Monkeys, Hula Hooping, and the Death of General Education

Pretend for a moment that you are starting your freshman year at Harvard University. You are excited about the college experience and ready to tackle the demanding coursework. You have decided on a major: Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, while also fulfilling a portion of your elective credits with a minor in Ethnicity, Migration, Rights. You have already reviewed the general education requirements and chosen your courses for the fall semester. Now, you take another look at your selected courses with nervous anticipation. An expository writing course. Typical. A foreign language course. Also typical. The Border: Race, Politics, and...