Aug. 19, 2015
I love Amy Poehler. I mean, I don’t actually know her, but what I do know about her, I love. She’s a hysterically funny comedian and actress and her Smart Girls organization that supports teen girls channeling their intelligence, imagination and curiosity is fantastic. Though I am far from being a teen girl, the Smart Girls Twitter account inspires me on a daily basis. Poehler started the organization with her best friend, Meredith Walker. The collective power of the two of them started something pretty amazing.
While I enjoy watching her pretty much anytime, she’s an even better entertainer when she’s performing with Tina Fey. Both are incredible, but together they become a force to be reckoned with.
Poehler once said, “As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people's ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.”
I couldn’t agree more. No matter how good you are on your own, there is always strength in numbers.
I am ridiculously lucky when it comes to being surrounded by smart collaborators. My office is made up of people with mad talent in writing, design, video, photography, creative work and more. There is never a time when I can’t find someone else to bounce an idea off of or work through a problem with. And that’s just in my office — when I expand my reach around campus, the number of collaborators is actually astounding.
That’s one of the great things about being a Spartan. Spartans are some of the smartest, strongest people I know, but they’re also smart enough to know that the power created from collaboration is incredible.
Take MSU doctors Bryden Stanley and John Girotto, for instance. Stanley is a doctor of veterinary medicine while Girotto is a doctor of human medicine. Recently, they formed a unique partnership to perform an uncommon cleft palate surgery on a dog, using a technique that will benefit both humans and dogs. Check out the MSUTODAY FEATURE: Helping Dogs (and Humans) Heal, to learn about this really fascinating Spartan partnership.
Lisa Lapidus, an associate professor of physics knows that collaboration and teamwork is the key to solving one of the world’s most challenging problems — neurodegenerative diseases. She works with other researchers in her lab and counts the entire scientific community as her muses. Read her FACULTY VOICE: Using Physics to Treat Parkinson’s Disease, to learn more about her important work.
Members of the MSU Drumline know that working together is absolutely key to their success. If just one member is off, an entire performance will fall apart. Listening to the Drumline practice is one of my favorite signs of fall. Since not everyone has the opportunity to come to campus to watch in person, check out the STUDENT VIEW: MSU Drumline, to watch a cool video put together by The Impact, MSU’s award-winning student radio station.
Tim Gunn, another one of my favorite celebrities, has said, “Life is not a solo act.” True Spartans know that. Independently, Spartans are bold and strong, but they also know that by working together we really can change the world.
Spartans Will.
Lisa Mulcrone
Editor, MSUToday
@LMulcrone
Photo of students at the Biochemistry Building by Jordan Jennings