ALEX FERWERDA
Opinions Writer

After reading Mr. Turnbull’s opinion piece in the Jan. 7 issue two things came to mind.

First of all, is he alone in his corporately influenced incorrect pre-conceived notion of what “college life” was going to be like?

And secondly, can a student at a Canadian university really have that bad of luck with professors?

I vividly remember the pre-teen epiphany of entering high school and realizing that almost everything about the institution was sensationalized and falsified in television programs and Hollywood movies. Therefore, upon entering university, I set my expectations fairly low and understood that I would come to learn what post-secondary education was actually like without jumping to on-screen conclusions.

Regardless of whether Mr. Turnbull concedes they were “hyped up,” it seems apparent that he failed to make the same connection between the “real world” he speaks of and what the media portrays it to be. Do you ever see your favourite actor taking a dump on screen? I sure haven’t, but that doesn’t mean they’ve never used the bathroom. Just because college was made out to be some awesome social honeycomb in the movies doesn’t make it true.

People are too busy checking their social network sites for updates nowadays anyway — they’re too preoccupied to socialize. So, I just can’t understand what led him to believe that university would be some sort of social utopia without weeks of stagnancy. Also, the house parties Mr. Turnbull speaks of that resemble high school get-togethers seem to suggest that he may actually have been at a number high school parties; it’s not where the parties are held, but rather who is at the shin-dig, no?

Concerning the second question that popped into my mind upon reading Mr. Turnbull’s post-secondary slam, is it possible to have such bad luck with professors or do we make our own luck? I find it interesting that he suggests U of S professors have either failed to achieve anything in real life, or have never ventured into it. But what does the cliché term “real-world” really mean? I find it hard to believe that after I finish my degree some alternate-reality truism will appear before me.

So, when Mr. Turnbull attacks our university’s educators for not becoming successful out there in real life, it only offers a reflection of his ignorance. He states that, “If you were successful in your field, you would be out making lots of money at it instead of teaching moody young adults.” Following this reasoning, money equals success, which of course makes perfect sense — just ask the Jonas Brothers, right? I’m not sure about everyone else, but last time I checked, successful historians, philosophers and political scientists weren’t rollin’ in the dough.

This isn’t to say I agree with everything that is going on at the university, or that I have enjoyed all of the professors I have had; rather, I just think that when one generalizes a group of professionals and attacks an institution, they should do it well.

He also speaks of the overpriced textbook scam, and the cost of tuition, which I couldn’t agree with more. However, these two questions that I’ve looked into lead me to believe that Mr. Turnbull has a classic case of “Ahh, shit! I picked the wrong major.” I wish him luck in the “real world.”