There is an urban legend about a final exam question from a college philosophy course - why? Apparently, a student handed in "Why not?" and got an A. You probably know what I'm talking about, reader; I suspect it was popularized by a combination of word of mouth and appearances in nationally syndicated columns.
But imagine if this story was on tomorrow's morning news? I bet people would go ballistic. They might accuse the grading professor of bias or invoke arguments about privilege in higher education. I suppose the more muted reactions would include muttering about grade inflation, and maybe a contrarian thinker would call this the low point of a generation raised communicating via the short bursts of texting.
I'd like to think that a far simpler reaction might gain some attention - why should such a stupid answer get an A? Or even better, as I interpreted Marilyn vos Savant's reported quip in the above link, why should a professor who asks such stupid questions be allowed to keep the job? The first time I heard this joke I laughed; the next few times, I appreciated the clever student. These days, the joke doesn't seem that funny, or clever. If 'why not' is a plausible enough 'A' response, what does that suggest about how we view higher education? I guess it implies there is nothing wrong with sending a young adult into the world with a diploma, six figures of student debt, and the A+ reasoning skills seen whenever a five-year old justifies a third dessert.
