9 June 2025 archive
What! Me Worry? 0
Dear Class of 2027 and beyond,
One of the most popular humor magazines during my high school years was MAD magazine. Are you familiar with it? Staring out on each issue’s cover was the silly-looking young man on the left. He was Alfred E. Neuman with his perpetual gaped-tooth grin and his now universally known exclamation, “What! Me worry?” It was a timeless teenage sentiment. Can you identify with that? If you have completed your sophomore year, congratulations —you will shortly start your junior year, one of the most significant and most challenging college-bound classes in American history! Do not worry.
But do pay attention. You may be in the same place I was. Perhaps you are fifteen or sixteen years old with vague college aspirations? You may not have any specific reason to go to college other than it is the expected thing to do, and/or everyone else is doing it. Not everyone plans to attend college, and some of your classmates may not pursue higher education. That is, not a four-year liberal arts college. They may want to pursue technical training, education, or some certification, however.