A Writing Life (Part 9)

I mentioned a doubt about schools and writing and I want to return to this. My idea of the life of a scientist was encouraged by the media, especially science-fiction and straight science programs. I don’t know how else to explain my interest in becoming a scientist. The schools encouraged us to do anything but settle on a career in the arts. In fact, it was actively discouraged. I remember the day in our high school chemistry class when a man from a local university came to speak to us about different careers. He warned those of us in the arts (no specific names were on a list) to “wise up.” We would not find any work or a decent job of any kind. In a large lecture hall at university during my freshman year, another speaker quizzed us about our career choices. He asked for a show of hands for each major mentioned (business, psychology, biology, etc.). I was in computer science at the time and raised my hand when he ended his list at my major. By a quick glance around the room (in a hall that could seat at least 500 people), I noticed that there were only three or four other hands up. By a quick glance at the speaker, I could see that he felt ill. He said that “this situation has to change.” He was worried; not just for us but for the future of the nation. There was much in the news about the possible gap in science we faced if enrolment in these programs did not increase (the reports were specifically about engineering), and how we would be left behind the rest of the world. Fear was a great motivator.