Spring Break
Think bigger
Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: Editorial/Opinion
10/03/08 - It appears that the University of Rhode Island's new branding initiative, which labels the university's motto as "Think Big. We do," has truly taken hold of the campus.
Last year, URI implemented the Confucius Institute, which has brought Asian culture to the campus in a completely innovative light. As part of a new worldly view, last year's colloquium was entitled "China Rising," focusing primarily on the economic policies of China. Also, students now have the option to learn Chinese from esteemed professors, and this year, an enlightening campaign called "I Am African," is filling places on campus with posters depicting the spread of AIDS and other crises in Africa, led by the Student Alliance for the Welfare of Africa and the URI chapter of Keep a Child Alive.
Congratulations should to be given to the administration at URI, and the student groups for attempts to bridge the gap between the 15,000 people here in Kingston and cultures that may have never crossed our minds otherwise.
Maybe by placing known "celebrities" at URI in the center of campaigns such as these - like president Robert L. Carothers - students will begin to take notice of the problems outside of the orange sticker policy or parking problems.
But work still needs to be done on the international front.
There are many departments at URI that could get involved with the new motto. For instance, the women's studies department could hold seminars dedicated to the plight of women in Saudi Arabia - who need permission from their male guardian to travel, to marry, for financial transactions or surgery, among countless other things, according to womensenews.org.
Or how about in Australia, where it is estimated about 7 percent of the agricultural area of the Western part of the country is suffering from deforestation activities for agriculture, according to the World Wildlife Federation. It is estimated that its land degradation costs about $1 billion annually. The College of Environment and Life Sciences could be calling attention to such issues.
And lastly, according to the Council of Foreign Relations, where Colombia's child soldiers are referred to as "little bees," total close to the population of URI's campus: 14,000. Does that put it into perspective? These children serve in combat, make or deploy mines and act as spies, putting their lives in danger every second of their day.
Maybe those at URI don't want to be bothered by thoughts of child soldiers in Colombia, the stifled voices of Middle Eastern women or the economic havoc created by environmental change.
But the point of a university is to enrich, to educate, outside of one's own comfort level. While URI is doing a fairly good job promoting its new worldly view, the students must take a bigger part in the initiative, and show other universities that it truly does "Think Big."
Last year, URI implemented the Confucius Institute, which has brought Asian culture to the campus in a completely innovative light. As part of a new worldly view, last year's colloquium was entitled "China Rising," focusing primarily on the economic policies of China. Also, students now have the option to learn Chinese from esteemed professors, and this year, an enlightening campaign called "I Am African," is filling places on campus with posters depicting the spread of AIDS and other crises in Africa, led by the Student Alliance for the Welfare of Africa and the URI chapter of Keep a Child Alive.
Congratulations should to be given to the administration at URI, and the student groups for attempts to bridge the gap between the 15,000 people here in Kingston and cultures that may have never crossed our minds otherwise.
Maybe by placing known "celebrities" at URI in the center of campaigns such as these - like president Robert L. Carothers - students will begin to take notice of the problems outside of the orange sticker policy or parking problems.
But work still needs to be done on the international front.
There are many departments at URI that could get involved with the new motto. For instance, the women's studies department could hold seminars dedicated to the plight of women in Saudi Arabia - who need permission from their male guardian to travel, to marry, for financial transactions or surgery, among countless other things, according to womensenews.org.
Or how about in Australia, where it is estimated about 7 percent of the agricultural area of the Western part of the country is suffering from deforestation activities for agriculture, according to the World Wildlife Federation. It is estimated that its land degradation costs about $1 billion annually. The College of Environment and Life Sciences could be calling attention to such issues.
And lastly, according to the Council of Foreign Relations, where Colombia's child soldiers are referred to as "little bees," total close to the population of URI's campus: 14,000. Does that put it into perspective? These children serve in combat, make or deploy mines and act as spies, putting their lives in danger every second of their day.
Maybe those at URI don't want to be bothered by thoughts of child soldiers in Colombia, the stifled voices of Middle Eastern women or the economic havoc created by environmental change.
But the point of a university is to enrich, to educate, outside of one's own comfort level. While URI is doing a fairly good job promoting its new worldly view, the students must take a bigger part in the initiative, and show other universities that it truly does "Think Big."
