"The modern college is not a factory where utilities and commodities are turned out wholesale. It is rather an Alma Mater, a cherishing mother for the development of rich and independent individualities and personalities. Something of the romance and the magic of a mystic quest, something of the spirit of a crusader has a right there."-Dr. C.A. MelbyI like the wordage of this quote. I like it a lot. Maybe more than I've ever liked wording in any academic article that I've ever had to read. That's quite a lot, coming from me.
It is interesting to note that this seems to come from a European perspective. What I mean is that they reference the spirit of the crusader, which reminds of me of a knight or lord on a Crusade or mayhaps heading towards the Crusades. But it's about the modern college (well 1927 modern). This seems to almost be a throwback to the medieval college, the British or European college of yore. Quests make me think of King Arthur, they're not an American concept. So even though he says that it's very modern, it comes off as kind of old fashioned/not very individualistic/not a very American concept of a college.
On an unrelated tangent, I like that this was written by a history/economics major. I guess it proves that English majors aren't the only people who can write. (That doesn't mean I'm going to switch majors, but it's something to think about, definitely).
No comments:
Post a Comment