Sunday, April 06, 2014

April 2

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This time he didn't wake up, even after I took several pics.





Late in the afternoon of the 2nd I walked downtown to hear a Golden Apple "last lecture."  The Golden Apple awards are given by University of Michigan students for excellence in teaching.  During the program, the Golden Apple recipients give the lecture they'd want to give if it were to be their last.  I'd read about this many times over the years (this was the 24th award), and had thought I should go hear the lectures, so this time I decided to do it.



This year, for the first time, two awards were given.  President Mary Sue Coleman, who will retire this summer, was given the first Golden Apple for outstanding leadership.

The venue was Rackham Auditorium, a beautiful and excellent place to enjoy a presentation (the seats are comfy and you can see over the person in front of you).  The decor has a definite Egyptian flavor.  My little camera is not that fond of low-light conditions, but you can get an idea........


I was early, because I didn't know if it would be hard to get a seat.

Someone in the row behind me lives near Zingerman's.  She was telling her friends that things had been hopping in her neighborhood on the 2nd, with tons of police, enormous men, all dressed in black, etc.

President Obama was in Ann Arbor, stumping for raising the minimum wage.  This time he ate at Zingerman's.  Zingerman's has fed him all three times he's visited the University, but I don't think he has eaten at the Deli on his previous visits.  If you click through that Zingerman's link above, one of the videos shows him saying Zingerman's "Reuben is killer!"



The Golden Apple program began with the Men's Glee Club, which, they said, is the oldest student organization on campus. They did a fine job.



Mary Sue said the 2nd had been a busy day.  Apparently the University only got the word late last week about the Presidential visit, and they'd been scrambling to get everything organized. She said three visits to campus were the most ever from a sitting president.  She said that when questioned about "why so many visits to Ann Arbor?," someone in his entourage said "He likes Michigan, he likes Zingerman's, and he really likes the way you all [at Michigan] do a presidential visit."

For the Golden Apple program, Mary Sue had been asked to talk about leadership.  She named two ingredients she thinks are crucial -- good leaders really *listen* to people you talk to (and make sure they know they've been heard and understood), and good leaders don't burn any bridges......



Vic Lieberman, the professor who won the teaching award, is a historian.  He talked about what he sees as the reasons for the incredible growth in technology and knowledge that has occurred, and is occurring, in an accelerating way.  It was interesting.

Here's a link to the University Record article about this year's Golden Apple presentations.

They had a reception after the lecture, but the lobby was MOBBED and I decided to just go home.


Almost all of my trip home was on Washington Street.

My pictures, alas, have been aggravatingly lightened by Blogger.  )#($*(*&%^ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The whole POINT was that there was extreme light and the rest was much darker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  >:-(





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2 comments:

Jeanie said...

Love this post. I've never been to the Rackham but sure would love to -- I'm very fond of theater interiors. This looks gorgeous.

I need orange said...

It is gorgeous. And comfy! The seats are big, and there is plenty of leg room. I was telling Bob that if we were thinking of going to a concert, we should give preference to one at Rackham, just for that reason!

Hill Auditorium is really cool to look at, but the seats are really packed in. Not nearly as comfortable!