Dixon Hall: OU leaders fail to use teachable moments for good

Dixon Hall: OU leaders fail to use teachable moments for good Chron.com While OU football coach Bob Stoops and President David Boren were making the heroic rounds as defenders of civility, they missed a wonderful opportunity to teach their students how to live, disagree and unite as a civil community. They perpetuated our ...

Pre-adults. That's who and what they are. When they enter our classrooms, many of them have never formed an independent thought of their own. The tapes that play in their heads and inevitably shape their interactions are created by parents, teachers, churches and - yes - our culture. Their lives are a culmination of enrichment courses, parental demands and angst, and standardized tests designed to get them into college. They are so programmed when they hit our doors that it takes almost four years for them to start figuring out what kind of ice cream they really like.
Our students sit in a middling place that is as promising as it is dangerous. They are old enough to drive cars, travel abroad and use a credit card, but not mature enough to always understand the consequences of driving too fast, failing to heed warnings about staying with the group, or predatory interest rates. They miss more deadlines than they make. Sadly, and often tragically, unlike in high school, they find out that one stupid decision, one wrong turn can lead to life-changing consequences. However, when done right and when at all possible (barring criminal behavior), the university and its professors can shine a hopeful light and offer an opportunity to begin anew.

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