Georgetown’s New Approach to Student Care
Just when you thought academia couldn’t get any more ridiculous, here comes Georgetown University with a brand-new coping strategy for its oh-so-delicate public policy students. Forget lectures on international relations or seminars on economic policy — the McCourt School of Public Policy thinks their future diplomats need a little… Lego therapy. While the rest of us wake up the morning after Election Day, brush our teeth, and go to work regardless of the outcome, Georgetown students are being ushered into a “Self-Care Suite” for a day of playtime.
A Kindergarten Agenda for Graduate Students
The event, orchestrated by Jaclyn Clevenger, McCourt’s director of student engagement, sounds like something you’d put together for a kindergarten class, not graduate students preparing for careers in shaping national and international policy. The email invitation proudly listed a schedule of activities that includes “Tea, Cocoa, and Self-Care,” a “Legos Station,” and my personal favorite: “Milk and Cookies.” Because nothing says “future leader of the free world” like a good snack break and some mindfulness coloring exercises.
Here’s What They Planned:
Here’s a taste of the riveting agenda:
- 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.: Tea, Cocoa, and Self-Care
- 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: Legos Station
- 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.: Healthy Treats and Healthy Habits
- 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.: </strong Coloring and Mindfulness Exercises
- 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.: Milk and Cookies
- 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.: Legos and Coloring
- 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.: Snacks and Self-Guided Meditation
A Reality Check Needed?
This has got to be either real life or an SNL sketch! You’ve got to wonder if these students realize that in the actual world of public policy, “mindfulness exercises” aren’t going to cut it when you’re negotiating trade deals or advising on national security threats.
Coddling Across Campuses
The madness doesn’t stop at Georgetown. Missouri State University is offering what they call a “no phone zone space,” complete with calm jars (whatever those are), fidget toys, and coloring pages. Apparently squeezing squishy stress balls is now how we soothe college students reeling from democratic elections.
The High School Scene Is No Better!
This coddling trend has even trickled down to high schools! At Fieldston School in New York City—an elite institution—attendance after election day is optional. They’ve called in psychologists for something they refer to as “Election Day Support.” Jerry Seinfeld couldn’t hold back his disdain when he commented on this situation regarding his own son who attended Fieldston; he asked what kind of lives these people led that made them think this was appropriate handling for young people.
A Generation Lacking Resilience?
You can see where Seinfeld is coming from. We’re raising kids who can’t handle disagreement or disappointment without milk-and-cookie safety nets. And these are supposed to be our future leaders? It’s no surprise so many young people crumble under real-world pressures—they’ve been bubble-wrapped by an education system focused more on shielding them from discomfort than prepping them for reality.
A Call For Real Preparation Instead Of Coddling!
If I could give one piece of advice to Georgetown it would be this—stop coddling your students with things like “Self-Care Suites.” Instead prepare them for life where sometimes elections don’t go your way! How about instead of Legos stations we offer crash courses in resilience? Because last I checked—the real world doesn’t come with hot cocoa breaks when things don’t go as planned!
Leave a Comment