The world is more obviously challenging these days, in part due to the increasing facility to connect and to be exposed to diverse information. Consequently, if a pea-green freshman were looking for some sage advice from some all-too-willing-to-share Big Green alumni, what would we say? How should we translate “still North in their hearts” and “granite of New Hampshire in their muscles and their brains” and “hill-winds in their veins” for the modern student so inundated with information overload?

We asked our class what courses they would teach to the students of this era. Greg Clow responded, “I would teach a course in critical thinking. In today’s world there are countless sources of information, but which source should be trusted? Why? What is the truth and how will you find it and how will you know you have found it when you do? Finally, how will you improve our college, our country, and our world by disseminating your verified truth in a way which others can trust?” In synchrony, Elizabeth Knight Barnard suggested “a course in critical thought processing.” This is especially important as information from the past is revealed and reprocessed for the modern era. Philip Gibbs answered in a similar but more dubious direction, “Undergraduate required course: Skepticism 1.” Real-life experience meets idealistic zeal.

Thomas Scott is a professor of neurology at the Drexel University College of Medicine and his response emphasizes the dramatic advances in the field of neurosciences. He responded, “I would teach a class on the foundations of neurology expressed in the history of psychology, starting with Plato’s three-part psyche-soul, those being the rational, spirited, and appetitive parts. I hope these concepts would be a part of the development of the rationale of critical thinking.” This is reminiscent of the “old school” requirement for classics studies exposure for all students.

And so, to quote two Malcolms (S. Forbes and X), “The purpose of an education is to replace an empty mind with an open one” and “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” It seems we recommend a solid Dartmouth education, replete with fundamentals of critical thinking, communication, and soulful ethics.

In some sad and difficult news, recently retired and married Rick Lauchnor passed away unexpectedly in early January. He came to our class from eastern Pennsylvania, majored in English, participated in a language study abroad in Mexico, and was a loyal member of Theta Delta Chi. He had a 35-year career in finance after earning an M.B.A. from NYU. Please care for one another and for yourself. Connect with us when you can.

—Emil Miskovsky, P.O. Box 2162, North Conway, NH 03860; emilmiskovsky@gmail.com; Ann Jacobus Kordahl, P.O. Box 470443, San Francisco, CA 94147; ajkordahl@gmail.com