Never Enough

 

 

One of the things everybody has to admit about college is that it matters a great deal where someone graduates from college because there are college graduates from other schools than the one you graduated from.

Some people don't go to the large state schools. They go to the smaller state schools that the people at the large state schools call "Directional."  This means the school's name has a "direction" in it.  Southern Mississippi is one (Jimmy Buffett and two of my high school teachers, Mr. Hines and Miss Love, graduated from there.)

 I didn't know this was a big deal until I heard some of the people at the larger state schools crack wise of the Directional Schools.

Of course, I have never done this. I am a graduate of Kennesaw State University. That means my diploma has the word "Kennesaw" on it. I can't make fun of anyone else's school unless they are total dorks like Georgia Tech graduates. But even then, I don't make fun of their degree. I make fun of them because they are dorks. Plus, and I am legally obligated to say this, Georgia Tech has graduated more astronauts than Kennesaw State.

I bring this up because of Harvard University.

Everybody knows Harvard University is the leading university in America.  The alumni of this institution include Henry Kissinger, the Unabomber, and Thurston Howell, III.

All the intelligent and rich people go to Harvard, and a Harvard degree guarantees a job where you can wear an ascot and drink a martini at your desk.

Recently, Hamas invaded Israel. They killed and raped. They took hostages, which are still there.

You would think Harvard University would be where students would protest Hamas.  No, the students protested Israel and threatened Jewish students.

The president of Harvard, Claudine Gay, was called to testify in a congressional hearing about the apparent anti-semitism on campus. Dr. Gay hemmed and hawed about it, stating she would have to see the context of someone punching a student in a yamaka.

You will note I am adding quotation marks to the following sentence from The New Yorker.

"In early December, the activist Christopher Rufo published allegations about Gay in his newsletter, including instances of missing citations and verbatim copying of other scholars' writing without the use of quotation marks or attribution. In the following weeks, more apparent instances of plagiarism piled up."

 

This caused a big scandal because, and I am speaking as a Kennesaw State history graduate, nothing will get you into more trouble than missing citations and copying other works verbatim without quotation marks.

 

I found my senior paper about Gerald Ford.  I wrote:  

"Gerald Ford" was the "President Of The United States" (Encyclopedia Britannica).*

 

I made a B+ on the paper because my professor said he didn't believe there was a student paper ever written that deserved an A.  No, I'm not bitter.**

Christoper Rufo is a graduate of Harvard.  Wait, make that Harvard Extension School.

 

Harvard Extension School is the Online Harvard.  It is a way for people to obtain a degree from Harvard without having to live in Boston and spend billions of dollars for a degree.

 

Of course, people took to X and noted that Rufo isn't a graduate of the real Harvard, but instead of the online Harvard, like there was a difference.

The problem is what Harvard says about Harvard Extension School.

"Our degrees and certificates are adorned with the Harvard insignia. Earning a credential from us means enjoying the best of a world-class Harvard education, and the weight of that reputation and lineage on your resume. You’ll have access to our world-class libraries, walk at University Commencement along with students from other Harvard schools, and become members of the Harvard Alumni Association."

My son's brother-in-law is taking classes from the Harvard Extension School.  That's the first time I ever heard of it.

I have recently discovered that a high school chum is a recent Harvard Extension School graduate.  I asked him about it. 

He said. "I thought it was great. It is the same classes that regular Harvard people take. Overall, a great experience with the best professors in the world."

Eventually, the people on X who belittled the Harvard Extension School returned and had to do an Emily Litella and say, "Never mind."

But to paraphrase Rosanne Rosannadanna, it just goes to show you that even a Harvard diploma doesn't satisfy some people.

 

 

*I must note that my buddy Greg Marshall actually opened the door for Gerald Ford one time.  He has also met Jimmy Buffett. Greg, not Gerald Ford, although Gerald and Betty probably visited Margaritaville a few times.

 

** Yes, I am.