Honors Forum II Recap Vid

Final Wrap Up; Dr. Vince Brewton

"Without initiative, leaders are simply workers in leadership positions."

 

 - Bo Bennett

 

 

"It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership."

 

- Nelson Mandela

 

 

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way."

 

- John C. Maxwell

 

 

 

Leadership

       Yikes what a semester. They say that freshman year is the toughest one to get through, but I definitely felt the pressures of college education this semester--especially the being lazy one. But we've made it and heard from Dr. Brewton about leadership for our last forum.

       Being a leader is either intimidated or unappealing to an introvert, and I'm a pretty big intrivert. I f college is teaching me anything, though, its that a person doesn't get very far--or at least probably won't get as far as they want to--if they have a idea but don't step up to get it done.

       Sometimes its easier to be a leader just because you can see what needs to happen, what needs to happen, ans how to do it, but a leadership position usually means putting yourself n a uncomfortable spot or a tough spot. As honors students, we are probably going to be the ones with the clearest picture of the solution to a problem but its just the task of actually leading that might get us.

       The wholeservant-leader mindset is an interesting concept. Having a platform of passion also ties into this. Volunteerism is a big responsibikity but many hands make little work--if everyine steps us and does their part, it is not so daunting a task.

       As students in an Alabama college, face the challenge of standing out from the rest of the crowd and stepping up to the plate and being a leader is one of the best ways to do it.

Office of Institutional Advancement; Dr. Barry Morris, Professor Emeritus of Economics

"The most meaningful engine of change, powerful enough to confront corporate power, may be not so much environmental quality, as the economic development and growth associated with the effort to improve it."

 

- Barry Commoner

"Economy does not lie in sparing money, but in spending it wisely."

 

- Thomas Huxley

 

 

"There can be economy only where there is efficiency."

 

- Benjamin Disraeli

 

 

Economics

 

 

       I could tell that Dr. Morris fully believed in everything that he said. The first indicator of this was that he took his passion, economics, and incorporated it into everything that he talked about. Who would have known that economics had so much to do with volunteerism?

 

       You can tell that he picked the right profession when he stopped in the middle of his presentation and said to us "I'm just looking out at you all and thinking of the things that you will go through." That was encouraging and intimidating at the same time. It seems as if he really care a lot for the success and growth if a group of students that he didn't even know which is a trait that I think a great professor should have.

 

       He also told us that "this university will prepare you for anything you will be doing after graduation." This really stood out to me because I recently have been struggling a lot with the consideration of just how hard it is going to be to compete with other law students from other, higher-caliber places. It really worries me but the longer I attend UNA, the more secure I feel in my education.

 

      My favorite Dr. Morris quote is "almost the best thing that can happen to you is to be underestimated." Going back to what I said above, I have used this strategy before and is it an effective one, or at least it gets entertaining results. I have used this strategy in karate classes, Mock Trial competitions, and even at job interviews. It makes others think that they don't have to work as hard, which outs you at an advantage and gives you confidence, sort of like knowing a secret.

 

       I particularly like the phrase he said "the place where you live is not defined by someone else, it is defined by you." I felt like this was a great speaker with which to end the this semester's forum simply because of that quote; it really put a polished perspective on why we should volunteer and how important it is.

 

Episcopal Church of America; Professor of History Emeritus and Deacon, Dr. Tom Osborne

"I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy."

 

- Rabindranath Tagore

 

 

"When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves."

 

- Buddha

 

 

"Grief can take care if itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with."

 

- Mark Twain

 

 

Joy

       I don't think that I fully understand Dr. Osborne's definition of joy. I know that there is a difference between joy, happiness, and fulfillment, but Dr. Osborne seems to do the work he does out of reluctant obligation. The only solution that I can think of is that he does what he does reluctantly out of obligation, but then finds joy after-the-fact...? He said at one point that there is a natural reluctance to serves, but, "just like an actor with stage fright, you can overcome it." This doesn't help me understand the joy part. I don't know. Maybe I just didn't listen well enough.

       Dr. Osborne ended his lecture by saying "the ultimate reason for engagement in society is not the specific help you're going to give; its the acquiring of joy." I'm still befuddled by Dr. Osborne's correlation between joy and reluctance but I did love what he said right before this statement: "the most effective healer is the wounded." Someone who has "been there" is so helpful to those in the same situation.

      The thing that stuck out the most to me about Dr. Osborne was his voice; it was a mixture of John Malkovich and Kevin Spacey. It really caught my attention for some reason.

       Kairos was interesting to hear about. First of all, I think that it is interesting that the Greek had two words for time and that kairos is, from what I understood, the time of epiphany. I think that it would be interesting to do this type of service but I think that if I went into a prison, I would be too distracted in the observation of the behaviors and psychological aspects of the prisoners and would not be much help. I think kairos is a fascinating program.

Florence Rotary Club; President John Rusevlyan

"Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change."

 

- Stephen Hawking

 

 

 

"Adapt yourself to the things among which your lot has been cast and love sincerely the fellow creatures with whom destiny has ordained that you shall live."

 

- Marcus Aurelius

 

 

"A true champion can adapt to anything."

 

- Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

 

 

Adaptation

 

       Dr. John Rusevlyan spoke about adaptation and "being good." His Four Way Test sounds like something my dad has taught me: to follow my morals, whatever I decide them to be and if what I do is what I fully and truly believe to be good and that I do my utmost to stick to the standard that I put in place for myself, then I should be okay.

 

       Adaptation is fundamental to success. No matter how much the American society values individualism, we all must adapt to something in some way or another at some point in of lives; if not, then it is a constant recurrence in each of our everyday lives. I think that an open-mind can be valuable for just about every situation. Understanding several perspectives of the same thing takes wisdom, patience, and tolerance. It can be difficult but it is valuable.

 

      The hard thing about sticking to one's own morals and keeping an open mind is that it can be hard to balance the two sometimes. This is one of the points in life in which one must adapt. It can be difficult and adaptation is often the harder choice, but sometimes it is necessary.

 

       Dr. Rusevlyan also spoke about networking. There's that word again! My sister is only a couple of years older than I am and has just had a baby :) but her hubby is about to be sent off to serve, so she is going stir crazy in her house watching the baby and is in a town that is new to her. She called me the other day telling me about how she didn't know anyone and that she couldn't think of anything else to do at home so I suggested volunteering.

 

       On a side note, the UNA Model United Nations did well in Atlanta last weekend and we're hoping to attend another conference soon and win some more awards!!

 

Red Cross

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

- Margaret Mead

 

 

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

- Edmund Burke

 

 

"One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something."

 

- Henry David Thoreau

 

 

Volunteerism

       I realize that there is a lot that I didn't know about the Red Cross. I didn't even know that they had more than one symbol. I'm glad to know that such a helpful organization is conscious of the various needs of different groups and that they are not blind to the values of everyone they help.

       After this forum, I researched a bit into this organization just because I was a little embarrassed by how little I knew. Some basic facts are that it was founded by Clara Barton, it is celebrated in March every year (thanks to FDR), and it supplies about 45% of the nation's blood supply.

      We talked about severl things that the Red Cross teaches its volunteers, but here are a few of them: babysitter training. CPR, AED (automated external defibrillator)  awareness, how to make an emergency kit, swimming safety, and even flu education. A goal of the Red Cross is having one person per American household trained in CPR and first aid.

      This forum also reiterated the fact that volunteerism can be very difficult to maintain and balance and that it is a necessary and lovely thing in the community, but it is not an easy thing and that we have to keep up that motivation and perspective.

Billy Reid, Inc; Creative director Bradley Dean

"In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it."

 

- Marianne Williamson

 

 

"Every successful individual knows that his or her achievement depends on a community of persons working together."

 

- Paul Ryan

 

 

 

"For too long in this society, we have celebrated unrestrained individualism over common community."

 

- Joe Biden

 

 

Community

 

 

      I think that Mr. Dean had a very good grasp on what a community is and the role that an individual of that community plays. He also conveyed his ideas through personal experience, which fortified what he was saying. Like Mr. Tomlinson said, "working in a community is a good way to get to know that community."

 

      I very much enjoyed the "First Follower" video. It really demonstrates that the leaders and those who take chare of everything are not the only ones that make a difference; often, a leader cannot achieve success without their followers, which only come after there is a First Follower.

 

       Mr. Dean also expained to us how a young person can make a difference. First he told us to "make change in the community where you live and work." Next, he tols us about how he became involved with the Heritage Preservation and Historical Board through a project he was doing and questions he had. He pointed out that it is difficult to rise above the elders of a community think is the correct pattern. The opinions of the elders in a community are valuabke, but Mr. Dean tols us that we must learn how to pith an idea in a way that the elders will listen an possible act upon this idea.

 

       I agree with and appreciate that statement that Mr Dean said that "there is a lot to be said about a strong community."