Monday, December 10, 2007

"But this is done at other colleges...

Another fun guest post from YU Sophomore Julian Horowitz. Please send well written posts to TheYUVent@gmail.com - if they are about YU and well-written, they will be vented.

Don't even think of starting any response to any of the problems and suggestions on this blog with the words "But, they also do this at other colleges..." If you want to point out flaws or impracticalities with someone's idea, go ahead. But using others as a yardstick for one's own success is rarely beneficial, nor is it honest. We are not "other colleges," and its this type of mediocrity-striving nonsense which keeps YU so...YUish. Our measure of success should be our own cheshbon hanefesh (soul-searching) and if other colleges have stupidity we should look to improve on them, not to emulate them.

-Julian Horowitz

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My comment implying a comparison between the problems at YC and at other colleges was in no way an argument against addressing those problems. Nor did I use the tone-changing word 'but' to introduce my response. My intention was merely to point out that many of the insightful solutions proposed in the paper on curriculum reform have a wider scope than is apparently intended by the author.

Practically this could mean that we could learn from similar difficulties at other schools as a means of addressing our own. Or conversely, if the reparative measures suggested are put into effect, that YU could become the example for them.