The Contrast of the Generations

I was toying with the idea of writing a review of Joss Whedon’s newest project. Then it occurred to me that as awesome as a internet-distributed, episodic musical about a wannabe super-villain who turns out to be a hero may be, it’s a work of three parts of which only one has aired yet – and therefore it’s probably best to wait until the totality of the thing has come out. Then, I remembered that it’s been a while since I vented spleen in the direction of the hijackers of my alma mater. It’s not that I’ve been derelict, it’s just that the inactivity of the summer months has the same effect on a school as the winter months do on a circus bear escaped into the wild – lethargy makes the incidence of capers lower.

Finally, though, they give me something. Nothing too flamboyant…just enough to allow me to muse a bit. The topic? The difference between the accomplishments of the “old guard” and the new.

How does one gauge accomplishment? To a certain extent, it’s different for everyone; however, there are some general standards for measuring where a particular deed falls on the fantastic scale. If a two-year-old successfully ties his shoelaces on the first try, then he can be justifiably proud of a major accomplishment. Conversely, if a physicist holding three doctorates does the same thing, then it’s not even worth mentioning – unless the physicist is Stephen Hawking, in which case it’s extremely interesting. Either way, you get my point. Accomplishments are subjective to a degree, but they are also objectively interesting based upon who you are and what you do.

Let’s take a look at the “new guard” first, shall we? There’s the chief administrator with a background in political thinktankery, who literally just received his doctorate. So far, the biggest deal I’ve been able to suss out about him is that he married into a family whose patriarch is something of a demigod in a political movement that in my humble opinion suffers from being as pointless as its counterpart. Then, we have a man with a doctorate in ” the philosophy of science” who uses his class time as an outlet for his Francophilia, and whose most illustrious accomplishment to date is the meticulous narration of an encyclical-on-tape. That might be really cool for somebody who narrates things, given that the cadences of a complex theological work might very well be…complex; however, it’s a little be outside the laudable skill set for a college professor – not exactly something to wow prospective employers who are looking for bullet points on professional competency on a CV. Lastly – and the one I’ve been simply itching to comment on – is the writer-in-residence who wrote a graphic novel loosely based upon Dostoevsky’s “Grand Inquisitor.” Whether it’s any good or not is anyone’s guess. However, my personal opinion is that of all the pet – and intensely ancillary – projects that the aforementioned administrator has devoted himself to, this one might be the one with the least meaningful connection to the host institution. Unless he’s planning to add Identity Crisis to the curriculum.

So, what type of accomplishments can the Thomas More College “old guard” be proud of? Founding a college, being president of two, founding the politics department at a fourth, dean of still another, and being named an “exemplary alumnus” of one’s doctoral alma mater (which happens to be no less than Notre Dame) – and this all by one guy. Oh, and being responsible for guiding the exceptional formation of hundreds of students, many of whom – including this humble author – continue to hold him in the highest possible regard both as a teacher and a person.

So the big question is which guard is better. A hard question – maybe an impossible one – to conclusively answer. All I can offer is my opinion, grounded in reasoned judgment; and my judgment is this: in a battle between the green and unaccomplished and those who have literally dedicated their lives to a profession, I come down in favor of the dedicated. If the “new guard” carried with them some indication that they aspired to the truly great liberal learning championed by the “old guard,” then my analysis might be less harsh.

I wonder what the odds of that changing are.