A little conversation, please?

I called a high school college counselor today to notify her of a scholarship opportunity. She proceeded to tell me her school’s procedure for scholarships: 1) they post it on some website, 2) Students are expected to come into the office to pick up applications if they are interested, 3) They have copies of applications in the office (behind some door).

I asked her if they would like a representative from the scholarship organization to speak to her students, and she said no. I asked her if she would distribute the applications to the proper students (the students who would be most interested and were certainly eligible), and she told me "that's not what we do here." I asked her if the foundation could send applications to students or make sure they get them, same answer.

I then asked her if she has ever talked to her students and if she cares about them, and she responded "I'm underpaid." Just kidding, I did not go there. But I could imagine the answer as I frustratingly hung up the phone.

God bless the Online Revolution. Google has become our legos, while Youtube is our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Entertainment that becomes so much a part of our lives, that it is no longer merely entertainment. It is a way of life (as I sit here and write on my blog). Not only is it the way we do things, but it is the way things are done.

For some people.

We are becoming too reliant on the web for explanations, and much too often simply refer others to “the website.” Many people have a simple question that would take 45 minutes to find on the FAQ section of the website. But most importantly, many people—and I use students at lower-achieving high schools (like the one I called) as an example—simply do not seek out information on a website, especially when they have no clue that information exists there. People need face to face communication, and they need others to reach out to. They also need to reach out to others, and learn the proper ways to do so.

The web can be a great means to an ends—a helpful tool to get somewhere—but it is not the only means, and it is certainly not the ends itself.