Summer 2010 Faculty Staff orientation runs concurrently with a special Global Engagement Forum for the Ft. Lauderdale- Halifax leg. And they have arranged our daily agenda so that we can participate in many of the forum’s events.

This morning we started with a presentation/discussion with the new VP for Academics for ISE Roselyn Berne. She has added a new event to the students schedules. Their first all-students meeting this voyage will be a discussion on ethics around international travel. How to “see” people you meet rather that simply treat their country as a spicy backdrop for your lunch.

After that we joined the Global Forum folks for Julian Bond’s presentation. Man that guy can squeeze a LOT of words into a very small space. All eloquent, all thoughtful, but I had to breath fast to keep my oxygen level up enough to keep up with him. He spoke about the history of race relations in the US, where we are at, and where we need to go, and suggested a way to get there (work). He invited Q&A and addressed a wide range of issues from immigration policy to whether the was any culturally good shows on TV (he’s a big The Wire fan). One questioner said how much “Eye on the Prize” inspired and influenced him and suggested everyone ought to have a copy of that. (Dr. Bond narrated that PBS show). I know Kathy had already planned to use some clips from it in her Race and Culture class.

The Union lecture hall