education debate

President of Wesleyan University, Michael Roth, was recently featured on a PBS special about the price of education and if it is necessary during this "time of decisions" as the anchor stated.  While I do not agree that this is necessarily a "time of decisions," I do think that this current economic recession is making us rethink the basic tools of a capitalist society - such as employment, housing, and education.

As a 2011 graduate of Wesleyan, I believe in President Roth's mission to brand the liberal arts experience.  He discussed this in his graduation speech.  Along with Paul Farmer, it was a nice balance of inspiration for calls to action and innovative, collaborative thinking.

I value my education, but am an exception to this whole debt phenomenom rule because my parents paid for my education.  I recognize that I am very lucky and all of that . . . but that is much due to my mother's value of education and her dedication to preserve adequate funds for me, since I was a little girl, to go to the college of my choice without racking up a huge amount of debt.  Wesleyan is expensive, but it is also a worthwhile education because it taught me how to read, write, and be a socially competent human being.

However, the school is not for everyone - it is an independent thinking place, where everyone works late into the night on whatever their latest passion is.  This can be both enriching and lonely.  It is not a party school - which some argue is a key component of college, but for me, was not something I was interested in spending my time doing if I was going to make such a pricy investment.


My argument for this piece is this: it takes critical thinking to create solutions that make a worthwhile contribution to society.  A college education, in whatever form, helps develop those crucial skills that often cannot be absorbed alone in the ruthless job market.  Perhaps, I am becoming too Marxist, but I know that skills are not just granted, they are earned.  That is a lesson learned as a result of my Jesuit high school education.

I see a little too much idealism in my peers, which concerns me.  How will we get things done?  How will we move beyond our predecessors? It is inevitable that, as young professionals, we will left with a huge bill to pay from all of the overspending and inaccurate speculation of the markets, as dictated by the current leaders in the United States.  So, what is the solution to dealing with that bill and continuing to move society forward?  I believe that it begins with a thoughtful examination of the reality of current conditions in order to stimulate new thinking for a future with unprecedented challenges.

We need to move beyond the nostalgic complacency of our parents for the 1970s flower power and to think in ways that aren't going to screw over those who don't have all of the money in the world. Perhaps, this discussion begins with how the older institutions are shaping today's leaders of tomorrow, and how we can recognize that in order to use it to our advantage.


Enter the debate and think for yourself here:

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