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1、(/)ISSUE74,FALL2011WHOAREYOUANDWHATAREYOUDOINGHERE?ByMarkEdmundson(/magazine/itemlist/user/958-markedmundson)
2、August22,2011AmessageinabottletotheincomingclassWelcomeandcongratulations:Gettingtothefirstdayofcollegeisamajorachievement.You’retobecommended,andnotjustyou,buttheparents,grandparents,uncl
3、es,andauntswhohelpedgetyouhere.It’sbeensaidthatraisingachildeffectivelytakesavillage:Well,asyoumayhavenoticed,ourAmericanvillageisnotinverygoodshape.We’vegotguns,drugs,twowars,fanaticalreligions,aslime-basedpopularculture,andsomepoliticianswho—alittlerestrainthere—aren’twhattheymightbe.Tomerelysur
4、viveinthisAmericanvillageandtowinaplaceintheenteringclasshastakenalotofgritonyourpart.So,yes,congratulationstoall.Younowmaythinkthatyou’ve"FacultyMeeting"(2008)byMernetLarsenaboutgotitmade.Amidsttheimpressivecollegebuildings,incompanywithahigh-poweredfaculty,surroundedbytheimpressivecollegebuildin
5、gs,incompanywithahigh-poweredfaculty,surroundedbythebestofyourgeneration,allyouneedistokeepdoingwhatyou’vedonebefore:Workhard,getgoodgrades,listentoyourteachers,getalongwiththepeoplearoundyou,andyou’llemergeinfouryearsasaneducatedyoungmanorwoman.Readyforlife.Donotbelieveit.Itisnottrue.Ifyouwanttog
6、etarealeducationinAmericayou’regoingtohavetofight—andIdon’tmeanjustfightagainstthedrugsandtheviolenceandagainsttheslime-basedculturethatisstillgoingtosurroundyou.Imeansomethingalittlemoredisturbing.Togetaneducation,you’reprobablygoingtohavetofightagainsttheinstitutionthatyoufindyourselfin—nomatter
7、howprestigiousitmaybe.(Infact,themoreprestigioustheschool,themoreyou’llprobablyhavetopush.)YoucangetaterrificeducationinAmericanow—thereareastonishingopportunitiesatalmosteverycollege—buttheeducationwillnotbepresentedtoyouwrappedandbowed.Togetit,you’llneedtostruggleandstrive,tobestrong,andoccasion
8、allyeventopissoffsomeadmirablepeople.Icametocollegewithfewresources,butoneofthemwasanunderstanding,howevercrude,ofhowImightusemyopportunitiesthere.ThisIbegantodevelopbecauseofmyfather,whohadneverbeentocollege—inf
