In a letter to Hugh L. White in 1810, Thomas Jefferson
suggested that a university should best be fashioned so that “the whole
arranged around an open square of grass & trees would make it, what it
should be in fact, an academical village.”
Tomorrow morning, I am going to get in my minivan and drive
to a true “academical village,” otherwise known as Carleton College. I can’t think of a term that better describes
that place than the one coined by Jefferson.
Carleton is in a remote location (an hour south of Minneapolis), is
itself tiny (the school has about 2100 students), and is a breeding ground for
intellectuals. Every time I’ve gone
there, I’ve been so impressed with how the kids are intelligent and thoughtful
without being obnoxiously competitive.
It’s a wonderful environment to learn values and to wrestle with ideas.
I am thrilled to say that one member of the Carleton College
class of 2015 is Rebecca Kathryn Spiro.
She has always made her parents proud for so many reasons, and it will
be an honor to see her graduate this Saturday.
So here’s to you, Rebecca.
And here’s to all the other graduates of the class of 2015 – no matter
what school you go to, take a bow! The
Empathic Rationalist salutes you.
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