Back on campus: James Hatch on learning from (and with) today’s college students

NOTE: The article referenced by this blog post, James Hatch's "My Semester with the Snowflakes," has been deleted from Medium, the platform where it originally appeared. It is now available on the author's personal website: https://www.spikesk9fund.org/blog/2020/10/31/my-semester-with-the-snowflakes/.

The generational divide is real, captured in “ok, boomer” eyerolls, “Karen” memes, and complaints about those tech-obsessed, lazy millennials. James Hatch is a 52-year-old Navy veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, and a freshman at Yale University. He’s working to bridge the divide in his defense of college students, published in GEN on December 21, 2019.

James Hatch, "My semester with the snowflakes." SPIKESK9FUND, 2019

 

1. Hatch responds to “they say” arguments that portray today’s college students in a negative, unflattering way. Where does he hear these “they say” arguments, and what are their central claims? Many of these “they say” arguments use the term “snowflake” to describe college students. What does that term mean? Based on your own experiences in college, how accurate or inaccurate is this portrayal? What do you think these arguments might be missing in their representations of today’s college students?
   
2. Hatch spent 22 years as a Navy SEAL, and he argues that there is an “odd parallel” between his work in military special operations and in the college classroom. What are the similarities he sees between his experience in the military and his experience getting into Yale and taking classes there? Do you agree with this comparison? Why or why not? Hatch notices that “discomfort” is an important feature of both the work he did in the military and the work he’s being asked to do in college. How so? What is the purpose of discomfort in the college classroom, and how is that discomfort related to the idea of a “safe space”?
3. Hatch’s essay invites us to think about who belongs in college classrooms and in academic conversations. First, he challenges the perception of the “typical” college student in many ways. At one point in his essay, he characterizes himself as an “alien” compared to the other students. What does he mean by this? What are the consequences, for him and for others, of buying into this metaphor? Hatch also demonstrates how academic writers can use their own everyday, “down-to-earth language” to make arguments, as explained in Chapter 9. Where in his essay do you see Hatch using a colloquial style? How did you react to this style? How do you think the style affects the strength and credibility of Hatch’s argument?
4. At the end of his essay, Hatch explains that his conversations with Yale students have helped him recognize the importance of “building bridges” between people who may seem very different from one another on the surface. What’s one example of this bridge-building that happened in Hatch’s classes? Think about a time your perspective or ideas were challenged, and how you changed your mind in response. Where did that happen, and with whom? How has your perspective changed? What was your reaction to this experience?

Comments

[Pamela Corradi]

I agree with you that we need individuals with skills that may not need a college degree. That does not, by any means lessen the necessity for some to attain them. Degrees of skill, desire, commitment and financial level also dictate the best path for a student. I enjoyed your article very much and agree with you .

[lydia christian]

I agree that building bridges with others in a community where you are the odd man out can be extremely difficult. All college freshmen are the same in that they just want to make some friends as well and build some bridges. I also agree that college students need to be taught life skills to help them be prepared for their experiences in and out of college and help them prepare for the big world.

[Taylor Perkins]

Hatch is surely right about the fact when he mentions that those young college students had a good grasp of literature and although they lacked much experience to bounce it off of, they were certainly "all in" on trying to figure out its underlying meaning. As a current student and my past experience in grade school I can relate to his statement as we are taught in school things in which we have no outside relation to. Therefore the only thing we can do is analyze what is in front of us to make sense of it all. This sometimes leads to many young college students overthinking.

[Grady Meeks]

James Hatch, a 52-year old veteran, recently attended a semester at Yale. Hatch writes about his semester and the difference between himself and his peers. Hatch admits that when he first got to the class, he was expecting stereotypes, such as snowflakes, and childish behavior. Hatch looked past the stereotypes and discovered how smart and hardworking. Hatch claims that if his peers are snowflakes, then he is proud to be one too.
1.Hatch hears these “They say” arguments from his colleges in the army and people in his generation. Many claim that they are “snowflakes” and want to be different. This term describes someone who wants to stand out. I have not been to college so I do not have personal experience with college students.

2.Hatch expresses similarities between Yale and the military such as not knowing what to fully expect going into them. Hatch also felt that with both he needed to prove his worth everyday and that his colleagues and peers hold him at a higher standard and bring him up. I agree with this comparison because I believe you should push for your best in everything you do and “bring it” every day. Discomfort is an important feature of work and school because it makes things challenging and helps set you for success later in your job or when you face a bigger challenge because you’ll already be used to the adversity and the discomfort. The purpose of discomfort in the college classroom is to set you up for your job later when you get into an uncomfortable situation and have to work your way out. This relates to a safe space because most teachers want their classroom to be a safe space, so if one is already used to discomfort in that safe space, they’ll feel comfortable when they face adversity and discomfort outside of that safe space.

3.By calling himself an alien, Hatch means that he is unlike the others in many ways and not expected to be there. By accepting this metaphor, Hatch may feel sorry for himself and believe that he can not succeed because he is unlike the others and the others might think Hatch doesn’t belong there and not give Hatch a chance to prove himself. You see Hatch use a colloquial style in about the 7th paragraph. I think this style was very powerful. I think it makes his argument and story seem a lot more genuine and reminds the reader that Hatch is different from his peers but still is giving it a shot.

4.Hatch built a bridge with a peer whose grandfather was also a veteran and went to Yale which challenges Hatch’s views of the students being “snowflakes”. One time at home I was in an argument with my friend. I was only looking at it through my perspective but when I looked at it through their perspective I changed my views because I saw how they saw it. I stopped arguing with them and resolved the argument.

[Katie Fulmer]

1) Hatch hears these “they say” arguments from social media, news sources, and even his old friends. The term “snowflake” describes somebody that believes they are more unique and special than others and is often used to describe students at prestigious universities. Although I have not yet attended college and gained personal experiences to determine if this stereotype is true or false, I do watch multiple Youtubers that attend Ivy Leagues or similar higher-learning institutions. From watching their channels, students at elite colleges do not fit the cliché. They seem down-to-earth, humble, determined, and hardworking. The argument of today’s college students being “snowflakes” seems to disregard the power of social media. People use social media to portray their happiest moments and accomplishments; they do not post their insecurities, failures, etc. People seem to forget this and see college students as perfect and always happy, contributing to the idea of them being “snowflakes”.

2) One similarity between Hatch’s time in military special operations and at Yale is that they both required extremely difficult processes to go through to get in. Additionally, with the challenges experienced at both there is opportunity and a need to to improve each day. I agree with this comparison because when I undergo obstacles, I also improve as a person. Hatch faced “discomfort” in the military and at school because both challenged him in ways that he had never experienced before. The purpose of discomfort in the classroom, through discussing and arguing controversial topics, is growing closer and learning to respect others. This is related to the idea of a “safe space”, or an area where thoughts can be discussed without fear of hate or harm, because at the college ideas are discussed with respect towards and received by everybody.

3) Hatch characterizes himself as an “alien” compared to other Yale students because he is older, more experienced, and not as traditionally smart as them. The consequence of buying into this metaphor is being afraid to build relationships with people considered different when a lot could be learned from others when dissimilarities are put aside. Hatch uses a colloquial style many times throughout his essay. I enjoyed this style because I was not intimidated by confusing, fancy words but was able to learn from and enjoy the article. This boosts Hatch’s argument and credibility because he was easy to understand and seemed genuine (instead of overly formal or pretentious).

4) One example of bridge-building that happened in Hatch’s class was when he met the granddaughter of a WWII veteran, and they were able to bond over the girl’s grandfather’s war experience and Hatch’s in the Navy. A time my perspective was challenged was when I was fighting with my parents. I called my aunt to vent and tell the story, and she helped me understand my parents’ argument and resolve the issue with them. My perspective changed by learning that not everything is cut-and-dry, everybody experiences and perceives events in different ways and I now am better at respecting that and being understanding. I am happy to have experienced that situation because it taught me an important lesson.

[Gabrielle All]

Hatch is a 52 year old veteran who got accepted to yale. Throughout his time there he took the time to get to know the different types of people and how they were much different than their stereotype. He observed how hardworking and determined these students were and learned much more than he thought he would about them. He tells us that we should look past the stereotypes and take time to get to know people you would not originally. He expresses how everyone has different opinions and they are worth hearing, and that you can learn a lot. Hatch met people who were openly willing to discuss subjects without argument or disrespect being willing to change their mind, and the people who are too ignorant to be wrong or learn new things are not as respected to him.

Hatch hears these “they say” arguments on social media sources and new sources. These “they say” claim students from Yale are “snowflakes” and think they are special when they are not. Although I am not in college, this portrayal is accurate for high school as some students are portrayed as the gifted ones and classified into higher academic classes. These arguments are missing getting to know the students, how they act and how they perform. They have stereotypes for these students that are “special” and haven’t even spoken to them to get an idea of how hardworking they are or their personalities.

The similarities that Hatch sees between studying at Yale and his experience in the military is that he felt the need to prove himself as better, he felt he was set at a higher expectation that he needed to fulfill. At Yale he felt he needed to keep up in his classes because of his age and the high expectation he had being at a school for smarter people. I agree with this comparison because I do feel like some people do feel the need to live up to a certain exception with their job or education. The purpose of “discomfort” in a college classroom is the idea that you can share your opinions or thoughts without being disrespected. This is the “safe space” to share your ideas with people who are open minded to learning new things. He discusses this when he says “What she meant by “safe space” was that she was happy to be in an environment where difficult subjects can be discussed openly, without the risk of disrespect or harsh judgment.”

When Hatch wrote that he was an “alien” he meant that he was different from them because he was a disabled vetran and did not know the material as well as the younger students. He felt less intelligent then them because of the unfromilar look of an older guy in that class. This metaphor “alien” has the consequence of him thinking that he is different and doesn't have as full of potential as the young students since he is comparing himself to an alien. Hatch uses a colloquial style throughout his essay a number of times such as “Now back to that bridge. I need to figure out how to actually build one. “ I liked the style because it was casual and easy to read, you also got a sense of the authors personality through his writing
An example of Hach learning through his class experiences from people who are different types of people is when the first immigration Amercians were attending Yale with a veteran to fight and come to this country. He felt pride that the kids were able to be free and safe. A time that my perspective changed for someone is when this boy that I used to be really close with was considered “bad” by everyone since something happened that got around. When we would actually have conversations, I found out so much more about him and why his life the way it is. I discovered that you learn so much from a person by just asking questions and their opinions on things instead of small talk. I like to never judge people for things because you never know what’s going on in their life and how hard it is at home.

[Matt Hartinger]

James Hatch, a decorated 52 year old verteran speaks on a topic almost all college students can relate on. I agree with Hatch on most of his well written article. For me it is his different perspective of college after an impressive 22 years as a Navy SEAL that helped me grasp this article. I strongly agree with Hatch’s Philosophy Professor when he says “a good leader isa bridge builder”. This is a great quote because it engraves in your head whether you want to be a leader and create something, or follow the norm and “cross” a bridge built by someone else. Hatch explains that there are plenty of skills people can do without college degrees, but touches on things that college can help improve on like life skills, focused learning, hands on interactions, etc. This article was very helpful, and helped change my perspective of furthering my education.

[Robert Menacho]

1)In his article “My Semester with the Snowflakes” Hatch argues that while inexperienced, college students are undeserving of the negative titles often given to them. He hears such “they say” arguments from anywhere ranging from old Navy buddies to even news media, where they describe college students as “snowflakes”. Snowflakes are described by Google as an “overly sensitive or easily offended person, or one who believes they are entitled to special treatment”. Based on my own experiences in college, I find this to be inaccurate. From what I’ve seen personally most of my peers just want to keep their noses down and get the work done. The concept of thinking they special treatment is one in which I have yet to see.

2)Hatch mentioned several similarities to his time spent in the special forces and to his time spent in college. He compared his coursework in college to the work he did in the military, saying that it needed to be done no matter how you feel, rain or shine. I agree with this idea because while different, work completion is important no matter the capacity. Another common factor in both college and the special forces was discomfort, which would play an important role in both settings. This importance comes from the things that you learn when you come face to face with it (discomfort). The discomfort that you face in the classroom when you’re discussing controversial topics with clashing opinions is the same thing that helps you learn to respect those who are sharing their beliefs, however controversial. Another concept mentioned in the article were “safe spaces”, areas where people can share their opinions without fear of harsh criticism. This goes hand in hand to the scenario of being in the classroom and discussing hard topics. Students were encouraged to share their beliefs in every higher education discussion I've ever been in.

3)In his essay author Hatch described himself as an “alien” in comparison to his peers, believing that there is such a difference between himself and others that it would be considered otherworldly. I believed he summed it up perfectly, describing himself as an older male “covered” in tattoos with a service dog in tow. That's not exactly how people picture the average college student. However there is some harm in buying into the metaphor that you’re an alien compared to your peers. This implies that you would have to fit into some kind of standard to be a college student, when in reality you just need to be going to college. Many times throughout his article Hatch used a more colloquial style of writing. I reacted very positively to this approach. I was able to gain a newfound respect for him as I was able to hear his outlook on things with words that quite frankly, were not intimidating or fancy. This heavily improved his credibility as a writer as I’m sure that it humbled him and made him seem more down to earth readers, including myself.

4)An example of bridge building that took place in Hatch’s own class was when he found out that many of his peers were first generation Americans. His peers are great examples of bridge building as they’re working off of the hard work of their fathers, many of whom simply worked as taxi drivers. One time my perspective was changed when I was arguing with a peer of mine in JROTC. We had conflicting beliefs on who should be in what position for color guard. I believed that the new cadet should be given a chance to do left rifle, what I hadn't considered is that this event would be the last opportunity for some of the senior cadets to do one more before they graduated. We ended up moving a different freshman out of the formation so that both the new cadet and a senior cadet would be included, but in a different position. This allowed me to see the big picture in things before I hastily make a decision. It is a lesson that I have used ever since.

[Kelsey Wu]

1. Hatch heard the “they say” from social media’s and most of them claims that college students are “snowflakes”. The word “snowflakes” represents people who wanted to be special or stand out when they aren’t. Based on my experience, that’s not true. Although I am just a freshman right now, I don’t think I am like a “snowflake” as well as my friends. There might be students who are like that but I believe majority people are more humble and hard working.
2. There are quite a few similarities between college and military. One of them is that they always need to challenge and improve themselves everyday. The discomfort he felt during classes in college is to make him challenge himself and get out of the comfort zone. By doing this, people are able to improve and get ready for work environment which is more intense and cruel. This relates to safe space because even there are discomforts here and there, classroom is always a safe space that everyone must respect each other and shouldn’t bring or talk about inappropriate things out of the classroom.
3. By calling himself “alien”, Hatch feels like he doesn’t belong because he is older unlike everyone else and is not expected to be there. This makes him start to distant himself with others that he can’t build up a close relationship with other students. He uses colloquial style a lot through out the essay and made it very easy to understand. Since it’s very straightforward without those fancy words, it’s really strong and more reliable compared to other essays.
4. One example was when Hatch met the granddaughter of a WWII veteran, and they were able to bond over the girl’s grandfather’s war experience and Hatch’s experience in the Navy. One time my perspective was challenged was when I fought with my parents. That time my parents said something really harsh and that really hurled me. I didn’t understand at that time and until now I still don’t fully understand. However, my perspective did change quite a lot, at the very least if the same thing happens again, I’ll definitely be more calm and solve it in a different way that won’t hurt both me and my parents.