An expression that didn’t exist when I was a student is “whatever…” The ellipsis at the end is important because the power of “whatever…” is what it doesn’t say. On its surface, it’s colloquial for “It doesn’t matter,” except it is indifference with an “edge” that adds cynicism to that indifference. Not only do users of “whatever…” not care, they are also telling you to “get lost.”
Every election for the past twenty years has left most of my students with a “whatever…” reaction. Most didn’t vote because they thought it didn’t matter who was elected. They ranked politicians with used car salesmen and lawyers on their scale of trustworthiness.
Occasionally a few would become enthusiastic about a candidate only to have their youthful trust crushed by political or personal revelations of an unsavory nature. Then they would come to class and say, “I knew he was too good to be true. They’re all crooks.”
Their political cynicism, however, melted during the presidential primaries. “The Obama Effect” was largely responsible for this, but many students volunteered for Edwards and other candidates–largely Democratic, but some Republican.
My students voted in the primaries, and they voted in the general election. They talked about politics before class started, and returned to the subject as they filed out of the classroom. They left class early to hear a candidate speak on campus or in a nearby school. This election has been unparalleled in the level of student involvement.
Georgetown is their nearest “bar scene,” and the night of election results many flocked there to watch results communally. They reported that Georgetown was “unbelievable,” “one huge party,” “people cheering in the streets,” “you couldn’t move it was so crowded.”
Whatever happened to “whatever”?
Students have new faith in the democratic process. If they voted for Obama, they are jubilant. Despite the economy, they are excited about the future. They hope Obama will change the way America works.
If they did not vote for Obama, or stayed away from the polls altogether, they still have renewed faith in our system of government. I don’t see anger or bitterness on the faces of McCain supporters. One young man said he voted for McCain, but still admired Obama and his family. He thinks he will disagree with his policies, but is impressed with his person.
They have confidence that Obama will not abuse the trust all of them have in his integrity and abilities. Where Republicans differ is in their expectations of how successful he will be in bringing reform.
So it’s a good time to be a student in America. The future looks bright even though there are plenty of problems to solve. Unless there is a major deterioration in the job market for college graduates, they will be able to find work and do what they have been trained to do.
“Whatever…” will not disappear from their vocabularies, but students dare to hope they won’t use it about their new president, his government, or the way the democratic system works. One man won the presidential election, but nearly all my students feel like winners, too.
What Kids Are Reading
This weekly column will look at lists of books kids are reading in various categories, including grade level, book genre, data from libraries, and data from booksellers. Information on the books below came from The New York Times’ “Children’s Books” section of November 9, 2008.
Recently Published Children’s Books Recommended by The New York Times
1. Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett (Ages 4-8)
2. The Little Bit Scary People by Emily Jenkins (Ages 3-6)
3. Twelve Terrible Things by Marty Kelley (Ages 5-8)
4. The Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman (Ages 5 and up)
5. ABC3D by Marion Bataille (Ages 5 and up)
6. A is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet by Stephen T. Johnson (Ages 5-9)
7. A Child’s Day: An Alphabet of Play by Ida Pearle (Ages 3-7)
8. The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Ages 12 and up)
9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Ages 12 and up)
10. The Retired Kid by Jon Agee (Ages 4-8)
