[AUDIO] Lessons from 45 years at McMaster
[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/pglastlecture.jpg” caption=”University President Peter George gave a Last Lecture as part of Citizenship Engagement Week. Photo by JD Howell.”]
src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#pub=mcmasterdailynews">
>
McMaster President Peter George gave his last lecture last night - sort of.
Although there will be more requests for him to speak as he approaches retirement, last night's Last Lecture, inspired by Randy Pausch's last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University, allowed President George to explore some of the many lessons he has learned through 45 years with the University. First among those lessons: that McMaster truly is one of the best.
"We are good - really, really good - at what we do," said George in his remarks to the audience in a full Convocation Hall. "We used to say things like, 'we punch above our weight'. I am here to tell you that McMaster has the critical mass to compete with anyone."
The Last Lecture Series seeks to provide students with the opportunity to get to know a speaker better while the speaker lectures as though the engagement is their last. President George's lecture was given as part of Citizenship Engagement Week, organized by the Office of Community Service Learning and Civic Engagement (OCSLCE).
"The week is meant to connect the community, to allow us to engage with and learn from one another," said Adam Kuhn, OCSLCE manager. "Our theme is 'Why are you here?', so we hope that by listening to the University's President students will begin to understand the value of their education beyond simply earning a degree."
Events held earlier in the week include a discussion on international volunteering and a lecture on organic farming in Canada. Thursday will see a discussion on youth political engagement and the week will be capped off with the Global Citizenship Conference, a two-day conference featuring talks by Olympic champion and McMaster alumnus Adam van Koeverden and Chair of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction Mark Chamberlain.
"One of our greatest sources of pride should be our well-documented ability to produce engaged citizens," said George. "In this arena, McMaster has few peers."
Indeed, the University has produced more than its share of active citizens, including James Orbinski, founder of Doctors Without Borders, and Samantha Nutt, founder of War Child Canada, both of whom were mentioned last night.
"We have a responsibility to be engaged citizens. As members of the McMaster family, that responsibility is more acute because our privileges are that much greater. We are part of a remarkable community here and that concept of community is the very foundation of engaged citizenship."
Listen to an excerpt from Peter George's Last Lecture (:53)
Stay connected
