The University of King’s College in Halifax is known for its Foundation Year Program. Photo by Christian Laforce /FileArticle contentForty-four years ago, I was in a dilemma.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentMy parents insisted (they were both the first in their Halifax working-class families to go to university) I go to some post-secondary institution. Which one?Article contentArticle contentMy grades were very good in Grade 12, the product of who I hung out with. In grades 10 and 11, my friends were under-achievers. In Grade 12, my then-girlfriend and her friends were all honour students. Suddenly I was, too.Article contentArticle contentUniversities were harder to qualify for in the ’80s than they are now. But with my grades, I could go anywhere, even get a scholarship, albeit a small one.Article contentMany of my friends were going to the University of King’s College in Halifax in the fall. I applied and was accepted. Only 100 were chosen; I was told there was a waiting list for those who did not get in.Article contentMeanwhile, my life-long dream, up till that point, was to be a sports announcer. Ryerson and Loyalist colleges in Ontario specialized in sports (radio and television) journalism. In the end I chose the easy path; King’s had the Foundation Year Program, but if I decided to pivot to journalism, they offered a pathway there as well.Article contentOur child tells us they chose not to go to university initially because the costs were so high and the likelihood of “that’s not for me” so prevalent. They did not want to “waste” all their RESP money. Frugality is one virtue I did pass on to my child.Article contentArticle contentI had no such concerns. I could live at home and, over the summer, work three jobs to earn the thousand-dollar tuition and pay for the books. If things did not work out, I would not consider it a big loss.Article contentI watched a lot of television back then; one of my favorite shows was The Paper Chase. My Foundation Year experience reminded me a lot of the show: A student from Minnesota enters a competitive learning environment specifically to study with a renowned professor, inspiring both awe and fear in the classroom.Article contentThere were many lecturers in the program at King’s. Most were men; they wore academic black gowns; they strutted with purpose in front of us, revealing the deeper truths of Plato, Aristotle, Rosseau, Mill, Kant, Nietzsche, Hegel and Marx, even the Bible and theologians like Augustine, Luther and Calvin.Article contentIn hindsight, it is easy to see the blind spots of this “great books” approach. The authors were mostly white men, the professors were as well, with more than a few Anglican clergy who liked to be called “Father.”
COMMENTARY: There’s joy in finding a great place for learning
