James Thomasson
UMC Mandala to Appear at State Fair
When the Minnesota State Fair opens on Thursday, August 22, UMC will be represented by an unusual and timely exhibition entitled “The UMC Mandala,” designed and executed by James W. Thomasson, Associate Professor of Philosophy at UMC. The exhibition focuses on the numerous areas of study through which UMC strives to heighten students’ awareness of their place and responsibilities within the environment.
From its earliest days as an agricultural high school to its current emergence as a polytechnic institution of regional and national reputation, the University of Minnesota campus at Crookston has been steadfast in its belief that students must be educated to be responsible stewards of their environment.
This
concern that students must be critically aware of their “place in the
order of things” is what led to the creation of the UMC Mandala
(pictured at right). First in
classical Indian religion, then in modern art, the mandala has become the
common form for expressing artistically humans’ sense of the essential
unity of all being and of our integral participation in that unity.
Whether looking at the human genome, ecosystems, or vast and
imponderable orderings of stars, human imagination is drawn to the sense
that somehow “it all fits.” Of
course, this is perception, not argument, according to Thomasson.
When we look at human societies and their surrounding environments, there is also the perception that unfortunate and destructive things can occur when we get careless and irresponsible. Wholeness can easily give way to selfishness, privation, and exploitation. Unions—whether marriages, human communities, or alliances of nations—require “tending.” Likewise, human participation “in the order of things” can be either chaotic or enhancing. Knowing the difference in order to act responsibly is the primary challenge for an education that prepares students to be responsible stewards of the environment.”
Classical mandalas were organized geometrically to illustrate that a synthesis of varied and distinctive elements in a unified schema is the basic nature of existence. Mandala, the Sanskrit word for “circle,” symbolizes the wholeness. That integrated structure, organized as it is around a unifying “center,” provides the impetus for The UMC Mandala. Learning, like the perceived “fit” of existence, requires an integrated approach. The so-called “paths” built into the structure of the classical mandala are present also in a learning environment that seeks to “place” us in our environment. Simple, yet profound questions, like “Who am I?”, “What is going on here?”, or “What should I do?”, demand an education that challenges engrained patterns and unquestioned presuppositions, while honoring tested beliefs and age-old wisdom.
In The UMC Mandala the eight “paths” to integrated awareness of responsible stewardship of the environment are reflected in the eight petals of the “flowering” of unity:
Sustainable agriculture: including precision agriculture, recognizes the need to address issues such as world population, adequate and affordable food supply, and renewable sources and resources.
Land management: learning sound principles and practices for maintaining and enhancing the physical “home” that grounds our being.
Natural resources management: in broad scope and depth alike, learning about our “habitat” and all those species that share, adorn it, enhance it, and make it “habitable.”
Water and air quality: studying those practices that preserve and protect our supply of clean water and air.
Animal husbandry: learning to value and appreciate, as well as manage, a vital source of food, labor, recreational enjoyment, and companionship.
Economic development: learning and applying responsible principles to accomplish five key goals of economic development: economic progress, measured growth, job creation, enhanced quality of life, and socially responsible investing.
Strategic recycling: supporting responsible use of resources through a rigorous student-led program of recycling and revitalization.
Applied ethics: development of an under-graduate minor and adult certificate program in Applied Ethics, with a strong component in environmental ethics.
The latter path is of particular interest to Professor Thomasson, creator of The UMC Mandala. He developed the Applied Ethics program at UMC and has convened two national conferences in the region, one in bio-ethics and one in environmental ethics. Thomasson joined the faculty at UMC in Fall, 1997, after a 28-year career in the Theology Department at Georgetown University.
Thomasson worked with Curt Almlie, Director of the UMC Office of University Relations, in the early stages of this project. Each year University Relations works very closely with the U of M's Twin Citites Campus to coordinate UMC's involvement in the U of M exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair.
Posted 08/20/2002
Contact: Andrew Svec,
218-281-8435