Diploma

Diploma Originally uploaded by shersteve Is that all you get from Harvard? No, not really. The network created by attending and completing this program is immense. Connections are important. But with all due respect, Harvard is not the only place to make connections. Do you leverage your connections?

No tire swing today

No tire swing today Originally uploaded by shersteve The tire swing at Winthrop House, Harvard University, was pulled up and out of the way to layout the tent for the commencement activities for the Class of 2007. It is good to see that even a "stuffy" institution like Harvard allows their students to have some fun.

Poetry is hard work?

"Most of the human race is equipped to respond to art," Vendler continues. "Every tribe in the world has produced an aesthetic sense that supports and enriches its people and brings the whole person into play, the whole soul. It's the only way to make a well-rounded person, to develop human sympathy." Helen Vendler is quoted in this article in Sunday's Boston Globe. I am not sure if sympathy is the proper word. Sure it is what she said, but if she had said "respect", then I think the difference between those in the arts (practioners like Vendler with a list of credentials an arm and a leg long) and the remainder of the folk would have an equal chance. Maybe its just me, but why do some folk in the arts try to keep it elite? Read the full article (free registration may be required) and decide for yourself.

Fencing lessons for successful teamwork

"There’s a huge difference between us and other teams," says junior saberist Samantha Parker. "In other teams there’s infighting. Here, we eat together. We study together on the bus." "Fencing is an individual sport," Hagamen says. "But, paradoxically, our greatest strength is our sense of team." Bukantz, of the US team, has worked as a referee during Harvard bouts and says he has never seen a squad with Harvard’s esprit de corps. He attributes it to Brand. "Fencing, to him, is about life lessons," he says. "He’s almost like a parent." Emily Cross adds: "Peter’s really good at working with people." Brand brings the team together over a lot more than just meals. "We’re very egalitarian," he says. "Communal" is perhaps a better word. Back when he hired his assistants, he gave his fencers a say in the process. This comes from an article on the success of Harvard's fencing team. Yes, fencing. It is a sport akin to "chess on speed". The physical body needs to be trained as much as the mind to prepare for a match. The coach (Peter Brand) goes further than most in how he enables the group to truly prepare as a team. These are lessons worthy of trying to apply in a work environment. Good teamwork is often critical for business success. Read the full article in the Sunday Boston Globe (free registration required).