Ohio Wesleyan is all about being a well-rounded individual and helping out the greater world, but college is mad expensive and cashing in with high-paying jobs after graduation is not only tempting, but necessary for a lot of debt-saddled new alums. This college ambition has not gone unrecognized...the Washington Monthly ranks universities and colleges for their performance as engines of social mobility and their contributions to fostering scientific and humanistic research and promoting an ethic of service to country. Ohio Wesleyan ranks 73rd. Not so bad considering the Washington Monthly survey does not adjust for college size (our campus being on the small side) and many of their indicators rely on "number of graduates"

A new NY Times articles noted two days ago, the dilemma of choosing between big money and public service after graduation, or at least putting off the big money in favor of something noble for a little while, seems increasingly pronounced as Obama's play for the White House (and our hearts and minds) grows stronger.

The NYT article mentions approaches that different colleges are taking to encourage graduates along the public service path without having to worry about the finance issue. A Harvard education professor is leading seminars to light a public service fire under Ivy League asses. Amherst and UPenn are expanding public service fellowships and internships. Tufts is going to start paying off the college loans of graduates who choose public service jobs.

So are we on the verge of a new Obama-ushered era of socially conscious graduates, sacrificing personal wealth for the greater good of society? Is public service reaching a tipping point, from being easily written off as a fringe manifestation of progressive guilt, to a universally-appealing American civic movement?