Navigating a Flat World

In his job as a New York Times columnist, Thomas L. Friedman has explored international economics, the birth of the World Wide Web and the end of the Cold War. That’s exactly why a university committee selected his latest full-length work, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, as the 2006–07 First Year Book.

“The traditional student (entering as a freshman this fall) was born in 1988,” says Lisa Kiely, assistant dean for Undergraduate Studies. “What do they know about the fall of the Berlin Wall or the world before the Internet?” Friedman says those developments and eight other “flatteners” have combined to create Globalization 3.0, a phenomenon that will require today’s students to compete for jobs and work alongside individuals all over the planet in order to succeed.

“Every person now must, and can, ask: Where do I … fit into the global competition and opportunities of the day?,” writes the Pulitzer Prize winner and Bethesda resident. He argues that workers will have to enter the market with specialized skills and a willingness to partner up with people and businesses that have different cultural frameworks.

Launched in 1993, the First Year Book program was designed to provide all freshmen a common experience and get students talking about subjects outside of their comfort zone. Events held throughout the year—including a November visit from Friedman—will serve as launching pads for discussion and debate.

The World Is Flat is not required reading, although some faculty members will assign sections for English 101 or UNIV 100 courses. The idea is to ensure that students have the opportunity to explore the book’s themes, including access to education and democracy, climate change, security, and math and science competency. “International issues are really a part of students’ education more than ever before,” Kiely says. “[This book] gives us a starting point to talk about globalization.” -KM

Growth Spurt

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center met a mega milestone this year, seating its one-millionth patron. The center has attracted talented students and top performers and has commissioned more than 20 new works. Celebrating its fifth anniversary, the center merits a curtain call.

Choosing Maryland
Since the center’s opening in 2001, the number of applications in the School of Music is up five-fold and the Departments of Theatre and Dance have also seen significant increases. The university now competes with such renowned conservatories as The Juilliard School and University of California, Los Angeles’ Department of Theater for talent—and for funding. Maryland was one of three (including Michigan and Illinois) out of 100 schools considered for a grant from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation this year. The center received a grant worth $1.125 million dollars.

Setting the Stage
Seedlings and saplings were breaking through the grounds surrounding the performing arts center when it first opened. Thanks to the continued support of alumnus Robert H. Smith ’50, whose initial gift named the center in honor of his wife, the Clarice Smith Performing Art Center’s landscaping now deserves its own applause. Evergreen and shade trees, colorful perennials and border shrubs abound, creating a setting as pleasing outside of the center as it is on the inside. This fall, granite will grace the walkways that surround the center.

Redefining the Performance
What happens before and after the show sets the performing arts center apart. A Web blog invites audience members to discover an artist’s creative process or share how a performance transformed them. In “The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial,” based on the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial transcripts, the public could choose among three free events that added greater context to the docudrama, including a panel discussion with faculty from UM’s College of Chemical and Life Sciences. The artists themselves go beyond teaching the traditional, one-time “master class,” and instead may stay for weeks, such as contemporary puppeteer Blair Thomas who is performing and teaching in the Department of Theater this season.

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