Lawrence Today magazine, Summer 2007
Feeling disturbed
Reflections on Spring 2007 Lawrence Today article “Why can’t they
be like we were — perfect in every way?” by Nancy Truesdell, dean
of students.
Dean Truesdell’s abridged summary of a national poll of the self-named
Millennial Generation (current 18-to-22-year-olds) amused me greatly. She suggests
that other generations avoid the “trap” of deciding that today’s
students are different from us, especially less intelligent or less sincere.
Parodying the Bye Bye Birdie lyrics “What’s the matter with kids
today?” she concludes: “Nothing. They are who they are.”
Personally, I found much that, if not precisely “the matter with kids
today,” still is seriously troubling about our youth culture. To wit:
• The distinction between “religion” and “spirituality,” “the
borrowing of useful doctrines,” “creating their own faith tradition.”
• The desire to reach out and “touch others — constantly” contrasted
with confronting things face-to-face, yielding to the safer, impersonal electronic
communication.
• Parents as protectors, advocates, college application writers, class
assignment editors.
• Requirements for volunteering (“They value community service and
volunteerism, but they are used to, in some way, ‘getting credit’ for
it.”)
• “Conflicting values...high grades in high school...validity to
the feeling that they should be confident in their academic performance” but
survey showed 80 percent of freshmen reported studying fewer than ten hours
a week in high school.
• “Academic dishonesty has been on the rise in colleges and universities;
desire to achieve bumps up against personal integrity.”
Dean Truesdell concludes, “When I ask myself, ‘Why can’t
they be like we were, perfect in every way?’ my first answer is ‘We
weren’t,’ and the second answer is ‘We should not expect
them to be, either.”
Fifty years removed from Lawrence, am I alone in feeling disturbed by this
article and, perhaps, my high expectations for the Millennials?
Ted Beranis ’57
Bonita Springs, Fla.
Millennials and their parents
I found Nancy Truesdell’s article (Spring 2007) defining today’s
college students particularly interesting and somewhat concerning. As an elementary-school
principal, I used to be very concerned about “helicopter” parents.
Parents constantly “rescuing” their children do not do them any
favors. While it is good to look up to one’s parents or grandparents,
one’s vision also needs a broader scope. Her perception that the incoming
students are more willing to be followers than questioners, pleasers rather
than challengers is disturbing. Hopefully, the Lawrence experience will ameliorate
some of that. Such conformity is scary.
Jeannine Koessel ’51
Surprise, Arizona
Identities found
The
men in the 1950s-vintage photo from the spring issue are (from left)
Ray Schoedl, Bob Furman, the late Gerald Mungerson, and Jack Tichenor, all
of the Class of 1957. Ted Beranis, Martin Deppe, and Chuck Merry, all also
of the Class of ’57,
contributed identifications.