REMINDER: Don't forget to post your urban impression comment by Wednesday. I saw Maya's there this morning, so that means Frances and Hannah need to do this. Remember that I will be lecturing on the origin of the city and we will be discussing those two classic essays I handed out last Thursday, beginning with Simmel's "Metropolis and Mental Life." On Tuesday (9/14) we will meet in Main 122, then go from there to some more comfortable corner of the Great Oaks lounge in Milliken.
EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY: As you know, former Spartanburg Mayor, Bill Barnett, will be our Convocation Speaker on Thursday (9/16) of this week. If you attend and want to earn 3 extra credit points, I'd like you to post a short reflection on his talk focusing on anything he says that helps you understand the challenges of being the mayor of a city such as Spartanburg. I am not sure what his specific topic will be, but I would guess that in his speech he will say something about his time as mayor which you can comment on. All I am looking for is a paragraph or two. And, if for some strange reason, he does not say anything pertinent to city government, then you are welcome to focus on what you believe was the most significant thing he said in general.
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During his speech at Convocation, former Mayor Bill Barnet spoke on and related what he felt were important life lessons that he experienced that we as students could benefit from. He shared his experience as a high school student and the impact that one particular teacher had on him despite the teacher’s unorthodox nature and teaching style. He also expressed his appreciation for a woman in the community that taught him a lesson that he seemed to hold on to and value throughout his term as Mayor. In relating these stories, Mayor Barnett conveyed the importance of remembering and taking to heart lessons that you learn in unexpected places. The experiences that are not expected and the sources that they come from are perhaps the very experiences that shape us for the better in our future lives. It is vital that we learn to be humble and take the advice from those that may not have a high status or stature because they keep us grounded in the real world with real issues.
Mayor Barnet did well to share how we need to depend on others and their opinions on how to make things better because without their input, we would be in a world lost in serving the self rather than serving others, the community in which we live, and the communities that need our help the most.
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