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The McKelvy House Scholars invite the campus to join a dinner discussion about apathy this evening.
The meal will begin 6 p.m. at McKelvy House, 200 High Street. Led by Carina Fritsche ’07 (Columbia, Mo.), the discussion will start at 6:30 p.m.
The discussion will focus on the “so-called apathy observed in the lifestyle of a typical American college student,” notes Fritsche, who is pursuing a B.S. chemical engineering degree and an A.B. with a major in international studies. “Are college students apathetic, in the sense that we don’t like to actually do much? If we are, is that a bad thing? Or just an advantage of being in this age group? If we aren’t, why does it seem that we are so overwhelmingly perceived as apathetic? Assuming that we agree that, on some level, a portion of college students are apathetic, why?”
She offers the following background reading:
A Little Quiz: How Apathetic Are You? — For your reference, I got a 21…whatever that means
College Students are not as Apathetic as They Seem — This one isn’t really an article, it’s a little blurb from the Princeton Review, saying how record numbers of college students are getting involved with serving the community.
Student Apathy is not Bad — A grad student from LSU wrote an article “in praise of student apathy”
The Roots of Apathy and How to Reduce it — This article’s longer than the rest, but I found it interesting. He says that our society is so totally focused on entertainment that people see life as something akin to one big TV show and are willing to just sit back and watch, rather than actively participate.
Since 1962, the McKelvy House Scholars program has brought together Lafayette students with a wide range of majors and interests to reside in a historic off-campus house and share in intellectual and social activities. Sunday dinner discussions that engage the students in debate and exchange of ideas are the hallmark of the program; several Wednesday discussions have been added this school year. Most members also contribute to the annual McKelvy Papers, written on a topic of each person’s choice. McKelvy Scholars participate in activities together such as field trips to plays, concerts, and exhibits, and sponsor events for the campus as well.
Past discussions
Sept. 11 — Why Do We Care about One Another?
Sept. 4 — Oil
Previous years