Roth on the Value of a Liberal Arts Education

As the president of an elite liberal arts college, Michael Roth is obviously biased in extolling the virtues of attending such an institution, but his latest Huff Post column is somewhat reassuring in these cautiously optimistic times:

...There is a promise of freedom in the liberal arts education offered by America's most distinctive, selective, and demanding institutions; and it is no surprise that their graduates can be found disproportionately in leadership positions in politics, culture and the economy. A quick look at several members of President-elect Obama's leadership team can stand as an example of how those with a liberal arts education are shaping the future of our society.

...The possibilities for free study, experimentation and risk taking need protection and cultivation. Looking around the world, we find no shortage of thugs who desecrate or murder those who seek to produce a more meaningful culture. And here at home we can easily see how mindless indifference to the contemporary arts and sciences facilitates the destruction of cultural memory and creative potential.

America's great universities and colleges must continue to offer a rigorous and innovative liberal arts education. A liberal education remains a resource years after graduation because it helps us to address problems and potential in our lives with passion, commitment and a sense of possibility...

Yeah, it's basically an extended brochure for prospective Wes students, but such positive thinking might be helpful when these thoughts are keeping you up at night.

Huffington Post: What's a Liberal Arts Education Good For?

White People Love/Hate the Ivy League

Ok I'm just a sucker for Stuff White People Like, but last week's entry, The Ivy League, is too spot on not to share:

White people have a tortured relationship with the Ivy Leagues, and if you broach the subject in the wrong way you can offend and even anger a white person.

But before getting into the more nuanced aspects of the subject, it’s important to know that all white people believe they have the intelligence and work ethic required to attend an Ivy League school. The only reason they did not actually go to one is that they chose not to participate in the “dog and pony show” required to gain acceptance... This should always be at the back of your mind as you talk to a white person about the Ivy League.

Once you have determined that a white person did not attend an Ivy League School, you should try to give them the opportunity to explain why their school was actually a superior educational experience. Some easy ways to do this are to mention grade inflation, professors who value research over teaching, or high tuition costs. Any one of these will set a white person off on a multi-minute rant.

...White people also like to call their school “The Harvard of the [insert region or conference]”. Do not challenge this, it will ruin their confidence.

Replace "white people" with "elite New England liberal arts school students" and it is just as effective. Sorry if this post offends you, either as a white person or as a Wesleyan student.

Stuff White People Like: The Ivy League

Most Annoying Liberal Arts College

Oh dear. It seems we've been given the dubious honor of being listed among the nation's Most Annoying Liberal Arts Colleges by Gawker. The voting begins tomorrow. Though, fortunately, they are accepting write-ins if anyone's interested in mentioning our oft-neglected NESCAC brethren. I mean, they have their tired stereotypes, too, you know.

Bard: Upstate New York haven for rich, disaffected filmmakers, writers, grade-skippers and artists.

Bennington: Hippie haven in Vermont with optional grades and lots of "creative" types. (Bonus: Bret Easton Ellis went there. Then, so did Jared Paul Stern.)

Brown (honorary liberal arts college): Eurotrash and rich hipster magnet in Providence, R.I.

Hampshire: This "non-traditional" college in Amherst, MA calls itself "experimenting." Whatever that means.

Kenyon: There's not much to do here besides go drink in the Ohio woods. Also, maybe too preppy for our list, maybe.

Oberlin: Asked and answered.

Reed: They're smarter than you. Just ask. Even though they're baked. Also: West Coast represent!

Sarah Lawrence: Breeding ground of coked-up artsy heiresses and the lone faggy heir.

Smith: Lesbians and the LUGS who love them.

Vassar: Favorite of budding editorial assistants everywhere. Male population: See under Sarah Lawrence.

Wesleyan: Our instinctive favorite to take the crown, if only because if we have to hear about one more awesome party at Eclectic we might slit our wrists. Also, heroin is all fun and games until you can't get out of rehab, isn't it.

EDIT: Clearly Vassar wants the glory just that badly.

EDIT 2: Okay, some Wesleyan students too. (WHY??)

...Guys. This is not a pissing contest we want to win.

What the future holds

This Newsweek column came out way back in November, but somehow we missed it. Recent grad Caitlin Petre '06, a Philosophy major, wrote a piece called "The Lessons I Didn't Learn in College".

Summary: Taxes suck, we're screwed.

Bonus: If you roll over the UPS ad, you get to watch an enthralling commercial about international shipping featuring the first 30 seconds or so of Such Great Heights by the Postal Service. Ha! Ha!

All this raises a disturbing question: when I spent a ton of time and money on my fancy degree, what exactly was I buying? The ability to think, some might say. OK, fine, that's important. Still, my résumé would look odd if it read, "Skills: proficient in French, word processing, thinking." The thinking I did in college seems to be of limited utility in the "real world." The fact that I wrote a 30-page critical analysis of the function of shame in society did nothing to ease the sting when I spilled beer on a customer at the bowling alley.

Yes.

From here.

Wesleyan is ranked #3...by Washington Monthly

Washington Monthly Ranking

Liberal Arts College

State

U.S. News Ranking

1	Bryn Mawr College	PA	21
2	Wellesley College	MA	4
3	Wesleyan University	CT	12
4	Haverford College	PA	8
5	Amherst College	MA	2
6	Mount Holyoke College	MA	23
7	Claremont McKenna College	CA	10
8	Williams College	MA	1
9	Whitman College	WA	36
10	Swarthmore College	PA	3

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