Posts Tagged ‘Maharishi University of Management’

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ABC News reports on Maharishi University in Iowa

January 21, 2016

Maharishi University of Management continues to be in the news. Today, a journalist from ABC News visited Fairfield to find out more about this Leading University in Transcendental Meditation.

MUM-SLC-ABC

Maharishi University’s Sustainable Living Center Greenhouse

Thursday, January 21, 2016, Fairfield, Iowa: Campaign Digital Journalist Josh Haskell is in Iowa covering politics for ABC News. When not on the campaign trail he takes time off to see some of the more interesting locations around the state.

Today Josh dropped in on Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield. He was very interested in visiting MUM because of the talk about TM at the New York office. He knew that some of them were meditating including news anchor George Stephanopoulos who had interviewed Jerry Seinfeld and Bob Roth about it.

Josh visited the university’s Sustainable Living Center and was given a tour by David Fisher, the head of the department. David also explained Consciousness-Based Education, a unique feature of this university, and the benefits it brings to students.

Josh saw a very diverse group of students in a Computer Science course meditating at the end of their day in class. He later returned to interview them. He asked about their Transcendental Meditation practice and what it’s like to study at MUM. All the students praised TM and the University for allowing them to think more clearly and learn more effectively in a stress-free environment.

Click the hyperlinked title above the photo or this link to see his 12-minute report: http://abcnews.go.com/video/embed?id=36431564.

Related: @NylonMag visits the @TMmeditation Capital of the Midwest @MaharishiU in Fairfield, Iowa.

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Posted in Architecture, Education, Maharishi University, Sustainable Living, Videos | 4 Comments »

Business startup expert @AsherFergusson featured among @MaharishU successful alumni

October 22, 2015

Asher Fergusson, a business startup expert with bizHUMM, is featured among Maharishi University of Management’s successful alumni profiles. Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Asher quickly rose to become a leader, who, at 29, graduated Valedictorian from MUM in 2008 with a degree in Maharishi Vedic Science.

Asher Fergusson Sydney 2011

Upon completing his undergraduate degree, Asher became the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Galaxy Ninja, his own startup Internet marketing business, which he successfully ran for 6 years before selling it in 2014. During his tenure as CEO of Galaxy Ninja, Asher earned his second degree from MUM — an MBA in Sustainable Business.

Asher says he appreciates the clarity of mind he’s received from his regular practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique, which was part of the Consciousness-Based Education curriculum at MUM. “It gives me the mental space to find solutions to what otherwise might have been an insurmountable hurdle. The idea for a solution just magically comes out of no-where and this often saves me countless hours of time. It really does make me ‘lucky’ in all kinds of situations, it’s great!”

As an Internet marketer, he specializes in fields such as Search Engine Optimization, viral content creation and Facebook Advertising. He has helped countless small businesses successfully compete with billion dollar companies.

Asher is now the Chief Marketing Officer for a new startup based in Fairfield called bizHUMM. This website is a free resource that teaches people the steps to starting a business and also how to grow existing businesses. “At bizHUMM I’m applying all the knowledge I gained during my MBA at MUM and from running my first startup, Galaxy Ninja. It’s so fulfilling to apply my degree and help businesses all over the world start and grow. We often get emails of praise from far off places like Gambia, Malaysia and of course locally in the US,” Asher said.

asher+lyric-wedding-photoClick here to read the rest of this fascinating MUM alumni profile with photos of Asher surfing, his worldwide travels and recent marriage to 2006 alumna Lyric Benson.

Asher is also helping his wife, Lyric Benson Fergusson, a talented singer-songwriter/poet, launch her first book of poetry. They currently live in Maui, Hawaii.

See an interview I posted in January of this year with bizHUMM founder Laurie Sluser: Check out bizHUMM for all things small business.

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Posted in Articles, Education, Maharishi University, Sustainable Living | 1 Comment »

ROOTED in PEACE to play Martha’s Vineyard and an Iowa premiere at Fairfield’s Sondheim Center

July 10, 2015

ROOTED-V.10js_r3More screenings are coming up this summer for Hollywood director Greg Reitman’s documentary feature film.

Martha’s Vineyard Film Society

This month, Martha’s Vineyard Film Society will present ROOTED in PEACE on Wednesday, July 15, 2015, at 7:30pm. There will be a special post-screening Q&A with director Greg Reitman.

Read this interesting interview with Zip Creative’s Joanne Zippel on her blog: Fast Forward Friday with Greg Reitman, published today in advance of the MVFS showing.

Iowa Premiere in Sondheim Center

In early August the film will premiere in Fairfield, Iowa. Read how this Hollywood filmmaker came to Fairfield for a Beach Boys concert, returned for a David Lynch Weekend at MUM, learned TM and more, in the July issue of the Iowa Source in their All About FAIRFIELD section: Getting Rooted In Peace: Green Producer Greg Reitman Brings New Documentary to Sondheim for Iowa Premiere. Here is a PDF of the print version.

Included in the film are interviews from those visits with filmmaker David Lynch; musicians Donovan and Mike Love; Bob Roth, executive director of the David Lynch Foundation; and Fred Travis, director of Maharishi University’s Center for Brain, Consciousness, and Cognition; as well as historical footage of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the Transcendental Meditation® technique, and Maharishi University of Management.

Blue Water Entertainment and the David Lynch Foundation are presenting the Iowa premiere of this inspirational documentary feature film, Sunday, August 2nd at 7pm in the Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts. There will be a Q&A following the showing with Sundance award-winning Director Greg Reitman and Executive Producer Joanna Plafsky. Joanna is an established international film producer and distributor, and member of the DLF Board of Directors.

Visit the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center website to find out more about Greg and his film, including production stills and the movie trailer, and if you’ll be in town at that time, to purchase tickets. Here is a PDF of the ROOTED in PEACE poster for Fairfield with affordable ticket prices.

The Fairfield Weekly Reader will publish an article on the event July 23rd.

Previous posts about the film can be seen here.

Arrangements are being finalized for the first international premiere, to be announced in the next film post.

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Posted in Art, Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Education, Health, Maharishi University, Peace, Sustainable Living, Videos | 4 Comments »

Former Japan PM to Address Record Number of Graduates @MaharishiU 2015 Commencement

May 15, 2015

Fairfield, Iowa, May 15, 2015

US President Barack and Mrs. Obama with Japan PM Yukio and Mrs. Hatoyama crop

US President Barack and Mrs. Obama with Japan PM Yukio and Mrs. Hatoyama Sept. 23, 2009 (Closeup of Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Dr. Yukio Hatoyama, prime minister of Japan in 2009–2010, will deliver the commencement address on May 23 and will be awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws.

“It is an enormous honor to have a former prime minister of Japan speak at our graduation ceremony,” said MUM President Dr. Bevan Morris in making the announcement.

A record number of 391 students, representing 61 different countries, will be graduating at the 2015 commencement ceremony at Maharishi University of Management.

Dr. Hatoyama holds an undergraduate degree in engineering from the University of Tokyo and a PhD in industrial engineering from Stanford. He was a professor of engineering at Tokyo Institute of Technology and at Senshu University.

He was instrumental in forming two political parties in Japan and was credited by Time magazine with helping Japan take steps toward a multi-party system after decades of single-party government under the Liberal Democratic Party. He became president of the Democratic Party of Japan in 2009 and led the party to an electoral victory.

President Morris met Dr. Hatoyama in Tokyo

MUM President Morris met Dr. Hatoyama in Tokyo when he visited Japan in November 2013 and found him to be a “man of remarkable warmth and sweetness, and fascinated by Consciousness-Based education and by Maharishi University of Management.”

Dr. Hatoyama practices the Transcendental Meditation technique, having been instructed by MUM alumnus Shizuo Suzuki, who leads the Transcendental Meditation organization in Japan. Dr. Hatoyama will be accompanied by his wife Miyuki, whom he met when he was at Stanford and who also practices the Transcendental Meditation technique.

The Hatoyamas plan to spend time in the community while they’re here to learn more about MUM, Maharishi School, Maharishi Vedic City, and Fairfield.

Member of a distinguished Japanese family

Dr. Hatoyama is a member of a distinguished Japanese family that has a long history of government service. His great-grandfather was the speaker of the House of Representatives in Japan’s legislature in the late 19th century. His grandfather was prime minister of Japan in the 1950s and helped secure membership in the United Nations for Japan. His father was Japan’s foreign minister. His younger brother served as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications.

His family also has a long history in higher education. His great-grandfather, after stepping down from government service, became president of Waseda University, and his great grandmother co-founded Kyoritsu Women’s University.

His political career began in 1986, when he was elected to the House of Representatives. He was elected prime minister in 2009, and despite his relatively short time in office, he has a long list of achievements, including greater spending on education and student scholarships and free support services for people with disabilities. Under his leadership, Japanese relations with China became more cordial.

The graduating students

The graduating students include 96 undergraduates and 252 graduate students. Also receiving degrees will be 43 students at Maharishi Invincibility Institute in South Africa who have been enrolled in MUM’s BA in business and MBA programs via distance education.

A total of 158 will be receiving an MS in computer science — the largest academic department at the university. Twenty students will be receiving degrees in the David Lynch MA in Film. Three students will be receiving PhDs, two in management and one in Maharishi Vedic Science. Among undergraduate students, 20 will be receiving degrees in media and communications, and 18 in sustainable living. For more details, see 2015 Graduate Statistics. For those living in or visiting Fairfield, Iowa, Commencement will begin at 1:00 pm CT in the Men’s Golden Dome.

Live-streaming option

If you cannot attend the event, it will be live-streamed over the web at https://livestream.com/mum/graduation2015.

About Maharishi University of Management

Maharishi University of Management (MUM) in Fairfield, IA is a private, accredited university featuring Consciousness-Based℠ education, designed to develop the student’s total potential. The curriculum offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in the arts, sciences, humanities, and business, but also integrates self-development programs. All students, faculty, and staff practice the Transcendental Meditation® technique, which develops integrated brain functioning, promotes wellness, and enhances learning ability and academic performance. Other innovations include taking one course for 3-1/2 weeks with a three-day break between each course, and organic vegetarian meals. Visitors Weekends are held throughout the year. For more information, call the Admissions Office at 800-369-6480 or visit www.mum.edu.

Also posted on PRWEB and MUM Blog.

Radio Iowa reports Former Japanese prime minister to give Maharishi University commencement address.

KTVO-TV3: Students from over 60 countries graduate from MUM (VIDEO)

The Fairfield Ledger: MUM Graduation 2015

MaharishiUniversity: Dr. Yukio Hatoyama MUM Commencement 2015 HD

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MUM’s Innovative Sustainable Living Center @MaharishiU Featured in Solar Tribune

November 13, 2014

Small College Makes Solar a Big Priority

November 10, 2014 by

Nestled among the cornfields of Southeastern Iowa, Maharishi University of Management is not your typical small college. More than 40 years after its founding, this unique campus has become a showcase of sustainability and solar technology.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, best known as man who taught meditation to The Beatles, bought the defunct Parsons College campus in Fairfield, Iowa in 1971 and set up an accredited university to teach his philosophy of world peace and enlightenment through meditation. Along with computer science, accounting and BA, MA and PhD programs, the curriculum stresses healthy lifestyles and a healthy environment.

Biology Professor David Fisher launched the nation’s first four-year BA program in Sustainable Living at MUM in 2003. The Sustainable Living Department offers courses in solar, wind and other alternative energy systems, water management, permaculture, alternative building techniques, and performance design for the built environment, and their building serves as a hands-on showcase for the technologies they teach. On an annual basis, the building is not only a “net zero” building, but actually produces as much as 40% more energy than it consumes. The excess energy offsets electricity used elsewhere on campus.

South wall of MUM Sustainable Living Center

Opened in 2012, the Schwartz-Guich Sustainable Living Center at MUM is a showpiece of green building technology. The 6,900 square foot building features sustainable infrastructure including daylighting, a greenhouse and edible landscaping, gardens, rain catchment, earth block and “whole tree” construction and both solar thermal and solar photovoltaic (PV), as well as a wind turbine. The architectural style, known as “Vedic” architecture, marries eastern and western styles and reflects the philosophy of the university, while exceeding LEED platinum standards.

Daniel Chiras PhD is currently a visiting professor at the Sustainable Living Center. Dan serves as the Director of the Evergreen Institute and is author of over 30 books on solar and sustainability topics, including The Natural House, The Solar House, The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy and many more. Chiras said of the MUM building: “The Sustainable Living Center is one of the greenest—if not the greenest—classroom buildings on a college campus in the world! It’s an extraordinary model of ecological sustainability and an inspiration to those seeking to build a sustainable human future. The building is a pleasure to teach in and a great learning tool for students.”

Solar Features At The SLC:

The Sustainable Living Center sports 12.5 kW of PV panels to provide electricity. The PV panels are grid-tied by two 2.5 kW and one 5 kW SMA Sunny Boy inverters. An Outback 3.6 kW battery based inverter also stores energy in an off-grid battery bank. The solar PV at the Center puts out an average of 16,250 kWh per year.

A drain-back solar water heating system with 750 square feet of evacuated tube solar thermal collectors capture solar energy that is then stored in a 5,000 gallon tank, where it is then pumped through the in-floor heating system. The collectors provide about 30% of the heating for the building. Additional heat comes from a ground source heat pump, which uses electricity from the solar and wind systems to provide 75,000 BTUs per hour.

In addition to the solar arrays, The Sustainable Living Center features a Bergey XL 10 wind turbine on a 100 foot latticed tower. The estimated annual output is 17,000 kWh, with power production peaking in the winter and spring. This compliments the solar PV, which produces most of its power during the summer months, when wind speeds are typically much lower.

The SLC has an annual energy use of about 30,000 kWh, including lighting, heating and cooling, fresh air circulation office equipment and classrooms, which is already amazingly low for a building of its size.

Not only at the Sustainable Living Center, but across the entire MUM campus, sustainability initiatives are in full effect. In fact, the school achieved a perfect score for sustainable food sourcing and is the first college in the United States to offer an organic, 100% vegetarian menu. The college encourages bicycling and energy efficiency and is currently in the planning stages of a large-scale solar array to offset more of their electrical use with solar energy.

Read more about the MUM Sustainable Living Center at: https://www.mum.edu/academic-departments/sustainable-living/buildings/sl-bldg

Article reprinted with permission from the author. Solar Tribune is a solar news, education, and advocacy website. Article is published under: Featured System, Solar Education, Solar Energy News.

See more news about MUM’s SLC in this Des Moines Register article: Fairfield defines community action. There was a lot of news coverage on the official opening of MUM’s SLC, April 20, 2012. Here are two TV News reports, with links to other reports: KTVO News: Groundbreaking Sustainable Living Center a source of pride in Fairfield and WHO News: BEYOND GREEN: Building Produces Extra Energy. Also see The Fairfield Ledger: M.U.M.’s newest building sets new green standards.

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Posted in Articles, Maharishi University, Sustainable Living | 1 Comment »

Two famous quotes on courage and commitment by Marianne Williamson and William H. Murray

August 14, 2014

Here are two famous quotes I’ve admired that have to do with overcoming our fears, believing in ourselves, and having the courage to commit to our dreams, which then moves Nature to support us in ways we never would have imagined. They seem to be related in an important way — having the confidence and courage to commit to ourselves and fulfill our life’s purpose.

The first quote, having the courage to overcome our fears to become our true self, is from Marianne Williamson’s book, A Return To Love. It’s often been mistakenly attributed to Nelson Mandela, who used it in his 1994 Inaugural Speech.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?” Actually who are you not to be?

YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory that is within us. And as we let our light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

This second quote, on commitment, was thought to have been written by Goethe, but it is from William H. Murray, author of The Scottish Himalayan Expedition (J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd, London, 1951).

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.

W. H. Murray’s book details the first Scottish expedition in 1950 to the Kumaon range in the Himalayas, between Tibet and western Nepal. The expedition, led by Murray, attempted nine mountains and climbed five, in over 450 miles of mountainous travel. You can read more about this on About.com: German Myth 12: The Famous “Goethe” Quotation.

I just came across a similar post by Joseph Ranseth: 3 of the Greatest Quotes – W.H. Murray, Henry David Thoreau & Marianne Williamson. Ranseth cites the more complete Murray quote in context, where he describes the initial steps he and his party were taking before they actually started the mountain-climbing part of the expedition. Their commitment and follow-through precipitated Providence moving in their favor, which explains how he came to write about the power of commitment and its results. Murray also acknowledged and paraphrased a translation of Goethe’s couplet at the end of his quote.

The article also includes a selection from Thoreau’s Walden, Chapter 18. He also went in the direction of fulfilling his dreams when he chose to live self-sufficiently at Walden Pond. He described his opening up to deeper more universal laws of nature during his two-year seclusion and how that impacted his life. The quote ends with these famous lines: “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” But what proceeds them is quite profound. I recommend you read that section of the blog post.

Marianne Williamson’s quote reminds me of Jim Carrey’s Commencement Speech he gave at MUM this year where he told students they will only have two choices in life — love or fear. He said, “Choose love, and don’t ever let fear turn you against your playful heart.”

Watch Videos of MUM 2014 Graduation with Jim Carrey and see Some Reports on @JimCarrey’s Commencement Speech at MUM @MaharishiU #mumgraduation.

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Posted in Literature, Maharishi University, Writing | 4 Comments »

Fairfield, Iowa continues to be the place to visit, named BuzzFeed’s coolest small town in America

July 1, 2014

Fairfield, Iowa, home of Maharishi University of Management, was named one of the coolest small towns in America to visit. Check out America’s awesome hidden gems on BuzzFeed’s 11 Coolest Small Cities It’s Time To Road Trip To. This nationwide list is published just in time for family summer road trips. Fairfield makes the list at number 2, right after Asheville, North Carolina.

The article notes Fairfield is “an unassuming town, surrounded by rolling farmland, that has gained fame for both its abundance of startup companies and its abundance of Transcendental Meditation practicers. It’s also full of amazing architecture, notably by George Franklin Barber and Barry Byrne. Don’t forget to stop by the American Gothic House while you’re there — just a mere 20-minute drive away.”

Here’s the complete list, but visit BuzzFeed to see the photos and descriptions.

1. Asheville, North Carolina
2. Fairfield, Iowa
3. Sedona, Arizona
4. Mystic, Connecticut
5. Estes Park, Colorado
6. Portland, Maine
7. Marfa, Texas
8. Portsmouth, New Hampshire
9. Park City, Utah
10. Athens, Georgia
11. Santa Cruz, California

Some related stories about Fairfield, Iowa:

The Smithsonian’s 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2013. Fairfield, Iowa is in the Top 10 (No. 7)

“Moving America Forward,” a national TV show hosted by William Shatner, to feature Fairfield

@DMRegister’s Rox Laird Features Fairfield, Iowa’s Civic Collaboration and @MaharishiU’s Sustainable Living Center

Fairfield, Iowa, The Spiritual Sister City, published in Lawrence, Kansas Magazine

Video segments of Oprah’s Next Chapter on OWN: Oprah Visits Fairfield, Iowa—”TM Town”—America’s Most Unusual Town

The Iowan: Sizing Up Small Towns: Rethinking Success in Rural Iowa: Fairfield Thinks Inclusively

The Cultural Oasis of The Midwest: Fairfield, Iowa

US News and World Report selects Fairfield, Iowa with Maharishi University of Management as one of their Healthiest Communities

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Posted in Articles | 3 Comments »

Videos of MUM 2014 Graduation with Jim Carrey

May 31, 2014

Visit the MUM website to see videos of Maharishi University of Management’s May 24, 2014 Graduation ceremonies. See the press release with a video and photos. From there you can also access Jim’s full Commencement Address, his honorary degree award, as well as the 2014 MUM Graduation Valedictorian Speech and 2014 MUM Graduation Salutatorian Speech, and the Full Graduation Ceremony.

Paresh Dave of The LA Times just published Could these be the best commencement speeches of 2014? and Jim’s address is 7th in the top 10! See: Some Reports on @JimCarrey’s Commencement Speech at MUM @MaharishiU #mumgraduation, for a review of some of the amazing news coverage, including two JPEGs of articles not available online. That post has the B-roll footage embedded in it. A little longer is this Highlights video, minus the joke Jim pulls on Bevan, in the third video.

Other videos will be added next week: Dr. Craig Pearson’s introduction, as well as Dr. Bevan Morris’s impressive introduction to Jim Carrey. In it he told a story about Judd Apatow, who, early in his career as a young standup comic, was opening for Jim Carrey. After seeing Jim perform and the response from the audience, Judd decided to quit comedy. He said “Jim Carrey is funniest man on earth. This is something we can all agree on. We can debate forever number two but Jim will always be the king.” Until that video is available, I share this story so you’ll more fully appreciate the humor in the Valedictorian’s opening remarks.

About six months later, November 13, 2014, Jim Carrey was on The Ellen Degeneres Show promoting his film Dumb and Dumber To. One of the things Ellen asked him about was the Commencement speech he had given and what it was like for him. Jim spoke glowingly about MUM and the students, and that he had learned TM. They actually showed a clip of it. Here is the 1:40 minute segment, which starts at 6:36 of the 8:20 interview. After the show over a half-million people visited the MUM YouTube Channel. To date over 60 million people worldwide have seen Jim’s inspiring talk. I later found a transcript of it.

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Posted in Education, Maharishi University, Videos | 6 Comments »

Some Reports on @JimCarrey’s Commencement Speech at MUM @MaharishiU #mumgraduation

May 29, 2014

“I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which, was that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

This was one of many profoundly wise things Jim Carrey told the graduating class of 2014 at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa on Saturday. He was referencing his father’s choice in life, who could have been a great comedian, but chose instead to play it safe and become an accountant, thinking it would be a secure profession. But after several years he lost his job and the family had to do what they could to survive. In Jim’s case that meant leaving school to work at something he didn’t like to help support the family. But he also realized his father’s humor and love made people laugh, feel happy and forget about their cares. He soon realized he wanted to do that too and decided to become a comedian to make people forget their concerns. And he certainly succeeded beyond his wildest dreams!

Gazette writer, Diana Nollen, attended the MUM Graduation and heard Jim Carrey deliver his amazingly funny and deeply insightful Commencement speech. Earlier, during his introductory remarks, President Bevan Morris mentioned Judd Apatow’s story of opening for Jim Carrey in his early days, and after seeing Jim perform, decided to quit standup comedy. He said Jim is the number one funniest person on the planet.

So when Donna Marie Jones, the class valedictorian, was walking up to the podium we all wondered how she could follow such an act! Diana opens her piece quoting Donna’s opening remark, and then comments:

“Wow! What an honor to have Jim Carrey as my opening act!”

It was the best opening line to a valedictory speech, following the best commencement address ever.

Both were delivered Saturday at Maharishi University of Management, where about 1,000 people filled every chair and space in the Golden Dome to see 285 students from 54 countries receive bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees — and to hear what the veteran Hollywood funnyman would have to say.

Everyone, including Carrey, laughed at valedictorian Donna Marie Jones’ opening line. The mathematics major had the unenviable task of following Carrey at the microphone.

Read more: Jim Carrey wise beyond his wiseguy ways: Hollywood funnyman gives commencement address in Fairfield.

Sunday’s Hawk Eye cover story on Jim Carrey delivering the commencement address at Maharishi University in Fairfield was written by Bob Saar. He captured the joyful mood of Carrey’s wit and wisdom as he delivered a funny yet deeply powerful message of insight and encouragement to the graduates. Dr. Carrey (he received a doctorate in Fine Arts) touched the hearts and minds of the over 1000 people there in the dome with his understanding, humility and humor. Brilliant! To read this article, just click on it once, and then again after it opens larger. Other articles are available below as well. Maharishi U. grads celebrate with funnyman Jim CarreyOther Iowa media that reported on the MUM 2014 Graduation with Jim Carrey are: The Des Moines Register, Jim Carrey mixes laughs with advice at Iowa college graduation; The Gazette/KCRG, Jim Carrey wise beyond his wise guy ways, which is another excellent article, but with a slideshow and voice-over; The Fairfield Ledger: Carrey infuses graduation speech with humor; The Iowa Source article with photos and quotes: Jim Carrey Gives Heartfelt, Laugh-Filled Commencement Speech; and The Fairfield Weekly Reader for a personal glimpse from Michael Sternfeld of what it was like to see Jim Carrey work with the MUM and DLF crew to get his presentation in place: The True-man Show: Behind the Scenes with Jim Carrey.

FWR-Jim Carrey

Michael Sternfeld later had a longer version of this article published as a cover story in Australia’s largest holistic magazine, Living Now, on pages 12+13, with a mention by the editor in the middle of page 3: http://bit.ly/1rmUTXE.

National news coverage was by The Hollywood Reporter: Jim Carrey Delivers Commencement Speech, Receives Honorary Doctorate, NY Daily News: Jim Carrey gives emotional commencement speech at Maharishi University of Management, CNN: Jim Carrey’s inspiring commencement speech, USA TODAY: Hear what advice Jim Carrey has for college graduates; The Wrap: Jim Carrey’s Commencement Speech Warns Students of His Own Father’s Failure (Video); Time: Jim Carrey’s Commencement Speech Warns Against Playing It Safe; and many TV news shows like Today: Jim Carrey delivers life lessons in commencement speech, Good Morning America: Jim Carrey Reveals His Father’s Failure Inspired His Comedic Dreams; PEOPLE Magazine, June 9, 2014, page 8, under StarTracks; and many major publications running the story. WPTV 5 included a comprehensive review of highlights from various media in the Newsy report: Jim Carrey Maharishi University of Management graduation speech; Tells graduates don’t fail at what you don’t want. The international press ran the news all over the place. The Hindu later came out with, Choose between fear and love, including many highlights from Jim’s inspiring talk.

Also visit the TM Blog for some more good quotes: Jim Carrey in Iowa? University Featuring Transcendental Meditation Scores Big with Commencement Speaker. KTVO posted two reports: Jim Carrey Gives Memorable Speech at MUM Graduation and Inaugural David Lynch MA in Film class graduates. Visit http://filmschool.mum.edu to submit your work for a chance at a scholarship.

Here is a sample of the highlights on a b-roll sent to the media. It is included in the Washington Post article: Jim Carrey gives commencement speech at Maharishi University of Management, which seems to be one of the best articles so far. And CNN just posted a second news report: Carrey Gets Serious at Graduation, Says His Dad Paved The Way For Him. The news anchor was surprised at how serious he was and what he shared with the MUM graduates: “That’s Jim Carrey. Wow! Jim Carrey told the crowed that he got into comedy to free people from concern.” More to come. This just in: Paresh David of The LA Times just published Could these be the best commencement speeches of 2014? and Jim’s address is 7th in the top 10! This is followed by TakePart, which listed quotes from Jim Carrey’s commencement address 2nd out of the top 6 commencement speech quotes of 2014: Six Commencement Speech Quotes That Got It Perfectly Right. Jim’s was listed after Colin Powell’s!

MUM has now posted a report with this video and photos at https://www.mum.edu/whats-happening/graduation-2014. From there you can also access Jim Carrey’s Commencement Address, his honorary degree award, as well as the Valedictorian and Salutatorian Addresses here. See MUM Valedictorian Shines Alongside Jim Carrey. See some Videos of MUM 2014 Graduation with Jim Carrey. Six months later, Jim Carrey appeared on Ellen. She asked him about his giving a commencement speech, and to date, over 60 million people worldwide have seen Jim’s inspiring talk. I later found a transcript of Jim’s talk.

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Posted in Articles, Education, Maharishi University | 5 Comments »

Maharishi University of Management Business Faculty Win National Ethics Case Study Award

April 18, 2014
Maharishi University of Management Wins National Ethics Case Study Award

MUM Professor and Student Duo Win IMA Carl Menconi Ethics Award

Fairfield, IA (PRWEB) April 18, 2014

Tara Barker, from the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), announced the Best Case Study for the 2014 Carl Menconi Ethics Competition went to a paper co-authored by Dr. Andrew Bargerstock and Ye Shi, faculty members in the Department of Business Administration at Maharishi University of Management (MUM) in Fairfield, Iowa. The article about the case study will be published in the July issue of Strategic Finance, a monthly journal from IMA that focuses on professional practices in management accounting and finance.

The case developed by Bargerstock and Shi spotlights the dilemma of a fictitious Melissa Parks, an XBRL specialist at a company that manufactures large-scale water purification systems that are sold to government and private institutions, primarily in third-world countries. One day on her way to work, Parks hears a radio report about a large multinational corporation receiving a $250 million fine from the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a U.S. law that forbids financial payments to foreign officials for the purpose of procuring a business contract. This prompts Parks to recall a conversation she overheard recently at work, which at once makes her suspect that her company also might be engaged in practices that violate the Act. Parks must then decide what to do with her knowledge – perhaps at the risk of her own career advancement.

“The case really looks at the ethical decision an employee must make to ‘do the right thing’ when the easiest, and most convenient, path is to do and say nothing,” explained Bargerstock.

The overall goal of the Menconi Case Competition is to develop teaching cases around ethical issues affecting management accountants and finance professionals. The IMA Statement of Ethical Professional Practice acts as a valuable resource for guiding professional action. Through the Menconi recognized cases, published by the IMA, accounting educators get the opportunity to explore with students, the path to proper action in professional accounting activities.

According to Dr. Bargerstock, Director of MUM’s MBA Programs, “In this post-Enron era, both educators and accounting professionals understand the importance of a heightened level of discussion about when and what to do when they are faced with a moral dilemma. The Menconi case studies series provides a springboard for undergraduate and graduate-level thinking about ethical behaviors for our next generation of accountants. Instructor Shi and I feel fortunate to have contributed to this dialogue.”

This accomplishment continues a pattern of recognition from the IMA for the accounting faculty and Ph.D. students at MUM. In 2009, Dr. Bargerstock was named Excellence in Lean Accounting Professor at the Lean Accounting Summit. In 2011, Manjunath Rao was named Lean Accounting Student of the Year and shortly, thereafter, he received a research grant from the IMA for his PhD dissertation research completed in 2013. Bargerstock and Rao published two articles in the IMA’s quarterly academic journal, Management Accounting Quarterly in 2011 and 2013. In October, 2013, Ye Shi was named IMA’s Lean Accounting Student of the Year for her work in teaching and writing case studies while pursuing her Ph.D. at MUM.

Maharishi University of Management (MUM) in Fairfield, IA is a private university featuring Consciousness-Based℠ Education. The accredited traditional curriculum offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in the arts, sciences, humanities, and business, but also integrates self-development programs. Innovative aspects include the Transcendental Meditation® program, one course at a time, and organic vegetarian meals. Visitors Weekends are held throughout the year. For more information, call the Admissions Office at 800-369-6480 or visit http://www.mum.edu.

For more information, visit the MUM website: http://www.mum.edu/press-releases#ethics.

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