From Faust to the Future: The Costs and Rewards of [too much?] Knowledge.

"From Faust to the Future" was the largest public event of the University Scholars Program's first year. The event featured the premier performance of University Scholar David Plylar's composition, "Fantasy Variations on Thematic Material from Liszt's Faust Symphony," performed by Prof. Randall Love. The evening also featured a panel discussion with University Scholars Peter Woodson, Michelle Mitchell, and Joe Crozier, as well as the demonstration of wearable computer technology.

Our poster for the event was designed by University Scholars Advisor and Durham graphic artist Molly Renda.

This event, which was wholly conceived and executed by the University Scholars, grew out of thinking that the scholars had done all year on the various ways in which knowledge is conceptualized and approached across disciplinary, social, and creative spaces. Using the Faust legend as a grounding metaphor, the scholars addressed some of the costs and rewards of knowledge in a performance, panel discussion, and through direct audience involvement.

Cathy Davidson, Vice-Provost for Interdisciplinary Studies, introduces the evening in the Reynolds Theater and describes the aims of the University Scholars Program in staging such an event.

Emily Trueblood, University Scholars Program Undergraduate Mentor, introduces the Faust legend for the audience.

Prof. Randall Love begins to perform David Plylar's composition, "Fantasy Variations on Thematic Material from Liszt's Faust Symphony."

Following Prof. Love's performance of David's award-winning piece, the participants and audience moved to the Bryan Center's Von Canon rooms for the remainder of the evening. During the brief break, audience members filled out a questionnaire and the results were compiled during the evening. Later, they became the basis for discussion between audience and panel members.

Here, Peter Limbrick, the University Scholars Program's director, welcomes the audience and introduces the panel discussion to follow.

University Scholars Program Undergraduate Mentor, Lesley Hall, introduces the first speaker, Joe Crozier. Behind Lesley is the sheet music for David Plylar's composition.

Joe Crozier, a graduate student in the Dept. of Psychology (Social and Health Sciences) speaks about ethical issues and genetic food engineering.

Undergraduate University Scholar Bogdan Albu introduces the second panelist, Michelle Mitchell.

Michell Mitchell, an MBA student in the Fuqua School of Business, speaks about "information for a price:" intellectual property issues in relation to the business world.

Karla Malloy, an undergraduate University Scholar, introduces the next speaker, Peter Woodson, and Vicki Ng, who demonstrates the wearable computer.

Peter Woodson, a joint degree student studying in the Nicholas School of the Environment and Fuqua School of Business, speaks on environmental issues in relation to information technology and the Internet.

Peter and Vicki Ng demonstrate the costs and rewards of wearable computing. Vicki then proceeded to bring up the results of the audience questionnaire by accessing them on a wireless connection to the World Wide Web (where other scholars had placed them just minutes earlier).