Topic: The objective

OK…i’ve been on the road for nearly 2 months now.  I’ve already written and self-published my book, “College Daze”.  Believe it or not, that seems like the easy part.  So, almost 2 months after hitting the road with my book, I finally feel ready to tackle the two objectives.

1) Promote my book
2) Get a discussion going between students and faculty about the issues in my book

I have had time to network.  Time to get connected.  Time to reflect more on education.  Now…I need to have a clear objective.

In November, I am looking to organize a forum, consisting of students, professors, and deans.  My book, my thoughts, and my ideas, will be the starting point for this forum.  The purpose of this forum will be to put a voice to the frustrations of college students at Washington University in St. Louis.  The frustrated senior who has no more purpose for their classes will have a forum for their voice.  The frustrated freshman who was never encouraged to take a year off before college, and is now floating through their classes, feeling as though they’re back doing work in high school.  The frustrated advisor who comes across countless students who simply don’t like any of their classes.  The frustrated professor who sees the students of this generation are here more for career purposes, than for knowledge and inquiry.  Also, the alumni, who recognizes that four years and lots of money invested in a “Wash U education,” was hardly necessary of sufficient for the real world skills and knowledge required to survive.

In the next week or so, my friend Deepiny, a senior at Wash U., myself, and there are some other people I have spoken to, will begin to hash out more of a theme for the forum, so that we have an angle to market the event.  We will also be working to choose a date, time, and place, for the forum.  Finally, we will work on a marketing strategy, hopefully blanketing the campus with fliers, and getting our friends to come, their friends, and reaching out and bringing in all the strangers we can. 

We also want to come up with a definition of success.  Right now, my vision of a successful forum will take many forums, but primarily, that it doesn’t turn out to be some rinky-dink forum, of just talking.  I want this forum to end with some form of conclusion, some new reality created that their is this frustration bubbling beneath the surface, as well as some form of momentum towards further forums, and towards change. 

My faculty friend told me, positive change only comes about through the dissenters.  Well…that’s what this is, in a way.  I’ve dissented, and expressed my dissatisfaction.  Now, it’s only a matter of getting others to express their similar feelings.  While I continue to think about future plans, and possible jobs, when I sat in front of a computer in May, in Cape Town, South Africa, and I began typing “College Daze,” the forum was really the first step that I had in mind.

Time Magazine Presents

The story of my current life, as well as the story of the educational crisis at Washington University in St. Louis, are developing into a story fit for a major publication.  Call me the whistle blower, exposing the problems of a school that almost all from the outside, and nearly all from the inside, view as one of the finest and best schools in the country.

Things are not right at this school.  Things are not right at many schools, but through discussion, I am learning that things are specifically not right at this school. 

I had a conversation w/ someone this morning.  A conversation that I cannot talk about in any sort of specifics.  That alone, is a sign of the seriousness.  There are several people at Wash U. in St. Louis who have read my book ($15+ shipping) and have found it in some ways to be “dangerous.”  One faculty member said, “You’re saying some amazing and true things, that nobody who works for this school would ever dare to touch, if they wanted to keep their job.”  Yes…my book, might be the most dangerous book, without the logistics to explode the metaphorical college bubble that I’m hoping to explode.

One faculty member, who believed strongly in what I wrote, was already a proponant of the educational philosophy which I hold.  A philosohpy which puts the students first, and does everything possible to help students not just to learn academic subjects, but to learn about themselves, and the world they live in.  One faculty member was involved with helping students to answer the questions that nobody had asked of them.  “Why are you here?”  Helping students understand that their difficulties with college are not just learning problems, but problems of their not owning their own academic experience.  One faculty member was highly valued for their work by many faculty and students, in helping students to get the most from their experience.  One faculty member has been fired…

This is a large story, and I’m trying to find a way to procede.  It is a story that will reveal much about Wash U. as investigation proceeeds, but a story that will be difficult because of the legal gag orders put on some faculty, and the informal gag orders that keep faculty from speaking out. 

My book is dangerous…hmmm…

My book is honest, that’s for sure.  It’s interesting how honesty tends to be dangerous. 

Having won over a few faculty members, a few students, and a few alumni (by few, the total is only about 5, although about 50 people have my book that i have not gotten any feedback from) I am not convinced, that the project that I took on, is an important one.

Let me switch gears for a minute.  People buy cars.  Car makers build cars, based on the demands of the people.  The movement to safer and more environmental friendly cars, is a result of consumer demand.  At Washington U. in St. Louis, students are consuming an unhealthy product.  They are spending about $3,000 per class!!!  They are spending about $120,000 over four years.  They are part of one of the top research institutions in America, but also part of a school with class sizes unconducive for learning, with professors equally worried about research as teaching, with students who possess little self-motivation for college except to gain a degree to the job world.  College has changed from a place where people go to learn, to a place where people go to be able to find work.  With that change, the institution has remained the same. 

In order to change things, we need more informed consumers.  More informed students.  That is part of my job.  To inform students about some of the ills of the traditional form of schooling they’re being pushed through.  Once students start thinking, hey, this isn’t the best thing for us, then, they will be able to demand changes.

I’m conflicted by the need and desire to find a job, and to pursue experiences that will build my future.  The project I am doing now is risky, in that it does not fit neatly onto a resume.  I’m an activist without an organization.  A writer without a publisher.  An investigative journalist without a paper.  I’m working on all three.  The pressure to move-on is large, but so is the pressure to carry out what I even said I wanted to carry out in my book. 

I WANT TO IMPROVE HIGHER EDUCATION

It’s important, it’s necessary, and if I don’t do anything about it, those who are suffering now at the hands of the current system, will continue to struggle. 

Topic: Update from Boulder

So…just saw something on the news, this figure skater fell face first into the ice.  Suffered a consuccsion.  She said, “I will be back skating in a few days, once the doctors say it’s ok.  But, when you love something so much, you just keep on doing it.”

That’s how I feel.  Just two days removed from my own scary concussion, I am back on the education trail. 

First of all, traveling is the greatest thing.  The reality of the world depends on your mindset and experiences.  As a traveler, my reality includes having a great conversation this morning with a 27-year old Australian who says Boulder is the one city that resembles all of Australia, in that it is laid back, and people don’t stress about life.  I met my first real live homeschooler last night, who is here in Boulder attending a Montessori schools conference, to learn more for her daughter, who was the friendliest girl I’ve ever come across.  I sold a copy of my book “College Daze” to this 20-year old who works behind the desk at the Boulder Int’l hostel in order to stay in Boulder for free.  And…I went back to the Watershed School, the most experiential and amazing school I’ve come across, and I’m hoping to get an internship there for starters, and then also come back and live in the hostel for about $500/mo. utilities included.  How sweet would that be.

This has been an incredible week, because I’ve left behind the comfortable.  I’ve left behind what I know.  I’ve traveled alone.  I’ve had to make my own plans.  Make my own friends.  After a while, it becomes easy, and I realize how much more rewarding this is than the stable life that was predestined for me.

Here’s some great bumper stickers I saw in this liberal political bookstore:

“Kill your television”
“Fight prime time, read a book”
“Our national health plan, don’t get sick”
“An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind” – Ghandi
“Capitalism: The predatory phase of human development”
“Fearful people do stupid things”
“Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam”

Tonight, 7pm bus to St. Louis, who will hopefully pull a comeback starting tom. night in the World Series.  Arsenal’s unbeaten streak, snapped to Man. U.  Man. how I hate, Man U!!!

Topic: just need to write

So…the last 24 hours have been quite scary.  Thur. night, I went out with some people from the hostal, had a good time, came back, went to sleep.  Apparently, around 3-4am, I fell out of the top bunk.  I struck my head (i have a little mark just next to my left eye), and was completely dazed.  The guys in the hostel tell me I was reading through my journal (i try to right everything in my life down, just in case i fall out of bed, i guess), anyways…i couldn’t figure out where i was, and what was going on.

So…they called an ambulance, and brought me to Boulder Community Hospital.  I was quite shaken up.  My memory isn’t 100% clear right now.  They ran a CAT scan on me last night and again this morning.  Luckily, negative.  The diagnosis is I gave myself a concussion.  Yeah, pretty scary stuff.  I’m still trying to recall the last 24 hours in Boulder, it was such an intense day of visiting schools, that the fall made it seem like a dream.  I actually lay in the hospital and thought I was there because I had a breakdown.  Between meeting all these new people, sleeping in a car wash, finding these amazing and different schools…it all seemed a bit surreal.  I thought maybe I had wandered too far from “reality.”  But, it turned out, i just fell out of bed.

I’m lucky that the 3 guys I was out w/ at the hostel came to visit me, and they just picked me up and brought me back to the hostel.  I’m sort of getting to know them again for the first time, since any conversations from Thur. night are kind of lost right now…but I am able to remember some things, so I think walking around the city today will help bring my memory back.

I def. had some time to reflect in the hospital.  Even scared as shit as I was, and realizing just how serious it was, I still have time to be “dan,” and write in my journal, and think about education, along with thinking about all my family and friends that I was desperately missing.  Anyways…i’ll share some of those thoughts at another time, i have a slight headache now, and as much as i just want to think, and right, and do, I also need to take a vacation from what most others would call a vacation, traveling about the country promoting my book.  Anyways…that’s the post for today, not that i needed a reality check, but things like that, ending up in a hospital for just about any reason, serve as further reminders that we’re all fragile, and we need to take good care of ourselves, and we need to take good care of our lives.  OK…let me go, will have more traditional/interesting posts next time.

Go Cards (although i’ll be happy if the bosox win too, being a mets fan/yankees hater, the bosox are my #2 team, cards also get honorable mention because i went to school in st. louis, so my ties are stronger there).

Getting well,

-Dan

TOPIC: I FOUND IT!!!

Yes…there are really good schools in existance in this country.  Schools that treat students as people, and use the world as their classroom.  Schools that say “F-U” to grades and testing.  Schools that care deeply about personal growth, and in depth learning, and a passion for learning. 

www.watershedschool.org

I spent a while speaking w/ the founder, Andy Winter, who also founded the Shackelton Schools in Ma., which apparently have done quite well.  Andy’s philospophy of education mirrors mine.  He hated school.  I hated school.  Andy went on to create a school that uses every resource of the real world to teach students.  His students spend time in Mexican villiages, have gone to Alabama to learn about the Civil Rights movement, have met Howard Zinn, author of “A People’s History of the United States,” have met John Kerry.  I asked him how he gets to meet all these people.  “We just ask them,” he said.

The school is a small private school, that has raised money to help any student who is passionate enough to attend, to be able to attend.  The curriculum is based solely on relevance.  We don’t teach the traditional things, like Shakespear, or math, unless they become relevant to the “expedition.”  This term “expedition,” comes from the expeditionary learning model of schooling developed by Outward Bound, in which students spend a term covering a subject in depth.  “We go an inch wide, and a mile deep, not a mile wide, and an inch deep,” was how the system was described to me by the Principal of an ELOB school I visited last week in Denver.

This is Andy’s take on the curriculum.  “When I see a tree, I see ecology, history, economics.  I don’t necessarily see math (although some people do).  We use math when we need to use stats to do research which we then present to members of the community.”  And, the problem with testing? “We need to feed kids more, and weigh kids less,” he said.

Earlier in the day, I also stumbled upon another alternative school.  A small building had a sign called, “The Living School.”  I was too curious to not go in.  It turned out to be a small school for homeschoolers.  About 12 kids of different ages.  Doing all sorts of things.  They gave me a book called, “The Happy Child,” by Steven Harrison, the founder of the school (have you heard of him lettersat3am ?)  It was great to see both schools, and their tight knit cultures, and their focus on developing individual interests, rather than jamming a curriculum irrelevant to many things in the real world, down their throats.

Oh…and based on my afternoon in Boulder, I’ve decided I really like the city.  I haven’t seen much of America, but I can sense already a lot of “pro’s” for this city.  Outdoorsy. Many forms of alternative education. 2 universities, U of Colorado and another one, Narapaho I think it’s called, that teaches all different kinds of personal development philosophies.  The adventure rabbi, www.adventurerabbi.com is from Boulder, so that’s good for me, being Jewish, but looking for a way to be cultural, which I don’t really do much of.  It’s an environmentally concerned city, a liberal city politically, and socially i am sensing.  They have a cool international hostel.  It’s close to Denver, and close to many other beautiful outdoor places.  Well…i’ll have to keep this city in mind.

Also, have a look at the big pictutre company, i think it’s www.bigpicturecompany.com they’re another innovative system of schooling.  The dan systems do exist!!!  Now, i just need to get myself connected.

That’s all for now.

-dan

quick update:

in boulder,

slept in a car wash last night

first, slept in a field by a bank, and got rained on by sprinklers

in a cool hostel

gonna enjoy the college town here and the beautiful mountains for the day

go cards

yanks suck!!!

TOPIC: ARTICLE IN STUDENT LIFE

For those of you who found this site from the article in Student Life, thanks for checking this out!!!  I’m writing from San Fran. Just arrived yesturday after 24 hours on a bus from Denver.  Tonight I’m having dinner w/ a book publisher, trying to get the word out even more, but in the mean time, I’m glad to have had an article in Stud Life, and to have my book available on campus. (I was actually quoted in a second article about student apathy, i’m posting that article at the bottom of this post…)

I will be posting more, don’t have too much time on the internet right now.  I want to update people more on my project, as well as my visit to an Outward Bound Expeditionary Learning school in Denver, Co, which was an absolutely amazing experience and the school is doing some pretty amazing things.

I should be back in St. Louis in about a week’s time.  Please leave comments on my site, or e-mail me at dan_lilienthal@yahoo.com (that’s dan, underscore, lilienthal @ yahoo.com) with any questions or comments.  I’ll be back in St. Louis for about 2-3 days, probably not enough time to organize a formal event, but would love to meet people, and discuss my ideas and my book.

In the meantime, there are a limited number of copies in the campus bookstore.  It would be found either by the new academic section, or up by the register, or simply ask someone, “where can I find a copy of that book College Daze by the guy who went to Wash U.”  They’ll know, because I spent the last 3-weeks working in that very same campus book store at the register.

Please share the article with people, and if you buy the book, tell people about it.  Believe it or not, this is actually my career right now, not making tons of money like some other Wash U. grads, but hopefully making enough to keep writing and to keep working on my overall mission of improving education for all students, to make it more fun, exciting, and meaningful.

For others who don’t go to Wash U., I’ve posted it below, or you can read the article online.  Go to www.studlife.com and under the section “scene” is an article called “College Daze.” It may make you enter an e-mail in order to register, but that’s pretty easy. 

Well…off to explore San Fran for the day.  Will update more soon about my week on the road, and look forward to some new visitors to my online journal. 

cheers, (i’m a fan of England, what can i say)

-dan

Here’s the article:

College daze

Polls find students apathetic towards election

By Jake Fisher

Published: Monday, October 18, 2004

Media Credit: Emily Tobias Students from both sides of the political spectrum made their voices heard during the debate at the University. Despite high interest here, national polls suggest students are apathetic toward this year´s election.

Polls have found that as many as 25 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds are not yet registered to vote, raising the concern that young voters are apathetic towards the imminent election.

Although the joke was that attendance would be rather low at an apathy meeting, the Project Awareness symposium on student apathy held at the end of September reached its cap of 30 participants. The program continued with speeches by three additional Washington University faculty members, followed by a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The first speaker was Virginia Braxs, who talked about her experiences in Argentina as compared to the United States. In Argentina it took a great deal of effort to convince people that activists were disappearing to be tortured beneath the streets. She was therefore bewildered by what a large proportion of the population in the U.S. prefers not to vote. She asked her audience never to take democracy for granted, told them that “apathy is not the answer,” and closed by reminding her audience of the power of a few people who take action-a lady who refused to sit in the back of the bus, or perhaps a few students who stood up to a tank for their beliefs.

Professors Jami Ake and Maxine Lipeles continued with two case studies, the first regarding gender awareness and the second regarding lead poisoning in the St. Louis area.

They were followed by Repps Hudson, a reporter from the Post-Dispatch, who reminded his listeners that “votes do matter-ask Al Gore.” He continued to harp on the privilege of voting, pointing out that people lined up for miles to vote in the first elections in South Africa. A similar occurrence was seen when the free elections were held in Cambodia.

However, young people often do not treasure their right to vote as much as the aforementioned speakers suggested that they should. One poll conducted by CBS News on behalf of MTV and the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE), suggested that one out of every four respondents was not registered to vote. The poll tracked eligible voters aged 18 to 29.

According to Project Democracy’s Teresa Sullivan, students at the University tend to buck that trend. Student response has been “incredible” this year, she said, and Project Democracy alone has registered close to 1,000 students to vote in Missouri this year.

However, even those who are registered to vote sometimes seem to take a rather jaded view of the political process.

Freshman Matt Adler complained that the first presidential debate was too staged, particularly with respect to the compliments the candidates paid to each others’ families late in the debate.

Senior Cristina Fernandez believed that the questions were good, but felt the candidates often dodged them.

“‘That’s a good question, but before I answer that I’d like to repeat the point I made 50 seconds ago,’” Fernandez said, mocking how she feels the candidates often responded.

However, Fernandez went to the Democratic National Convention over the summer and believes that working for political campaigns or otherwise getting involved is common among students at the University.

To combat apathy, Hudson suggested that students “be well informed, learn something… and volunteer for something.”

Dan Lilienthal, a graduate of the class of 2003, was a participant in the symposium and contends that high school and college are designed to create apathy, in particular through courses that do not offer experiences. He has written a book on the subject entitled “College Daze: The Need for Innovative Education Reform in America’s Colleges and Universities.”

For more information on Project Awareness, email beaware@artsci.wustl.edu.

Topic: On the Road

Oh yes…a much needed bit of traveling is ahead.  In about 2hours, i’ll be on a Greyhound bus bound for Denver, Colorado.  I’ll arrive on Thur. it’s about 19 hours or so.  On Fri. I’m going to visit an Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound school, www.elob.org called the Rocky Mtn. School.  On Sat. I leave to head to San Fran., (24 hours on a bus).  My parents will be there for a few days, so i’ll see them on Monday.  Mon. night, I’m meeting w/ the submissions editor of New World Library for dinner.  Tues. I hope to visit UC Berkeley to learn a bit about their de-cal program, where students create and teach their own courses.  Tues. night I’m heading back to Colorado.  I may re-visit the ELOB school.  Next Fri., I am meeting with the Presdent of the Association of Experiential Education. 

So…I have some meeting to attend to, which is important.  I’m also looking forward to the experience.  The unknown of the next 10 days or so.  Not knowing how these meetings will turn out.  Not knowing what new opportunities will arise.  I just walked through campus w/ my hiking pack on, and after getting many funny looks, one person commented, we talked, and I sold a book.  I’m starting to think that “the hiking book tour,” might have just begun.  It’s more fun than buying a book from a book signing, or at a book store, I think.

Just met w/ Dean McLeod.  He’s “THE” dean of arts & sciences.  I got some re-assurance that Wash U., like most universities, struggles w/ all of the issues I presented, and struggles to find creative ways to solve them.  “It’s like going to a fancy hotel, you can still have a bad night.”  That’s his way of describing why students like myself don’t always have the best experience at “the best” schools.  Anyways…it was a good ice-breaking meeting, it’ll be a few weeks till I get to see him again.  As for finding a work opportunity, I was left w/ a “maybe.”  Better than a no, not as good as a yes.

Well…my friends, I’m off on my journey.  I hope to have some posts along the way.  Hopefully about my progress, as well as some other stream of conscious ramblings that will surely come out of the 96 hours of bus rides I’ll be having over the next week and a half. 

Go Cards.  Go Sox. 

-Dan

Topic: stream of consciousness

He sits in front of the computer.  It’s the only person he can talk to.  Alone in the apartment, while his roommate has fallen asleep in front of the television.  The TV is the only other person who talks to him, but it isn’t the best listener.  Tv likes to talk and talk and talk.  He sometimes finds himself listening to tv for hours, without really hearing a word of it.

The apartment serves as a prison.  He wanders around the rooms.  Entering the kitchen, he eats a cookie for companionship.  Entering the bathroom, he stares at the mirror to make sure he still exists. 

In front of the computer he dreams.  If all that he sees could come alive.  The people he contacts.  The pictures he sees.  The ideas it displays.  Life in that little screen is so alive and vibrant, but he knows it’s not real.

The time is 7pm.  It is dark out, and he hates that the day ends emotionally when it gets dark.  “There is so much day left”, he thinks to himself, but the remaining hours seem to slip by, so unproductive.  He takes solace in knowing that what he is experiencing is the prison that technology has produced for him.  “This house is better than being out in the cold, surely, but it just prevents me from being with people.”  He knows what’s wrong.  But, it has already sucked the energy out of him for the night.  The location of the appartment is part of the prison.  Any venturing outside leads to only more loneliness and solitude.

He sits knowing that this is self-imposed.  “With stability, comes pain,” he thinks to himself.  “I don’t want to be in this home.  I want to be in a house of strangers.  I want to be in a land of strange customs and practices, where everything will have taste and have feeling.”  He watches soccer on tv, and reflects on how it is called something else in England.  And he reflects on how the feeling this one sport creates in that country fails to exist at home in America. 

“There is something special about soccer, that I can’t explain.”  Perhaps the aura is created by its exoticness here at home.  He misses the city.  To be able to walk outside and in an instant find people to watch.

He feels like he is burning time, in order to get somewhere.  Looking at the screen, he knows his life has the potential to be doing so much.  But where are the people?  Where is there sense of purpose like his?  He has alientated himself, as much as the world has made him an alien to his fellow man.  He understands this, and plans to change this.  “I cannot accept the life I now live.  Nobody but me is feeling this internal pain, and nobody but me will take action.  Tom. I will begin to live once again, as I know I have before.”

A moment of non-medical depression.  A depression that will evaporate, and turn into joy.  He has diagnosed it, and the cure is in his hands.

Topic: Thanks Dara

Thanks to a post from my friend Dara, I’ve discovered a new critical term in my question to revoultionize higher education.  “Democratic education.”  I’ve just found an amazing site, www.educationrevolution.org (I wrote an article in the Wash U. newspaper this year called the education revolution).  It has a pretty thorough list of “innovative colleges,”

Lots of new leads to look into…

It’s kind of scary though.  In my head I’ve dreamed all about these different types of schools, and once I find these websites, I grow scared.  Alternative education in practice is still like a foreign country to me.  I know once I get involved, and actually meet people face-to-face, things will be good.  And it’s strange that although the schools I’m finding and the people involved with them speak of the exact educational philosophy which I hold, I worry about them being, “too out there,” even though that’s exactly what’s required.

I really need to get myself into a new environment.  At Washington U. in St. Louis, I am surrounded by my past.  My future isn’t here.  I need to gain experience from those organizations that already hold my philosophy.  I’m still going to try to just introduce my philosophy here, but, I can learn so much more by placing myself in one of those foreign environments…my future is once again in the air…