Letters
John W. Stewart
PO Box 257
Peconic, New York 11958
17 February 2005
Ms. Rebecca S. Chopp
President, Colgate University
13 Oak Drive
Hamilton, New York 13346
Dear Ms. Chopp:
I read your February letter with a great deal of interest. I was particularly interested when your spoke of the values that defined an educated person in the 19th century and in the 21st century. I graduated from Colgate in 1967 during a time of considerable social upheaval. That upheaval was not felt on the Colgate Campus as much as it was elsewhere, probably due to what was, at that time, the isolation of the University. I believe I learned more about dealing with the world in general in my directly subsequent experience as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. The success of that was continuously tested while living and working in Saudi Arabia from 1976 to 1983. In that context perhaps you will understand the expression of the following views:
I believe that American universities are making a tragic mistake in their application of social values. I believe that each and every university, not just Colgate, should work on two issues: First: the development of personal responsibility, the acceptance of the consequences of one’s actions. I believe that this concept should be applied with rigor in order to teach our young people how to respond to the world. For the University to be Big Brother (cf: George Orwell’s writings) does not assist them in this learning process. Second: I believe that a strict interpretation of Thomas Jefferson’s addition to our constitution: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. This implies that all people should be treated equally, not necessarily fairly. This means that no individual should be advanced or impeded in society to achieve some nebulous social purpose. I hear so much about the latest buzz word “diversity” which in its application across America today is code for favoring one group over another. I do not believe that higher education should base the acceptance of an individual or the award of scholarship funding on any basis other than personal excellence and ability to perform at the expected level of scholarship. When we tamper with this process we degrade the product.
Some changes that have occurred in society and at Colgate since 1967 are good. The acceptance of women at Colgate has done a great deal to achieve student social integration. In order for Colgate to “keep the education that we offer our students current”, perhaps some more effort on the traditional values expressed above should be considered.
I managed to attend Colgate with the Core curriculum then
and not take a single mathematics course. I believe that this was a deficiency
then and from what I hear, the deficiency still exists.
I see by your letter that some Alumni have been exceptionally generous
of late. I applaud the contributions of fellow alumni, however, I wonder
if the use of this generosity is always well spent. I believe that some
reflection on the concept that “bigger is not always better”
should be applied. In the continuous expansion of physical plant and Administrative
staff comes an arrogance that has expressed itself in the goal of the
destruction of the Greek letter societies. The attitude of the almost
self-appointed Board of Trustees and University Administration to Greek
Letter Alumni Corporation ownership of the houses boarders on criminal
extortion. The parties indicated may very well consider that they are
making these changes with the best interest of students in mind, but they
are not. They are merely extending the maturity period beyond the Secondary
Educational level. People learn when they are allowed to fail. People
accept responsibility for their actions when they are forced to live with
the consequences. To create an artificial society in a relatively remote
and rural part on New York will not create educated and mature people.
In short, I believe you need a “a few good men and women”
to make the rules and administer them... if you catch my drift.
Very Truly Yours,
John W. Stewart