Name: Lin Wang

Course: Seminar

Date: Jun 5

 Lew Freedman

Background Information

The following is a detailed overview of an interview with Lewfreedman conducted on the 29th May 2018 at his office. Lew Friedman is an 82-year-old Boston-born American with a Ph.D. in Biochemistry. He is a tall and well-bodied man with grey hair who was enthusiastic during our first meeting. Lew  Freedman has a great sense of detail regarding the composition of the park. His composure during the interview and maintaining an eye contact are some affirms his mannerism as being positive and free of panic. Such could be a consequence of having been well prepared for the discussion. The ease of giving in for the meeting and the free choice to share information affirms that he is a generous and kind person. Additionally, he is an extrovert and would share a bit of his personal and private life during introductions besides being capable to provide the needed information. The in-depth knowledge that he exuded affirms that he is indeed intelligent. Lew Freedman is a modest man based on his simplicity, and one would hardly know that he is well versed in the field of biotechnology has published widely and given lectures across various universities in the United States of America.

Social Background

Mostly, it is hard to book an appointment or find someone of Lewfreedman allowing a young person to interview him. However, the encounter with the Ph.D. holder enabled me to learn about his humility and commitment to impart skills to the young generation. My broad questions about his personal experience and family background were aimed at finding the professor’s motivations in life as well as some of the challenges. Taking this into account, Lewfreedman offered me a chronological explanation of his background and the desire to excel in the academic field. Just like any other person, he encountered a series of challenges during his studies and professional career. Some of the challenges included inadequate funds to cater for the research work as well as economic hardships. However, the problems never deterred him from attaining the principal goals of becoming a renowned scholar and influential person in the present society.

Perception on Education

Equally, I used the opportunity to ask him about his perception of the role of education in sustainable development. In this regard, Lewfreedman articulated to me that education is the foundation of both personal and national growth. According to him, empowering the local people with appropriate skills to handle the social and economic programs is the key to regional growth. Lew Freedman articulated that education plays an important role in the political, economic and social well-being. Politically, it raises awareness about the prevailing situations that need urgent policy interventions. Equally, it gives the electorate the exposure and skills to assess the right leaders that can spearhead reforms for ensuring sustainability. Moreover, he exemplified that education enhances people’s perspectives to appreciate diversity and coexist. Lew Freedman used the opportunity to explain that some of the current problems such as racism and inequalities based on the ethnic backgrounds arise from lack of education. In this case, it is important to raise awareness about the benefits of education and make it accessible to the populace irrespective of the contexts.

Lew Freedman also explained developing the infrastructure for education require a collective input of the society and state. The government’s role, in this case, concerns policy formulation, provision of resources and supervision of activities such as curriculum development to ensure conformity to the recommended guidelines. Equally, the community should take an active role in the design of laws and interventions. In addition, the society must collaborate with the society when addressing issues that affect education.

Social Transformations

I also sought to know Lewfreedman’s viewpoints about the status of the current society and implications of the changes on the environment and economy. He was quick to acknowledge that various factors are contributing to demographic transformations. Some of the main concerns include globalization, commerce, and tourism. Equally, the use of technology has enhanced the efficiency of the production systems, communication, and movements. However, all these changes have some instances of side effects. In this context, human activities, such as the usage of fossil energy in the industries lead to the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that in turn cause air pollution. He recommended caution to prevent degradation of the natural environment.

Similarly, Lewfreedman emphasized the significance of research in addressing social, environmental, and economic problems. Taking into account issues like globalization and climate change, he pointed out that there is significant evidence that anthropogenic factors are the leading causes of contamination, and therefore, the global agencies should partner with the local organizations to perform research about workable approaches to alleviate people from the suffrages.

Overall, the interview with Lewfreedman offered me a great chance to learn about his ideas regarding the past life and current affairs. He is my definition of the hero, I realized that he is a humble person with a great desire to for a peaceful and coherent society where each person has the opportunity to grow. He is also concerned about the contemporary challenges including governance issues, climate change, and economic hardships.


  • What did you learn by completing this assignment?

One thing I learned by completing this assignment is that it is really important to learn more about one’s self. Sometimes, we get confused or lost in life. I think that by asking ourselves questions about our personal identity, our goals and our important things in life, we can quickly get back on track and continue to do things that we love.

  • What did you accomplish particularly well?

One thing that I think I did really well is to respect my hero and let him speak freely without interrupting him. Before, I often like to interrupt someone when he is speaking to voice my own opinion, or asking a counter question. By listening more before speaking, I can really get a bigger picture of what my hero is trying to say. And most importantly, why he chose to be an expert in so many fields.

  • What could you have done better, and how might you apply this to future writing assignments?

One thing I can do better is to ask questions in a systematic way that can help by hero talk more in-depth about what interests him. He is really knowledgeable and knows many different subjects. I should focus on one thing and dig deeper by asking questions that are gradually developing.

  • How might your thinking in Seminar have influenced your Studio work?

This assignment makes me think more about my identity. Who am I? What is important to me? These questions are really important because it would affect what kind of artistic approach I would have when I am doing my work for Studio. Discovering more about my identity can help me create clothing pieces that really represent me.

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