_ things for the last semester or two, but I want very ‘much to say them aga I think they are very Tenporiant: +
and neither President Reagan nor Dolly Parton would say them.

graduated from. high school, your parents had to spend from one ae thousand to one hundred and ay i i

eration, provided the money for this college because we don’t want you to “louse up” the world we've provided. ;

thereby, make life easier for everybody.

did put men on the moon and invent scotch tape, radar, and the cordless telephone; we have manag ged to.

here. It is the responsibility of the faculty to try to develop these things in each of you: intellectual potential, —
‘occupational competence, social awareness, ethical values, aesthetic appreciation, and cultural heritage. 1"

 

   

Published by the National Institute for Staff and oe

With ‘support from the W/. K, Kellogg Foundation and Sid W. Richardson Foundation Doak

 

TEACHING: ANOTHER WAY OF LOVING

When I was asked to make this commencement address, I begged off at first. I don’t think it should be
made by a faculty member. I think that for our commencement address they should get somebody important —
like President Reagan or Dolly Parton.

However, there are a couple of things I wanted to say. Some of you have been hearing me say these.

The first is the fact that all of you are in enormous debt. From the day you were born until the day you a

thousand dollars on you.

Now, you've gone through at least two years of college—and you personally paid much of the bill. ‘But I ir
don’t think you realize how much of the bill was paid by other people. The tuition and fees you paid t to attend —
Temple Junior College actually were less than ten percent of what it cost this college to educate you. For every
go to college. af
We like to say that college is for your benefit. Actually, that’s only part of the story. We, of the older gen-

for you. on
The ancient caveman taught his cave kids how to catch rabbits—not so ‘much for the kids, but because

f
some day when he was old, he would have to rely 01 on others for food. And he wanted the kids to know how to | E
hunt. |

But along with how to catch rabbits, the kids 1 were taught the importance of learning everything they could i
about them—and other varmints as well. And in that way, every” generation) would learn something n new and, |

Now, my generation hasn't quite created a perfect world. But we did defeat Hitler and conquer polio; we

 

achieve the highest standard of living in the world. We hope ven have learned enough to keep these ‘paditions 1
going. That's why we've spent so much money on you. \
Now you're graduating—and it’s time you start paying back some of that debt. There is no such thing Os as]
free lunch. It’s time to start catching those rabbits—or going on to senior colleges and universities and learning —
how to catch things other than rabbits. ;
You have been singled out as something special. It is a little ironic; as a political scientist, I talk about our |
country being a nation of equals. Yet, we have spent much time and money doing our best to’ make you gradu-
ates as unequal as possible. We've tried to elevate you above the ordinary. Right now, you are more highly |
educated than 98 percent of the people on the face of the earth. 1
‘We have made you unequal—and you owe society something for that advantage. We have tried to. provide |

you with more creature comforts than are enjoyed by the cave kids of any other nation. We have given you an — I

education that is worth thousands of dollars more than you have paid. Not only have we aR eS much money —
in you, but we also have invested a lot of faith and love. |
What do we expect of you? Well, the Temple Junior College catalog tells us what we are supposed to do |

r

Now, I don’t know how well we have succeeded. It seems as though almost everybody hangs heavy on —

that “occupational competence” and wants to skip the rest. There is a strange notion that more education £

means more money in the market place, but that is a foolish notion. If people were paid on the basis of their
college degrees, college faculty would be the wealthiest group in Texas. We're not trying to teach you ia to |

 

 

 

dollar you spent on tuition and fees, the taxpayers provided more than nine. In other words, you were hired to. Abst