A lot of students in College Park are Jewish, which is possibly the understatement of the year. For many, it means freedom, Moses and matzo are the flavors of the week.
Let me start with what everyone is thinking: Passover, which will conclude Saturday, is weird. Thinking unleavened bread – the bread of addiction – should represent a slave’s “bread of affliction?” I don’t think so, God. Despite this absurdity, the holiday offers a particularly insightful bit of perspective on the ideal experience of a college student.
“Where is this leading?” Somewhere along the line, you’ve probably heard the classic generalized distinction of college campuses: the small liberal arts colleges and the party state schools. Clearly, our beloved university falls closer to the latter. Rowdy as they come, we relish our riotous culture of partying, honoring the memory of this university’s drunken embodiment: Thirsty Turtle.
We work hard. We play hard. However, I’ve rarely seen these experiences intertwined on a large scale among the student body. Casual yet vigorous and contentious debates on politics, religion and philosophy are supposed to be common among students – but at this university, these stereotypical expressions of college-aged angst are the exceptions to the norm. And maybe you’re content with that. Maybe you’d rather talk about Ratsie’s than Nietzsche. Maybe you find it cliche or unproductive to waste time with overly theoretical exercises of intellect when regular coursework offers enough strain by itself. Maybe you haven’t even noticed.
“Who do you think you are?” In an April 5 article, The Wall Street Journal noted a common criticism among employers that business majors often focus too much on the “nuts and bolts of finance and accounting” while failing to “develop enough critical thinking and problem-solving skills through long essays, in-class debates and other hallmarks of liberal-arts courses.” I don’t mean to single out business majors – students from all academic disciplines would benefit from heeding the advice of the employers quoted in the Journal. A liberal arts education, both in and outside the classroom, is a main reason why the American campus environment was established in the first place.
Every student on the campus, rather than just a select few, needs to prioritize the living-learning aspect of education. In the short time I have been at this university, I’ve gotten the impression administrators hope to rebrand and reshape this institution as a leader in higher learning. If that’s the case, this distinct change in the culture must lead the way.
“Are you sure about this?” You may wonder why I started this column with a Passover reference. That’s the point. The underlying theme of the holiday is to question everything. Finding answers themselves prove less important than exercising doubt. Next semester, when a new wave of students arrives the first day of class in a freshman colloquium should forgo the lame scavenger hunt and begin with a true icebreaker: a flurry of discussion and questions. “What’s the role of religion in our society?” “How would you solve global poverty?” “Austerity or stimulus?” “What’s the next energy solution?” To evolve into adulthood, we need to challenge our childhood notions by questioning everything.
A culture of wondering is a culture of learning – and it begins with the students. Every day, begin by asking. “Where is this leading?” “Who do you think you are?” “Are you sure about this?” If you don’t have answers, ask yourself: “Why?”
Nadav Karasov is a sophomore economics major. He can be reached at karasov@umdbk.com.
