To The Editor:
I find myself amused by both Mr. Mishkin (The Dartmouth, April 2nd, 2001, "Reality Check") and Ms. Lafsky (The Dartmouth, April 6th, 2001, "Look A Little Closer"). I can only say that being a member of the "corporate slave machine" in New York, I cannot actually assign a proper value on whose opinion is more harmful to current undergraduates. I would say that while Mr. Mishkin proposes a bleak view of the world, it is a realpolitik view and humorous. Ms. Lafsky, however, has rendered a view that is not humorous, so it has less value to me the reader and is slightly more dangerous for soon to be grads.
The "truth" is somewhere in between. I will now use my awesome powers of cynical wit and sarcasm in conjunction with my advancing age to pass on these small tidbits.
First, there are plenty of 50-year-olds who have no grasp on the "real world." Many of them end up in pro wrestling audiences. If you claim to know the "real world," I have a sure fire real estate investment plan to sell you.
Second, if you are fortunate enough to graduate with a job, my advice would be this: your college, your name and your degree don't mean that much. Don't get me wrong, I love our alma mater, but let's be realistic for a second. You may have been Phi Beta Kappa, you may have been in the top one percent of your class, but odds favor that no one really cares about that much once you sit at your desk. In fact, being excessively "proud" of your Dartmouth pedigree can lead to lots of nasty backlash from your co-workers. No one wants to work with a snob. I know, I've worked with snobs. It's amazing how little they get done when they need other people's help. In case you're thinking "but I'm a Dartmouth grad -- I'll never need anyone other than my alum's and my accountant's help," I can't wait for you to be assigned to a project team.
So in closing, I would counsel soon to be grads that political systems are not just about ballots and parties. They are about how you relate to those around you, at work and in life. If you think the legal system will cure all the ills of society, I redirect your attention to any single judgement in a courtroom at any level of the judiciary. If you think the world is a land of unfettered hatred, well, maybe in totalitarian China or fundamentalist Afghanistan, but not in the standard workplace in the U.S. It's somewhere in-between. Too bad college doesn't teach moderation of viewpoints to those who need it most.
