University shouldn’t stifle one’s potential

Tuesday, February 25, 1997

EDUCATION:

Some professors, TAs focus on themselves, not on needs of
students reaching out

"Courage is looking fear right in the eye and saying ‘get the
hell out of my way, I’ve got things to do.’"

— Craig Kurz

For a while now, I have found many aspects of UCLA quite
bothersome. Frankly, I’ll go as far as say that I find this
institution too full of itself. And boy, does it rub off on many
professors, graduate students, teachers’ assistants, undergraduates
and others. What I find to be a health hazard is the fact that many
of these people may be looked up to as role models. That is a scary
thought.

Let’s start off with some professors and TAs. Throughout my
years here, I do not know how many times I’ve encountered some
professor who gloats and prides him or herself on being the
"toughest" one in his or her department. He or she walks around
with a stick up his or her ass, talking down to you and professing
that he or she does not "give" "As" to anyone in class. The
professor then goes on and on throughout the quarter professing,
"these-are-the-facts," about whatever it is he or she is trying to
"enlighten" you with.

Then some TAs add salt to the wound when they play the part of
the professor’s puppet and tear a student’s paper apart, not to
mention his or her self-esteem, with a red, green or blue marker.
And they go ahead and call THAT communication.

Now let’s direct our attention to some clones of the
aforementioned institutionalized ones: some graduate students as
well as some "honor" undergraduates.

In some of my classes, I’ve come to notice not just a rigid
dichotomy between the professors and students, but also ones that
exist between graduate students and undergraduates as well as
between "honor" students and everyone else.

I’ve become aware of the oh-so foul-smelling air of grandiosity
that the "haves" (i.e. some professors, some graduate students and
"honor" undergraduate students) seem to carry over the "have
nots"(i.e. everyone else.) Many of them have their noses so high up
in the air, you’d think they were born that way.

The reason I first wanted to focus on these individuals is
because of all the hype about how "great" they and UCLA are; I
personally don’t think they’re "all that." The importance many of
these institutionalized individuals give themselves and their work
is ridiculous; it’s coming to a point now where I sometimes cannot
help having a smart-alec smirk on my face in class. In addition,
because of their high regard for themselves and their
institutionalized mannerisms, I think that someone looking up to
them for guidance or "leadership" may get quite thrown off-balance
in disappointment.

Therefore, these institutionalized characters need to take a
chill-pill. First of all, many professors and TAs are too concerned
about their godly research and how "privileged" we students are in
having the glorious opportunity to "learn" from it "firsthand."
They are often so self-absorbed with their own self-serving pats on
the backs that they fail to realize the needs, concerns, and futile
attempts of students who are really trying to reach them. Others,
like some graduate students and many "honor" undergraduates, also
need to get off their high horses, because they, in turn, are so
caught up with the hype of what they are swallowing that they
self-righteously look down on others. Unfortunately, they are well
on their way to becoming the very epitome of their "role
models."

But you know what? These people are wasting oh-so-much energy.
It is NOT necessary to look up to others or to regurgitate what
they want you to know because of the fact that there are NO
GUARANTEES in life. Even with the all-powerful seal of approval
that is the UCLA degree, there is NO such thing as security or
stability. Paradoxically, the only real constant is CHANGE, and a
person can never be prepared for that by following in someone
else’s footsteps, as they are not your own.

Thus, criticisms or approvals from so-called "professionals,"
such as professors and the like mean nothing in relation to what
each person is for him or herself. There’s talk about empowerment.
But empowerment does not come from the outside; within each and
every single individual there is a potential for growth that is
unique and cannot be generalized or dictated by others.
Consequently, grades are insignificant in that they are external
validations from another individual with different views and ideas
about what life is all about. It has therefore been unnerving for
me to have seen the reaction on many students’ faces when they
"receive" a "low" grade; this is something "not to be proud of"
supposedly, according to one student. But self-worth should NOT be
based on this institution and those carrying its pom-poms.

For those who brown-nose (i.e., kiss ass) or regurgitate
information to give a professor or others "what he [or she] wants"
to "get the grade": If doing this serves you well for some reason
or another, that’s your prerogative. For those of you who are not
comfortable doing that, DON’T do it. Don’t compromise yourself
inside, as it serves nothing in the long run.

Change is the only constant. It is important to prepare oneself
inside by not succumbing to blows like UCLA’s institutionalized
approvals of what you should or shouldn’t do. This is what will
prepare you for the world outside of these Ivory Towers.

Someone once said: "[I]f we’re willing to give up hope that
security and pain can be exterminated, then we can have the courage
to relax with the groundlessness of our situation."

Every human being has always been his or her own role model.

Screw the pompous "learned" ones here at UCLA and listen to what
you are.

Empower yourselves.