2008 Woodie Awards
Aoun Discussion Transcript
Issue date: 3/31/08 Section: News
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Click the headphones to the right to hear the original audio recording of this interview.
JOSEPH AOUN, PRESIDENT: Well, I would like to share something that is on my mind with you and see how we can work together and if you can help me with the concept, and also with the implementation of that. It's a concept that has been on my mind for some time - and I feel that it is an important concept for society as a whole in the next 20 years, 30 years, and also for Northeastern, for reasons that I am going to share with you.
This is real brainstorming, take it as brainstorming. This is the first time that I'm sharing those reflections.
I feel that in many ways, the strength of what we have and in many ways, it is also a privilege, that we have an open society, and we take it for granted. And if you go all over the world, it is not something that you see everywhere, that we have an open city, an open society and an open community. And I feel in many ways the challenges that we are going to face - and we are facing as an open society - are such that they can take us away from this openness or reaffirm it.
Let me give you an example. You all know that we received the Homeland Security Center for Explosives Detection [grant]. Now, the interest of the research that is being done here about it is that it is being done with the idea to detect explosives on people when they are moving or on moving targets, whether it's a car that is moving or people who are moving.
Now, why is it relevant? It is relevant because in many ways, the premise, the fundamental premise, is that we live in an open society, and as an open society, we don't want to restrict liberties, we don't want to restrict openness, and this type of research that we are committed to doing is the research that is based in this concept.
Let me give you another example that will be the opposite. If tomorrow morning we close a society and we resurrect a barrier around the campus or a barrier around the city of Boston, or a barrier around whatever we decide, and you say, 'Well, finally we don't have any problems,' but we lost the major thrust of who we are - namely, an open society.
So I see that in the next 20 to 30 years, this notion of open society is going to receive challenges, many challenges, and it's at all levels. I gave the example of Homeland Security. I can give you an example of urban health. Imagine the notion of epidemic; you know, there are epidemics that are going to be with us.
Viewing Comments 1 - 9 of 14
ummm ...
posted 3/31/08 @ 1:22 PM EST
Who would ever read all this shit?! First of all, this is way too long. Second, you only have to read the first page to know our stupid president is full of crap! The school is totally going downhill. (Continued…)
John McClellan
posted 3/31/08 @ 2:23 PM EST
In response to the first post, the answer is: me. I read it all. Before you use your hard-won freedom of expression to insult a man of great accomplishment with such crass language, you might take a few minutes to do the same. (Continued…)
John McClellan
posted 3/31/08 @ 2:28 PM EST
In response to the first post, the answer is: me. I read it all. Before you use your hard-won freedom of expression to insult a man of great accomplishment with such crass language, you might take a few minutes to do the same. (Continued…)
What?
posted 3/31/08 @ 3:22 PM EST
Are you seriously plugging the ROTC in a forum which YOU point out as being a place for "intelligent discourse"?????
You military people use any means to recruit, huh? Shame on you. (Continued…)
Pete
posted 3/31/08 @ 4:08 PM EST
So the news had this opportunity to speak to the president. After reading the transcript, the majority of the time was spent talking about how the school should be responsible for providing financial handouts so students who probably don't deserve it can do an international co-op. (Continued…)
NU Alum O'Handley
posted 3/31/08 @ 8:39 PM EST
I am truly saddened to see such a low level of respect exhibited by a member of the Northeastern community (I presume, while hopefully being wrong) for a distinguished member of our nation's armed forces. (Continued…)
Jason
posted 4/01/08 @ 2:19 PM EST
How can people disrespect John McClellan? And what's wrong with recruiting here? Seriously, and people wonder why the NEU student body might get a bad rap. (Continued…)
Matthew Soleyn
posted 4/01/08 @ 10:55 PM EST
Perhaps you agree with Professor/Lt. Col. McClellan and/or Dr./President Joseph Aoun. Perhaps you disagree. Regardless, both of these men are respected members of the Northeastern community and should be spoken about with respect and dignity. (Continued…)
Samantha
posted 4/02/08 @ 4:39 PM EST
I was disappointed by this discussion. I had the potential to bridge some gaps between the students and the administration, but the questions asked were not very relevant, and the answers danced around the questions. (Continued…)
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