Author Archives: kb725

“The Power of Listening”

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The LWYL Cafe: SONIC RESISTANCE Curating the Sound of Protest event that I attended was, as Mr. Hick’s described, “a jam session about the power of listening.”

One music work that I found particularly engaging was a piece by Composer Raven Chacon using guns as the instrument of choice.
 
I found the piece to be unique, unexpected, and powerful. And Chacon’s brief description of the piece added depth that I appreciated. He spoke about writing the piece 20 years ago when he was working with experimental music and had started to feel frustrated with how arbitrary the composing process felt. His solution? Set limits on himself. He chose guns because the pitch and sounds could not be manipulated. 
 
Yet, one element he couldn’t impose any limits on was time. 
 
For me, his words made me wonder if time is an element of sound, a silent metronome? And, if so,  what would it mean to deeply listen to time? 
 
But, maybe the answer to those questions are less important than the active choice to listen deeply and act with care, both toward sounds that are sweet and familiar and those that protest. 

Uncomfortable Beauty

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When I watched the “Jungle” episode from the “Our Planet Series,” I couldn’t help but appreciate the beautiful filming, excellent narration, and serene music. The whole presentation was calming…but I also couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable.

Despite the gorgeousness of the production of the episode, every scene ended with a version of the same message said in a low-tender voice: “…this species, or forest, or habitat is dying and it is due to human activity.”

While news articles and media outlets often scream and threaten, this film series is more like a parent that calmly sits down with a child and explains and demonstrates why the child’s behavior is unacceptable.

This approach made me ask myself how I might be able to improve things and it also made me consider how I might be able to convey some of this important information to others.

Tidbits and Thoughts on “Our Planet”

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Tuning in for an episode of “Our Planet” with the scholars was a time for me to appreciate nature while also having the benefit of an academic explanation of what I was seeing.

Here are two scenes I found especially engaging:

1) The depiction of the forest re-growing after forest fires burning ravenously provided introspection. I appreciated the come-back element, but, although this is a modern-day example, I’m not the first to be drawn to the concept of being “born from ashes”. In Greek mythology, the phoenix was a symbol of renewal and new beginnings, and many religious texts address rebirth from ashes. Perhaps some of these works drew their inspiration from observing the cyclical nature of forests perishing and being reborn during ancient times.

2) I also found the scene about the wild puppies and their big ears to be relevant. Here, the narrator explained that the play among the puppies served the important purpose of creating a bond. As a student currently in 3 group projects, I think the concept of the importance of play is also applicable — creating a bond is often an important (and fun!) part of a successful group project.

Additionally, looking beyond individual scenes, the episode as a whole emphasized the importance of protecting these natural places and wild animals — something I am concerned is getting overlooked as our society focuses on pandemic challenges and government turmoil.

Catching Sun and Reflecting Experiences

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Making fall leaf suncatchers allowed me an opportunity to build on a previous Rose event with Professor Schwartz, where during the event, he stressed the importance of taking time to reflect on experiences so they may become growth experiences.

GRF Karina set a kind and safe atmosphere by playing nice music and welcoming us to interact with each other, albeit via Zoom.  With this backdrop of cozy laid-back interaction, I soon found myself somewhere between cutting paper and thinking about how I could have improved my week. And I also replayed in my mind what I enjoyed most about the week’s events and how I was grateful for this suncatcher event that allowed me the time to think freely.

Using Reflection to Turn Experiences into Growth Experiences

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Professor Schwarz’s talk seminar “How to Succeed in College and Beyond: The Art of Learning” served as a reminder to maintain diligence during my time at college and his insights also sparked some new ideas for me to consider.

Some of these insightful reminders include going beyond what was required of you in classes, mastering time-management, not forgetting learning for life, and taking advantage of summer internships. Even though I attempt to do these things currently, I still am concerned that I could find my work and actions to be a source of regret if I later find out I lacked information to proceed in a way better suited for me.

So, when Professor Schwarz stressed the value of reflecting on one’s actions to turn regular experiences into growth experiences, it became more clear that participating more in this process will help me to fill in information gaps and to make more informed decisions.

Stories and Something to Cherish

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Attending the LWYL Cafe interview with professors Chris Alabi and Nilay Yapici served as both a source of insightful stories and much-needed reminders.

For instance, I was fascinated by Professor Alabi’s path of starting life out as a kid in Nigeria thinking mostly about soccer and how through small steps, one of which involved reading an encyclopedia, he decided to study chemical engineering. And, I enjoyed Professor Yapici’s stories ranging from finding community with the international college community to the challenges of becoming tenured.

By taking a break from my degree program work to hear these stories from professors unrelated to my field, I found myself engaging in thinking more broadly than I had anticipated.

And, when asked to give advice to current students, “Have fun but be persistent and gritty” and “cherish your time in undergrad” served to remind me that college is a special opportunity that when approached with both grit and fun, is certainly something for me to cherish.

Information “Radiation”

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Much of Episode 3 of the Chernobyl accident was displayed or “told” from the perspective of the young and strong-willed woman visiting her radiation-burned husband in Moscow. Empathizing with her character, her palpable pain left me feeling slightly disoriented.

Interested in orienting myself and curious to learn more about the Chernobyl incident, I spent some time reading and watching videos. And much like other bloggers came across inaccuracies regarding “the contagion of radiation,” especially in regard to the scene where the science-professor Khomyuk pulls the woman off her husband.

But, looking back on that scene more objectively, the medical drama has become less forefront and instead I’m more focused on the threat Khomyuk used after pulling the woman from her husband, saying she was going to report the hospital to the committee.

The power in those words was enough to silence both the strong-willed woman and the nurse and get Khomyuk arrested. This shows that the metaphoric impact of a potential “radiation” of information was just as powerful as the physical injuries that could be caused by the actual radiation.

Chernobyl – When Power is Weakness

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While watching episode 2 of the Chernobyl series, I was intrigued by the interplay of power dynamics between authority figures and fact-driven scientists and how this might affect organizations and societies at large.

During the episode, scientists Ulana Khomyuk and Valery Legasov repeatedly attempt to incisively convey the severity of the explosion at Chernobyl to authority. However, action is only implemented when there is no other choice. This interplay reminded me of the downsides of rigid organizational structures, a topic I recently covered in my Human Resources class. Namely, these structures can cause poor communication, and individuals often take actions that are inconsistent with benefiting the overarching goals of an organization.

And while I think the Chernobyl power-dynamic issues run deeper than organization structure, episode 2 reminded me that sometimes powerful systems meant to provide strength are instead a source of weakness. This is something that I think is reflected both by the events surrounding the Chernobyl crisis and even perhaps by the events our society is currently experiencing concerning the, in some ways organizationally comparable, Covid crisis.