College Students Have Always Wanted Freedom
Preview:
My parents didn’t go to college, but they saved up so that their children could, and in 1975 I arrived with enthusiasm and some trepidation for my first year at Wesleyan University. At that time, my image of college students was that of young people demanding rights while chanting slogans and holding up protest signs. I had no idea that commentators were already lamenting that my generation of undergrads was so much less focused on politics and the public sphere and that we were “grinds” working away to climb the meritocratic ladder. For me, there was no ladder; being a student was about rebellion and freedom.
Originally published: September 7, 2023
Author: Michael S. Roth
Position: President
Institution: Wesleyan University
Published by: The Wall Street Journal