Spring Break
Editorial: Colloquium rises to the occasion
Issue date: 9/19/07 Section: Editorial/Opinion
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09/19/07 - China. Home to 1.3 billion people, a gross domestic product of more than $10 trillion and the largest standing army in the world. Hence it should be of little wonder as to why the Asian nation is the subject of this year's Honors Colloquium.
In previous years, the Honors Program has featured sports and music as themes of the colloquia. This year, the department and committee that selected the colloquium should be commended for picking a relevant and important topic. China is playing a rising role in American society, from manufacturing lead-tainted children's toys that land on American toy store shelves to its relationship with U.S.-termed "Axis of Evil" country North Korea.
And before students shrug the colloquium off as a purely political event aimed at freaks and geeks buried in their little red books, they should examine the schedule more closely.
For those totally uninterested in politics comes film director Peng Xiaolian on Dec. 11. A Chinese textiles exhibit will also run as a part of the colloquium from Sept. 27 to Feb. 1. And by no means is the colloquium focused solely on China's point of view. Lien Chan, former chairman of Kuomintang and former Vice President of Taiwan, will make an appearance Nov. 6.
Students should relish in the chance to meet - for free - these respected leaders in politics, industry and culture. It's merely a short walk for students living on-campus to reach Chafee Auditorium, and for students who live off-campus, just a 15-minute drive. And those driving will likely be relying on some Chinese made auto parts.
Interestingly, those auto parts lead to another important aspect of the China issue. With increasingly more cars on Chinese roads, pollution has skyrocketed. Scientists now say much of the smog that hangs over some Californian cities originates in China. The country, with its lax environmental regulations, is also spilling pollutants into its rivers that head for the ocean. And that's precisely why Judith Shapiro from American University will come to URI Oct. 9 and speak about China's environmental impact.
And what of China's political situation? Most college students grew up in an era where the United States and its bad-ass military reigned supreme across the globe. Russia had fallen and the Cold War defrosted. But not anymore. China is poised to become the next world superpower and before it happens students might want to find out a thing or two about this country.
In previous years, the Honors Program has featured sports and music as themes of the colloquia. This year, the department and committee that selected the colloquium should be commended for picking a relevant and important topic. China is playing a rising role in American society, from manufacturing lead-tainted children's toys that land on American toy store shelves to its relationship with U.S.-termed "Axis of Evil" country North Korea.
And before students shrug the colloquium off as a purely political event aimed at freaks and geeks buried in their little red books, they should examine the schedule more closely.
For those totally uninterested in politics comes film director Peng Xiaolian on Dec. 11. A Chinese textiles exhibit will also run as a part of the colloquium from Sept. 27 to Feb. 1. And by no means is the colloquium focused solely on China's point of view. Lien Chan, former chairman of Kuomintang and former Vice President of Taiwan, will make an appearance Nov. 6.
Students should relish in the chance to meet - for free - these respected leaders in politics, industry and culture. It's merely a short walk for students living on-campus to reach Chafee Auditorium, and for students who live off-campus, just a 15-minute drive. And those driving will likely be relying on some Chinese made auto parts.
Interestingly, those auto parts lead to another important aspect of the China issue. With increasingly more cars on Chinese roads, pollution has skyrocketed. Scientists now say much of the smog that hangs over some Californian cities originates in China. The country, with its lax environmental regulations, is also spilling pollutants into its rivers that head for the ocean. And that's precisely why Judith Shapiro from American University will come to URI Oct. 9 and speak about China's environmental impact.
And what of China's political situation? Most college students grew up in an era where the United States and its bad-ass military reigned supreme across the globe. Russia had fallen and the Cold War defrosted. But not anymore. China is poised to become the next world superpower and before it happens students might want to find out a thing or two about this country.
