Page 156 - ThePhoenix1995-96

Thursday, April 11, 1996 - Page 4 COMMENTARY SORRY, YOU'VE BEEN DISCONNECTED I Mel Brennan I A Stranger in a Strange Land concerned with only "gelling by," and an Having always known the wisdom of What kept coming to my mind over and As the 25th of May draws near, I've been overall institutional context that placed em- learned elders. The Stranger found mostly the over was that saying one usually hears at finding myself reflecting on the "making of phasis on the reinforcement of the status- inconsistency and selectivity that application some point during the college experience: meaning," as it relates to my undergraduate quo of the Western world through academic of college policy by those elders has come "The world of college is the world in micro- experience here at Western Maryland. To- ihdocrrination. to represent. cosm." Indeed, the symptoms of the disease ward that end, allow me to share with you a Having sought meaningful interaction Having believed that being an under- from which higher education suffers are discussion I had with a member of the cam- with peers, The Stranger found mostly a stu- graduate would mean an epiphanic and mov- clearly symptoms of the larger world as well. pus community ... let's call this person The dent body preoccupied with the clique men- ing time of growth through the making of Many of us are becoming Strangers in Stranger. tality, gossip, and the superficial aspects of meaning, The Stranger found that most ide- Strange Lands, Kafkaesque noncitizen citi- Knowing this person as I do,· I feel confi- alcohol and drugs. als of the undergraduate experience were zens in neighborhoods, communities, states, dent in describing The Stranger as possessed Having believed in the potential of true falsehoods. and nations whose realities are completely of unique yet piercing insights on the world love. The Stranger found mostly persons The Stranger noted individuals, excep- divorced from their ideals. in general, and WMC in particular. This is consumed only with embracing the trappings tions to the above, but went on to submit that I left The Stranger then, having no words due to the fact that The Stranger is known to of love, and selfishly receiving the benefits these persons appeared to be few and far be- that could deflate neither my own realiza- all, walks with many, but admits to mean- of love freely given. Never did these people tween, and that connecting and sharing with tions, nor The Stranger's argument. Strug- ingful interaction with but a few. Everyone seek a sharing of the responsibility, over these few was a matter more of luck than gling with the Stranger's perceptions seemed perceives The Stranger as fully immersed in time, of saying "I love you, too." anything else. to begin to generate in me new mental path- the daily noise that is student life, yet The Having searched for a sort of haven from The Stranger concluded with the realiza- ways, a myriad of new ideas. It prompted Stranger moves among us without really be- the sexism and racism, The Stranger found tion that attending college in the nineties, for the origins of new ways of seeing, of being . ing us; without belonging to anything, nor mostly the subtle debasement of women and The Stranger, mostly was an exercise in un- of "knowing." I began to feel enlightened . anyone. You see, I discovered that The ethnic groups, the behind - the - back whis- derstanding many things that college simply Ahhh, the hell with it. Hand me a beer. Stranger came to college for far more than perings of heartless epithets, and the hypoc- shouldn't be in the coming millennium. After all, what does one Stranger know? what college seems to be. risy of so - called student liberals who know- I wanted to respond, to argue, but upon Man, I have to start looking for ajob. Having sought higher learning, The ingly embrace such racist andlor sexist stu- reflection how could I? Stranger found mostly a student environment dents as friends. CONNECTED ----------------------------~I~D~a~v~id~R~Y~k!e:r.tI---------------------------- Connected ity to teach than their absolute knowledge "Uniqueness, creativity, and humanity" grow ever more difficult as graduation ap- .; After reading lyle! Brennan '~Rontributiop p[ t~~ svpJe~t milller. !n college there are are all personal traits that can be developed proaches. Thus. Mr. Brennan is correct when to the March 14, ,I~!.?6 E;'~py~~.x. "Sorry, "professors," some of whom are "doctors." '