1984

This year's N ucleus honors the graduating class of 1984. Fortunately they enter a society that
differs markedly from that gray terror described in George Orwell’s book, 1984. (Big Brother is not
watching - but your friend’s little brother may be “ hacking” his way into your computer file.)
The problems we face as a society and as individuals are not those of 1984, but those faced by
people everywhere for generations - maintaining the health, welfare and dignity of the human race.
The difficulty in accomplishing these goals has probably not changed much over the years, but our
perception of the task certainly has.
When most of the graduates of the Class of 1984 were in primary school, it appeared that the
solution to at least the question of the satisfaction of human want existed in the U.S. and much of
Europe. In 1970, the per capita Gross National Product in the U.S. stood 15% above that of any
other country Ten years later the per capita GNP in the U.S. was 10th in the world - nearly 30%
below that of Switzerland. Since 1980, the U.S. and Europe have struggled with inflation and
economic stagnation and decline While the recovery currently underway may make a reality of our
perceptions of 1970’s the unresolved questions of energy utilization and production efficiency
indicate that we would be wise not to be overly optimistic.
The graduates of the Class of 1984 can make a difference. The skill acquired through hard work
and study over the past four years can be applied to make life easier and goods and services more
abundant. Yet technical know-how is not enough. Knowledge does not fluctuate with the business
cycle The graduates of NJIT can increase the impact they make on society by joining others in
helping to shape society’s priorities, by becoming active in their communities and by staying alert to
the tendency of some political leaders to use their position for personal gain rather than the general
welfare.
In 1949, George Orwell saw a bleak future. In 1984, we see a world far more peaceful and with
more rapid economic growth than any sustained period in this century. (While the forty years since
the end of World War II have witnessed many small conflicts, there has been nothing on the scale of
destruction associated with either World War I or World War II.) The world has monumental, and
perhaps unsolvable problems; yet, there is also a possibility of providing for basic human needs. If
we succeed in that, we will face the far greater challenge of achieving the human potential.
-Odarka Polonskyj
George Or w e ll/17