Cunard presents lecturers
on many different subjects, most of which should be interesting, at least
interesting to the presenter. Many of
the lectures are taped and shown on the tv, on a loop from 5 pm until, in some
cases I am sure, the tape breaks.
My opinion, in reverse
order:
Lecturers who use power
point and read the screen verbatim – the “destination” lectures which should
have been interesting but were mostly horrible
Lecturers who have been
giving the same talk for years and are bored with the subject but, what the
hell, it’s a free trip on the QM2
Lecturers who have complete
disdain for the audience – arrogant snobs who feel themselves to be keepers of
knowledge which, of course, no one else has.
Yesterday, the lecturer on Irving Berlin and his music sang over the
clips he played, also neglecting to identify most of the singers on the
clips. It should be a crime to sing
(gurgle) over Ella Fitzgerald and then not even mention her name.
Perhaps it should be
considered a “talent” to make a subject as fascinating as the role of women at
the court of the Ottoman sultans so dry that it became painful but the lecturer
managed it with apparent ease
Contrast that with the
astronomers who have been, without exception , excellent speakers with a
thorough knowledge of their subject and who lectured without notes and with
presentations guaranteed to grab our attention and hold it long after the
lecture was over.
In addition to giving
fascinating lectures, Tom Boles took a group of us on deck, had the Commodore
douse the lights and then showed us how to navigate our way around the sky as
well as use the stars to navigate around the Earth. He stayed much longer than planned, answered
all our questions, challenged us with some of his own and insured that we will
think of him whenever we look up at night.
Of course it helps that I
have been interested in astronomy for most of my life.
My interest in the Middle
East began in high school, with the International Relations Club, founded and
supported by Mrs. Elsie Brown Smith, my 10th grade English teacher
and
family friend all my life. We learned about different countries and were welcomed in many of the embassies over 3 years.
family friend all my life. We learned about different countries and were welcomed in many of the embassies over 3 years.
This interest was
heightened when we lived in Turkey and watched the beginnings of the civil war
in Lebanon as well as the Turkish terrorist group, the Gray Wolves, which blew
up two of my former colleagues at the Turkish-American Association where I had
given English lessons.
So, you can imagine my
excitement when I saw that there would be lectures on the Middle East as well
as the Crusades, and the connection of the 2.
Lt General Simon Mayall,
Chief Advisor to HM Government, did what so few can – he made history come
alive. My grandfather always told us
that history was a novel lived by real people and thanks to Simon, the real
people involved in the Middle East, then and now, became real, warts and all. I not only attended all the lectures and took
notes, I watched the lectures again as often as
possible in the evenings. Simon packed so
much more information into the allotted time than the usual speakers that I am
still working on some of the notes. All of us emerged with a much greater appreciation for events in the news every
day and the multiple answers to the question, “cui bono?”.
Thanks, Simon. You showed how it should be done.
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