First Graduate

This post is part of an ongoing series of blog entries by Anjie D (FG3), a freshman at Barnard College writing about her college experiences on the blog Uptown Girl. Here's an excerpt of her latest musings.

Plato and I are going to have to make some compromises together for the next few weeks. He is on the reading list for two of my classes. I do not want him there, but he will not budge-so, I am afraid, I am going to have to read his Republic and discuss his absurd Meno. The compromise I want him to make for me in return, however, is to be kind. Just be kind to me, Plato, that is all I ask.

Obviously I haven't read much of the guy's stuff before now. I blame my reconstructionist* high school.

In other news, my other classes are generally great. I love Intro to the African Diaspora. I also kind of love Critical Writing, though it scares me to no end because of the amount of really hard thinking and really good writing that will be required of me to succeed. And because all the other students are the kinds of English majors that gush about the greatness of Wordsworth and Wilde Faulkner, and other writers I don't know so well (again, I blame the reconstructionists).

The professor is perfect, though. We, the students, get to pick what will be on the syllabus (after the dreaded Plato and Aristotle readings due next week, of course). I demand Shel Silverstein!

Just kidding

*According to my Philosophy of Education professors notes, reconstructionist refers to an education that emphasizes the addressing of social questions, the quest to create a better society. Focus on taking social action on real problems. Community-based learning and bringing the world into the classroom.