tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051744883907551402.post4972609470042647893..comments2024-03-27T19:11:37.620-04:00Comments on You Don't Say: Michigan State, how could you even think of it?John McIntyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559687583130468871noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051744883907551402.post-41606570284039287832009-11-29T18:16:25.692-05:002009-11-29T18:16:25.692-05:00It's nice to be able to debate it. During my t...It's nice to be able to debate it. During my time at Guilford College, the classics department retired.Mike Livingstonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051744883907551402.post-16418349317509799962009-11-22T02:35:38.718-05:002009-11-22T02:35:38.718-05:00A College of Agriculture which does a good job of ...A College of Agriculture which does a good job of it, is more useful and necessary than a diluted, emasculated Liberal Arts program, which is no program at all.Patricia the Tersenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051744883907551402.post-79253010009030405412009-11-20T18:01:26.274-05:002009-11-20T18:01:26.274-05:00Perhaps changing the name of Michigan State Univer...Perhaps changing the name of Michigan State University back to the original would be appropriate: "Agricultural College of the State of Michigan"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051744883907551402.post-77130743797273359002009-11-16T13:01:33.790-05:002009-11-16T13:01:33.790-05:00With the fading of widespread knowledge of the Gre...With the fading of widespread knowledge of the Greek and Latin Classics, much English literature of past centuries, and literatures of other modern languages, too, are becoming inaccessible to younger generations. Appreciating Milton, for example, depends on a foundation of Latin--not just a basic knowledge of classical mythology, but a detailed knowledge of Greek and Latin literature and some actual competence in the Latin language itself--and he himself is essential to understanding many English poets who followed him. Classics departments would do well to offer crash courses in Greek and Latin for students studying modern literatures, and especially English.Bill Waldermannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051744883907551402.post-20546580303655650482009-11-14T01:24:35.730-05:002009-11-14T01:24:35.730-05:00I too have signed the petition, adding a few well-...I too have signed the petition, adding a few well-chosen words to the Ostrogoths at MSU. This dilution of the Liberal Arts curriculum is not new: universities have been at it since the 1970s,removing requirements, (We don't want to have to take anything we don't want to take..)adding courses and majors whose academic antecedents reach back at least to the 1960s, (various minority studies, usually taught as propaganda from the perspective of the oppressed victims of the world)vulgar expansion of Schools of Education,( which is nothing less than a grab for $$$$) while the core of the Liberal Arts curriculum is far less vigorous and varied. I wasn't a Classics Major, but I took Latin from 9th grade through Graduate School.(One of the most riveting accounts of Crime Does Not Pay was "Murder at Larinum", which Agatha Christie and P.D.James would have loved.) For students who still value the possibility of a real Liberal Arts education, with a Classical component, there are still some choices. You just have to look for them, and when you actually get your foot (and your tuition check) in the door, demand them. Addendum: I write this watching a replay of a Syracuse University Basketball game. Where is it written you can't be both a scholar and support your local team with equal vigor?)Patricia the Tersenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051744883907551402.post-87359210834373994292009-11-13T23:56:04.170-05:002009-11-13T23:56:04.170-05:00Indeed "...State Trade School" would be ...Indeed "...State Trade School" would be truth in advertizing for many universities today.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051744883907551402.post-77444887041796118082009-11-13T10:59:54.442-05:002009-11-13T10:59:54.442-05:00No, I don't know how many majors there are in ...No, I don't know how many majors there are in clasics at MSU, but I'll bet the provost does.John McIntyrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03559687583130468871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051744883907551402.post-73044987566453374702009-11-13T09:50:41.660-05:002009-11-13T09:50:41.660-05:00John, do you happen to know how many classics majo...John, do you happen to know how many classics majors the university graduated (on average) every year?mikehttp://www.mikepope.com/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051744883907551402.post-70099974668862688182009-11-13T08:58:20.496-05:002009-11-13T08:58:20.496-05:00I'm not an apologist (quite the opposite) but ...I'm not an apologist (quite the opposite) but it is very bleak to think that there are only a handful of academics out there who have the baseline knowledge required to teach these courses. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to hang onto them in today's day and age.Dinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16478882748091136553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051744883907551402.post-75074260497381801602009-11-12T22:10:36.758-05:002009-11-12T22:10:36.758-05:00Agreed and signed.
While I wound up a few credit...Agreed and signed. <br /><br />While I wound up a few credits short of an actual classics minor, the Christian Brother, Augustinian, and Jesuit Institutions that were my high school, undergraduate university, and first graduate school saw that I certainly received a liberal education. I do believe that as someone in his early thirties, it is not a stretch to say that I am one of the very few of my generation to have studied both Latin and Greek, and I am richer in mind and spirit for having done so.LastBestAngryManhttp://lastbestangryman.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051744883907551402.post-502361561396586122009-11-12T10:52:46.637-05:002009-11-12T10:52:46.637-05:00I signed the petition; thank you for bringing it t...I signed the petition; thank you for bringing it to our attention. I was a Classics major at the University of Florida in the mid-80s and my liberal education has served me well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051744883907551402.post-19179167467006116262009-11-12T09:03:32.086-05:002009-11-12T09:03:32.086-05:00Next it will be the arts.Next it will be the arts.Google Deannoreply@blogger.com