ReadingAIcertainlyclingtomymemoriesofthoseconversations,andsometimesIthinkIwentintograduateschoolhopingtobecomethekindoffacultymemberwhocouldrecreatesuchprofounddialoguesinmyclassroom.Ienvisionedmyselfsittinginacirclewitheagerundergraduatesdebatingthevisionoftheworldofferedbytheirfavoritewriters,andarguingaboutwhetherorhowtoapplyittoourownlives.2ReadingABut,thebookIreadthissummer,SusanD.Blum'sMyWord!PlagiarismandCollegeCulture,hasleftmeconvincedthatI'mlivingwithanoutdatedpictureoflate-nightlifeinthedorms—andleftmewonderingabouttheimplicationsthatachangingcampusculturemayhaveforourteaching.Iwouldhavehadahardtimeshruggingoffthoseideasafterseeingthemdescribedinthiscarefullyresearchedbook,andBlum’sworkmadeitevenmoredifficultforme,sinceherdescriptionsofanalteredcampusculturecenteredonthestudentsandcampuslifeattheUniversityofNotreDame,myundergraduatealmamater—theverylocusofmyfondmemoriesofathrivinglate-nightintellectualculture.34ReadingAThefirstquestionIhadwasaboutheremotionalreactiontotheresultsofherwork:DidshefinditallasdepressingasIdid?"Myreaction,"shewroteinane-mail,"waslargelyrelief,fascination,anddespair,allentangled.Knowingwhatcollegelifeislikenowformanystudentsatresidentialcollegesexplainedalotaboutmyexperiencewithstudents,andithasendedmytendencytogetupsetwhenstudentsdidn'tseemtobefocusingasmuchattentionontheircourseworkasIthoughtappropriate.Ithinkmyexpectationsaremuchmorerealisticnow,sotheentireexperienceofteachingislessdepressingthanitwaswhenIcouldn'tunderstandwhyIcouldn'tmotivatestudentstobeabsorbedintheirwork."56ReadingABlum'sworkgavemesomemeasureofthatreliefaswell,sinceshepresentedsuchaclearpictureofthechallengeswefaceindrawingstudentsintotheimportantquestionsandissuesofourdisciplines.ButIwillconfesstofeelingmoredespairthanrelief.SoIaskedBlumwhethershethoughtitwaspossiblestilltotransformcampuscultureinordertoinjectmoreintellectuallifeintostudentlife."Theshortanswer,”shewroteback,“isno.”Butshegavemealongeransweraswell:"ThemoreIteachandunderstandaboutstudents'lives,themoreIseetheirprofoundcuriosity.Butwehavetoconnectwithitontheirterms.789ReadingA“Ihaveseenstudentsgetexcitedaboutthingstheyarelearningintheirclasses,whetheritisaprojecttheyareworkingonorjustanewwayofthinkingabouttheworld.ButIthinkwehavetomakethecaseforeachsubject.Itcan’tjustbefulfillingrequirements,ifwewantittomattertostudents.Andweareboundtomissanumberofthem.Wearekiddingourselvesifwethinkthatallstudentsarelikelytobecomeintellectuals.Buttherearemanywaystobecomemoral,productive,contributinghumanbeingsbesidesthroughthelifeofacademicpursuits.”10ReadingAMostimportant,Iwantedtoknowwhethershehadchangedherteachingpracticesinanywayasaresultofherresearch.“Absolutely!”shesaid.“Iworkveryhardnowtogettoknowmystudentsindividuallyandtoengagethem.Itrytothinkaboutwhymyparticularsubjectmightbeusefulorinterestingtothem,eveniftheydidcometotheclassbecauseitisarequirement.Iconstantlyrethinkboththecontentandtheprocessofeverycourse.Ialmostalwayshavestudentsleadsomeportionofthecourse,whentheyhavetodelvemoredeeplyintoaparticulartopicandtoactivelyinvolvethemselvesindirectingtheirlearning.”1112ReadingAThoseallseemedlikegoodideastome.Butherfinalcommentheldthemostmeaningforme.“Ihavestoppedjoiningthechorusofcomplaintabout‘kidsthesedays,’”shesaid,“l(fā)amentingtheirreading,writing,thinkingabilities.Myresponsibilityistoinvitethemintoafascinatingworld,andtotrytomakesomethinghappenontheothersideofthedoor.”1314ReadingAThatcommenthelpedremindmethatIshouldnotletgoofthatidealismandenthusiasmforgreatdiscussionsthatinspiredmetojointheteachingprofession.AlthoughIcan’tleavebehindthepracticaltasksofhelpingstudentsbecomebetterreadersandwriters,Ishouldnotlosesightofthelargerquestionsthatareaskedandansweredinmydiscipline,andthatIbelievecanhelpusliveourlivesmorerichly,moreethically,andmorewisely.15ReadingBExtracurricularactivities—campusclubsandgroups—maybethemostoverlookedindicatorofacollege’soruniversity’squality.Why?Studentswhogetinvolvedmayspendmoretimeinthoseactivitiesthantheydoinclass.Andthoseactivitiesmayhelpthemsucceedinlifeasmuchastheirdiploma.WhyShouldIGetInvolvedwithCampusOrganizations?1Ajournalismmajorwhoeditsherschoolnewspapersleavescollegereadytoworkata“real”paper,becausethedifferenceisminimalinmanyways.Astudentwhoorganizesacharitydancemarathonhasvaluableevent-managementskillsinadditiontoabachelor’sdegree.Amemberofthedebateteampossessestheinvaluabletalentofarticulatinghis/herthoughtsclearlyandpersuasively.Eventhepresidentofthehacky-sackclubhasflexedsomeleadershipmuscleincollege.2ReadingBYoumaynothavecheckedouteveryextracurricularactivityoncampusbeforearrivingatschool,butyouremployersnoticewhenyou’veusedthoseactivitiestoimproveyourself.GraceChoe,apublicrelationsmajorattheUniversityofSouthernCalifornia,naturallyjoinsUSC’schapterofthePublicRelationsStudentSocietyofAmerica.“I’vemetsomanyP.R.professionalsfrommanyofthetopagenciesinL.A.andhavelearnedalotabouttheindustry,”saysGrace,whohasservedassecretaryofthegroup.“I’vekeptincontactwithseveralofthemandIdobumpintothemduringP.R.events.ThisisagreatheadstartinanindustrythatIamgoingtopursueanditshowstheseprofessionals—sincetheyseemeoften—thatIamseriousaboutmyfuture.”3ReadingB4Gracehopestofollowinthefootstepsofafriendofherswhowaspresidentofherschool’saccountingclub.Thefriendendedupbeingrecruitedbytopaccountingfirmsbeforeshegraduatedbecauseshehadnetworkedsosuccessfullyatclub-relatedevents.Asadualmajorinbusinessmarketingandcommunications,CodyQuintero’sinvolvementwiththeAssociationofUniversityResidenceHallsattheUniversityofKansashasbeenbothrewardingandenriching.“IhavehadtheopportunitytoattendnationalconferencesandrepresentmyschoolinwaysthatIneverthoughtpossible,”saysCody.“Ihavebeenabletoplaneventsthataffectedalmost1,000studentsTherearethingsthatIcanputonmyrésuméthatIwouldhaveneverbeenabletoifIhadnotgotinvolved.”5ReadingB6Thedifferencebetweenhigh-schoolextracurricularactivitiesandthoseincollege,Codypointsout,isthatthestudentshandleeverysingleresponsibilityincollegeclubs,providingpracticalexperience.“Joiningcampusclubsalwaysgivesyouopportunitiesthatyouwillneverexperienceanywhereelse,”headds.ElizabethFlynn(UniversityofTennessee,Knoxville,Classof2004)gotinvolvedwiththeannualDanceMarathonduringherfreshmanyearsimplybecauseshewas“l(fā)ookingforthingstodo.”Itseemedlikeaworthwhileendeavor,andseveralofherfriendshadjoinedup,aswell.TheeventraisesfundsforEastTennesseeChildren’sHospital’shematologyandoncologyunit.7ReadingB8HerinterestblossomedintoacommitmentthatspannedherfouryearsatTennessee,allowinghertogivetoahighlyworthycausewhilealsohavingfunandbuildinghercareercredentials.Inhersophomoreyear,Elizabethwasappointedtotheexecutivecommitteeandoversawtheevent’scatering.Inherjuniorandsenioryears,shehandledpublicrelations—herfieldofstudy.“ItookwhatIwasinterestedindoingasacareerandputmyskillstoworkinboththesepositions,”saysElizabeth.“Iwasabletolearnalotaboutfundraising,eventplanning,andcrowdcontrolduringmytimeasdirectorofcatering,andIdevelopedamediakit,gotarticlesplacedinthecampusnewspaper,andservedasaliaisontothemediaasdirectorofmediarelations.”9ReadingB10Similarly,JakeLiefer(UniversityofPittsburgh,Classof2006)gainedinterpersonalskillsaspresidentoftheResidentStudentAssociation,agroupheini