Importance of Times' On Campus Series

If you enjoy perusing the New York Times Opinion articles, you may be interested in their Opinion Series, too.  One series that I took particlular interest in was their series titled "On Campus" that spans from September of 2016 to the present.  This series encompasses "college students, professors and administrators on higher education and university life".  Within this series, one can find many articles about campus free speech, failing/dropping out, sororities & fraternities, and why college is confusing.  There is surely an article to suit your interests, and below are 5 articles that caught my attention. 

The Future of Frats - Written by Kiley Roache, a published author and sorority member at Stanford University, she covers the benefits and drawbacks of Greek life within US colleges.  Although Roache firmly believes in Greek life, she also believes all Greek organizations should "go coed" and makes a valid argument for this change.  

College Advice I wish I'd Taken - Written by Susan Shapiro, a NYT freelancer and published author, she covers how her point-of-view as a professor allowed her to see the mediocre freshman student she disdains - a mere image of herself.  She offers 7 pieces of advice that most High School Seniors have heard from parents and grandparents, but not from the perspective of an Ivy-League professor.  

Get the Keg Out of the Frat House - Written by John Hechinger, an Editor for Bloomberg News and published author, he covers the rising popularity of US fraternities despite the growing alcohol and hazing problems.  Brief case-studies allow us to see Hechinger's ultimate goal - not abolishing Fraternities and pledging, but reforming fraternities and holding them more accountable.  

Finding Myself in Research -  Written by Mya Roberson, a Graduate student at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, she covers how her research in epidemiology has given her a better understanding of where she came from.  As a statistical anomaly, Roberson's desire to not only succeed but strive in graduate school through "research for the sake of humanity" should serve as a reminder for other researchers.  

Dropping Out of College Into Life - Written by Rainesford Stauffer, a graduate from the New School and freelance author, she covers how her college failures and ultimate drop-out lead her to success.  Real-world opportunities allowed Stauffer to strive in a healthy environment for a few years before she got back on her feet and graduated from a  non-traditional university program at 23.  

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the selected articles from this Times Series.  The articles are mainly taken from already established professionals in some way or another.  Whether they have been writing freelance for 10+ years or editors from newspapers, these individuals aren’t the first people I would look towards for advice.  They mostly seem to lack relatability – something I believe is very crucial when writing about a *touchy* topic like college.  Although I don’t believe that college is inherently controversial or touchy, I do believe that discretion is needed.  

Not many people would want to hear a non-greek student talk about reforming greek life, or a complete college drop-out talk about how they are unsuccessful.  Some credibility is always needed, but the human element, the down to earth component, seems to be missing from some of the articles in this series.  This could be said about many of the writers for the New York Times.  Their affluence is often called into question, and these articles prove to be no different; However, even with these critiques, I would still recommend this series to others.  Whether someone wants advice for college, hope after dropping out, or courage during tough times, this series can offer that.