By: Chase Birthisel
An author of a New York Times best-seller spoke to a split crowd last night.
Daniel Pink, author of the common experience book A Whole New Mind, drew a crowd at his presentation at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The Evans Auditorium, which housed the event because of bad weather, quickly filled to capacity. Students arriving to the presentation were directed to the LBJ Ballroom, where video of Pink was streaming live. Students crowded into the ballroom, but some found the situation frustrating.
Students said they could not hear the presentation and the event was overcrowded. Others were required to stay until the end of the speech, at which time they could swipe their student ID’s as proof of attendance.
Todd Tribble, undecided freshman who watched from outside the ballroom doors, said writing his required paper about the presentation would be difficult.
“I can’t hear anything,” Tribble said. “I think they could have held this at Strahan with better results.”
Lilien Hester, pre-international studies freshman, said university personnel should have taken the freshman class into account before changing the location.
“I think it’s kind of ridiculous,” Hester said. “A lot of people are just sitting out in the halls until it’s over.”
Pink spoke to students about the changing times and how students can adapt.
Pink said he wanted to give students a preview of his next book, Drive.
“A Whole New Mind argued we’re moving from a world of left-brain to right-brain abilities. So the logical question after that is how do we foster these abilities?” Pink asked. “A lot of the ways companies and schools try to bring out these abilities, science shows they don’t work.”
Pink said one of the major failures in schools is the impersonal attitude.
“I think to the extent that classes should be much smaller with much more interaction and feedback,” Pink said. “I think it would be better to give students more autonomy over what they do.”
Pink accredits his success to persistence.
“I discovered long ago I was never going to be the smartest or most talented person,” Pink said. “I realized if you work really hard and take some risk, you can make up for that.”
Diann McCabe, senior lecturer in the University College, said she, along with six faculty members, decided to make A Whole New Mind the Common Experience book.
“Everyone relates to the book, because these ideas are relevant to the economy and the world we live in,” McCabe said. “We have so long undervalued the right-brain traits that it’s time to see we need right-brained thinking to solve the problems we face.”
Courtesy of The University Star
Original story found here.
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