Category Archives: Global Impact

Ideas, initiatives, and projects aimed at sparking insightful discourse, self-actualization, and impacting the greater good.

TU Speaks Project

Posted on by
Reply

The diversity of our minds, the value of our experiences…powerful stuff…even more powerful when shared.

The TU Speaks Project is an effort to promote intellectual discourse amongst students, to provide opportunities to share talents, stories, and insights, and to cultivate environments that allow students to develop strong social voices to share their passions with the world to make a global impact.

http://prezi.com/a32e8l-awhyn/tu-speaks-project/ (Link to Prezi)

Tweet thoughts to #TUSpeaksProject

Inner Peace

Posted on by
Reply

I expected to go in and get a good laugh, implied when seeing anything involving Jack Black, leaving the theater altogether satisfied. That did happen, but what struck me for days after was this concept of “inner peace”. Now, the characters used it to complete this intense water droplet ancient Kung Fu move, but actually attaining this hypnotic-like state is something very more personal and profound. To reach this state, one must “let go” of any anger or troubled thoughts from the past or of the present. One must forgive, and see the good in others, coming to terms with the fact that you are willing to move on, and ready to leave any presence of negative energy behind; “harnessing the flow of the universe”…as the master himself quotes it.

We, as naturally emotional and defensive humans, can easily let trivial, irrelevant, or ignorant statements & circumstances get the best of us…but we also have the power to forgive, forget, and continue along the paths that we are truly destined to lay out for ourselves. The only definitive entity we actually have control over is ourselves, and only we can choose to hold such anger, jealousy, hatred, prejudices, negativity, etc…BUT, we also have the power to let these burdens go…seeing the positives…believing in others…discerning all of the possibilities…and truly harnessing the harmonious flow of this abyss of infinite opportunity…the universe.

The truth behind this concept is very simple: Get on with life. Be happy.

Equally Guilty?…Rooting for Death & the Promotion of Violence

Posted on by
Reply

My brother and I sat in front of the TV Sunday evening watching the numbers accumulate in front of the White House cheering, chanting, & carrying on thinking, “This is the equivalent to when we see the burning of flags and the gathering masses of revengeful or spiteful citizens in other countries”. Aren’t we equally as guilty responding to death in such a way? Though with he, Osama, being out of the picture…it is truly beneficial for our peaceful, political progress globally, but, due to such questionable reaction, is definitely detrimental to our peaceful progress socially; an event not fit to blatantly cheer for or celebrate about…especially with such vindictive implications attached. Some view this event as good trumping evil, but isn’t this just the promotion of violence to rectify wrongdoings? Should we celebrate death even if it is of an enemy? Is there a way to discover peace and instill hope without violence?

Let’s remember MLK’s words. After all, he is the king of social progress and intrapersonal justice:
“I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
-MLK Jr.

Now let’s take a look at some college students’ responses:
NPR Coverage: Responses & Reactions to Bin Laden’s Death
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=135963042&m=135963025

Thoughts on these reactions? How about YOUR reaction?

Photo: Saber, “The American Graffiti Artist.” 2011
http://www.juxtapoz.com/Graffiti/saber-the-american-graffiti-artist-at-opera-gallery-nyc