Mark Edmundson: On The Uses Of A Liberal Education

Today many students are scared to go “outside of the box” because they are worried about “fitting in.” In the excerpt “On the Uses of a Liberal Education,” written by Mark Edmundson, an English teacher who teaches at the University of Virginia, Edmundson states that both teachers and students at colleges do not value the opportunity of education rather a “customer culture.” First, Edmundon begins with a day that he does not like evaluation day. Edmundson typically receives good reviews; however, there are certain words that Edmunson prefers not to see when looking at his evaluations. Words such as “interesting” or “enjoyed” are among the words he does not care for. Rather, Edmundson prefers reading how the students feel his class may have changed their life. These evaluations show Edmundson how education is changing because universities now are using consumption and entertainment to attract most of their students, rather than the education aspect. Edmundson made a discovery when talking with a colleague about a student, named Joon Lee. Joon Lee was one of the best students he had ever had, and he was always curious. The discovery Edmunson made when thinking about Joon Lee was that Joon Lee had the passion that most students do not have today. Edmundson explains …show more content…
For example, how many of students are more image based, (worried about what others think) rather than using their own thoughts. This happens all over the country; kids are more apt to being followers due to their fear of being left out, or even being considered an outcast. Edmunson blames television for this problem. There are several examples of this such as programs or commercials that portray people who drink alcohol are “cooler” than people who do not drink thus having a huge influence on some people. Edmundson displays how greatly television, in itself, is a major persuasive factor on the behavior of