Why College, or What Have We Done?

Every fall I teach a first-year seminar called “Why College? Historical and Contemporary Perspectives.” On the first day of class I present a list of possible purposes for college and ask students to rank them. “Finding your passion” and “changing the world” are always the top vote-getters, because that is the story we tell about college. Welcoming the new students at convocation, the president declares that they can do whatever they want with their lives, so they should do something they love. And they are also reminded to live for others, not just for themselves. At the University of Pennsylvania, where I teach, that inevitably means trotting out the school’s favorite quote from its famous founder. “The noblest question in the world is, ‘What good may I do in it?’” Benjamin Franklin asked. I wish that was the real point of college, and so do the students. But we both know better. The point is to get ahead, and to win the game. That means giving the teacher (in this case, me) the answer that he wants to hear. And outside of class, it means competing for every trophy in sight. Indeed, the competition is what produces the value. A few years ago, a student told my seminar that she had “tried out” for the Alzheimer’s Buddies Club — which sends people to visit patients in nearby hospitals — but that she didn’t “get in.” When she applied, she said, she had to submit an essay explaining why she wanted to participate; then she had to undergo an interview with an officer in the organization, who quizzed her about her “motivations” and “qualifications” for the role. Her story saddened me. I told the class that I didn’t think Penn should sponsor a group that winnowed people so selectively for a

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