Claim It and Frame It



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In Claiming an Education, author Adrienne Rich says that students need to claim ("to take as the rightful owner; to assert in the face of possible contradiction") an education. Not only claim an education, but the very rights to their lives. That people need to stand up and say, "this is what I want to do," "these are my ideas" and "this is the way I want to go." She says to make this happen there needs to be a mutual respect at colleges between faculty and students. When students actively participate in their education they have the right to be taken seriously by their professors and for their ideas and beliefs to not be shot down, but respected. Faculty must see a student's mind as a valuable thing, but students must put in a dedicated effort to cultivate their minds. She says if this happens we will be quickening the coming of a world in which our minds "will no longer be wasted, raveled-away, paralyzed or denied."

What do you think? Do we (students) owe a college anything except money? Do we owe our professors respect, time or even effort? What do our professors owe us? Respect, time and effort as well? Do they need to see us as valuable or just another marble to polish and send off to a university or job?
-Megan Way