Hello so its been a couple of days since I last posted and it seems as though alot has happened. I have labeled the sections so you know what they are about because I typed alot. There is a graphic picture towards the bottom just so you are aware. *Reader Discretion Advised* haha
Classes
First, today was my last day of class for my first class here in France. It was a pretty good class. I also liked the professor, he is english teaches here in France. He had a way of making you excited over the stuff he was excited about. Which, I guess is a good mark of an educator. Although the students would talk all the time and he would let them for the most part. There was one day, though, that I had a headache and just felt bad and the other student were talking like the entire class and he says
"You all have been chattering away the entire class, Marcus has a headache and that is probably why" OMG I did not know how to feel at that moment, especially since I told him only moments ago that my head was not hurting because of the talking. The name of the class was "The Future of Higher Education".
Initially, the class was suppose to be a discussion based class looking at global geopolitical atmosphere and the direction of the world and how it affects higher education. However, we ended up looking a lot at different business schools around the world and what types of things they were doing as well as the projected future - So it was a little more random than originally proposed. It also turned out to be much more focused on the project that we had at the end of the week.
For the project we, the students, acted as consultants for a massive multi-school multi-campus merger that ESC-Pau,the school I attend, is apart. My team talked about Marketing and Communication, Internationalization, and Student Experience/Student Engagement as our topics. The purpose of the project was to give ideas for things that we feel are important to include in the new France Business School, the name of the new merged institution.
In France the business schools are structured alot different than in the states. The business schools are all separate entities from the Universities. They are actually under the supervision of the Chamber of Commerce, which I might add get funding from the French government. As one can imagine funding coming from the government and even the Chamber is drying up, so as I alluded to they are currently in the process of merging several business schools around the country. This restructuring is not only happening for the purpose of funding, but also they are doing to improve the quality of the business schools here in France, in order to stay globally competitive. I think it is awesome what they are doing and certainly bold with so much at stake.
I said all that to say that the class has me thinking about WSU and wondering what we are doing to stay globally competitive? But, more importantly what are we doing to prepare our student for a global world? That's really my question because I think WSU is a fantastic university and will be successful in the long-run even as others struggle. I do question, though, the student preparation to compete globally for jobs. Especially in business, are we doing ourselves a disservice by not having our students learn another language? I know we have the minimum requirement of 12 or 15 hours but maybe we have a business class taught in another language. For example, here they have to take an entire section of classes in English. Now, I know the language of business is English and that is why they require it for their students, but that's not a good enough reason not to learn another language. Especially as the world change simply knowing one language might not get you very far.
Needless to say, I have a lot of ideas when I return.
Travels
Tomorrow I am going skiing. This will actually be the first time I have ever been skiing. The funny thing is, the other international students are from the Philippines so they've never been skiing either so they were asking me what we were suppose to wear and etc. I have no clue! But, we got it all figured out. I bought ski pants yesterday and a cheap coat from a corner store today so it should be a good time. Apparently, every store is having a sale until Feb. 5th here in Pau. I almost bought a blazer yesterday but the thing was slightly too small in the shoulder *sadface* cause it was nice. I also almost bought a coat and I still might. I might buy a few gifts for people if I find something I, I mean, they will like.
On a completely different note, I know I want to travel but I don't know where I want to go. I know I have never been big on planning things, but I think I should plan these things out. Like the other student have it planned out where they want to go and when, but I haven't even looked. I know what places I want to go to, its just the daunting task of planning that is getting in the way. I have a week before our first major break so I have that time to decide. Maybe I'll do a weekend in Paris. Maybe I'll just open a map of Europe close my eyes and point. Who knows? Not this guy...
Random Thought of the Day
This evening I was scrolling through FB looking at updates and the following picture came up:
I was kinda dumb-founded by it when I first saw it because I surprised to see on FB. With the person who posted it saying that
"Not to long ago...this too was politics..." Great message. However, I proceeded to read through the comments and the first comment was
"Every country has it's dark moments. But we survive and grow! Thank God!" Not bad right? But the next comment proceeds to questions the person who posted the first comment as to why they used the word "we". Huh? Doesn't make sense right? But, then you find out the person who posted the first comment was white. huh?!? Still doesnt make sense right? I know. Then there was someone else who proceeded to essentially say that if you aren't black, or "on the receiving end", then you cant fully understand the "reality of the situation". What?!? Not sure I read that right. Yes, indeed that is what was said. Now to the give credit where credit is due the person who posted the comment said it much more eloquently than that, but that is still what they said. There were a couple more post by the same two people who responded to the first post. Even going on to say the minorities are "victims" and blah blah blah.
It gave me a moments pause when I read that because I truly wonder how people think that only one group of people know the "reality" of the situation above. In fact I will just post my full response and then pose, as usual, some questions.
"Wow when I saw this picture I was almost dumb struck it was on Facebook. But got the message. Although, reading through the comments I did want to add that we as black people, or minorities in general, cannot try to monopolize the events of the past. To try to say that we are the only ones who know what it was like to go through what is depicted in this picture is completely false. That would be glossing over, down playing the role, of all the white who had to live through this, the many who died in defense of the minorities. We can't forgot that we did not move forward on our own. The Million Man March wasn't just black people, the Freedom Riders were not just black people, the NAACP was not started by all black people, the call to change the American culture- for equity and justice- was not just black people. So to question Leanna for saying "we" would be denying a part of history..."
Then I cooked dinner and kept thinking about that and what the person said about "victims" so I posted again:
"Furthermore, I did want to quickly touch on minorities being "victims". Honestly, I sometimes think that we as a people use that as an excuse. We are 2012 with the ability to do whatever we want, become whatever we want to become; without the worry of which door to enter, which place to sit, what fountain to use, what store to go to; yet we some how still say that black people can't get ahead because of racism. Now I'm not saying racism is dead, its far from it, but to use it as a crutch in our community is absurd. Take the Harlem Renaissance - Created a rich artistic culture, literary and musical stars, that are still celebrated today, were created during this time. Not forgetting that this was in the 1920-1930 approx. 30+years before the signing of the Civil Rights bill. Yet, even under all that pressure they created what they created.
Ya know, what truly frustrates me sometime is that we as a people seem to put more emphasis on becoming the next great rapper or the next sports star and fickle things like that rather than putting the emphasis on education, going to college, becoming your own person. Which, in my opinion, is what is truly holding us back. Sorry for the big gap between this and my other comment, I just kept thinking about it, so had to comment :)"
What do yall think about that? I mean the "victim" mentality that minorities seem be stuck on. I doesn't make much sense to me.
Conclusion
Sorry I just had to vent that because it was on my mind. On a lighter note, there is a watch made by Armani on sale for 120euros = $160ish should I get it?
Well I am off to bed. Have to get up at 5 to leave for the ski resort.
