September 14, 2004

• Topic: Progress!!!

  
  

  If you’ve been following my site for some time, anytime you see this topic heading, that means good news.  If you’re new to my site, this will be a chance to update you on my attempt to make a small difference in improving our world, by improving higher education.

  
  

  I just met with a Professor named Richard Smith.  For those of you who haven’t yet picked up a copy of my book, Profesor Smith is one of the most outspoken Professors at one of the most difficult schools to get into in America, Washington U. in St. Louis.  I took a class of his two year ago, “human evolution,” and his final lecture brings in hundreds of students and alumni.  This lecture is the Fahrenheit 9/11 of the environment.  You leave that class, and think to yourself, “I can’t believe this is happening!”

  
  

  Since then, I’ve been trying to figure out why this is happening, or at least, why so many people can walk out of both his lecture and Fahrenheit 9/11 alike, feel like something needs to be done, and then 2 days later go back to life as usual.  I decided to write a book about that, and now I am back on campus not simply promoting my book, but trying to find a way to address those problems.

  
  

  Prof. Smith immediately took to my ideas.  Yes, there clearly is something wrong when inspiration on campus lasts for only a day.  So, what do do?  My first suggestion was to require all incoming freshman to take gap year.  Smith helped to shape my idea, so that I can propose it to Wash U. in a way that benefits the school.  “How can you help Wash U to be unique, without being radical?”  The solution is to encourage deferrments, and to help high school students find meaningful gap year experiences.  Without question, a year off would ensure more mature and worldly college freshman, whose presence on campus would certainly rub off on others.

  
  

  The second idea I had was to send Wash U students to do a 3-week Outwad Bound course in South Africa over winter break.  I gave the logic behind it.  “You can get 3-credits for doing a 3-week course in summer school.  You can get credit for a dance class as I did.” Smith added, “you can also get credit for an internship sitting in an office of some corporation, or for continuing piano lessons.”  He said I had some great ideas, and if I approached the admin. with the right attitude, the attitude that I’m on their team, trying to achieve the same goals, and to help build Wash U., then I might have a chance for success.  “You might even land yourself a job with them” Well…i don’t want to get to excited, but that would be nice.

  
  

  So…that’s progress.  My experience as a criminal investigator for a summer at Georgetown Law School is playing very helpful now.  I realize that you can get in touch with just about anyone, and that if one thing doesn’t work, you try another thing.  If you’re coming for a good reason, anybody will talk to you.  And, if you need information, all you need to do is ask around, it’s there.  Any excuse I bring you for not getting in touch with someone, for not knowing what to do, for not being able to accomplish my plans, I attribute to my own laziness or lack of creativity.  Lack of experience might be a problem also, but that can be overcome, as I’ve shown, by getting in touch with the people with the experience.  This is easily the most educational semester I’ve ever had.  Life 101 at the University of Life.  Tuition, food, water, shelter.

  • 12:32 pm
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