2008 Woodie Awards
Rick Smyre shares vision for the future
Janine Camara
Issue date: 10/2/07 Section: Campus News
In an effort to link the classroom to the real world, the Consumer Apparel and Retail Studies (CARS) Department held its annual symposium last Thursday in the EUC Auditorium. Futurist Rick Smyre was the keynote speaker at this year's conference, which was entitled "Adapting to a New World: Becoming Leaders of Transformation."
Smyre, whose job title may conjure up images of fortune cookies and crystal balls, is not in the business of fortune telling but of helping communities adapt to change. He is also the president of Communities of the Future, an alliance of groups and individuals within America and across the globe who seek to develop new ideas government, education, leadership, and economic development, according to their website. The Association of Professional Futurists defines the vocation as one where practitioners "explore the future to anticipate and prepare for change in order to make better decisions today."
Smyre delivered a message on preparation for the innumerable possibilities of the future.
"I would like for you to forget what you've learned or what you think," Smyre said.
He pushed the audience to think outside of the parameters of tradition. Smyre noted that there was nothing wrong with tradition, but he also mentioned that it could serve as a hindrance.
"It can be a terrible barrier if you don't become open," Smyre continued.
Much of the speech focused on breaking down the science of preparing for and anticipating economic, technological, social and scientific change.
"The choices of the future are going to be in a context, we call it the paradigm, that doesn't necessarily exist right now," Smyre said.
Smyre told his audience, which consisted mainly of students from the CARS department, that their generation would help America and other nations move forward.
Smyre explained to his audience what he claimed to be the major trends of the 21st century, including issues like global warming, rapid technological innovation, and globalization.
Smyre, whose job title may conjure up images of fortune cookies and crystal balls, is not in the business of fortune telling but of helping communities adapt to change. He is also the president of Communities of the Future, an alliance of groups and individuals within America and across the globe who seek to develop new ideas government, education, leadership, and economic development, according to their website. The Association of Professional Futurists defines the vocation as one where practitioners "explore the future to anticipate and prepare for change in order to make better decisions today."
Smyre delivered a message on preparation for the innumerable possibilities of the future.
"I would like for you to forget what you've learned or what you think," Smyre said.
He pushed the audience to think outside of the parameters of tradition. Smyre noted that there was nothing wrong with tradition, but he also mentioned that it could serve as a hindrance.
"It can be a terrible barrier if you don't become open," Smyre continued.
Much of the speech focused on breaking down the science of preparing for and anticipating economic, technological, social and scientific change.
"The choices of the future are going to be in a context, we call it the paradigm, that doesn't necessarily exist right now," Smyre said.
Smyre told his audience, which consisted mainly of students from the CARS department, that their generation would help America and other nations move forward.
Smyre explained to his audience what he claimed to be the major trends of the 21st century, including issues like global warming, rapid technological innovation, and globalization.
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