A Message from President Scott
The Life of the Mind

College is not just about classroom presentations and discussions. It also is about conversations in the cafeteria, the residence halls, the sidelines, the lounge, at home, and at cultural events. What did you think of Neil DeGrasse Tyson? Malcolm Gladwell? Trio Solisti? Have you been to a soccer game? Were you at "Midnight Madness?"

Alumni speak of their college years as a time of transformation, a time of moving on from provincial thinking, and a time of expanding their interests and circle of friends. Ask some when they lecture in your class, visit campus at homecoming or a reunion, or attend an athletic event. Ask how they wish they had spent their time on campus as one way to learn how best to spend your own.

I ask our alumni these questions often and have gained great insight in to the process. After years of doing this, I have come to formulate their suggestions into four categories, each beginning with the letter "I."

First, they say to be inquisitive, to ask questions in each class, about each page you read, about each lecture. I am reminded of the James Baldwin statement that we all must "lay bare the questions hidden by answers." That is, people are often too quick to recommend solutions or answers without being clear about the question asked or the problem to be solved.

Second, alumni report that in their professions, they never think in terms of a biology "compartment," or a political science "box," or an economics "container." They think in interdisciplinary terms, because they find they must integrate all they have learned, whether in class, from textbook reading, from newspapers, or from conversations. A distinguishing characteristic of successful professionals is that they integrate what they have learned from all sources in attempting to identify and solve new problems.

Third, they urge involvement. The closest friendships, the deepest commitments, the most lasting experiences, generally result from involvement in student government, the newspaper, athletics, or in some other club or activity. The very act of doing seems to deepen the experience and, when it is done with others, it is even more consequential.

The fourth "I" that I discern from these conversations is that alumni seem to think that they become more independent as individuals when they experience inquisitiveness, integrated learning, and active involvement in their studies and in their community. With this independence, they also find that they are better able to discern fact from faith, from fear, and from superstition. They feel they are more fully human.

What have you done outside of class lately? Have you been taking advantage of the numerous opportunities at Adelphi? There is much more to learning than you can get from the classroom alone, and the campus is a great place to stimulate the life of the mind.

-President Robert A. Scott.