Read Please

Real quick,

“Fuck College” is an expression I think most Americans identify with. There’s a million reasons to say it, there is a billion reasons to think it and people from all classes and walks of life have equal claim.

College students say it because they are exasperated, they are lazy and don’t think they need it, they say it once they graduate and think there diploma has done them no good.

Non-college students say it because they want to succeed without it, or because its to expensive or because they think it’s a sign of privilege.

College janitors say it, tax payers say it, parents think it when they are paying for there kid to go to some art school - they say it again when that kid drops out and is floating in the pool all day. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady all said it. Mark Zuckerberg said it. Your cousin Ronda said it when she had her first kid, your uncle Al said it while trying to convince you to come work for him, and your dad half said it when he kept bringing up how expensive it would be to attend Marquette

People resent academia while still understanding the benefits it provides them. School, like other things is a “what you make it” situation. You wanna be great, fine, you want to pass, fine. I’ve done both and the latter was more stressful. It is the generalizations of our generation - “fuck punk rock”, “fuck football”, “fuck literature”, “fuck science” - that make us seem ungrateful or unimaginative-

but you can’t spend your life explaining yourself, what a waste, instead you can make general sweeping statements like “Fuck college”. Just remember that everything we say is more than what we say. Two words can mean a lot of things, hell, should mean a lot of things.

Educators have been long under appreciated and underpaid in this country and are having a real tough time right now in Wisconsin. People are trying to fix that, which is great. People who are molding student’s minds, creating our future, deserve whatever they need to live and prosper, no doubt, but at some point they’ve said or thought “fuck college” too.

And Scott Walker, he’s probably already said “Fuck college” today, a few times. Asshole.

Folks, I go to college, I plan on going to grad school, I think academia offers endless opportunities for students who are willing to follow them. Worse case scenario - you get up in the morning, go to class, and when you leave you know at least one thing you didn't before. Simply beautiful.

But if I get fed up I’m going to mutter “fuck college” as I wait for the bus.

This is America, you can say whatever you want without giving reason, but in this case, I gave my reasons anyway.

Sean Williamson