Stjepan Hauser (left) and Luka Sulic

1. Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser are two, classically trained cellists. As young boys training in the best European music schools, they dreamed of one day playing in a symphony orchestra. The young men first met in the city of Pula in the European country of Croatia.  One day, one of Hauser’s friends proposed that

Luka and Stjepan step out of their comfort zones.  Instead of playing traditional classical, symphonic music, he suggested playing a pop music song with their cellos!!!

The director specifically suggested Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” So Luka and Stjepan produced a music video of their cello rendition of Jackson’s song and posted it on You Tube on January 20th, 2011.  The response went viral.   Watch Luka and Stjepan’s extending themselves out of their comfort zone with their cello interpretation of Michael Jackson’s classic song.

This response to this You Tube video was overwhelming.   There were over three million views in the first two weeks and over ten million views as of April 2011.  As a result, the young cellists transitioned their careers to playing more pop music with their cellos.  Today, they’ve produced three albums and played live performances all over the world.   Here’s another of their popular performances played before a live audience.

2.  If you feel comfortable, please let me know if there is anything you have tried or hoping to try outside of your comfort zone like learning a different skill, joining a new club or activity, traveling to a new place to see something you haven’t seen before, meeting people different from you to experience a different life perspective or do anything else that seems interesting from afar but to this point in your life you’ve been too nervous to try.

• If there is nothing you’ve been interested in trying out of your comfort zone, then please state in a well written sentence that there is nothing you’ve been interested in trying outside of your comfort zone and state the reason why you do not want to do so.
• If there is something you’ve been interested in trying out of your comfort zone, please tell me in well written sentences what the new experience is and your how you feel about yourself and the new experience as you try this new experience.

3.  Read the article I distributed in class today entitled “Why Attitude Is More Important Than Intelligence“.  After reading the article, identify yourself as either “fixed mindset” or “growth mindset” and give examples of your actions that indicate you are in this category.   As always, please express your ideas in well written, grammatically correct with perfect spelling sentences.  Thank you.

4. This assignment must be sent to me electronically NO LATER than Wednesday, December 16.   Thank you.

1. Read pages 1 through 33 in your textbook, “The Study of Change“. Then, in well written sentences, share the most important thought you took from these pages you read. In other words, was their something specific you read that made you think about ‘change’ in your life?

2. Watch BOTH videos about a remarkable young high school girl, named Kayla Montgomery, who has had to deal with a sudden and grave misfortune in her life. Kayla’s lesson to anyone willing to listen is the importance of ‘attitude’ when dealing with any ‘change’ in one’s life. Tell me

• if you agree with Kayla’s perspective that a person’s attitude is critical to effectively managing changes in our lives (answer “yes, I agree” or “no, I don’t agree”).
• If you “agree” with Kayla about the importance of attitude, tell me, in a well written paragraph, why you agree with Kayla and if you have had to manage with your attitude during personal changes while either extending yourself out of your comfort zone or during other challenges, misfortune or tragedy.
• If you “disagree” with Kayla about the importance of attitude, tell me, in a well written paragraph, why you disagree with Kayla and why your attitude wasn’t important as you were dealing with personal changes while either extending yourself out of your comfort zone or during other challenges, misfortune or tragedy.

3. Explain, in well written sentences, why the author of “A Study of Change” would use this specific photo of Bristol Harbor on the cover of this book.  This photo apparently is a metaphor for the topic of the book.   Please explain why you believe the author chose this specific Richard Benjamin photograph to be on the cover of this book.

4.  Please submit your answers for all the previous questions to Stephen Cronin’s email no later than Wednesday, December 9th.

1. Imagine yourself as the owner and CEO of a trucking company.  You learn one day that one of your trucks has had an accident that is explained below.   Please keep in mind, Presidents, CEOs,  supervisors, Principals, managers and people in general are not always expected to solve problems alone.  Good managers collaborate with other smart people within their organizations and sometimes outside their organizations to solve problems.  If you feel inclined to collaborate with any other person to solve this problem, it’s ok and frankly encouraged.   Just tell me me following the well written sentences explaining the solution to the problem the names of the people you collaborated with for the solution.     Here’s the trucking problem:

“A truck driver was driving your delivery truck under an overpass when suddenly he came to a screeching halt.  He wasn’t paying attention and inadvertently drove under an overpass that was just barely as high as the truck.  The truck got stuck; it became wedged so tightly that he could not go forward or backwards.  He called you in your office to say he didn’t know what to do!  He was panicking.  Without damaging either the top of the truck or the overpass in any way, what can you suggest to the driver for him to do to get the company truck unstuck all by himself so he can drive away?”

2. Read the newspaper article I distributed in class today titled “5 Ways Introverts Can Take Networking To The Next Level“.  Check the section I highlighted in yellow.  Please explain in a few well written sentences why this suggestion can be beneficial in building an effective network that can create life time opportunities for you. Delvany is already practicing this suggestion.  Good job Delvany!

3. Change in our Schedule!!  I was informed that our visit to the Langevin Center for Design, Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing on the campus of Rhode Island College has been changed to December 9th.  We’ll leave Hope High around 1:15pm and finish the tour and leave the RIC campus around 4:15pm.   Please let me know in an email if you’re still interested and can attend on December 9th.  I will pass out permission forms next class.

4.  BTW – you were great today in class.  Anna was impressed with your curiosity, your courage to ask questions and the respect and courtesy you extended her.  You continue to make me proud.  Thank you.  By representing yourself, our Life Skills class, Hope High, your families and me so well, your personal brand and the brand of Hope High continues to be stronger creating new and better opportunities for both.

1. Establish an account profile (free of charge) on LinkedIn.com.  Once established, connect with me, Stephen Cronin, on LinkedIn.   Please complete this assignment by Tuesday, Novmeber 3, 2015.  Thank you.

2.  Read the article distributed in class today titled “The Brand Called You” written by Tom Peters and previously published in Fast Company Magazine.  In no more than a 5 sentence paragraph with perfect spelling, good grammar and sound sentence structure, state your impressions of author Tom Peters’ concept of ‘Personal Brand‘.   For instance, what parts of Tom Peters’ position on Personal Brand did you most agree with?   Was there anything Tom Peters wrote about on Personal Brand you were not aware of or surprised you?   Was there anything Tom Peters wrote about on Personal Brand that you would immediately embrace and do as you continue to build your Personal Brand?  Was there anything about Tom Peters’ concept of Personal Brand you disagreed with ?  Please have this assignment emailed to me by Tuesday, October 27, 2015.  If you were not able to attend today’s class, make sure you get Tom Peters’ article from me next class and email your response to me as soon as possible.  Thank you.

1.  There is a change in the Pawtucket Red Sox networking event:  It is now scheduled for Monday, June 22, 6:30pm at McCoy Stadium in a fully catered luxury suite right on the field!  Please let me know if you can make the date by this Monday, May 25:

Our business and college community guests, so far, will be

1. Lou Mercado:  CVS Health, Vice President of Supply Chain Management
2. Carlos Sanchez:  CVS Health, Senior Director Advertising Production
3. Donna Mumma:  CVS Health, Vice President Inventory Management and Analytics 
4. Munish Argawal: CVS Health, Inventory Management – Planner
5. Ashish Bhandari:  CVS Health, Inventory Management – Planning and Analytics
6. Dan Rivera:  CVS Health, Sr Director Product Flow and Supply Chain
7. Wendy Lewis:  CVS Health, Copywriter and Independent Performing Artist
8. Nick Decesare:  TWOBOLT, Creative Director
9. Liz McLaughlin:  Kerissa Creations, Jewelry & Belt Designer
10. Dejehan Hamilton: Berklee College of Music, student
    
11. Jean Rodriguez:   Rhode Island College Sophomore, CVS summer intern Supply Chain Management, Life Skills alum
    
12. John Hunt:  Principal, Hope High School
13. Sandra Chevalier: Alex and Ani;  Sales
    
14. Jerry Bonne Annee:   University of Rhode Island Sophomore; Life Skills alum; Engineering
    
15.  Aleksandar Todorovich:  Rhode Island College, Graduate Student, Technology Studies
16. Steve Cronin:   President, TWOBOLT
17. Marta Aparicio:  Follette Higher Education Group, Director of Retail Sales
18. Dr Charles McLaughlin:  Rhode Island College, Coordinator Technology Education and Innovation and the Advanced Manufacturing Center
19. Elsch Maisoh:  Gilbane Building Company, Construction Manager
20. Katie Silberman:  Brown University, Office of Government Relations and Community Affairs
21. Scott Jenson: State of Rhode Island, Director of Labor and Training
22. Marcey Santos:  Amica Insurance, Lead Accountant
23. Vince Burks:  Amica Insurance, Assistant Vice President Corporate Communications
24.