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[personal profile] jfb
Dave Eggers thinks colleges should institute a community service requirement.
Second, college is largely about fulfilling requirements, isn't it? Students have to complete this much work in the sciences, that much work in the arts. Incoming freshmen accept a tacit contract, submitting to the wisdom of the college's founders and shapers, who decide which experiences are necessary to create a well-rounded scholar, one ready to make a contribution to the world. But while colleges give their students the intellectual tools for life beyond campus, they largely ignore the part about how they might contribute to the world. That is, until the commencement speech, at which time all the "go forth's" and "be helpful's" happen.

Political reporter John Tierney says Americans are not really that divided. (Elsewhere in the paper, but not online, a chart shows a 77% gap in presidential approval rating between Republicans and Democrats--the widest such gulf at this stage in a re-election campaign since before Nixon, at least.)

John Leland looks at Reagan in terms of American archetypes of optimism.

The Public Editor examines the Times's new anonymous sourcing policy, and finds its execution wanting.

The editors compare electronic voting machine regulation to Las Vegas gambling machine regulation, and find our democracy wanting.

Date: 2004-06-16 02:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dougo.livejournal.com
How come college didn't teach David Eggers (or New York Times editors!) how (not) to use apostrophes?

Date: 2004-06-17 12:46 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bushmiller.livejournal.com
Oh, Doug and your (wayward) parenthetical (statements).

By the way, we run into this community service thing where I teach. We factor HS community service into admissions (I think?) and certainly into merit-based scholarships. We're also incorporating it into our curriculum a lot more, as well. Hot topic these days. No, I don't mean the store.

By the way, I sent a character request via the wpt webpage the other day and no one responded. Do you know who I should email?

--sean

Date: 2004-06-17 12:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jfb.livejournal.com
Cool re community service, I think.

Probably Ken. I'm trying to figure out how to get you his email address without breaking the taboo against putting addresses where they can be spam-harvested. Modern life is so complicated. Is your site down?

Date: 2004-06-17 04:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bushmiller.livejournal.com
Yeah, the site's down for the time being. I've had problems with my hosting and will be moving it soon. Here's an email link which should be relatively spam-thwarted.

--sean

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