The Earth is 6000 years old

It's August in Arizona and school is back in session. This is the first semester since my freshman year when I have classes everyday (god forbid I study 5 days a week). Today I had my first "real" lecture in anthropology. I like this class because it's freshman level, and I am undoubtedly older than 99% of the people in the room by merit of being a senior. It's refreshing seeing these kids frantically typing on their Macs and what not, knowing that I know better than to take thorough notes in a 100-level course. Being the schadenfraude lover I am, I don't tell them otherwise. Until now:

Here is the key to success in a 100-level class: show up, forget the notes.

There, I said it. And all the freshmen rejoice at this pearl of wisdom. Most everyone can remember the basics of a class like this, at least well enough to pass with a "B" (no offense meant towards my anthro buddies!)

Today in lecture I was blessed with hearing two exceptionally insightful questions, undoubtedly coming from the valedictorians from their respective high-school classes:

1) If giraffes have long necks, and don't use those long necks throughout adulthood, will said giraffes have little giraffe babies with no necks? Naturally the question I would have thought to ask even when talking about Lamarckism. Not.

2) So if the Earth isn't 6000 years old like you say, it has to be younger, right? Wrong, you are stupid. Fail.

I am happy to attend Arizona State University, where a pulse and a checkbook qualify you to study at an exceptional institution where we have an entire School of Sustainability but scant recycling across campus. A great place where the meeting of minds produces such thoughtful prattle as where the next beer-pong party will be held or which girl put out the first day in the dorms. And finally, a community where we pay our faculty nothing, expect furloughs, and then wonder "why isn't our childrens learned good?" Simple economics kids: Incentives rock the world. Pay less, anticipate less.

The Pragmatic Economist fails you Arizona State. I know you have to make do with the budget cuts and such, but a real world-class school acts like one. The Republicans upstairs cut your funding, fine, I get it. Perhaps you should tell legislators that students are entering college still thinking the Earth is 6000 years old. Maybe that would capture their attention? Wait...if our legislators had their ways, we would believe the Earth was flat and that angels really did dance on the heads of pins. Never mind.