It’s good to like things

Recent—and recurring—suggestions that anyone who is critical of SMU should be silent or that the Daily Campus should censor criticisms are disturbing. In fact, the thought that paying thousands of dollars to be educated buys anyone the right to silence his critics is antithetical to everything a university stands for.

The suggestion that someone should shut up or get out—prepare your ego—is juvenile.

It reminds me of a story one of my college friends told me, bragging that already by six he had learned to manipulate his playmates whenever they didn’t do what he wanted: “Your mom called, and she said you had to go home,” he would tell them.

It also reminds me of an opinion piece written by the parent of a high school student I read in the Asheville Citizen Times—yes, I read some weird papers. In short, it said that both parents and teachers have an obligation to disappoint their children and students, arguing that sheltering children from disappointment gives them an unrealistic expectation of always succeeding and doesn’t prepare them for the times they will fail.

It is not the job of anyone at SMU—especially professors—to insulate anyone from criticism. If anything, it is our job to expose students to criticism so that they will become fully functional members of society, not social cripples who cower or recoil at the first hint of disagreement or disappointment.

That said, and just so you know that I’m not an SMU hater, here’s a list—in particular order—of things I like about this school:

I like that the parking arm is sometimes up, and I am able to park in the lot behind McFarlin Auditorium without the appropriate sticker. I like the happy faces I see everyday in the Market in Hughes Trigg.

I like that the Daily Campus has given me a weekly column. I like that Ann Truong chooses to write a column on top of everything else she has to do. I like the readers who express support after I’ve written a controversial article. I even like the emails with constructive criticism.

I like all of my students. I like that SMU encourages heterogeneity on a largely homogeneous campus. I like that SMU aspires to be a top-tier school. I like Perkins Chapel, where I have had the pleasure of singing in two weddings. I like that the Parking office waived some of my tickets, even though they were clearly my fault.

I like that the university is attempting to rein in fraternities, but I like that fraternities are allowed to exist. I like that young women invite me to their sororities’ faculty banquets. I like my colleagues without exception.

I like Meadows School of the Arts. I like the Meadows Art Museum, both the collection and the building. I like that SMU has a study-abroad program dedicated to enriching students’ understanding of foreign cultures. I like that the Drama department is staging Lorca’s House of Bernarda Alba.

I like the Tate Distinguished Lecture Series. I like Hilltopics because it gives me something to read on Mondays, and because it’s always readable.

I like students who enjoy my teaching enough to take me two, three and four semesters. I like when I grade really good tests. I like when I read an insightful essay.

I like students who come to my office seeking help or advice. I like students who ask me to write letters of recommendation. I like when old students write to say thanks for making us work and for telling us how the real world really is.

I like sunny days on the North Quad and back-to-back classes in the same building on rainy days.

I like that there are computer lecterns in most of the classes. I like the staff that keeps the campus so meticulous. I like ACCESS, which makes everyone’s life easier.

I like SMU’s workshops, roundtables, panels and lectures. I like the resurrected common reading for incoming freshmen. I like the French film series, even if I don’t see the movies. I like every foreign student and student of color because they remind us that not everyone is white or speaks English.

I like students who work hard for their grades, but I wish some of them didn’t push themselves so hard. I like students who brave the elements or the sniffles to come to class. I like when students challenge me to be better.

I like that what I write stirs something within students and inspires them to write, whether they agree with me or not. To say, I don’t like what you’re saying so stop saying it, however, is almost not worthy of a response. Then I remind myself that a good teacher should be able to turn anything into a lesson.

Now—if you will indulge me—just one dislike: I don’t like that more students don’t take the time to write for the Daily Campus. Some students have asked why a faculty member writes a weekly column. Honestly, that’s a strange—silly, really—question. A better question would be, “why don’t you?”

There are eight spots a week for opinion pieces. My column occupies one. Ann Truong’s, a second. That leaves six spots per week that the editors have to fill, which they usually do by pulling columns off the wire. Indeed, why don’t you?