Public Space vs. Private Space

As today's world becomes increasingly globalized, we ironically became a more isolated society. Some argue that we should make space more accessible to the general public because boundaries are becoming less and less distinct. International boundaries have certainly become permeable; we need to look only at the United State's southern border to see that many immigrants and "different" people continue to occupy American space. Even colleges are now taking their boundaries down as they allow for more diversity. Students of different racial, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds mingle throughout various universities.
On the other hand, some believe that we should not make more public spaces. Instead, we should make more private spaces because people are willing to pay money to express their own individuality through space. If we think about it, our society has become very self-centered with new technologies like iPods and portable computers. We see more and more people in public who compltelely isolate themselves from the rest by plugging in their headphones or by becoming comsumed by a text message screen. Retailers and companies take advantage of our self-centered state to advertise costly items--and even large-scale items like real estate-- that can potentially become our own and no one else's.

What Should College Accomplish?

After analyzing various aspects of college, I have realized that college should allow people to grow as human beings. I know that typical college students hate to admit this "cheesy" idea, but it makes sense. We attend college for many reasons.
Clearly, we are expected to learn and gain academic skills. We do research, read extensively, write essays, prepare presentations, among many things. We not only learn to be students, but in the process we also learn to think critically and to have a broader and more cultured view of the world.
Then there is more to the academic aspects of what college should teach us. We should also--and do--learn to become social and to deal with people. We not only make new friends and meet new people, but we also learn how to select the people we want to socialize with. By choosing the people who surround us, we essentially choose who we want to be as human beings. College ultimately offers a chance to learn about ourselves.

Response to Nicholas Lemann's "Liberal Education and Professionals"

Nicholas Lemann's article, "Liberal Education and Professionals," discusses three aspects that validate professional schools' presence in major universities. First, a university teaches students studying professional majors what trade schools--and even jobs themselves--cannot. Professional schools within universities force students to condiser the various complexities of their intended profession, a task that daily work life oversees. Also, Lemann argues that universities and their professional schools can potentially offer major contributions to their fields. Finally, universities, unlike trade schools, do not conform to the current ethical standards of a profession. On the contrary, professional schools at universities change established norms by offering new insights on a practice and its ethical conduct.
Lemann's article counterbalances Caroline Bird's article by proving that a college education is worth the investment in time and money. Lemann acknowledges the fact that students may not use their school knowledge at work. However, he also states that professional school--and college in general--gives students the broad knowledge of their careers that they cannot obtain at work. Professional schools, like liberal arts colleges, focus on the whole of either a profession or academic endeavors.
Overall, I agree with the views that Lemann presents. It seems that a professional school complements a college graduate's work experience. Both work and higher education are important in order to make a well-rounded and competitive person who can handle a variety of situations.

Response to Caroline Bird's "Where College Fails Us"

In her article, Caroline Bird argues that college has become a "contemporary nightmare" that forces youngsters to make wrong choices. Nowadays, many students attend college not because they actually like to learn, but because their families and other people influence them. Bird claims that college is not a suitable choice for everyone, so it's importance may not be as credible as society makes it.
In order to defend her point, the author refers to the rising number of graduates who face mediocre choices for employment. Bird dismisses the optimistic views of college students who want a job that "changes" the world. She states that there will "probably never be enough jobs requiring higher education to go around." Clearly, the author wants us to realize that the jobs that students want differ heavily from those that students may actually need after graduation.
While she refers effectively to the realities of employment, Bird's argument generalizes the worth of an education among families. The author assumes too quickly the fact that each family views higher education as an expense. Although the high tuition costs do force some families to reconsider their children's education, other families see college as an investment.

Practice Post

Time to start blogging.