"Churning the Earth" India Lecture to Asheville

Aseem Shrivastava is the co-author of the book "Churning the Earth: The Making of Global India".

Last Thursday night he made an appearance on the UNC Asheville campus to discuss his book with those who have read it, and educate those who have not. 

I attended the lecture due to my interest in the environmental aspect of his book. 

"Churning the Earth" goes beyond the statements that India is poor and in trouble; it explains why they are economically hurting, how the peoples' hurt is then transforming into the planet's pain, and how this cycle is not going to end anytime soon. 

A lot of people know India is in trouble, but not a lot of people know why and better yet how to fix it. 

I believe that coming to speak on the UNC Asheville campus was a great opportunity because we are a campus full of curious students and faculty wanting to learn about the issues and figure out how to solve them. 

The lecture was packed to say the least. 

People filled the chairs, the floor, and leaned against the walls...

All gazing towards the front to hear Shrivastava's words. 

The economic majors mixed in with the environmental majors, along with others of different fields, all coming together in one melting pot of a discussion. 

But these two predominant majors of economics and environmental are what Shrivasatava kept emphasizing for collaboration. 

If one group is not aware of the other, or is arrogant of them - nothing will change. 

All of the principles spoken of that night are not only confined to India, they reach to anywhere that wishes to make a change. 

Speakers such as Shrivastava allow UNC Asheville to be proud of the fact that we are a liberal arts school, and we are aware of the world outside of our own bubble. 

Shrivastava's visit was much appreciated and allows Asheville to now become a part of this "churning of the Earth" journey. 

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Another Year as a Bulldog!

Another school year - same blogger as last year except more experiences and more blog posts.
Whether you are new to reading this blog or a returning reader, I want to start off this year's blog with a bang and an introduction about me with some plans for this year.

My name is Madison Olle and I am a sophomore.

If you ask me my major, the answer has probably changed three times since the start of this year alone.

Thankfully, the fact that UNC Asheville is a liberal arts school has allowed me to change my major without getting behind in credits due to their goal of “well-roundness” for each student.

This means that even though I may have not liked French last year like I thought I would have, it helped me get my foreign language requirement done.

I love the fact that UNC Asheville is a liberal arts school.

Time after time I have expressed to my friends and family that I couldn’t imagine if I had to declare a major upon entering school last year.

Picking a major is tough…

As I mentioned earlier though, UNC Asheville makes sure you take a variety of classes to become an active learner in all departments; one way of achieving this is to have each student take a “cluster”.

A “cluster” is a combination of different department courses, such as art, science, language, and math. Each “cluster” is designated a certain topic, such as “Human Health and Illness” or “Latin American Studies”. For a complete list of the clusters and what makes them different in courses, here is the link for more information - http://clusters.unca.edu/clusters.

There you go – the beauty of a liberal arts education; giving you the opportunity to “dabble” in various spectrums.

With all of that said, it is obvious that I am in love with UNC Asheville, and promote it whenever I can.

I also love to promote school programs, which I am heavily involved in.

There is something on this campus for everyone, and this year through this blog, I hope to enlighten readers of the wonderful opportunities that are inside and outside of the classroom. I will include links whenever possible to help you get involved too!

But knowing where to get involved can be tough.

Last year as a freshman, I knew I wanted to do something but didn’t know how to get started, but once you have the proper sources, the process of choosing becomes easier.

For instance, are you looking for a job? Check out the career center.

Or maybe a volunteer opportunity? The key center is the place for that.

What about joining a club, starting your own, or maybe becoming a part of Greek life? SAIL (Student Activities, Involvement and Leadership) can give you all sorts of cool information.

Feeling sick? Or want someone to talk to for free counseling? Health and counseling center will have you feeling better in no time!

Besides all of these cool activities, there are campus recreation opportunities that do not involve long-term commitment.

I love to relax by taking some campus workout classes, in particular yoga. Campus recreation has a lot to offer, from weekend trips such as hikes to casual workout classes, campus workout competitions, club sports, intramural sports, and so much more - they are worth the web search.

Here is their link that is the gateway to all outdoor and indoor fun - http://recreation.unca.edu

Wondering what else is going on on-campus?

Whether you want something relaxing or a lecture to attend, here is the link to go to – the master school calendar.

http://calendar.unca.edu/MasterCalendar.aspx

Everything on-campus is listed there.

As I mentioned, I try to stay involved with campus events; I will try to give you a heads up about any exciting events, but I also write about them after attending, that way if you couldn’t make it, you can check out the blog post and catch up on how the event went.

On the other hand, maybe you don’t attend UNC Asheville and are a prospective student, or alumni – I will definitely make sure you feel as though you were here by staying informed.

Here’s to a great year of school blog posts!

GO BULLDOGS! 

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