Assignment 2

For the written Assignment 2, I would choose number 3 as my prompt.  Friedman's essay discusses the use of communication to collaborate on projects.  Nathan's essay took notice in the lack of collaboration at AnyU university.  To bridge the gap between these two, we have to look at what Friedman did in his essay.  Friedman discussed the idea of the internet as humankind's project of collaboration.  It was through the internet that terrorists were able to connect and work together on planning various attacks.  The key here is the convenience of the internet- All the information you could want is right at your fingertips.  Collaboration in college social events requires convenience in order to work.  Students aren't going to show up at a planned movie night if it happens to be scheduled the night before early classes, an exam, etc.  Similarly, students aren't going to go around and round up all of their friends of different ethnicities before heading to the cafeteria for a meal.  If the student's friends aren't going to eat at the dining hall, there is nothing the student can do about it.  I will sometimes eat with my friends who consist of all ethnic backgrounds, but sometimes I will eat alone if no one else is going to or are already at the dining hall.   In order to get collaboration in the college environment, it needs to be convenient and cater to the busy schedule of not just one student, but all students.
One of the major differences between the two works is their approach towards unity.  Friedman argues that anything that slows down or prevents the flattening of the world can be disruptive, while Nathan's essay discusses how we should strive to be individuals rather than just part of a whole such as a fraternity.  However, I don't think you can really compare these two situations.  Friedman discusses how different countries collaborate on products and services to achieve maximum efficiency, while Nathan talks about expanding your horizons and meeting new people who you can share past experiences with.  Learning how to work with an overseas partner to produce products and services won't really help you with being an individual at a college campus.  Collaboration just takes effort on the part of the collaborators.  There need to be sacrifices and compromises.  Convenience is easy, but easy doesn't get the job done.