My German professor at Reed College – who is long since deceased – once said that if he could get only 5 percent of his students’ attention, he would feel as if he had succeeded. That’s because, he affirmed -- based on decades of observation (including his own participation given this was before the #MeToo movement) -- most college students spend 95 percent of their time focused on sex, drugs, and rock n roll.
That was during the 60s, but I don’t think much has changed except for the musical genres. Why would anyone want to “go to” college when entering an actual classroom is now mostly virtual, dining is take-out or socially distanced, and social activities – not to mention sex – are not only highly discouraged but might also result in death via Covid-19?
My brother-in-law, a retired Cornell professor, just sent me an email from Cornell President Martha E. Pollack to students and staff, outlining plans for an in-person year with “hybrid instruction and opportunities for remote learning for those who can’t return” – mainly international students. The plan covers classroom lectures, living arrangements, travel, and schedules but skips over the essential three elements of a student’s life: sex, drugs, and rock n roll.
If I were a student, I’d be tempted to skip the year, save some hefty college fees, and do something to help stop the spread of the virus, especially among communities of color, the homeless, those in nursing homes, and anyone who is food or rent insecure.
Perhaps someone will initiate a Covid Community Corps, akin to the Peace Corps, composed of young people dedicated to healing this nation and the planet, not to mention learning more about themselves and non-similar others than they would in a place of higher learning.
This does not rule out doing distance learning as well, but it should be free and accredited. Covid community work should eliminate tuition fees, at least for the coming academic year.
As to sex, drugs, and rock n roll, those in the Covid Community Corps would have the opportunity to experience and acquire empathy, compassion, and caring, all attributes that could prove more gratifying and just as useful for living their lives as the knowledge acquired at an in-person college.