The Rise of the Joyless University

[LevelUP]

The Rise of the Joyless University

https://www.deseret.com/2022/6/19/231711...e-colleges

[Alpha]

A lot has been written about the purpose of the university in today's world.  Is it a place to prepare people for the world of work?  Is it to make people "well-rounded?"  Is it to teach market skills?  Critical thinking?  Is it to provide a smooth transition from adolescence to adulthood?  To allow kids to mature a bit before they set about their independent lives?  In all likelihood it is all of this and more.  But is it to provide joy?  Perhaps a bit of joy is found while pursuing some of these other goals.  The author has chosen to identify the closing of fraternities and the lack of religious foundation as a cause of this joylessness.  Based on the people I speak with, I would say it's more closely tied to state of the world that these college students will soon inherit.  Lack of meaningful work inside a struggling economy, a deteriorating environment, climate change, a world that seems to require large-scale wars, racial oppression, corporate dominance of the political landscape and a consistent lack of effective leadership.  This is what today's college students will inherit.  Despite all this, I've found most college students to be generally optimistic but if they sometimes have a bad attitude I think this list might come closer to an explanation.  Not the loss of fraternities.

[dfrecore]

Based on the people I speak with, I would say it's more closely tied to state of the world that these college students will soon inherit.  Lack of meaningful work inside a struggling economy, a deteriorating environment, climate change, a world that seems to require large-scale wars, racial oppression, corporate dominance of the political landscape and a consistent lack of effective leadership.  This is what today's college students will inherit.

I find it hilarious - because before 2022, all people had meaningful work, the economy was always booming and never struggling, the environment was perfect, there were no wars, racial oppression was nonexistent, corporations didn't dominate everything, leaders were fantastic.  Sheesh.  This is THE best time to be alive.  It has never been better.  But people always need something to complain about.

[ss20ts]

Based on the people I speak with, I would say it's more closely tied to state of the world that these college students will soon inherit.  Lack of meaningful work inside a struggling economy, a deteriorating environment, climate change, a world that seems to require large-scale wars, racial oppression, corporate dominance of the political landscape and a consistent lack of effective leadership.  This is what today's college students will inherit.

I find it hilarious - because before 2022, all people had meaningful work, the economy was always booming and never struggling, the environment was perfect, there were no wars, racial oppression was nonexistent, corporations didn't dominate everything, leaders were fantastic.  Sheesh.  This is THE best time to be alive.  It has never been better.  But people always need something to complain about.

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not.

[bluebooger]

nothing has changed in the last 50 years
everything has changed in the last 50 years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdWGp3HQVjU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miZWYmxr8XE

[ss20ts]

So because frats at Stanford have been told to cut the crap every college student is aimless and sad? Get real. I know many people who didn't find frats to be fun. When I was in college I was warned repeatedly by many friends to never ever go near certain frats because it was pretty much a guarantee that I would have been raped and this was back in the 90's. Frats haven't gotten any better. They've gotten worse. There's far more to college than frats.

If religion made students so happy why are so many schools today not faith based? There are so many religions out there and there are still many people who don't subscribe to any of them. Should they not be able to have education because they don't follow xyz religion? Ridiculous.

So what single sex education disappeared? It disappeared because life changes and students no longer wanted to attend single sex colleges. I don't know where this author is getting that sports and extracurricular activities left with the single sex colleges because that's 100% fictitious.

This author needs to research why college students are sad today. There are countless peer reviewed journal articles on the topic. Or turn on the evening news.

[rachel83az]

If students want religion to be part of their lives, I'm pretty sure there's nothing stopping them from forming/joining a religion club in addition to attending whatever religious services they desire. For that matter, be part of a knitting club, a chess club, a hairstylist club, a sports club (people who like to watch the game, whether or not they can play), etc.