Comments for Dialogue with Larry Burns http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns Wed, 21 Mar 2012 04:22:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 Comment on I climbed The Great Wall…..in my loafers! by Michael Barrett http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/2012/03/20/i-climbed-the-great-wall-in-my-loafers/comment-page-1/#comment-326 Michael Barrett Wed, 21 Mar 2012 04:22:46 +0000 http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/?p=637#comment-326 I think it is great that we are forging relationships with the Chinese at UT. My High School, MVCDS, has been forging international educational relations with Yanshan University in recent years which has proven successful and made our Upper School Program very successful. I also had the opportunity to visit China for two weeks a year ago and it was an amazing experience which I will never forget. I will visit again for sure. The Chinese are very ambitious and hard working as well as innovative. They seem to really want to learn from the West and become an International leader along with the US which makes sense since 1+ billion people should not be underestimated nor underrepresented on any account. I see that in the last picture you are in front of the Qing Emperor Terra Cotta Army find. That was a cool place! Did you meet the farmer who made the archeological find in the Gift Shop near the Tea House? Anyways, that being said, I would be remiss if I didn't mention something about the Yanshan students present here at UT. I really like the diversity that we have with them coming but I find it hard to make friends with any of them. I see the students at these University but they seem to be very close with other Yanshan students so I think it would be nice if UT students tried to help them fit in and try to not make them feel isolated. I have Asian friends but I haven't really had much dialogue from the Yanshan students. Perhaps the language barrier makes things hairy when it comes to talking since they may feel apprehensive to talk (struggle with English colloquialisms and phrases) etc. So I understand that it takes more effort on UT Students part to make them feel welcome rather than expecting them to be outgoing. I know if I am a student studying abroad I would feel out of the loop and somewhat out of place. I find international dialogue to be a great learning experience. Sometimes talking with people of differing backgrounds can turn into arguing about differences and beliefs, etc. This happens far too often unfortunately. But in the end, learning about others differences can make us - as global citizens - more mindful of how interconnected we are and are soon bound to become. I think that the challenge at a school like UT (or any school) is to not only allow for diversity (by having students come to school and take classes) but also for more student-student cross-cultural interactions defying the old adage "Birds of a feather, flock together." Also, a suggestion... I think the Yanshan exchange would be a great idea if the University Administration could come up with some program that could fund undergraduate students (like a scholarship) to go there since students probably wouldn't (or couldn't) go unless with some financial assistance. And... What about Mexican students? Our neighbors to the South should not be ignored. Are there any plans to forge ties with a school down there in the near future? Go UT! Mike Barrett I think it is great that we are forging relationships with the Chinese at UT. My High School, MVCDS, has been forging international educational relations with Yanshan University in recent years which has proven successful and made our Upper School Program very successful. I also had the opportunity to visit China for two weeks a year ago and it was an amazing experience which I will never forget. I will visit again for sure. The Chinese are very ambitious and hard working as well as innovative. They seem to really want to learn from the West and become an International leader along with the US which makes sense since 1+ billion people should not be underestimated nor underrepresented on any account.

I see that in the last picture you are in front of the Qing Emperor Terra Cotta Army find. That was a cool place! Did you meet the farmer who made the archeological find in the Gift Shop near the Tea House?

Anyways, that being said, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention something about the Yanshan students present here at UT. I really like the diversity that we have with them coming but I find it hard to make friends with any of them. I see the students at these University but they seem to be very close with other Yanshan students so I think it would be nice if UT students tried to help them fit in and try to not make them feel isolated. I have Asian friends but I haven’t really had much dialogue from the Yanshan students. Perhaps the language barrier makes things hairy when it comes to talking since they may feel apprehensive to talk (struggle with English colloquialisms and phrases) etc. So I understand that it takes more effort on UT Students part to make them feel welcome rather than expecting them to be outgoing. I know if I am a student studying abroad I would feel out of the loop and somewhat out of place.

I find international dialogue to be a great learning experience. Sometimes talking with people of differing backgrounds can turn into arguing about differences and beliefs, etc. This happens far too often unfortunately. But in the end, learning about others differences can make us – as global citizens – more mindful of how interconnected we are and are soon bound to become.

I think that the challenge at a school like UT (or any school) is to not only allow for diversity (by having students come to school and take classes) but also for more student-student cross-cultural interactions defying the old adage “Birds of a feather, flock together.”

Also, a suggestion… I think the Yanshan exchange would be a great idea if the University Administration could come up with some program that could fund undergraduate students (like a scholarship) to go there since students probably wouldn’t (or couldn’t) go unless with some financial assistance.

And… What about Mexican students? Our neighbors to the South should not be ignored. Are there any plans to forge ties with a school down there in the near future?

Go UT!

Mike Barrett

]]> Comment on A trip to UTMC… by Sammy Spann http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/2012/02/16/a-trip-to-utmc/comment-page-1/#comment-325 Sammy Spann Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:46:42 +0000 http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/?p=634#comment-325 Great group of employees make all the difference in the world. Great group of employees make all the difference in the world.

]]> Comment on A Rocket says Thanks to The Chips… by Diana Van Winkle http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/2011/10/14/a-rocket-says-thanks-to-the-chips/comment-page-1/#comment-324 Diana Van Winkle Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:47:06 +0000 http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/?p=627#comment-324 Fire up, Chips! My years at CMU were the best - and I still hold in great esteem some of the wonderful professors that shaped me. Fire up, Chips! My years at CMU were the best – and I still hold in great esteem some of the wonderful professors that shaped me.

]]> Comment on A Rocket says Thanks to The Chips… by Esther Fabian http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/2011/10/14/a-rocket-says-thanks-to-the-chips/comment-page-1/#comment-323 Esther Fabian Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:04:13 +0000 http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/?p=627#comment-323 Thanks for the post, Larry! It's so easy to travel back to those days in my life and remember some of the professors who helped me get some direction, too. In many ways, I feel that this role as teacher plays a bigger role than the subject taught in the classroom. Thanks for the post, Larry! It’s so easy to travel back to those days in my life and remember some of the professors who helped me get some direction, too. In many ways, I feel that this role as teacher plays a bigger role than the subject taught in the classroom.

]]> Comment on My Uncle Dan…A Happy Man. by Mary Provonsha http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/2011/10/09/my-uncle-dan-a-happy-man/comment-page-1/#comment-322 Mary Provonsha Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:57:00 +0000 http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/?p=623#comment-322 Positive thinking does have power! Thank you for sharing this inspirational message. Positive thinking does have power! Thank you for sharing this inspirational message.

]]> Comment on My Uncle Dan…A Happy Man. by David Strukel http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/2011/10/09/my-uncle-dan-a-happy-man/comment-page-1/#comment-321 David Strukel Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:15:10 +0000 http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/?p=623#comment-321 Sounds like Uncle Dan never had a day without sunshine. Great post, Larry! Thank you for sharing. Sounds like Uncle Dan never had a day without sunshine. Great post, Larry! Thank you for sharing.

]]> Comment on My Uncle Dan…A Happy Man. by Fernand Bedi http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/2011/10/09/my-uncle-dan-a-happy-man/comment-page-1/#comment-320 Fernand Bedi Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:36:31 +0000 http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/?p=623#comment-320 Hey Larry Thanks for sharing the uncle Dan's values with us. Mel Hey Larry
Thanks for sharing the uncle Dan’s values with us.
Mel

]]> Comment on My Uncle Dan…A Happy Man. by Paula Ross http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/2011/10/09/my-uncle-dan-a-happy-man/comment-page-1/#comment-319 Paula Ross Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:14:05 +0000 http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/?p=623#comment-319 I suspect that Uncle Dan left an entire network of friends and family whose lives, like yours, are better because of him. Thanks, Larry, for expanding that network to include us. I suspect that Uncle Dan left an entire network of friends and family whose lives, like yours, are better because of him. Thanks, Larry, for expanding that network to include us.

]]> Comment on My Uncle Dan…A Happy Man. by Thomas Barden http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/2011/10/09/my-uncle-dan-a-happy-man/comment-page-1/#comment-318 Thomas Barden Mon, 10 Oct 2011 11:43:06 +0000 http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/?p=623#comment-318 Good thoughts, Larry. My mother-in-law who just died at 93 was the same way. Our best tribute to lives like Claire's or your Uncle Dan's is to follow their example. Good thoughts, Larry. My mother-in-law who just died at 93 was the same way. Our best tribute to lives like Claire’s or your Uncle Dan’s is to follow their example.

]]> Comment on My Uncle Dan…A Happy Man. by Sammy Spann http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/2011/10/09/my-uncle-dan-a-happy-man/comment-page-1/#comment-317 Sammy Spann Mon, 10 Oct 2011 01:43:18 +0000 http://journals.utoledo.edu/burns/?p=623#comment-317 I think we all have an uncle Dan in our lives, and we need to be more like him. Sorry for your lost Larry but thanks for sharing. I think we all have an uncle Dan in our lives, and we need to be more like him. Sorry for your lost Larry but thanks for sharing.

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