4 Matching Annotations
  1. Dec 2017
    1. The best mode of government for youth in large collections, is certainly a desideratum not yet attained with us. It may well be questioned whether fear, after a certain age, is the motive to which we should have ordinary recourse. The human character is susceptible of other incitements to correct conduct, more worthy of employ, and of better effect. Pride of character, laudable ambition, & moral dispositions are innate correctives of the indiscretions of that lively age; and when strengthened by habitual appeal & exercise, have a happier effect on future character, than the degrading motive of fear; hardening them to disgrace, to corporal punishments, and servile humiliations, cannot be the best process for producing erect character.

      This is an interesting passage because it addresses the idea of self governance, which plays a pivotal role in UVA culture. At UVA, we as students have many roles in making decisions and advocating for the rights of the entire student body. However, another interesting point is brought up with the concept of fear and whether or not that is an effective way to govern people. While I do not believe that it is the necessarily right way to govern people, I do think that it is inevitable because so many of our actions are based on fear of consequences. Even the honor code, which represents a large part of UVA's identity can be seen as governed by fear. We can ask the question of whether or not people uphold the honor code because they really believe in honor or if they uphold it because they fear the consequences of breaking the honor code.

  2. Nov 2017
    1. It is therefore greatly to be wished, that preliminary schools, either on private or public establishment, would be distributed in districts thro the state, as preparatory to the entrance of Students into the University.

      The expectations back then are similar to the expectations for students today because the schools that students attend prior to college are supposed to prepare them; however the degree to which certain schools prepare students is different based on the location of the school and the resources that are provided to each school. Some schools will give its students more opportunities for success and prepare them for college better than other schools, so not everyone will have the equal opportunity to attend college.

  3. Oct 2017
    1. Education, in like manner engrafts a new man on the native stock, & improves what in his nature was vicious & perverse, into qualities of virtue and social worth; and it cannot be but that each generation succeeding to the knowledge acquired by all those who preceded it, adding to it their own acquisitions & discoveries, and handing the mass down for successive & constant accumulation, must advance the knowledge & well-being of mankind:

      I found this quote interesting because it refers only to white men and how they can attain virtue and social worth from education but people of other races and backgrounds cannot. This reminds me of an article that I read in my engagement class about affirmative action because the minorities were pushing for equal treatment and the opportunity to learn and receive the benefits that education would give them. The author of the article, Richard Rodriguez, was not underprivileged as a kid because he could afford education, so he did not identify with the rest of the minorities because he claimed that have the opportunity to receive an education automatically makes you not a minority. His claim relates to this quote because he sees education as a privilege that brings you up in the world because it gives you virtue and many benefits. In the modern society, people of all races and backgrounds can reap the benefits of education and knowledge, not just white men, and they are able to pass on their knowledge to future generations. It is interesting to see how far society has come in who can receive education and what education can do for everyone in the world.

  4. Sep 2017
    1. At the District schools or colleges boys should be rendered able to read the easier Authors, Latin and Greek. This would be usefull and sufficient for many not intended for an University education. At these too might be taught English grammar, the higher branches of numerical Arithmetic, the geometry of straight lines and of the circle, the elements of navigation and Geography to a sufficient degree

      This quote highlights similarities as well as differences between education and schooling back then vs. now. Back then students had to have extensive schooling prior to coming to university, and they had certain requirements that they had to complete such as proficiency in Latin and Greek, and understanding of Geometry and navigation. Now, there are less physical requirements needed to attend college, but there still is an unspoken expectation that students come to college fully prepared. Colleges still expect students to take challenging courses and master challenging concepts, but the actual requirements are gone. Back then there were many limitations for who could attend college. The section emphasizes that boys were the ones who needed these requirements to attend college. Now, colleges accept a much more diverse group of students, and people are given more opportunities than before