My Semester With the Snowflakes

[LiberalArkie]

May of 2019, I was accepted to the Eli Whitney student program at Yale University. At 52, I am the oldest freshman in the class of 2023. Before I was accepted, I didn’t really know what to expect. I had seen the infamous YouTube video of students screaming at a faculty member. I had seen the news stories regarding the admissions scandal and that Yale was included in that unfortunate business. I had also heard the students at Yale referred to as “snowflakes” in various social media dumpsters and occasionally I’d seen references to Ivy League students as snowflakes in a few news sources.

I should give a bit of background information. I was an unimpressive and difficult student in public schools. I joined the military at 17 and spent close to 26 years in the US Navy. I was assigned, for 22 of those years to Naval Special Warfare Commands. I went through SEAL training twice, quit the first time and barely made it the second time. I did multiple deployments and was wounded in combat in 2009 on a mission to rescue an American hostage.

Every single day I went to work with much better humans than myself. I was brought to a higher level of existence because the standards were high and one needed to earn their slot, their membership in the unit. This wasn’t a one-time deal. Every time you showed up for work, you needed to prove your worth.

The vetting process is difficult and the percentages of those who try out for special operations units and make it through the screening is very low.

Snip

https://gen.medium.com/my-semester-with-the-snowflakes-888285f0e662?

[Phoenix61]

1. Wonderful read. nt

[FM123]

2. Wow.

"I was surprised and quite emotional. Exceptionally emotional."
I felt this way reading the article. Thank you for sharing it.

[Amaryllis]

22. Wow was my response also. Just wow and wow.

[erlewyne]

3. Do it!!!

One of my best friends told me he was in the Marines in Vietnam.
I said you dumb fucker I am a Vietnam Vet but I was drafted.
I said, why didn't you join the Navy? He said, I did! I did not know
the Navy was the Marines.

My son, to my shock, Joined the Air Force before he graduated.
He was in the USAF a few days after he turned 18. Twenty-some
years later he moved back home with a wife and four children.

Went to nursing school and became a R.N. Now he makes good
money and enjoys his job but hates the 12 hour night shift 3
random days a week.

This is intended humor.EW

[Pacifist Patriot]

4. Well worth a full read. Thanks!

[Moral Compass]

5. If you read nothing else today read this

This post gives me hope. In these dark days, when evil seems to be triumphant words like these give me hope.

[QED]

6. Wonderful post

Thank you. This stood out for me:

"To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect."

[iluvtennis]

9. And that quote stood out to me as well as it reminds me of a famous quote from Dr Martin Luther King

To be "conscientiously stupid" - let that sink in.

Thanks for this post LiberalArkie.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. Really excellent read with a top-notch bit of advice in it:

"A leader is a bridge builder."

+1

[calimary]

8. WUNNNNNNDERFUL! Thank you for finding this, LiberalArkie!

What a fabulous find! So glad you shared it here!

Just Wonderful! It’s a Day-After-Christmas present!

[47of74]

10. Young people work hard

A lot harder than the Branch Trumpvidians think.

I met young people who worked their asses off every damn day. And worked with older people who did nothing of the sort.

[NewJeffCT]

23. Agreed

yes, there are some kids that got into Yale, Harvard, Stanford, etc because of wealth, connections, legacy and/or similar. However, a large majority of the kids there are smart, talented and worked there tails off in high school (and sometimes, starting in middle school) to get into those elite schools and other good colleges.

[Act_of_Reparation]

33. Disdain for the young isn't the sole purview of the Trumpists.

There's plenty of it around here, too, I can assure you.

[Perseus]

11. Great read

Inspirational, I sent the link to a lot of my friends, well worth the read.

[3catwoman3]

12. How very moving.

Do read the whole thing. It will be time well spent. Do read the card his young classmates gave him on Veterans’ Day.

Kinda makes me wish I were a freshman at Yale.

[packman]

13. The message of the post and site seemed to be, for me -

is leave your "comfort zone" and immerse yourself in something were you have to depend on another to succeed. Then, if you have a spark of humanity or empathy in yourself, you will grow into someone you weren't. To me, this had special meaning from my own personnel experience in survival.

[malaise]

36. And build that bridge

It's a lovely read

[OxQQme]

14. James Michener's - The Drifters

I'm in the middle of re-reading this book.
He speaks about old opinionated farts that get schooled by youngsters
as well as the young people learning of life's lessons from elders who've been around.

[PatrickforO]

27. I've read the Drifters.

Really great book. The kids were lucky to have Harvey, and he was lucky to have them. RIP Monica.

[Martin Eden]

15. Recommended, thanks for sharing!

It's such a shame that "conservative" ideology and rhetoric ridicules and demonizes higher education.

[cp]

16. Thank you!

Both to the writer--whole essay is splendid--and you for posting it. Thank you.

[AwakeAtLast]

17. Fantastic!

Being a Veterans wife I could conjure the person who wrote this easily. What a great experience for him, I hope more are able to take advantage!

[Hekate]

18. Read it all. He is experiencing the best, the very best, of having his heart & mind opened wide...

...in intellectual space.

[colorado_ufo]

19. Terrific essay.

He understands the true meaning of education.

[Dukkha]

20. I read that on Christmas morning

and it made my day. Humility is one of the most admirable human traits. It's great to see someone in their middle age years still willing to learn and admit to be wrong and embrace change.

[MartyTheGreek]

21. Great Post! I was just called a Snowflake today on Fake Book...

I'm a former diver. I'll share with my former .mil magas. See what kinda reactions I'll get.

Thank You!

[yonder]

24. This essay is a great gift in itself. Please read.

[reACTIONary]

25. K&R

[PatrickforO]

26. That was truly great!

I especially liked his take on 'safe space' and snowflakes.

As to building bridges, we have to, one person at a time. And he's sure building them.

[3Hotdogs]

28. I had trouble towards the end of the essay. Just as I came to the part about the card the kids gave

you, someone in the kitchen must'a started peeling onions. Still have trouble typing this.

[c-rational]

29. Wonnderful read. Thanks for the post.

[nolabear]

30. What a great essay. I'd hope were roles reversed we'd be as open.

[Joinfortmill]

31. Lovely piece

Enjoy your time at Yale.

[JGug1]

32. Snowflakes

Regarding the utterly stupid cliche, snowflake, the best way to disdain it is to not use it.

[malaise]

34. This was an absolutely beautiful read

Thank you so much for posting this

[WhiskeyGrinder]

35. Why do people like this article?

[roody]

37. If the author thinks about it

he can figure out that the bloody glove was a protest against the US' bloody foreign policy.