I am writing about Brian Fudge’s column last Friday on America’s status in math and science education (“America sucks at math — and should be damn proud of it,” Feb. 17, p.7). If Fudge was writing a sarcastic piece about a serious developing problem in the United States, he did a masterful job; his inability to come up with a concise or convincing argument sure gave me a laugh or two, and for that I would like to thank him.
Unfortunately, I think he was serious, and his viewpoint is not uncommon, but very problematic.
One of the main reasons that the United States is a major superpower is because of the scientific research that is done here on a regular basis. At universities around the country, including our own, scientists and engineers are developing solutions to problems that we have. Companies are constantly developing products that make our lives better. These are the people that can and do make a difference in our daily lives. To say that these “nerds” are being unpatriotic when they express their concern over the United States falling behind in math and science education is very ignorant. If anything, they are being even more patriotic. They want people from the United States to fill their spots in the future. Being able to excel in “beer pong or setting the record for most cheeseburgers consumed in a day” does not solve these problems. It creates more problems, like liver and heart disease.
On a personal note, how dare you say that we are able to use immigrants and “stick them in crappy neighborhoods and tell them they’re living the American dream.” I’ll let you in on a little secret. Most of the immigrants who come to this country, study math and science and become professionals are much smarter than what you take them for. They are not under some illusion that they are here to make things for you. They are here because they want a better life for themselves and their families. To compare them to a “kid from Beijing” is absolutely insulting.
Do I think that this problem is solvable? Yes, and it can be done with little effort from all parties. It does not help that people like you reject math and science in their entirety. If you do not understand it, that’s fine. If you do not want to study it, that’s fine also. Just do not try to mock hard-working people who do work in this field. Chances are that one day soon you are going to need help from one of these “nerds” and it is not smart to bite the hand that can help you.
Arup Chakrabarti ENG ’07