If incongruity is the basis of humor, then the modern university is a pretty funny place.
College students are inundated these days with the Gospel of Service. Campus leaders great and small hector them: spend spring break in Appalachia; be a Big Brother or Big Sister to a poor kid in town; do an “urban plunge” in the Bowery (or someplace like the Bowery used to be).
Good point: today’s students are all too often self-centered, pampered, and take their affluence (that is, their parents’ money) for granted. But what do the colleges do the rest of the time? Tell these same students that they are the brightest ever, see to their every need, and immerse them in affluence—from the smorgasbord in the dining hall to the spa-like workout facilities. Except for having a roommate you might not like, life at the “U” is better than taking a cruise. The “U” can’t sink.
Dormitories are hives of behavior modification and thought policing, even as the adults on campus dance on the grave of in loco parentis and sing the psalm of academic freedom. “Orientation” speakers make sure all the incoming students get their minds right about “diversity” and “respecting difference.” Well, at least some differences, or maybe none: “straight,” “gay,” “queer,” “trans,” or “bi” are (all join the refrain now!) “fine by me.” (more...)
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