A wonderful and incisive 10+ minutes, exploring, via an idealistic two-year college out west, the relation between social class, education, and labor. This is far beyond a doing-well-by-doing-good story -- PDs! This *must* be placed in any program or news block devoted to education, especially now that the administration imagines an expansion of NCLB without any recognition of what students say or need. This piece reveals an unusually highly engaged collection of students -- the very element missing in so much talk about reforming education. Why aren't there more schools and colleges like this?
The sounds of the most unique college in the US are manifold: goats getting married, cows being milked, intellectual sparring and spouting of ideals. The focus here is on the tension between the elitism and status quo of normal universities and the down-to-earth idealism of Deep Springs. The interviews, however, reveal slices of further complexity: students relishing responsibility for the sake of 'control'; emphasis on a kind of reverse-superiority for being willing to get one's hands dirty; inconsistent and uncaring teacher assessments. No doubt, the best education in the country, but the subsance of which lies in their actual educational experiences, which we only get a glimpse of--of lessons learned and naivete on full display--that lies underneath the surface projections of idealism that are only half the story. But several forceful examples of commitment to an uncompromised education, are inspiring: education at its most pure and most extreme.
This piece addresses some intriguing educational issues. Are Colleges just engaged with the mind or is there more that they can do. Deep Springs is involved in so much more. The chores are one thing, but the commitment from the students, and their sense of responsibility to the college and each other is huge. These young men build and rebuild community with every entering class. Each new skill they learn is passed on to the next student who takes the previous student's place. This sense of immediate apprenticeship is not found in many places. The students are involved in so many arenas, academics, farm work, running the college, it is hard to imagine a more well rounded learning experience.
The title is catchy and appropriate. This is a wonderful, inspirational piece on an alterative to the traditional college education. Would that there were more college programs such as this available. The production is excellent. I listened to the piece several times and each time I caught something new. I also listened for the sound effects of the ranch. Very well done.
Could not resist the title and glad I didn’t. There’s the school of hard knocks, and then this, the school of hard work as portrayed in a beautifully produced, fast-moving montage that captures the essence of a very unique college. A handful of students, a teacher, and the former president articulately discuss different aspects over sound-rich tape bed and student composed music. It all works and winds up with this powerful statement by one of the students: “It’s really strange to have schools that say their mission is to serve society, is to help the world, is to train future leaders, that are training their future leaders to sit around in their pajamas in the dining hall and have underpaid people of another color bring them their food. That just doesn’t seem legitimate.” Damn right. Air any time cause it’s real good radio and says a lot about class in America without ever using the word.
Comments for Proust, cattle and self-governance
Produced by Claes Andreasson
Other pieces by Claes Andreasson
Rating Summary
5 comments
Jackson Braider
Posted on January 23, 2005 at 10:22 AM | Permalink
Review of Proust, cattle and self-governance
A wonderful and incisive 10+ minutes, exploring, via an idealistic two-year college out west, the relation between social class, education, and labor. This is far beyond a doing-well-by-doing-good story -- PDs! This *must* be placed in any program or news block devoted to education, especially now that the administration imagines an expansion of NCLB without any recognition of what students say or need. This piece reveals an unusually highly engaged collection of students -- the very element missing in so much talk about reforming education. Why aren't there more schools and colleges like this?
Oliver Morrison
Posted on January 05, 2005 at 07:54 PM | Permalink
Review of Proust, cattle and self-governance
The sounds of the most unique college in the US are manifold: goats getting married, cows being milked, intellectual sparring and spouting of ideals. The focus here is on the tension between the elitism and status quo of normal universities and the down-to-earth idealism of Deep Springs. The interviews, however, reveal slices of further complexity: students relishing responsibility for the sake of 'control'; emphasis on a kind of reverse-superiority for being willing to get one's hands dirty; inconsistent and uncaring teacher assessments. No doubt, the best education in the country, but the subsance of which lies in their actual educational experiences, which we only get a glimpse of--of lessons learned and naivete on full display--that lies underneath the surface projections of idealism that are only half the story. But several forceful examples of commitment to an uncompromised education, are inspiring: education at its most pure and most extreme.
Michael Rome
Posted on November 09, 2004 at 10:19 AM | Permalink
Review of Proust, cattle and self-governance
This piece addresses some intriguing educational issues. Are Colleges just engaged with the mind or is there more that they can do. Deep Springs is involved in so much more. The chores are one thing, but the commitment from the students, and their sense of responsibility to the college and each other is huge. These young men build and rebuild community with every entering class. Each new skill they learn is passed on to the next student who takes the previous student's place. This sense of immediate apprenticeship is not found in many places. The students are involved in so many arenas, academics, farm work, running the college, it is hard to imagine a more well rounded learning experience.
Deborah Astley
Posted on August 13, 2004 at 07:45 AM | Permalink
Review of Proust, cattle and self-governance
The title is catchy and appropriate. This is a wonderful, inspirational piece on an alterative to the traditional college education. Would that there were more college programs such as this available. The production is excellent. I listened to the piece several times and each time I caught something new. I also listened for the sound effects of the ranch. Very well done.
Sydney Lewis
Posted on July 26, 2004 at 01:48 PM | Permalink
Review of Proust, cattle and self-governance
Could not resist the title and glad I didn’t. There’s the school of hard knocks, and then this, the school of hard work as portrayed in a beautifully produced, fast-moving montage that captures the essence of a very unique college. A handful of students, a teacher, and the former president articulately discuss different aspects over sound-rich tape bed and student composed music. It all works and winds up with this powerful statement by one of the students: “It’s really strange to have schools that say their mission is to serve society, is to help the world, is to train future leaders, that are training their future leaders to sit around in their pajamas in the dining hall and have underpaid people of another color bring them their food. That just doesn’t seem legitimate.” Damn right. Air any time cause it’s real good radio and says a lot about class in America without ever using the word.