With a few rare and sparkling exceptions, they are morose, resentful, and boring. Nonetheless, I have had the opportunity to compare and contrast. In their universe, the East Coast matters, because it is home to Capitol Hill and Soho, while the West Coast matters because it is home to Ralph Nader and the People's Republic of Berkeley. Appleton is a microcosm of this clash of cultures. Our leaders incite us to interact with our community, and yet the only meaningful interaction between Lawrentians and Appletonians comes in the form of business internships.
American academia is alienated from America because of the ideas it holds.
I am leaving Lawrence in just a few weeks to learn how to live in the world of the academic. I will publish, criticize, review. Cherish that end, cradle it, revere it.