It Makes No Sense!
On the first day of Enduring Questions my professor told us, “In this class we will be addressing two questions: who am I, and how do I live in this society. By the end of this class we will be no closer to an answer then we are now.” That’s an exact quote; I wrote it down. It is true that my section of EQ has not answered those two questions posed. But it is also true that the material we are expected to read and watch promotes a bias. I contend that Enduring Questions teaches against basic beliefs and values held by both Wabash College and the United States. Let’s explore this contention further.
One of the first texts introduced in EQ was In Defense of Dolphins by Thomas White. In this text White gives us his definition of what a human being is. He writes, “Human refers to any member of the biological category homo sapiens” (8). That’s it. White teaches us that humanity is a biological accident. Humanity in all of its greatness, wisdom, logic, justice, and reason is now reduced to a simple biological state. I am a human because I am biologically a homo sapiens. This idea itself completely rejects the teachings of liberal education. A liberally educated man observes the world around him and analyzes it. He challenges himself to make himself better. The thought process we go through to do this, to become liberally educated, is something that is marvelous. It shows that we are created for something higher. All the attributes of humanity, the good and the bad, show that humanity is not simply a biological state. Because White’s book tries to lower the level of humanity and put humanity on the same playing field as animals, not any better than the beasts that swim in the water, we have to wonder: why is this book being taught at an institution of higher education? Why is this book that so degrades the idea of humanity being taught at an institution whose goal it is to elevate the human? It makes no sense.
When it came to addressing the issue of masculinity, EQ did not try to hide its bias. The book that EQ students were made to read was one entitled Guyland. This book tried to prove the point that young men today are simply boys in an adult’s body. These boys have no zeal for life, the book argues. Their primary focus is sex. They have no ambition. Boys viciously haze other boys, this book argues. This is the book that EQ chose to represent masculinity. This is what EQ is teaching us Wabash men are. And so I address you, men of Wabash. Is this how you see yourself? Do you have no ambition? Do you have no zeal for life? Of course you do, that is why you are here. Wabash College proves Guyland wrong. And because we are the exact opposite of what this book says we are we have to wonder: why is it being taught here? It makes no sense.
Protest songs were part of the curriculum. One song that we were made to listen to in class was “Fuck tha Police” by NWA. In this song the phrase “fuck the police” is repeated 17 times. “…The police always got somethin’ stupid to say,” says the song. “Fuck the police.” It is not as though policemen daily put their lives on the line for our protection. It is not as though policemen save lives and often selflessly refuse to take the credit. These things did not enter the minds of our professors as they played this hate speech to hundreds of college students. And it is not as though those students could simply passively listen. Students were made to bring in protest songs of their own choosing and once again we were made to listen to songs that often included hateful speech directed towards the United States. No song of patriotism is played within the walls of an EQ classroom. No positive word about the U.S. is ever spoken. Enduring Questions encourages studies in revolution. It attempts to make students unsatisfied with their current government. Why else would we be made to listen to protest songs? Why else would we be taught “Fuck the Police”? Should hate speech such as this be taught in an institution of higher learning? Does the teaching of revolution make gentlemen out of boys? Of course not. So why is it being taught? It makes no sense.
My section of EQ was made to watch a documentary about Wabash College. The documentary was made by an alumnus who graduated in 2006. The main point of the documentary was that if Wabash was co-ed bad things at Wabash wouldn’t happen. Bad things like Chapel Sing, Sphinx Club rhynieship, and fraternity hazing. All of these were presented in a negative light. Chapel Sing was portrayed as barbaric. Ryhnieship and other forms of hazing were portrayed as something sickening and wrong. The documentary made it look as if Chapel Sing, rhynieship, and fraternity hazing were all that happened here at Wabash. No classes were shown. No student-professor interaction was shown. No Chapel Talk or Wednesday Chapel was shown. From the documentary Wabash seemed like hell, and all because we weren’t co-ed.
Wabash, is this true? Is all of your time devoted to hazing or Chapel Sing? Is this place hell because it isn’t co-ed? Of course not. But Wabash as a bad place because it isn’t co-ed seems to be what EQ believes. The only bit of history EQ students received about Wabash College was the bit from that documentary. We did not read any of Wabash On My Mind or These Fleeting Years, we only watched the documentary. This documentary presented Wabash College in a negative light. And so I ask you: does this reflect what you believe about Wabash College? Why were we not exposed to any other material? Why were we taught that Wabash is a bad place because it isn’t co-ed? Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a great idea to talk about the College in EQ. But if we are going to, why listen to the bitter rants of an ex-student? It makes no sense.
I have given you four examples of how EQ violates its own creed. Because EQ devalues the human, because it teaches a warped view of masculinity, because it teaches revolution, because it portrays the college as something negative, it does not in any way teach one to become liberally educated or a gentlemen. And therefore, to keep Enduring Questions in the curriculum of this college would make no sense.
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