Last week, I took the time to actively seek out events held by Hunter and Macaulay. In spite of midterms and papers to be written, I needed a break from work and the best way to avoid work is to do something that seems productive but isn't. I call it positive procrastination.
On Tuesday, I took a walk across Central Park to the Macaulay Building on the West side. Sy Sternberg was holding a talk on the Future of the Workplace which is relevant to college students who are looking for jobs after graduation, especially in these economic times. Going into the talk, it was surprising to see only 10 people in attendance. It's a wonder why students don't take advantage of these events to learn more and receive some refreshments as an added benefit. Sternberg was thoroughly entertaining, carrying a enthusiastic and personable attitude about the evolving face of the American workplace. Whereas work used to be dictated by a bell (as told in a personal anecdote), work is now less defined with telecommuting, virtual work places, and clouds (where information is stored and processed differently because it can be accessed globally, although I'm still not sure what this is). I found it enlightening to know that things are going digital as I thought previously but at a much faster pace, and that the service sector is the place to watch because manufacturing is moving to less expensive places and agriculture is not a particularly attractive career.
On Wednesday, Shaun Donovan, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary, made a visit to the Roosevelt House for a Youth Roundtable. His opening remarks centered on how he started his political career and discovered his passion for housing and urban development. As a Harvard graduate with two masters degrees in Public Administration and Architecture, he used his talents to help improve federally assisted housing which in turn provide a foundation for safer neighborhoods. Drawing from his own experiences, Donovan advised students in attendance to consider working in the public sector and opened the floor for questions. I already thought it was impressive to have a member of the Cabinet speak at the Roosevelt House, but to have him want to answer questions and ignite a discussion was just beyond my expectations.
On Thursday, another event was held at the Roosevelt House. This time it was a book discussion with Ted C. Fishman, author of Shock of Gray which talked about the world's aging population and its effects. He asserted that families are reproducing less than before so the population is like an upside pyramid because there are more older people than children. With an increase in life expectancy, he says something needs to be done to help senior citizens transition from idle to productive because the nature of the labor force will soon be changing as well. In addition, Fishman referred to his visits to China where older people gather in parks for morning exercises which include tai chi, disco dancing, and even opera. However, it's quite different in the U.S. because grandparents are often shipped off to the senior homes and not integrated into families. It was interesting to think of the older generation as victims because the public often attacks them for increasing the deficit due to the Social Security benefits that come with retirement.
On Friday, I happened across a conference on Constituting the Human at the Macaulay Building (I really did happen across this even because I had no idea it was going on and wanted to get some work done at the Macaulay Building). The topic seemed interesting enough, a philosophical one about why some things are considered human and some not. I went to a panel called Multispecies Salon and one speaker really caught my attention. Kathy High constructed huts for lab mice to live in and these were displayed in an art exhibit. What was special about these rats was their DNA. They weren't exactly animal because there was human DNA infused into their chromosomes. Crazy stuff, right? It seems like the kind of thing you would read in a sci fi novel.
Having spent the majority of my week learning all of these new things that Hunter and Macaulay had to offer, I had to return to reality where I had to study for a midterm and write a paper. But it was not for naught; through these events, I have learned about the future, something everyone strives towards. I learned about the changing workplace and what that means for me, policies affected urban development and what it means for the city, the growing older population and what it means for the world, and of course the always evolving field of sciences. It has been truly wonderful to attend all these events and be exposed to the type of knowledge and resources that are readily available to college students. I can only hope that I will be able to continue doing this in my next 3 years at Macaulay!
