John sent this:
Ben,
In this article, the author is asking a very important question: is the admissions process at Harvard (and other similar universities) screening out the kind of student whose creativity will make a lasting impact on our culture, and for whom these universities want to take credit? Here’s just one quote, which I think speaks to the work we do in our classrooms, especially the concept of “letting your freak flag fly” and being honest with the kids on a human level:
“The truth is that many future poets, novelists, and screenwriters are not likely to be straight-A students, either in high school or in college. The arts through which they will discover themselves prize creativity, originality, and intensity above academic performance; they value introspection above extroversion, insight above rote learning. Such unusual students may be, in the long run, the graduates of whom we will be most proud.” Obviously these universities are places where creative individuals could and should benefit and grow, but how often does it just turn into an achievement factory, refusing to admit, or driving out, creative individuals when they don’t jump through all the hoops? In contrast, google “Black Mountain College” and you’ll find a school that, during its short life, geared itself toward cultivating creative intelligence, and it produced many of the most influential people of the latter 20th century: artists, scientists, architects, dancers, etc. So maybe these creative kids shouldn’t even try to get into a common institution, but seek out communities that do what we are trying to do. Just thinking out loud, but students will be looking up to us when they decide where to go next. Will we be able to give them good advice?
Here’s the article:
http://harvardmagazine.com/2012/11/writers-and-artists-at-harvard
John