'Zombies' come to life
The following is a response to Keith Lucas's "College Community Houses Intellectual Void." Just from the title, we get a sense of what Keith is trying to say: the College's students are dumb.
Throughout his article, Keith never states that the college he is talking about is in fact The College of New Jersey. That is a little strange... although maybe it is possible that he anticipates the president of the College will not sniff out his bull. After all, maybe she is the source behind all the stupidity here. In that case, it is possible that when the Git reads Lucas's article she won't feel offended at all. She won't feel angry at the fact that Lucas is portraying this institution as a haven for "mindless zombies who lack intellectual substance." Indeed, the Git may be proud of the fact that her complacent middle-class college for the non-thinker is carrying on a long tradition of dull sidewalk conversation and inane intellectual dialogue.
Lucas rekindles some of his fond Princeton memories. He remembers mingling with the smart Princeton students, many of whom he claims are "on track to earn Ph.D's in their respective fields" and "who were enthused to discuss their ideas." Yes, Lucas remembers discussing "Kant's interpretation of the categorical imperative," which sounds real cute when you say it slowly and in a dignified manner.
But unless you are making fun of Kant's interpretation of the categorical rectum, it is hard to impress anyone with your intelligence when you talk like that-because what difference does it make if you talk about the applications of Pauli's Exclusion Principle for time-independent quantum states or about that time you ate a triple quarter pounder with cheese and devastated the bathroom the next day? As long as the message can be understood.
It appears Lucas wants to say that the substance we lack is the substance that Princeton has?
Who are you talking to? Squirrels? Mailboxes? Do you talk to normal people often? Normal people do not talk about Kant's interpretation of the categorical imperative. I am sure you may discover many humiliating things about this college that you may feel enticed to report about.
However, writing about how students at the College are dumb is not an impressive intellectual feat, especially considering the number of other topics you could have written about. It seems we do a lot of complaining here at the College. It seems that we do a lot of complaining in general, as a society. Evidently, it is difficult for people to overcome their self-interest.
Somehow we manage to find compelling reasons to promote our own interests and neglect the interests of others without thinking twice about the indecency of our actions. That is where we go wrong.
If we are talking, and you convey your point clearly, I might argue that we have just had an intellectual conversation. So Mr. Lucas, please don't be angry with me if I can't elaborate on what I learned in an engineering lecture.
Honestly I don't want to re-visit my hellish lecture with you because I don't understand what is going on right now, I didn't read the last chapter, and this hangover is really killing me. Plus, I would rather be talking about what happened on Desperate Housewives last Sunday night.
Benjamin Libert
While I have consistently disagreed with the points raised in Keith Lucas's opinion articles, "College community houses an intellectual void" was his most unsubstantiated and offensive rant yet.
Lucas says that "It does not take much thought" to educate a child. Isn't he the same columnist who argued for government-issued licenses to have children in an article earlier this semester? As someone who seemingly recognizes the responsibilities that come with having children, how can he make this statement? Lucas's poor attitude toward this student's desire to "get married, have children and teach them" only serves to undermine his intelligence, not hers.
Lucas also says "It seems as if most students would rather engage in conversations about television shows, relationships, hair color, chewing gum or other irrelevant things." Maybe I am an exception, but discussing relationships - and to some extent television shows - is more relevant to my everyday life than, say, discussing "the effects of the East Asian tiger model on Vietnam."
Perhaps the problem with intellectualism at the College is not that the majority of students are "a group of mindless zombies who lack intellectual substance," but that those who wish to engage in this specific type of intellectual discourse are too condescending to the rest of the community to foster intelligent discussion.
Katelyn McCormick
Class of '06
Hey, Keith Lucas. Go fuck yourself. Or rather, get off your horse, lie down underneath it, and let it do whatever comes naturally. That's right, "lie" down, not "lay." That's Hot College education at work there, asshole. This diatribe is in response to your Nov. 1 editorial on the intellectual void that is apparently gripping our campus. You claimed we're not Princeton, which frankly I think- wait, we're not Princeton? O shit! I honestly thought this was Princeton. My bad.
But let us ignore that for now. You stated that the College continues to accept middle-class citizens, which only furthers the "public ivy" misnomer. Well, to be honest, I have to agree with you on that. Only them rich folk over at Princeton deserve an edumacation, yessiree! Us poor slobs don't need no learnin', leave the books and komputers to the nerds!
Yes, we are a predominantly middle class college. Is that really so bad? Are you that ashamed to be walking with "mindless zombies who lack intellectual substance"? Last I checked, the citizens of America were free to converse about whatever they wanted, be that Kant, ancient Rome and North Korea, or be that Timberlake, MTV and Britney dumping K-Fed. Our right to free speech allows us to talk about whatever we want, not whatever you want.
And furthermore, if the students of this college are more concerned with "television shows, relationships, hair color, chewing gum or other irrelevant things" (Honestly, chewing gum? Really?) than they are about the Wall Street Journal, why are you upset that they are at college? Isn't this where they go to become educated? Would you rather them go straight into the work force, their only knowledge of the world they live in coming from cable TV? Last time I checked, college is where people go to get smarter.
One more point I want to make: how dare you insult my mother and every mother who gave up a career to raise her children. How fucking dare you.
So, in conclusion: go fuck yourself, get shat on by a horse, and please, stop writing for The Signal.
Sean Curry
Misconduct in Lot 4
To whichever one of you motherfuckers decided it would be a good idea to tear off my bumper sticker, let's have a little review: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." In case you are too dense to know what that is, it's the First Amendment as found in the Constitution of the United States of America.
Here is another one:"Vandalize - To needlessly destroy other people's property; to commit vandalism."
I understand you may be a little sore about the outcome of the election, but please, think twice before you go putting your fucking hands on my private property. My mommy and daddy didn't buy me my car. I, alone, hold the deed to that shit. How dare you think that your narrow minded ass has the right to touch anything that belongs to me.
The next time you want to debate politics, how about you wait around my car and we can duke it out mano y mano. That passive aggressive bullshit is childish and disrespectful.
Nina J. Davidson
