Get out of the bubble
The Ivory Tower is great, but don't lose sight of the bigger picture
Many of those experiences have been attendance at local book events and guest speakers in the local community of Westdale, near Hamilton’s McMaster University.
Saturday, I attended a discussion at the local United Church about Pakistan. The church invited two speakers who grew up in Pakistan and regularly visit the country which is at the centre of the current Afghanistan. Tarek Fatah, author of Chasing A Mirage, and Raheel Raza, freelance journalist whose work often appears in The Toronto Star and The Ottawa Citizen, both brought their insights and opinions to a group of interested individuals in the basement of the church.
The Ivory Tower is great, however, academic guest speakers tend to be disconnected from the ground-level of political issues. This is not a criticism, it is just a statement. I’m pursuing a degree after all and my goal is to be able to disconnect from issues as well.
Off-campus speakers, such as Fatah, deliver their own on-the-ground insights and opinion. They add to my understanding of a topic in a way which a professor does not. Their emotion for topics offers me more information and viewpoints to use in the development of my own outlook on issues.
In short, get out of the bubble. Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. Expand your horizons. Summer is a great chance to change your routines and discover new things.
- photo by Remi Carreiro
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