The Distinguished Lectures Committee at the University of Arkansas decides which dynamic and pertinent speakers to bring to campus. These speaking engagements are completely free to all students. Some of the speakers brought over the past few years have been President George H.W. Bush, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, basketball icon Magic Johnson, author Malcolm Gladwell, Jane Goodall, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Elie Wiesel, Steve Wozniak, and John Legend.
On October 3, 2016 Brandon Stanton, famous for sharing short stories about the random strangers he meets on the streets of New York on his blog, ‘Humans of New York,’ told his own story.
“Brandon Stanton was an out-of-work bond trader and part-time photographer in 2010 when he moved to New York City and decided to put his photography skills to work in a blog: Humans of New York, popularly known as HONY.
His first idea was to take photos of 10,000 New Yorkers and plot them on a map. But then he began telling short stories about each person he photographed. The result was an internet phenomenon: to date Humans of New York, has more than 22.5 million followers on Facebook and Instagram. He discovered that people who used the technology of the internet still had a huge appetite for stories about other people.
Stanton has published two best-selling books, Humans of New York, which stayed on top of the New York Times bestseller list for 45 weeks, and HONY: Stories, another number one on that list.
In 2015 he posted the story of a boy from an underprivileged Brooklyn middle school in a crime-plagued neighborhood, which inspired him to start an online crowd-funding campaign to raise money to send the students on field trips to Harvard to expand their idea of their potential. HONY’s followers raised more than $1 million for Mott Hall Bridges Academy, drawing international media attention and earning Stanton a meeting with President Obama.” –University of Arkansas Newswire, Internet Phenomenon Brandon Stanton to Speak at U of A
Alejandro // Junior
Alejandro discovered the event on Facebook when a friend shared the University of Arkansas Distinguished Lectures Committee’s event. He follows HONY’s blog posts regularly and was thrilled to hear Brandon speak in person.
In honor of Stanton’s visit, learn more about the Humans of UARK:
Harry // Accounting and Information Systems Major // From China
I selected the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville because of its reputation and comparatively inexpensive tuition. Not only is the U of A the flagship university in Arkansas, but is also a remarkable star school in the South. It has strong research capabilities and a well organized school system from college to college. Walton Business College is my academic home. One of the things I like about Walton is that the professors here have very strong academic teaching and research backgrounds. They are very organized and systematic in their delivery of instruction, and it’s very convenient to access the information you need. The professors here are also always ready to answer the questions you face in studying. I also proactively involve myself in academic organizations, and am serving as a student officer in Beta Alpha Psi, which is the only official Accounting Club in Walton Business College.
Joshua // Agricultural Economics and Computer Science Major // From Ghana
I chose the University of Arkansas for several reasons that met my needs: it is affordable yet highly competitive, and above all has great teaching faculty with well-equipped research centers, and strong engineering and agricultural departments. Some of the interesting events I have enjoyed since coming to the U of A are: Taste of Africa, Friday Night Live, Russian Immersion, Caribbean Night, Panamanian dances, China Banquet, ICT Banquet and the Razorback games. What makes me feel most comfortable is the euphoric atmosphere and friendly social life of the town, Fayetteville, and good professor-student interactions.
Luis // Chemical Engineering Major // From Panama
When I first came to the University of Arkansas, I was 19 years old and it was my first time abroad. I was a boy who did not know the place I was going or its people; I came as a sponsored student because the university offered my sponsors a wonderful academic program. Among the things I like to do a lot are running on the many trails around Fayetteville, reading a book in Wilson Park, having breakfast on Dickson Street, browsing books in the Dickson Bookshop, going to the farmer’s market, walking around downtown Fayetteville, going to the mall and movie theater and many other things. All in all, the University of Arkansas is a part of my life that I will never forget and I will always miss once I graduate.
Selina // Biology and German Major // From St. Louis, Missouri
Not only is the University of Arkansas a fantastic school, but the campus and the city of Fayetteville have so much to offer. My favorite place on campus is Old Main Lawn. It is located behind Old Main and is a quiet, grassy area that is perfect for a break during a busy day. In the evenings, you will see families bring their pets and enjoy the weather. The second floor of the main library has tables in-between the bookshelves. This is ideal if you want your peace and quiet while studying. This is where I spend most of my time when I have a lot of studying or work to get done.
