In her book of the same name, Schor presents a devastating indictment of late 20th century American society. Without giving away too much of the lecture, I will tell you that Schor believes we Americans are working more hours for less money, yet spending more money and more time shopping than any culture on the face of the earth. And we wonder why people are angry and vote out of their pain and frustration. We are literally driving ourselves and our families and our culture straight into oblivion because we can't get ahead, we don't take care of ourselves, and don't take time for anything besides working and getting and using. In fact, Schor says we even sleep less nowadays. Great! A whole nation of overworked insomniacs!
Worse, our great institutions of learning are turning out more of the same as fast as they can. Don't think so, well, let me give you some evidence that might keep you up a night or two. According to a study done by the Healthy Alternatives Office here, 73% of WPI students have used alcohol in the last 30 days. And 42% of WPI students "binge," which means they have 5 or more drinks in one setting. For WPI students, the average drinks per "binge" is 6.8. WHAT IS EVEN WORSE, CLOSE TO 40% OF STUDENTS WHO DRINK DID NOT COME TO WPI DISPOSED TO DRINK OR USE ALCOHOL. You got it right folks; this place drives a great many people to drink.
I can hear the protests from administrators and faculty. Oh no, it is not our fault. We don't force them to drink. After all, they are adults, they have to be responsible for themselves. Meanwhile we look the other way when a student's performance falls off in our class or seminar, don't care if there are few "alcohol free" alternative social events, which 46% of our students say they want, or if the police have to respond to another passed out student. Hey, it is not our fault.
Maybe it isn't. But just maybe the system, the environment we have created is conducive to ill health and addiction. Just maybe we have so adapted the workaholic lifestyle so well here as a professional and academic way of doing things, that we invite the possibility for students to mirror the overworked people Judith Schor so eloquently writes about. And just maybe we, like Cain, cannot get away with the "Am I my brother's keeper" excuse much longer. All too soon the great Caretaker may well ask us at WPI what bottle our students are buried in.
Meanwhile, the Healthy Alternatives Office struggles to stay in operation. I am told by some sources that they are having a hard time just getting on the Trustees agenda to be even considered for further funding. And you wonder why I am using this column to scream? Ok, you go hear Judith Schor today at 4:00 and then come tell me we have no problem here at WPI.
I regret I didn't get over to greet our new interim president, Jack Brown, last Friday. Well, Mr. President, if you don't mind a few words of advice from a curmudgeon/campus minister, do us all a favor: cancel whatever you have on your schedule and go over to Kinnicutt and hear Dr. Schor. Then invite Mary Cox and the Healthy Alternatives staff to make their argument for their continued life here at WPI. It just might be the best thing you can do for us at WPI during your term.