future work. His inspiration and work's theme is the "Unwantables." It began with seeing a picture of a dog, an ugly dog quite frankly. He began to sculpt tiny little creatures that did not have much detail. He called them the Unwantables. This spurred his future work, including many series' of art. I like that his inspiration is rooted is something so simple, something that 99.99% of people would see, laugh, and think nothing beyond the surface of the picture of the ugly dog. I connected with his inspiration because I very much look for symbolism and deeper meanings in almost everything. I enjoy thinking about different uses for everyday objects or ways multiple unlike objects can be connected. Additionally, design is imperative in the branding of every corporation and the delivery of information of data. He touched on how his work is applicable to business, which I totally agreed with his connections.
His art could be applied to the classroom in a variety of ways. To name one, students can draw 2D creatures, translate them into 3D objects using sculpey. In an elementary classroom, you could teach addition and subtraction visually through the use of adding/subtracting the students' characters. The sculpting will help the students see math in action and can easily be repeated throughout the unit. Overall, Marius was great. He was in extremely interesting, easy to talk to artist. He did a great job taking his work and relating it to his audience. I knew I wanted to learn more about design, but he made me even more excited about taking a design class or teaching myself those skills. |
Jim Brown: A Rivalry Renewed
On November 4, I attend the filming of a short segment for CBS News Network that was to be aired during the Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals Thursday Night Football game. The filming took place in the small auditorium of the Farmer School of Business. All sorts of students flooded the seats to be extras during the segment. The students were to act as if they were...students, listening to the professor, Jim Brown. Arguably the greatest running back of all time, Jim Brown was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round in 1957. He departed as the NFL record holder for both single-season (1,863 in 1963) and career rushing (12,312 yards), as well as the all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (106), total touchdowns (126), and all-purpose yards (15,549). Jim Brown's close relationship with coach Paul Brown, the first coach of the Cleveland Browns, namesake, and namesake of the Bengals Stadium, ties Jim to both cities, Cleveland and Cincinnati. Jim Brown talked about the history between the two cities in the segment. The history of the rivalry in Ohio was the theme.
It was awesome to witness the production of the segment. Though maybe not thought of as art initially, film and cinematography is a form of art. I experienced the production crew, sound and lighting crew, camera crew, set crew, and the manager. Watching the adjustments they'd make in terms of camera angle, lighting, and set design was interesting. I connected to this event because I have never really seen a professional filming of a short segment like this one. Also as a huge Browns fan, I was stoked. This event could easily be connected to the art education classroom. Film and cinematography is art. Students could be assigned a film project, explaining the history between two people, two locations, two events, etc. Students would need to identify the two "things" they would discuss, write a script, select the visual background/set of the film, and do the voiceover. The assignment would be a history and language arts lesson for all! It was a cool event to be a part of, but sadly, I was in the front row on the left end and I was cutoff, so I never made it into the segment... |