![]() The experience of taking home a paycheck-worry-free and without qualms about what they are actually accomplishing-is indeed “juicy and delicious.” And after roughly nine years of employment at ASU, they too realize that “ignorance is bliss.” They are taking the blue pill.Ĭompare this experience to that of employees who have attempted to investigate, identify, and remedy the real structural problems of the university. And this is to say nothing about the many struggles facing ASU faculty and staff (frequently covered on Watching Adams).Īnd yet, because they find “putting too much of that perspective into work affects ability to be enthusiastic and present with students,” they consciously choose to avoid considering the perspectives of former ASU students who weren’t successful and the implications this has on the university’s deliverance of its mission. They know that student engagement and morale are consistently low, that students only have a 21% chance of graduating in 4 years, and that they are taking on considerable loads of debt for the promise of job prospects that remain weak – especially for ASU graduates. They are indeed aware that ASU is failing many of its students – literally and figuratively – with poorly-designed programs, practices, and policies. After nine years, you know what I realize?” “Ignorance is bliss.”Īnd this is precisely what my colleague was describing. I know that when I put it in my mouth, the Matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy and delicious. In an upscale restaurant (that doesn’t actually exist), Cypher muses to Agent Smith about this philosophical problem while savoring a delicious cut of sirloin.Ĭypher: “You know, I know this steak doesn’t exist. Yes, but what about “the taste of steak?” This is a reference to another character in the film, Cypher, who betrays Neo and Morpheus and cuts a deal with the Matrix overlord, Agent Smith, in order to forget all about the real world and instead bask in the temporal pleasures offered by the computer simulation. Neo is then able to fully understand how to create a better world for humanity… And also do some Kung Fu that defies physics. ![]() ![]() While bleak, it nonetheless offers him the opportunity to attain enlightenment by realizing the true nature of reality in the real world outside the Matrix. Neo, being the hero of the story, chooses to face the uncomfortable truth and “awakens” to a dystopian future. “Wonderland” is a reference, of course, to “Alice in Wonderland” – a veiled critique that Lewis Carroll leveled at constructions of state power, religion and morality in 19th century British society. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.” Morpheus: “You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. ![]() At one point, a guru named Morpheus offers Neo the choice to learn more about the true nature of reality… or simply forget about the difficult questions Neo has encountered. I guess I just really love the taste of steak.”įor those who may have missed it, this was a reference to the 1999 sci-fi action film, “The Matrix.” For the six people reading this article who haven’t seen it, the film follows a computer hacker named Neo who (SPOILER ALERT) discovers that his world is just a computer simulation used to distract humanity while machines harvest their bodies as an energy source. I find that putting too much of that perspective into my work affects my ability to be enthusiastic and present with students. ![]() This person responded by saying, “I haven’t listened to any. I pointed out that there are several Watching Adams Podcasts that directly discuss these issues with former students, including the inability to get a math tutor to prepare for the GRE, being saddled with debt and no degree, and feeling “infantilized” by the university administration. A colleague of mine recently explained to me that they are working every day to improve student outcomes at Adams State University (ASU). ![]()
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