Take Me Way Up
I’ve known Entrepreneurship Professor Max Oliva for some years now, and he’s always struck me as someone who stands out from the rest for one reason or another. When I first knew him it was because I thought he was insultingly young for what he was doing and saying. My mistake, of course, because he always gave due and intelligent consideration to everything and knew exactly what he was talking about. More recently, it was because when I proposed to him that we shoot this video he immediately said that he would like it to be about skydiving.
Well, as you know, parachuting, or skydiving, is the action sport that involves exiting an aircraft and initially letting gravity take its course as you plummet towards earth, and then using a parachute to slow down the latter part of the descent. Well, the older I get the more I enjoy more earthly pleasures, so I confess that I didn’t have the guts to jump with him. I did, however, get to share in the excitement all the way.
Enjoy his beloved Mexico, the impressive skydiving shots, and everything he has to say about skydiving and entrepreneurship.
Viva Mexico!!!
The Fourth Man
When I went for a coffee with Arbitration and International Commercial Law Professor Justin Swinsick to get to know him a bit better and talk about what kind of video we could come up with together, he told me he was going to Vienna with an IE student team to attend an international law competition. The first thing that came into my head when he mentioned Vienna was the film “The Third man”, and when I suggested that as a theme for the video he answered right away that he loved Orson Wells, and that film in particular.
I don’t remember exactly how the title “The Fourth Man” occurred to me. Anyway, it was clear that we both wanted to render some sort of homage to the film, whose screen-play was the work of a writer we also enjoy and admire, namely Graham Green. I have to say that Prof. Swinsick gave an excellent performance, staying in character the whole time. I am sure that when he teaches, he is every bit as eloquent.
I really hope you enjoy watching this video as much as we did making it. Check out Prof. Swinsick’s intelligent insights into “The Fourth Man” as he talks about law and justice, and truth and love.
Photo Professor Justin Swinsick in theotherphoto.blogs.ie.edu
38 Flowers
Contrary to what you might think, this video isn’t about hippies with flowers in their hair, but rather a different type of flower power in the form of Bach flower therapy, explained to us here by microfinance marketing professor Maria Lopez-Escorial.
Prof. Lopez-Escorial is committed to making this world a better place. In order to achieve this she spends her time thinking about how to create and market ways to finance development projects in developing countries.
But that’s not her only passion. Some time ago one of her children had an illness that did not respond to traditional medicine, and her search for answers led her to discover Doctor Bach’s Therapy. Bach’s remedies use the healing properties of 38 flowers to treat a range of different disorders. The result of this happy discovery was that her son eventually recovered and she ended up becoming a Bach therapist.
You might also be interested to know that she’s a lovely person who really knows her stuff. Take a look at the video and you’ll see what I mean.
Photo Professor Maria Lopez Escorial in theotherphoto.blogs.ie.edu
Floydcounting
Hey, you! As the song goes…
You don’t expect an accountancy professor to be much fun, do you? Well, the beauty of life consists of expecting the unexpected. It was an absolute pleasure to listen to Prof. Trombetta talking not only about the dark side of numbers and financial literacy, but also about one of his favorite bands, namely Pink Floyd.
Basically what happened was that I was given a crash course on the band, in Cambridge of all places, as well as brushing up on music in general. This guy loves to go around buying LPs. He bought six, and none of them was by Pink Floyd for the simple reason that he already has all of theirs.
Check out Prof. Trobetta playing the piano!!! And remember, if you need to balance your books, or just fancy a chat about music and life in general, you know who to go to…!
P.S.: Here is a recommendation: Don´t miss Searching for Sugar Man, Documentary Oscar 2013.
Photo Professor Marco Trombetta in theotherphoto.blogs.ie.edu
Wings
Professors talk about all kinds of issues. Issues are not, however, remarkable in themselves, no matter how hot the topic might be. What makes them remarkable is the way you talk about them.
Operations professor Luis Solis is one of those people who truly believes not only in what he teaches but in whatever he is saying to you. Finding someone who still genuinely believes in what they are talking about makes you feel good, because you instinctively know when you are at the center of some seriously valuable attention. And isn’t being at the receiving end of attention the ultimate feel good factor?
I love it when he comes round in December with a bottle of tequila to share a shot with you to welcome the new year and bring you a piece of his beloved Mexico.
Don’t miss what he has to say about operations and how he became a pilot.
P.S. The title of the video comes from Wings, a silent film made in 1927 about fighter pilot friends in World War I . It was the first film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and the only truly silent film to do so given that The Artist was not totally silent.
