Pete Abel

Earlier this year, the Institute of Politics at Harvard University noted a decline in the trust young voters have in public institutions. New York Times’ columnist David Brooks offered perspective on this trend. He summarized a paper by one of his students, who argued that some members of her generation have grown so cynical that they question all promises of change unless those promises can be “tested, substantiated, and … replicated.” In other words, they have what Missourians might call a show-me attitude.

This month, I started my second semester teaching part-time at the University of Missouri St. Louis.  While it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a number of years, I confess to doubts when I walked into that first classroom.  Would these students want to learn?  Would they be capable of learning?  Would they show up because they valued higher education or only because someone compelled them to be there?