Academic Leadership Journal: Guns, Germs and Steel

"In our first two weeks, you have read two articles, seen several videos and been engaged in several discussions related to the concept of academic leadership. At this point, and in your own words, what does the concept mean to you? What subjects or interests do you have a sophisticated, intellectual understanding of that you may want to turn into a major academic project in this class? How do people sometimes abuse academic knowledge to manipulate others? How would you feel if someone used your work to manipulate others (as Jared Diamond claims Mitt Romney has)? How can creating academically sophisticated, intellectual leaders help prevent such people from taking advantage of others the way they do? How can this create a stronger democratic society?" 

The concept of the class, Academic Leadership, possibly teaches students how to make good conversations and make good projects, such as Jared Diamond's book Guns Germs and Steel, based on nearly thirty years of research on why certain communities are poor when they have such innovation, like in New Guinea. The subjects I have an understanding in that could construct excellent major projects are computer sciences and logic, studies that are recommended for university students and gifted high-school students by the Institute for Mathematics And Computer Sciences (IMACS), courses I have done ever since 7th grade, second semester. 

The author of Guns Germs and Steel: Jared Diamond

The abuse of projects to manipulate others can be made by summarizing years of research into simpler terms and use in favor of the manipulator, similar to what Mitt Romney had done to Guns Germs and Steel to boost his political career. If someone used my work to manipulate others, I would feel that I wasted my research on the wrong reason. I would also feel less famous than the manipulator, who would possibly win admiration from more people than I could. 

Academically sophisticated leaders can prevent others from taking advantage of writers by proving that the writing is more than what they say it is, for whatever subject they wrote about earlier. This allows people to have an equal say on subjects and create a more democratic society. This society can have more equality in terms of speech, so why take advantage of someone else´s research to benefit your own if you can simply research the subject yourself?

Guns Germs and Steel Official Documentary:

Academic Leadership: College

Question: You briefly met with a college recruiter last week, and you reviewed a number of questions to ask about colleges. This must have gotten you thinking about your future, so tell us about it: Without any strict requirements, write about your expectations, goals, fears, concerns, questions that you have concerning your future in college. Additionally, now that you know that recruiters want to hear about you and your intellectual interests and pursuits, how do you think being an aware Academic Leader will give you an advantage when applying to the college of your choice? 

I expect my future in college to be about as fun as high school, with the addition of a more difficult set of subjects. I want to have fun with friends, while studying for a good job to sustain my future family. I also expect a high level of education and support for the subjects I struggle with, such as World History. Some of the goals I would set for my years in college are to make good relationships with friends over the time I stay, to advance as much as possible in my major and acquire a reasonable degree, as well as study another language, in my free time. I only really need to worry about my education, language fluency and my relationships with others, the three things my father taught me to focus on to become a prosperous person in life.

I only fear the overwhelming of my schedule during my years in college. While I was young, I studied English, Portuguese and German at the same time. I spoke a seperate language that combined all three languages, which could confuse any billingual or monolingual person. I was going nowhere, so I had to focus on English until I was 9 years old, when I moved to Brazil. When I was 13, I took piano and trumpet lessons, played tennis and studied logic, all in addition to the homework I crammed into my backpack. I was also going nowhere. I dropped tennis and piano class, leaving room for music, logic and my homework, which is enough work for me. What does this have to do with college? I am afraid that this exact thing will happen and harm my career.

This is basically how I felt in both the language issue and the cramming of after school activities:


In a tight schedule? Need things done? This Howcast video might help.

In a conversation with the college recruiter, being an Academic Leader will probably give me the skills to speak to the recruiter and present my intellect with skill, hopefully allowing them to see me as a special, exceptional student, making me a step closer to a prosperous life.