I
OPINION
Page 4
Tuesday, February 8, 1983
The Michigan Daily
Fighting the death of liberal education
By Henryk Skolimowski
I was asked the other day, "What is
so special about engineers and
engineering education?"
I thought for a while and answered,
"The very special thing about
engineers is that they create irreversible
4states of affairs for the whole society."
b My friend said, "But this is so with
doctors and lawyers. They too create
irreversible states of affairs."
I,
"THIS IS true," I said. "But they do it
individually, for you and me, for
singular persons. Engineers alter the
whole structure of society, create the
state of affairs, otherwise known as
social change, which affects us all for
better or worse.
"To that degree they are the
,messengers of gods, or progress-often
blind messengers-delivering the
,message without being aware of its
consequences."
If we aspire to be an aware society, a
responsible society, we don't want blind
messengers. We want seeing
messengers, who are perfectly aware
of the impact and consequences of their
message.
Put simply, we must provide
engineering students with a special
form of instruction. Better still, they
need a special form of reflection which
would enable them to see the social and
moral consequences of their products.
In technical courses they do not have
room for this kind of reflection.
THESE DAYS I am fond of telling my
students: Ask not what technology can
do for you. Ask what you can do for
technology. '
This is not a rhetorical gambit on my
part. There is something abnormal , if
not pathological, in the situation in
which graduating engineering students
can get jobs with starting salaries of
$28,000 and graduating liberal arts
students get $12,000 to $14,000, if they
can get a job to begin with.
This enormous disparity is one way of
anesthesizing engineering students.
"Here is this pile of money," they are
told. "Accept it and do not ask
questons. Do as we tell you. You see
what technology can do for you."
WHAT TECHNOLOGY is doing for
them is giving them a lopsided start, so
advantageous that they may never
know what a normal life of struggle is
all about. What technology is also doing
for them is releasing them from their
moral and social responsibility by
telling them, "you are paid so much,
don't ask questions."
It is as painful as it is revealing when
a graduating student of engineering
comes to my office and says, "I am still
waiting. All the jobs they are offering
me are either for the production of
missiles, tanks, or bombers."
If students of engineering and
engineers themselves do not ask
questions, who will? And will they, if
they have never been given a chance to
reflect on those larger problems
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missing.
One has to have some liberal
education. One's mind has to be
liberalized to some degree in order to
appreciate the value of liberal
education and in order to have the sense
of those dimensions which make one
human responsible.
Our world is changing
simultaneously for better and worse. It
is changing for the better when retired
Admiral Hyman Rickover comes to the
University with the message that
technology must be humanistic. It is
revealing and symptomatic when he.
argues that much harm has been done
to man and nature because
technologies have been used with no
thought for the possible consequences
of their interaction with nature. Thus,
to argue against the limitations of
present technology (whether you are an
admiral or a university professor) is
not necessarily to be an enemy of
technology; rather it is to be a friend of
humanity and nature.
OUR WORLD is also changing for
the worse. At least out immediate world
as represented by the University is
changing for the worse when, because
of financial stringencies, liberal
programs are ever more competitive
research institution. The consequence
of this orientation is further and further
specialization.
A society which puts itself in the han-
ds of narrow specialists slowly but
inevitably digs its own grave. Life by its
very nature is comprehensive and
unitary. The only societies that survive
and flourish are those capable:of
providing that kind of education that
meets the wholists demands of life.
We must make a stand for that kind of
education which is fit for life, par4
ticularly in this period of increasing in-
tellectual rigidity when expediency'ob-
scures our larger goals.
WHAT CAN students do? Remember
first of all (and be adament about it)
that this is your university. The Univer-
sity is for students. It is your education
and your life that are at stake. Con-
sequently, you must fight against each
and every measure which cripples your
intellectual horizons. You must fight
against the elimination of any course
or program that truly contributes to the
well-being of your mind.
Since it is your university, protest
and be heard. Those who are silent
never win. Take responsibility in your
hands. Be what you think you
are-responsible human beings who
care. And be prepared to act on this
sense of care.
Not all is lost when we are aware of
where the real values of education are.
Not all is lost when we are prepare
to fight for what we value.
Not all is lost when we have young
people who are intelligent and
passionate enough to stand up for what
they care about and what has relevance
to their lives in a broader sense.
(especially when their consequences
have been lulled by those smart
salaries)?
THE PRESENT state of affairs at
this University seems to favor the in-
creasing anesthesia, not the increasing
social and moral awareness. By in-
sisting that this is a research univer-
sity, we are directly and indirectly
pushing towards further specialization.
The more specialized we become, the
less aware we become of the social con-
sequences of out knowledge. To
specialize is to develop tunnel vision.
For example, by attempting to trim
social impact courses from the
curriculum of the School of Natural
Resources, as recommended by the
committee that reviewed the school, we
economize by keeping specialists and
eliminating programs that truly
broaden horizons and make sense of
human knowledge.
In addition, there is the threat of the
elimination of the Department of
Humanities from the College of
Engineering. Whatever the other
results of this plan would be, it is fairly
obvious that engineering students will
be short-changed in their overall
education. There will be even less room
and opportunity to reflect over those
vital problems which are at the inter-
face of society and technology.
BUT MAKE NO mistake, future
students of engineering, brought in the
streamlined regime of specialization,
will not protest against the missing
dimensions of their education. They
will not be aware of what they are
Skolimowski is a professor
Department of Humanities
College of Engineering.
in 'the
in the
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Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
Stewart
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BliIL, W V9 -GOT TO
TAM~ DOWNTHIrrS RIBBON$
Vol. XCIII, No. 106
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
4
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Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board
DOn't sink the Ark
1
V.
'OFFICIALS OF THE First Presby-
terian Church have an opportunity
to continue a strong record of service
to their community. That is, of course,
if they decide not to tear down the
building housing Ann Arbor's favorite
coffee house, the Ark.
For fifteen years, the church has
provided the Ark with a rent-free
music hall and the Ann Arbor com-
munity with a place to hear some of the 1
world's finest folk musicians. Now
church officials are considering
tearing down the house of music and
replacing it with a parking lot.1
But if the church went ahead with
their plans, it would be doing a great
disservice to University students and
members of the Ann Arbor community
who have grown to enjoy the Ark's
folk music and unique atmosphere.
The Ark has developed a strong and
loyal following in its 15 years at Hill
House. Forcing the Ark to move could
endanger the positive contributions it
has made to the cultural flavor of Ann
Arbor.
A move to a new location also might
force the Ark to change from a non-
profit organization because a move
would probably force it to pay rent at
another location. The church has been
very generous until now by allowing
the Ark to use the location rent-free.
But church officials have not allowed
the Ark a fair chance to make the
repairs the 88-year-old house needs.
The staff of the Ark offered to help
make repairs, but the church so far has
turned a deaf ear, apparently putting
parking convenience above com-
munity service. Church officials also
cut off maintenance funding for the
building in 1970. The house has been
deteriorating ever since and now needs
nearly $250,000 in repairs, according to
church officials.
The Ark has been an important part
of the cultural diversity of Ann Arbor
for many years. Part of the reason for
its success has been a result of the Fir-
st Presbyterian Church's generosity
and fine record of community service.
The church should reaffirm that spirit
of service by allowing the Ark to keep
its home and by helping the Ark's sup-
porters to make the repairs necessary
to survive.
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LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
Using the 'tough love' method
4
Ii
To The Daily:
I must express my disappoin-
tment with the insensitivity
displayed by the Daily staff and
by Roger Barton in his Feb. 3 letter
ter ("Daily, sorority no friends of
Bulimiac"). You both managed
to smugly condemn Marilyn
Kilinski, her condition, and the
Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.
Mr. Barton, please try to lift
your attitude out of the "anti-
Greek" gutter. Instead of
wasting your time scolding
Greeks, you might want to do a
little psychological research. Have
you ever heard of "tough love?"
Sometimes a person or group
must take firm, difficult, or un-
popular action in order to indirec-
tly help the sick person.
However, I agree with Mr. Bar-
ton's criticism of the Daily.
Because of the Daily's sen-
sationalism, the story was picked
up and published by major state
newspapers. Unfortunately, this
"newsy" little item escaped the
University subculture and is now
the topic of state-wide scrutiny.
How sad.
-Deborah Sutinen,
Zeta Tau Alpha alumnus,
Central Michigan University
February 4
Poetic plea for the Ark .
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..Keep itfor thefuture
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To the Daily:
The Ark is a Michigan
treasure;
Its worth no accountant can,
measure.
Its undoing, I warn,
Would deprive yet unborn
Generations of musical
pleasure.
The Ark is an international
musical landmark. It is also a
uniquely wonderful place to enjoy
performances of the highest
lt.nl-m.. n Ond rnniftl .,
financial success.
But in these hard times we
must not lose sight of the few
truly meaningful enterprises that
have persisited over the years.
The closing of the Ark would be a
tragic loss not only for Ann Ar-
bor's music lovers, but also for
the great musical tradition of
which it is a part.
I know I am not alone in
praying that the Ark as we know
it, will somehow be kept alive.
_w-F ica nni
To the Daily:
When I read your article last.
week on the prospects of disman-
tling the Ark folk music cof-
feehouse ("Coffeehouse may lose
chairs in a conference room, I
was delighted to find my seat on
one of the cushions which
decorated the hardwood floor.
Once seated. I began to sense to