With Higher Education under fire from all sides,
experiential learning has become a buzzword for teaching students real world
skills that reach beyond standard classroom fare. Faculty and administrators are
working to enhance the education of students before they leave the Ivory Tower.
Internships, Study Abroad, Service Learning projects, all are part of our
experiential learning toolkit.
But a week of observing the migration of
undergraduates along our residence hall to academic campus corridor suggests
ample life lessons within easy reach in the course of a normal day.
Situated smack dab in the middle of the Midwest where we
dearly love our cars, the University planners envision a campus that is
pedestrian-friendly. In their wildest imaginings, all parking facilities would move
to the perimeter of campus, and all students and employees would reach the
center of campus on foot or in buses. In my wildest imaginings, I would be
safely retired before such inconvenience came to fruition.
Still, in pursuit of a pedestrian-friendly campus, the
University added well-marked crosswalks to the campus a couple of years ago. It
may be the most cost-effective teaching space we have with so much to learn
there.
Crossing Guards: The University, in its infinite wisdom,
employs upperclass students to don reflective vests and dutifully escort a new
class of freshman across the street for their first couple of weeks of classes.
Life Lesson: The real world doesn’t come with crossing guards, not even when
you are just starting out. You will be responsible for your own safety. Common
sense will serve you enormously well in this regard.
Drivers Must Yield to Pedestrians in Crosswalk: If you are
in the crosswalk, you have the right-of-way. However, if the car is there
first, you do not. It is not in your best interest to walk lemming-like across
the street with earbuds in or reading your phone. Life Lesson: The presence of
a painted crosswalk does not mean that you shouldn’t stop before stepping off the curb. Do not walk in front of traffic. What you learned in kindergarten
still applies.
Just Smile and Wave: Every driver is also a pedestrian at
times. We feel your pain. If it’s raining or freezing, I’ll always stop to let
you cross. If you acknowledge that you noticed, I am even more likely to stop
for you when it’s sunny and 70 degrees. Life Lesson: Do not take anything for
granted. Recognize every kindness. You might make someone’s day; it might even
make your own when you realize that.
Bicycles are Vehicles, Too: If you have chosen to ride to
class rather than to walk, respect the wheels under you. Pedestrian status no
longer applies. Life Lesson: If you are moving through life on wheels, follow
the rules. Traffic laws are designed to safely move us collectively from one
place to the next. Your personal convenience is not greater than the common
good. Do not mistakenly think it is.
The Magic Zone: When you step into a marked crosswalk, you
are not magically safe. Even if you are following the rules, chances are
someone else is not. Life Lesson: The thing that’s completely predictable can
still surprise you. Always watch for cars.
