The Core Problem

I am a history major. Of the 147 semester hours required of me to graduate, 36 consist of history. I will have taken more classes in the areas of science and engineering than history. I will have taken an equal number of social science and humanities courses as history. My english teacher said recently that cadets' recognition of various topics has awesome breadth, but their depth in any one area is rather pathetic. His comment prompted me to post this. I couldn't agree more with him.

The problem with core classes may only apply to the Academy - I know not the extent or level of insanity with which other public/private universities or colleges manage their core curriculum. As such, I will limit my criticism to USAFA until I investigate further or am enlightened by a friend.

I concede that some classes are beneficial to the continued learning during the transitions from high school to college and from college even further. Writing should be studied indefinitely. History also. And I see the benefit in studying the law. But the lust for surface-scratching courses in biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, math, engineering, aeronautics, civil engineering, electrical engineering, behavioral science (worthless on all levels), economics, management, and political science is beyond me. The 'Conditioners' would satisfy me more by saying it was another pointless hoop for me to jump through rather than actually expecting me (and the public) to believe there is inherent value. The sad truth is that my mind is writhing like a wild stallion to conquer the plains of an intellectual inheritance - but stifled by the concrete compounds of a 'conditioned' campus.

"The Conditioners, then, are to choose what kind of artificial Tao they will, for their own good reasons, produce in the Human race." Lewis The Abolition of Man