An Exuberant Celebration For a Beloved Townie
A parade down the streets of Oxford, Miss., celebrated one man — and how he symbolized the best of the Velvet Ditch.
Voices from the Road
16 posts
Over eight days this summer we drove from Minneapolis to New Orleans, talking about college with Americans along the way.
We wanted to learn how higher education intersects with their lives — whether they have a degree, are pursuing a credential, or never had any interest in either. We also wanted to hear about the role colleges are playing, or should be playing, in their communities and understand more about what’s really fueling the growing resentment toward these institutions in our country.
What jumped out to us in our dozens of conversations was how, for just about everyone we spoke with, college was about utility, not at all about prestige. No one talked about “elite” colleges. The Ivy League never came up. And Varsity Blues, the admissions scandal that got all the headlines earlier this year? No one mentioned it.
At the same time, we noticed, college was everywhere. Drive through communities in America, with your eyes peeled for the impact of higher ed, and you see how it shapes the landscape. Universities are mentioned on countless highway exit signs. They’re marketed on billboards. They take up prime real estate.
Stories about college were right below the surface. We just needed to be listening for them. We never started out by saying to someone, “So, tell us how you feel about college.” Instead, we asked about the roller derby, or about the Gateway Arch, or how long they’d owned this deli, or what was hard about being a tattoo artist.
And invariably, within just a few minutes, they’d mention college.
It wasn’t the college that often gets talked about in national conversations, though. It was the community college Eddie Tanner is going to go to next year after he saves up enough money for a car. The women’s college Ann Dees attended in the 1970s that allowed her to come back home to become a librarian. The college Dave McCaddon never went to because he was too busy riding his motorcycle around the country and jumping out of airplanes with the Army.
Here are the stories of some of the people we met.
Where College Takes a Back Seat to Bigger Concerns
Shameem Clark Hubbard, a St. Louis alderwoman, often tells people she didn’t go to college but she wants them to.
Resilience After a Tough Beginning
Andrea Young was homeless for a while and dropped out of high school. Now she is studying to be an EMT.
From Apprentice to Master
School never worked out for Harry McChesney, but being an apprentice gave him a skill that he can now teach to others.
A Librarian Worried About Higher Ed’s Liberal Agenda
“People are being indoctrinated,” Ann Dees says. The answer, she believes, it to teach people to stand their ground.
Saving Up to Get to Community College
Eddie Tanner is going to college — but first he needs to buy a car to get there.
What I Learned From an Old Neighbor
In St. Louis, I went to see a childhood home. Here’s who I found.
Searching for a Stable, Comfortable Life
“I don’t want to just get by and be sad all day,” says Sofia Salazar Brown.
A Townie Turns Teaching Assistant
Elliott Lusk says he wishes society valued career paths that don’t run through a university.
‘You Need Life Experience Either Way’
Dave McCaddon works at Illinois State University. He never went to college himself. Never even considered it.