
Josh Pollock reflects on group facilitation challenges in Caryn Mirriam-Goldbeg's workshop, "Whole Self, Real World Facilitation"
The IMA residency ended in the stillness and quiet of heavily-falling snow after all residency activities were suspended on Thursday due to the approaching storm. While many students and faculty stayed over last night for a snowy slumber party of sorts, many who needed to drive or fly long distances starting scattering to the winds a day earlier than expected.
The storm and quiet, however, belies the beautiful weather and thrilling discoveries many of us experienced all week. From Danielle Boutet’s mind-blowing talk on transdisciplinarity and relevant ways of knowing, many students found insights to take into their work Susan Maier-Moul’s two workshops on media and power ignited our excitement about how to put ourselves — our own ways of knowing and speaking from our authentic authority — into the world.
Other workshops — from improvisational singing with student Deb Hensley to ways of seeing light with faculty member Ellie Epp — expanded the ways we can see and hear ourselves and the world. Sessions on research and scholarship — Ralph Lutt’s workshop on designing research projects and Francis Charet’s session on Ram Dass’ contribution to Western spiritual practices — demonstrated how to blend passion and scholarship.
Lise Weil, and Karen Campbell with Health Arts & Sciences faculty member Celia Hildebrand — presented workshops that looks at how we see ourselves and are seen in the world, and what we can do to challenge and change power dynamics.
Now that snow adds a new and heavy blanket to the campus (dropping another 8-10 inches on already two feet of the white stuff), let’s remember what we found of ourselves, each other and the place that is Goddard College.