The Green caldron - University Library

AN
The Honest Nonconformist
Judith Raphael
Rhetoric 101, Theme A
The Green Caldron
ACQUAINTANCE WITH PART OF MY EDUCATIONAL
background should help to understand why I value my Freshman Week
experience. For the past school year I attended the Art Institute of
Chicago. It is an art school and a very liberal institution. Most of the student
body resided in the "arty" section of Chicago in sub-basement flats. They
wore beards, dirty sweatshirts and sandals, and possessed a great deal of con-
tempt for society and its rules. By rules, I mean institutional and social con-
ventions, not laws. Nonconformism was their God, and "doing as one pleases"
their religion. They put these feelings a good deal more idealistically, however
and lacking in self-discipline anyway, I began to believe them. I liked the way
they rationalized my immaturity and called it individualism. In fact I was
very much impressed with the idea that I was a natural nonconformist. My
parents were not, however, and within a few months my stay amongst the
"bohemians" was abruptly ended. I was packed off to the University of Illi-
nois.
A very beneficial incident occurred my first day at the University. I indig-
nantly told some clerk at McKinley Hospital that I was in perfect physical
condition and absolutely refused to take a silly physical examination. The clerk
very calmly told me in no uncertain terms either to take it or go back home.
Needless to say, I took the physical. That was only the beginning of a week
of following rules without any other alternative. It started me thinking.
Actually, there is very little connection between breaking laws and non-
conformity. Chaos is all that would result from lack of restriction. I now be-
lieve that people who defy rules are not always the staunch individuals. In
many cases they are just basically weak in self-discipline. Naturally I would
rebel against restriction of my freedom of speech, religion, and thought, but
not against some rule which merely states that I cannot stay out after one
o'clock. If individualist is the title given to those who defy rules, then the
best of them are in prisons. It is far more of a challenge to retain one's identity
when under the restriction of certain institutions and customs. Any fool can
break rules and be different.
No one can change overnight, but I do feel that my new ideas are more
mature than my former ones. Maybe I should thank that fellow at McKinley
Hospital who told me to go home. He frightened me into thinking.
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