April 25, 2004

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  I AM DEDICATING THIS MONTH OF MY LIFE, THE 10TH MONTH OF MY 22ND YEAR, TO TYPING UP ALL MY WRITINGS, ALL MY THOUGHTS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS HERE IN S. AFRICA.  I AM DEDICATING THIS MONTH TO PUTTING TOGETHER A BOOK, THAT WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE TO BE BOUGHT ON THE INTERNET FOR THE LOWEST PRICE I CAN FIND.  

  
  

  MY GOAL IS TO SELL A MINIMUM OF 500 BOOKS
  I BELIEVE THIS IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE
  FAILURE ONLY REFLECTS SOME SHORTCOMINGS ON MY PART
  I WON’T FAIL BECAUSE I LACKED PERSONAL MOTIVATION
  I WON’T FAIL BECAUSE I LACKED DICIPLINE
  I WON’T FAIL BECAUSE I DIDN’T CONSIDER LOGISTICS
  I WON’T FAIL BECAUSE I DIDN’T HAVE CONFIDENCE IN MYSELF
  I WON’T FAIL BECAUSE I DIDN’T DESIGN THE BEST POSSIBLE STRATEGY TO SUCCEED
  IF I FAIL BECAUSE OF SOMETHING I COULDN’T PREPARE FOR…I WILL BOUNCE BACK
  THERE IS NO FEAR IN FAILURE, ONLY FEAR OF FAILING FOR THE WRONG REASONS.

  
  

  -DAN

  
  

  TOPIC: Philosophy of college education in reality

  
  

  There’s a common complaint about student apathy towards politics and the things that affect the world.  What then, are students not apathetic about.  For one, they’re not apathetic about getting a diploma, or good grades.  They’re not apathetic about attending classes, even if they fall asleep or daydream through them.  They’re not apathetic about cramming for exams, or pulling all-nighters to finish papers they won’t even take the time to think about afterwards, except for the grade.

  
  

  Here’s some of the logic I see in college education.

  
  

  1) You need a job – true
  2) To get a job, you need a degree – i’ll go along with that
  3) To get a degree, you need to attend school for 4 years.  During those 4 years, you need to attend lectures and pass tests and papers. – unfortunate, but true
  4) Therefor, to get a job, you need to attend lectures and pass tests and papers. - FALSE

  
  

  Where do I see the logic failing?

  
  

  At the point where school IS ABOUT attending lectures and passing tests and papers.  Sure, there’s more to college than that, but the part THAT IS   school, the part that earns you the degree, that is necessary for the job, IS ABOUT attending lectures, and passing tests and papers.

  
  

  I’m no logician, but to me, the system is illogical, or at least flawed in this respect.

  
  

  TOPIC: THE BOOK

  
  

  As I’m still working out exactly what the focus of my book is, I am reminded of several articles I wrote for my school paper last year.  They were about 5, and now, they’re probably all in the garbage, although i’m gonna try to access them on the internet.

  
  

  The ideas I wrote about are still the same issues I’m talking about today.  Articles by themselves do not lead to much.  This book is the next logical step, but I anticipate it will not be enough either.  What I want to see is discussion, and hopefully my college book tour starting in September will provide the first discussions about the realities of college. 

  
  

  For 4 years, ages 18-22, 1000′s of individuals get together at colleges.  These are the places that are meant to be hotbeds for debate and action.  Today, the level of debate and action is low.  It’s so low that we don’t hear anything in the media about what’s going on in colleges.  The only news about colleges is the type about my alma mater, Wash. U., rising in the rankings because of how much money they make.  That’s what America’s colleges are today.

  
  

  My aim is to get students to reclaim their 4 years.  To not attach themselves to the ups and downs of their grades.  To value life learning, and individual interests, over curriculum. 

  • 2:17 pm
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