Idea of a University

What is my idea of a university? I used to think it was an extension of high school; accept there would be more specialization in the subject matter, more freedom, and more responsibility. I guess I was partly right, but really missed the point when thinking of the purpose of a university education. I just thought that a formal college education would help me land that first big job. I was so focused on the end that I never took the time to realize why I was really here, to become a well rounded person.

John Henry Newman says, “If then a practical end must be assigned to a University course, I say it is that of training good members of society.” (170). This idea of a university echoes UTs purpose of “transforming lives for the benefit of society”. I wish I would have subscribed to this train of thought my first time around. I came into college wanting to become a psychologist. That lasted almost one semester before I wanted to change my major. However, for the life of me, I just couldn’t come up with anything else I wanted to study. Some area of business seemed to make the most sense (my father was a salesman, and always thought I had what it took to be successful in that area), but my chances of transferring into the business school were about the same as hitting the lotto. I quickly grew frustrated and partied my way right out of college. I never bothered to think about remaking myself through a higher institution of learning.

The style of learning at a university is referred to as experiential. This style goes beyond what one is accustomed to at the high school level (taking information from a teacher and then being tested). It actively engages the student, and, “it can force you to confront your current ideas about the subject, many of which may be misconceptions, and reconcile them with what you now observe to be the case .” (184). This statement connects well with John Henry Newman’s thoughts on the subject.

A lot of young people come to college aren’t themselves. A great deal of their thoughts and perceptions of the world stem from the environment created by their parents. They still don’t have their own ideas about what to do for a career, politics, marriage, religion, and a great many other things that are essential in becoming a true individual. This is why experiential learning is so important. It gives you a foundation from which you can reconstruct yourself into a happy and productive member of society.

Leadership

Going into last night's lecture, I wasn't sure what to expect. I've never been much of a theatre fan (I prefer the silver screen), but I do respect it as an art form. I was also unsure what was meant by "leadership". Usually, when thinking of leadership, most people would probably assume it has a professional or political meaning. This train of thought is even more applicable when thinking of a tyrant. I really enjoyed how Dean Woodruff took the definition in that context, but then broke it down into something more personal, asking us to "put the mirror up to these actors, and think about which one relates to you in your life". Although I had already reached that conclusion, it really drove it home to hear him say that.

The play that I enjoyed most was the scene from Antigone, where King Creon and his son are arguing, and the son pleads to the king to think of more than himself when governing his kingdom. The son makes his point by saying, "A place for one man alone is no city". By saying this, he is trying to get his father to confront his own hubris, which can be a very dangerous proposition when dealing with tyranny.

Dean Woodruff also went through the three symptoms of tyranny; hubris, lawlessness, and fear. Being a government major, I couldn't help but constantly place all three in political terms. Our elected officials are in office to represent the interest of the people. In other words, we vote for them so they can be leaders of our communities.

There is a saying that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This statement speaks to the creation of tyranny, yet it often seems that politicians heed this expression more as a motto than a warning. Their hubris causes them to treat their constituents as Creon treats his son, as if their way is the only way. Their penchant for lawlessness causes them to create campaign finance laws, then trample the very laws they created once backs are turned and cameras are shut off. They use fear to strip the public of their right to privacy, which was most apparent in the Patriot Act and unwarranted NSA internet surveillance. It seems that one of the most important factors in good leadership, trust, isn't just overlooked, but forgotten.

Covey says that "Without trust, the best we can do is compromise; without trust, we lack the credibility for open, mutual learning and communication and real creativity."(Covey, 221) This is especially true of our men and women in Congress. Partisanship in Washington has created a division in this country not seen since the Civil War, and trust is at the heart of the problem. As partisanship rears its ugly head more and more in American politics, trust is lost. It's now getting to the point that even compromise is becoming impossible, which can be seen in the current debate over healthcare. The conservative movement in this country is now subscribing to using one of the symptoms of tyranny, fear, to get their message across. Which brings us back to the lecture last night. Being able to spot a tyrant, and a true leader, is vital to a democratic society such as ours.

Brad's Type

I remember taking an aptitude test when I was younger to help me identify a career path. The test informed me that I would make a great lawyer or business executive because I could walk and chew gum at the same time, or something to that affect. Needless to say, my expectations for the Jung typology test were pretty low. However, after taking the test and analyzing the results, I was impressed by the diagnosis.

I was labeled an ENTJ. Apparently only two percent of the population has this cognitive makeup. People that are ENTJ are great with situational organization. In the Teaching/Learning Styles reading I especially related to the ENTJ’s ability to, according to the author, “Solve new problems, learn new skills hate busy work-like problem why oriented-what does it mean?” (138).

For a few years, I directed the recruiting department of a small therapy management company in New England. There was a lot of cold calling and busy work that I utterly despised, but I was also able to address some on going problems with the company’s new hire process. I don’t know quite how to explain it but I excelled at breaking the problem down and reorganizing the process to the company’s benefit.

I also thought it was interesting in the Writing Process Inventory section of the reading when the author states that, “They may even “write” better by speaking their first drafts into a tape recorder.” (Jensen and DiTiberio, 148). There have been several times in my high school and college careers when I found myself much more productive when I would pace

back and forth with a tape recorder in hand. However, there were few things about my ENTJ status that I found rather disheartening. Although I am a very direct person and I do have strong opinions I consider myself to be an equally good listener and will rarely dominate a conversation. But despite all that I suppose I can take solace in knowing that I share the same learning and writing styles as Napoleon Bonaparte, Hillary Clinton, and the Godfather of all Nerds, Bill Gates.