WFU brings students face to face with Malcolm Gladwell



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Hundreds of students from Wake Forest and other colleges and high schools in the area spent an hour with “Blink” and “Outliers” reporter and author Malcolm Gladwell yesterday at Wait Chapel.

The student event – a unique Q&A with Gladwell – took place before the first in person Face-to-face speakers forum since the launch of the signature speaker series in March 2020.

that of the university Leadership and Character Program sponsored the event with academics from the program who took the stage to lead the moderated session.

Gladwell delved into issues that were central to students’ concerns, from how he decided his career to his perspective, as a Canadian, on racial issues in America.

The group discussed “outliers” and the 10,000 hour rule. “For some, putting all the pieces together takes time,” Gladwell said. “It takes time to understand complicated things. We should be more forgiving of the mistakes we make and the mistakes others make about us. An unhappy statement is not proof of someone’s heart.

Continuing on the theme of a divided country, Gladwell referred to politics and social media as two areas of concern and described the “lost art of forgiveness” as unhealthy for our culture.

“It was a unique opportunity to speak with an author I grew up reading in high school and discuss his ideas with peers, friends and family,” said Rute Ayalew, sophomore from Wake Forest. “Having this chance to not only meet but also have a meaningful conversation with Malcolm Gladwell is a manifestation of Wake Forest’s dedication to its students. I couldn’t be more grateful to meet my moral example through Wake Forest and the Leadership and Character Program. “

Rute Ayalew was joined on stage by leadership and character researcher Sofia Ramirez Pedroza. Both moderated the conversation. “They asked provocative questions that led to an insightful discussion about culture, forgiveness and the value of engaging others through difference,” said Michael Lamb, assistant professor, interdisciplinary humanities and program director for leadership and character. “Sir. Gladwell’s emphasis on character as a core purpose of universities has provided further affirmation of what makes a Wake Forest education distinctive and transformative.

After the question-and-answer session, students were invited to attend Gladwell’s lecture at 7:30 p.m. at the Face to Face Speaker Forum at the Joel Coliseum. A unique feature of the series is the one-hour student face-to-face opportunity where guests answer questions and engage in one-on-one conversations on stage.



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