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  • Prof. Sarah Wider invited to Democracy and Dialogue course

2018/06/29 10:44

Prof. Sarah Wider invited to Democracy and Dialogue course

Prof. Sarah Wider invited to Democracy and Dialogue course

Instructor: Prof. Maria Guajardo
Date: Monday June 25, 2018
Venue.: SOKA University
Course: General Education Course (not a FILA course)
Professor Sarah Wider was a guest speaker in the General Education Course "Democracy and Dialogue," taught by Prof. Maria Guajardo. Prof. Wider is a professor of English and Women’s Studies at Colgate University, in New York, where she specializes in the American Renaissance. Wider is the past president of the Ralph Waldo Emerson Society. She co-authored with Daisaku Ikeda, The Art of True Relations (2014). In a 60 minute dialogue session with students, Prof. Wider spoke of the connection between nature and education, the importance of discovering one’s passion and interests, and the lessons learned from Walden Pond. Students shared observations on the importance of dialogue and listening, and reflections on the interactive approach desired in classroom settings in higher education.
To exemplify the diversity of nationalities, students greeted Prof. Wider in nine different languages. In addition to the greeting, students provided an overview of the course, and a musical performance on the violin. In closing, Wider thanked the students and encouraged them to stay in contact with her.
Students' Comments
I was very happy and honored to be part of the discussion with Sarah Wider. On the topic on education, she said that it was important to share what we love with others, which really touched me. For example, if we want to learn more about a specific place, a good solution is to ask to someone who loves that place to describe it to us. She also gave us some recommendations of books to read, such as Solar Storms of Linda Hogan and The Storyteller's Escape of Leslie Marmon Silko.
But beyond what she said, what impressed me the most was how she was putting herself on an equal stance with students. She listened carefully, genuinely agreed with our opinions; she even let her emotions appear to students she met for the first time. She is a true humanistic educator who behave equally with any student, empowering us by giving us confidence in our unique potential. I know it is not the first time she came to Soka University, and this is why I thank her for her constant care and said her that she was like a mother for the students of Soka University. She seemed genuinely affected. In her dialogue with Daisaku Ikeda, she said that "a world that forgets its mothers is a wasteland", so we tried to apply her beautiful words for her, by offering her what all mothers deserve: the shining smiles and clear voices of her children. (2nd year, France)

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Dr. Sarah Wider is surely one of those people who truly embody this poem with their lives. All of her passion and wisdom that shared with us were so empowering and inspirational that they made us want to answer with our best. We all were very encouraged by how joyful and curious she was in the class that all of us felt each one of us was a teacher and a student for one another in this special class. In the beginning of this class, Prof.Guajardo shared a thought from the Art of True Relations, co-authored by Dr. Wider and Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, that “dialogue is a journey.” The journey that we embarked on that day was so exciting that none of us knew how it would be or where it would take us. We discussed about how to discover one’s passion in life, the importance of enthusiasms in education, the role of nature and art in education, and so on. These topics allowed us to travel through the lively leaves and feel the fresh and calm breeze in summer. To share a few take-aways, how Dr. Wider creatively connected the power of poetry to the appreciation of nature through education amazed me how influential it could be for youth. It was also encouraging for me, as a person interested in art education, to hear that art takes a significant role in education that true arts can make everybody feel they are artists. It certainly deepened and widened my perspective in this field.
After the class, looking at how delightful everyone was, I realized that this journey was all up to us. We were the ones who could begin our own unique journey of this dialogue with treasuring all the wonders we had like Dr. Wider taught us in this class. As a student, it was the best feeling to leave the classroom with so much hope and wonders in my head and heart. I appreciate Prof. Guajardo for giving us such an amazing opportunity to be part of this journey that enriched our lives. I’m excited where this journey will take all of us next. Thank you so much! (4th year, Japan)
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