In the Final Lecture Monday evening, Mark Wilson strove to remind students where they came from and in the Final Lecture Monday night.
The Final Lecture is a program created to give all Auburn students the opportunity to participate in a teaching award given on behalf of the students. Assistant Director of Student Involvement Brad Smith said it recognizes professors who have made extraordinary contributions to Auburn University through classroom teaching and service.
Wilson reminded the audience that research, instruction and extension are inscribed in the Auburn University symbol and chose extension as the one to focus on.
“Auburn’s commitment to extending knowledge, extension, is found all across campus in each college and school as well as through the division of university outreach,” Wilson said. “We are a part of a long tradition of land-grant universities who see, as part of our DNA, a commitment to the state and its people.”
Wilson reviewed the tradition and history of Auburn University to remind students, especially seniors, of the University’s commitment to extension.
“We extend, we reach out, we respond to need, we create things to solve problems,” Wilson said. “Seniors, I hope that you will always remember the University that you call your home has this kind of commitment to the people of the state, nation and world.”
Since 2009, Wilson has taken a group of students to the Clearfork Valley of Tennessee for spring break, where they worked with the Clearfork Valley Institute and learned from each other rather than projects.
Wilson believes learning from others helps to create positive change. He said social change comes from forming relationships where that change can come from and wanted the students present to think about how they can cause social change and where it originates from.
“There’s a tradition of social change and effort that doesn’t offer the solutions or the answers to certain problems but offers a willingness to work alongside people so that solutions emerge out of that relationship,” Wilson said.
Wilson said in order to create those relationships, students need to pay more attention to those they are around so, he encouraged students to actively listen more.
“We teach public speaking, but we don’t teach public listening,” Wilson said. “We teach you to find your passion, but we should also teach you to be very interested in the passions of others. Starting where citizens start, listening to where people are willing to go.”
We, as students and as members of society, have so much more to learn from history. There is much history that has yet to be discovered that we can learn from, Wilson said.
To discover and learn from that history, students must actively search it out and then listen to all of it, which is why Wilson stressed listening matters.
“The adventure begins with listening,” Wilson said. “So seniors, you are about to be unleashed upon the world… you’ll wake up each day in a community of place, an ecology of democracy. You yourself will be an extension of the University shaped by its people and the Auburn."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
