Dancing with Technology
Recently, Dr. Eric Mullis of the Philosophy and Interfaith department earned a Fulbright Scholarship to teach in the dance program at Taiwan National University in TaiPei. Dr. Mullis will focus his course on the philosophy of the body and self when intertwined with dance and technology. In the class he will ask questions about the philosophy of body and mind in dance, and how various technologies add or take away from that. He and his students will look at technologies such as prosthetics, holographic imaging, robotics, and how they influence contemporary dance.
Dr. Mullis’s education is eclectic indeed, with degrees in both dance and philosophy, and as seen in his book, Pragmatist Philosophy and Dance: Dance Research in the American South. He also has a variety of performances on his website that display his dance research, as well as his current work.
A figure of dance and technology, from Dr. Mullis’s website.
Dr. Mullis says that the Fulbright scholarship gives him an opportunity to represent Queens and teach content that he is passionate about doing at other universities and sharing pedagogies with them. He, along with other professors, will focus on not only dance, but will also have the opportunity to incorporate philosophical ideas as well. Furthermore, in the link to the course, he offers some guiding questions about the intersections of philosophy, dance, and technology:
“What do technologies such as automata, prosthetics, robots, motion capture, and interactive digital environments reveal about embodied experience? How have dance artists considered those questions? How has contemporary dance technique been shaped by technology? How do cultural beliefs about technology factor into the reception of dance technology? What conceptual tools can be useful for the dance artist working with innovative technologies? This course uses an interdisciplinary methodology—including history, theory, and studio practice—to answer these questions”
In Mullis’s words, the Fulbright Scholarship is about more than just traveling abroad and gaining new experiences: it also entails international cooperation and collaboration, as well as an expansion in knowledge and discourse. For example, with his opportunities to share his pedagogies and research with other faculty at Taiwan University, he is able to reach students across areas of study. He really looks forward to the cooperative part of the time in Taiwan, which he feels will give him a well-rounded experience and a new perspective on both dance and philosophy. He hopes for successful cooperation and a fruitful time abroad. Additional photos and videos of his work may be viewed on his website, linked here.
Debating with Ethics
Students Tasha Groburg, Kaylor DeBrew, Brooke Edwards, Joy Ward, and Dr. Mullis at the Ethics Bowl.
Every year, Dr. Mullis and the Queens Ethics Bowl team travels to Raleigh to compete against other universities. Students work with Mullis, the team’s academic advisor, as they develop critical thinking skills, decision-making, and argumentative skills that they can then transfer to their other studies. This year, students Kayler Debrew, Joseph Hines, Joy Ward, Emely Barahona, and Tasha Groburg comprised Queens’ most successful team so far. They won three out of four rounds, on their way to becoming semifinalists.
Students on the Ethics Bowl team work with Dr. Mullis to prep these cases by engaging in various discourses throughout the semester to practice. Prepping the cases is only the first part, but it takes up an important majority of the team’s time. Mullis explains that prepping through the year is what makes them geared for success. The Ethics Bowl often incorporates current events into their cases, making it a great way to flex and develop these skills, as well as exercise them effectively. The Ethics Bowl is designed to encourage deep thinking and foster learning, while giving its competitors a taste of real-world examples. The judges and overseers are former lawyers, judges, legislators and representatives who have been working with ethics and tough decisions their whole lives.
The Queens Ethics Bowl team is not only made up of Philosophy majors. The team also consists of Environmental Science and Political Science majors, as well as students on various tracks such as Dental, Pre-Med, and Pre-Law. Such a range of majors and tracks just goes to show just how diverse a team can be while also maintaining the strength needed to push through the various levels of competition.
Senior Emely Barahona says that so much more goes into it than what scratched the surface: “Everyone on our team had a different skill. For example, Kayler and Joy were biology/sustainability majors so they would take on the science side while Joe, Tasha, and I were on the philosophical theory application side. We would practice each meeting, and we constantly gave each other feedback and practiced how to come up with what we were going to say under timed pressure”.
Barahona says that she has learned a lot from her time competing but ultimately, “my favorite part was being able to be the first Queens team to win three out of four rounds. It was such a huge accomplishment and something exciting we got to bring back to campus. I also loved going to Raleigh and having the reception in the museum of science and natural history! It was so cool!”
Queens is proud and privileged to have a semifinalist Ethics Bowl team! Congratulations to the members and Dr. Mullis, and may there be many more to come!
Students Kayler Debrew, Joseph Hines, Joy Ward, Emely Barahona,
and Tasha Groburg with Dr. Mullis in Raleigh
by Izzy Harvey
CAS Success Blog 