So, I cut the number of words in the previous post IN HALF to come out with something that means about the same thing, but less poetic. I don't know when or if it will be in the Echo, considering this is the homecoming issue and this might not be a happy topic for all the alums to read bout... we'll see. Let me know what you think... if you disagree, are offended, think I should consider some other aspect I'm not looking at, agree wholeheartedly, whatever. I'm curious, really.
A letter in the September 24th Echo pointed to the following criteria that the author saw as reasons the Taylor Bubble is “a myth.” These criteria are good measures as to whether there is a ‘bubble’ or not, but they point to the existence of a bubble here, contrary to his conclusion.
"surround oneself with...different ideas”
I'm not sure what 'different ideas' are being referred to, but, as you would expect, I haven't run in to any staunch atheists or Unitarians or Muslims on campus. We’re at Christian school, so everyone has the same worldview on life, go figure. In my opinion, different ideas on petty issues such as women in the church or infant baptism don’t count as 'diverse ideologies'.
"have easy access to high-speed internet"
This one I agree with, obviously, but having the access is not necessarily the same as utilizing it to find different ideas.
"read papers detailing world events"
When the Indy Star is delivered to the dorms- which has yet to happen this year- half of the papers are never touched, and the ones that are generally have been picked through for the comics and crossword section then replaced. This makes me sad, for, if we claim to care about the world, wouldn't we also care about the happenings in it?
“have ideas waiting at your meal table "
I really respect the group I sit with and wouldn’t trade them for anything, but, even when profound breakfast conversations do crop up, it often ends in everyone agreeing with each other, due to the same worldview. To truly refine what I believe and why, I need to dialog with people who disagree.
"live within 30 seconds a huge library"
I adore books and libraries, but wouldn’t exactly describe our library as 'huge'. As for it enabling us to get out of the bubble and understand the modern world outside... I did a study. I checked to see which of the top 10 authors on the current Publisher's Weekly non-fiction and religious bestseller lists are contained in our library. Omitting one book contained in both lists, I found that 8 of the 9 authors on the religious list are in our library, while we have access to only 2 of the 9 overall non-fiction bestseller authors. Can we really ‘get out of the bubble’ when we don’t have access to what society is reading?
Does the Taylor Bubble exist? Looking at these criteria, you decide. Do you have to be in it while you’re at Taylor? That’s your decision as well.
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