October 31, 2003

College and the Fall

By THOMAS H. BENTON

Settling in to the rhythms of academic life, an assistant professor wonders what happened to his self-righteous anger

The sun edged over the spires of the Gothic buildings, and multicolored leaves skittered across the granite steps as I ascended. A fresh-faced student -- one of the new ones from my one-semester survey of Western civilization -- held the door open as she stepped aside and said, "Good morning, Professor Benton," with a smile that seemed genuine.

I smiled back. "I

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