Integrative Essay

The four events that I attended for Speaker Series were “SUP?”, “How I Learned to Drive”, “Consumerism, Society, and Ecological Future,” and “Engagement in a World without Bodies.” The first event was an art experience created by Sean Fader, highlighting identities and projected identities of others through social media and showing that through photography. His work also plays on the interactions between people and their relationships with one another, himself included. “How I Learned to Drive” is a play written by Paula Vogel. The plot of the play follows the main character, ‘Lil Bit, on a journey back through her childhood, where she revisits an abusive relationship with her Uncle Peck, and the reactions (or lack thereof) of her other family members and the society around her. While this play takes place at a much earlier time, it still represents, with a scary accuracy, some abusive familial relationships of today. “Consumerism, Society, and Ecological Future” was an Earth Day themed event and the presenter, Tim Kasser, discussed how the current society has a strong association with materialistic and extrinsic values, which negatively effects the environment and community. The last event, “Engagement in a World without Bodies”, presented by Richard Gilman-Opalsky, focused on the idea that people view bodies as a problem to be dealt with and that society is slowly getting rid of the need to use our physical bodies, instead replacing them with the ability to be constantly engaged while being elsewhere. It mentioned the idea of an eight-hour workday disappearing and being replaced by the ability to work during all waking hours. These four events collectively represented connections and relationships through different means and su...

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... the possible effects it may have on these relationships, and “How I Learned to Drive” showed a not-so-good relationship, leaving the audience with thoughts of how that relationship could be changed. In the third event, Kasser displayed an individual’s relationship with the environment, as well as how a person affects the planet with his or her consumption habits. Lastly, “Engagement in a World without Bodies showed how relationships are changed with constant increases in technology and more ability to stay connected with others throughout a day.

Overall, I think that attending these events was relevant in gaining knowledge of how to become an “engaged citizen” and perhaps influencing some life changes such as decreasing materialistic values, coming together as a community to support a common goal, and getting the most out of experiences while they are available.