Post Magazine: Class Questions

A groundbreaking poverty studies program at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., has some of the country's most affluent students pondering why they have -- and others have not.

Brigid Schulte , whose story about the program appeared in yesterday's Washington Post Magazine , and Harlan Beckley , the program's founder, will be online today to field questions and comments.

Brigid Schulte is a reporter for The Post's Metro section.

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Brigid Schulte: Hello Everyone, welcome to live online. Harlan Beckley, professor at Washington & Lee University and I are here and ready to take your questions. Professor Beckley founded the innovative poverty studies program there and I spent several months observing classes and getting to know students and teachers there.

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Boston, Mass: Thanks for the great story - I'm fascinated by the poverty studies program and wish similar programs were more widely available. I'm a master's student in education and interested in teaching in poorer school districts. Could you recommend books, journals, or other works that would provide a good background similar to your Poverty 101 course?

Harlan Beckley: There are two recent books by journalists that provide excellent introductions to welfare and poverty: American Dream by Jason DeParle, and The Working Poor by David Shipler. If you would like more material that are academic, e-mail me at beckleyh@wlu.edu, and I will gladly send a syllabus.

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Lewiston, Maine: What a great program. I'm a retired political junkie who first became actively involved inthe 1960 JFK-Nixon campaign. I remember reading in Theodore White's The Making of the President 1960 how JFK won the WV primary over Hubert Humphrey, for whom it seemed a natural fit, because Kennedy's shock and outrage over conditions in Appalachia, which he could not imagine could exist in this country, was so clearly genuine that people reacted to it and voted for him rather than the working person's candidate, HHH.

Is there a way I can make a modest donation to help you with your efforts?

Harlan Beckley: I appreciate your interest in this huge problem and your recognition that it is a political issue as well as an issue that requires individual attention.

Yes, you can make a contribution to the Shepherd Program at Washington and Lee University. If you want to specify that contribution to a specific part of the Program, you may be in touch with me at beckleyh@wlu.edu. Harlan

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New York, NY: Prof. Beckley,

As a public health student, I am interested in researching ways in which the market for health care can be improved to increase accessibility for Americans. Do you think that the US system can be revitalized without being converted to a universal single-payor system?

By the way, Poverty 101 affected my life greatly!

Kempton

Harlan Beckley: Hi. Kempton. I am an advocate of universal healthcare. The single-payer system is one way to achieve that end. There are other ways to make progess in improving access to healthcare, but I think we need to be like other developed countries. All of them provide universal healthcare and nearly all of them have a better record of healthcare than we do. That does not mean universal healthcare is without problems. Harlan

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Felicity, Calif: I served as volunteer coordinator for a transitional women's shelter in DC for over 20 years before retiring to the great Southwest (Felicity is just over the AZ border in CA). While I absolutely support programs like Poverty 101 and wish their could be many, many more of them, and these kids sound very genuine, I'd also like to add a cautionary note.

Providing food and activities to schoolchildren is one thing. But dealing with the faces of poverty is not easy. Luck certainly plays a large part in it; many poor people work harder than you or I but because of bad luck or bad choices, or both, have very little to show for it. But many of the long-term homeless are, to put it bluntly, not nice people. They may scream obscenities, try to grab the entire serving bowl when you're serving them dinner, rifle your purse if it's not locked up, or strip naked and get into bed with you at night (which actually happened to one of our overnight volunteers). It's very important that the proper training be given so the volunteers have realistic expectations of what they can and can't accomplish through participating in these programs.

Harlan Beckley: One of the first things we learned in the Shepherd Program is that persons who are disadvantaged by problems, sometimes of their own making, are just like the rest of us. They are not always grateful, and they can belligerent. We talk with the 50 interns each year about this matter. They understand it when they begin their internships, and they understand why persons may not always be grateful. The people still become friends with the people they serve. They understand that family and friends are not always nice, but we care about them anyway.

Harlan

Brigid Schulte: Coming in contact with some of the "not so nice" people is actually one of the strenghts of the program. I think we all have a tendency to either romanticize the poor or keep such a distance that we can't imagine what their lives are like and we often lose sight of their basic humanity, warts and all. I was so struck reading some of the journals that students keep during their summer internships. Dane Boston, who lived and worked at N Street Shelter for women here in Washington D.C., was brutally honest with himself and his reactions to the women he was working with and for. At first, he expected gratitude for his service. Then, when they weren't grateful, or acted in ways he considered childish, he became frustrated and angry. Angry, too, that they wouldn't follow through with their programs. But over time, he underwent a real transformation. By dropping his own expectations and approaching these women as people, listening to their stories, recognizing their lives may not have been so different from his. He wrote in his journal that he discovered, instead of gratitude, "the innate dignity of their humanity."

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Washington, DC: I remember how the late, great Mitch Snider (I realize not everyone remembers him that way, but I do) would always try to get those making large donations, or any donation for that matter, to deliver them in person "so you can see the good it will do." He had caught on to the concept that, if you can personalize poverty or homelessness, a donor will be much more likely to become actively involved in your efforts than if he or she merely writes a check -- welcome though those checks might be!

Brigid Schulte: You make a great point. What struck me most about the program and talking to so many of the students in it is that it is both academic - analyzing theory and politics and history - but also very personal. It was the eight-week summer internships living and working with those in need, getting to know their names and stories, working alongside them for extended periods, rather than a morning at a soupo kitchen, that so many students and alumni I spoke with said changed their lives and the direction of their lives forever.

Harlan Beckley: In this matter, as in many others, Brigid is a quick study and understands the Shepherd Program as well as we do. I was told early on by a good friend and critic that studying poverty in the classroom won't work because it is not like studing something under a microscope. Harlan

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Charlottesville, Va: Dr. Beckley, do you expect this program of yours to be a role model for other schools? I'm amazed that other colleges and universities aren't into this as much as Washington and Lee is. Thanks.

Harlan Beckley: Other schools have different missions and will adopt different approaches, but we are all committed to united in sustained academic study combined with first hand experience. Programs like this are often not rigous and academic on the one hand or only academic on the other. They need both, and the program must be sustained over two or three years to have an impact. Harlan

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Washington, DC: I just wanted to thank you both: Professor Beckley for launching a program that I have no doubt is going to change the lives of many people for the better, and Ms. Schulte for letting readers know about it. Reading the news is usually an exercise in despair, or disgust, or both. Thank you so much for the inspiration!

Brigid Schulte: The story was a revelation to report and write as well.

Harlan Beckley: Thank you. Working in this program has been the high point of my career in education. Harlan

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Alexandria, Va: Where can I find information about the consortium of 10 universities doing poverty studies? This is a tremendous program, and I wish I had it at school.

Harlan Beckley: You may e-mail me at beckleyh@wlu.edu. I will provide you all the information you want about the Consortium. We would like 100s of colleges to adopt similar programs suited to their particular missions and resources. Harlan

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Lexington, Ky: Why didn't the Great Society work?

Harlan Beckley: It did work, but never fulfilled what it promised. It should have been more bipartisan and should have been more flexible in developing as some things did not work well. David Bradley is right; we need new ideas and innovations in dealing with American poverty. Harlan

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Washington DC: I attended the Berea College mentioned in your article. I am very happy to see an upper-class college taking on the types of activities and values that my school has promoted for decades. This is more of a comment than a question but I simply want to suggest that all universities work to integrate not just poverty studies but community service and a good work ethic into their curriculum. To students and parents who are dubious of the value of unpaid or low-paid work like Ingrid chose to do; myself and my classmates who worked mandatory jobs throughout school, joined "Students for Appalachia" and spent summers volunteering have found that it has repaid us richly in both the professional and social realms.

Brigid Schulte: A number of the students at Washington & Lee, many of whom came from more privileged or affluent backgrounds, said that another eye-opening part of the program was to get to know, live with and become friends with other students from very different backgrounds, like those at Berea, Spellman and Morehouse. That was an invaluable education on understanding humanity on a completely different level.

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Washington, DC: you mentioned a program in the district which pays for medical school for residents willing to practice in underserved areas of the city (northeast and southeast) for a certain number of years. can you direct me to more information re: this program? thank you!

Brigid Schulte: Charles Allen, a W & L alum and two W & L povertry studies interns worked to get that legislation through. For more information, contact the DC Primary Care Association, a nonprofit that advocates for better health care for the poor in the city.

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Salisbury Md: My son is headed to Washington and Lee in a couple of weeks as a member of the Class of 2010. He's a typical W&L kid, high achieving, high energy, athletic, dreaming of med school and frat life.

But he will start his college life with a week in Roanoke, being introduced to urban poverty concerns through the work of the Shepard Poverty Program, learning while doing and serving. No doubt his residence in housing for low income seniors will bear little resemblance to his dorm in Lexington! Some of his future classmates will be headed off to West Virginia for an introduction to rural poverty issues.

My husband and I cannot think of a better way to begin this formative chapter of his life. And the one course we will insist on him taking while he's at W&L is Poverty 101.

Brigid Schulte: Some of the students I spoke with said that freshman orientation week was the first step on their journey toward greater understanding of poverty, themselves and what part they'd like to play in making the world a better place. One student said he really wanted to do the outdoor week, but when it was all filled up, grudgingly went on the trip to Roanoke. It turned out to be one of the best weeks of his life, he later said.

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DC- Union Yes!: Great program. It's been said that the best anti-poverty program is a job. In today's economy I'd add that it's a union job. I can't help but think that while training people for restaurant work (as with the campus kitchen project) gives them concrete work skills and self-confidence, it may be disappointing for the workers and the students to learn that, this is not enough to earn a living wage to self-sufficiently pay for food, clothing, and housing. Unionized workers make on average 1/3 more than non-union and unionization has been raising wages in many low-wage jobs such as janitors, home care aides, hotel workers, and many others. What do you think of adding a component to your program on the role of unionization in alleviating poverty for workers and pressing for corporations to be accountable to the communities in which they operate?

Harlan Beckley: We do study union organizaton as one way to bring wages to a living wage. I don't think unions are the only solution, but they have an important role in ensuring decent wages and benefits. Working at DC Kitchen, a non-profit, probably offers decent wage. EITC and other efforts to raise wages for the working poor should not be neglected. Harlan

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Fort Washington, Md: This course should be duplicated and required. Poverty is complex and cannot be explained in "pull yourself up by your bootstraps mentality" and "work harder". Hopefully, this course and its questions will stay with these students for their entire lives. If W&L produces so many top executives, maybe this course will continue to challenge their thoughts, sterotypes, and impact their decisions and lives for years to come. Isn't this why we send our kids to college...to open up their minds?

Harlan Beckley: This program is designed inform students with many different career intentions. Much can be done by persons in business, education, law, healthcare, and other careers to diminish poverty. A better understanding of poverty is necessary if they are going to conduct their professional lives in a way that will make a difference for disadvantaged persons and communities. Harlan

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Washington, DC: I am thoroughly impressed by this program and I was thrilled to read about it. I hope that more universities implement similar ones.

What is your opinion and how have discussions with students gone about the impending TANF changes? The front page Post article today gives a good picture of how this new policy will impact individuals on welfare and i was curious what you and your students think about it and if any want to do something about it.

Harlan Beckley: We have a thorough examination of TANF and welfare reforms. We study authors who have different opinions about its weaknesses and strengths. The students also work with people who receive or have received TANF. The students have different opinions, but very few come away with the view that welfare reform alone is an adequate answer to the problem of poverty. Harlan

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Arlington, Va: Thanks for a wonderful article.

I was astonished to read the following in it, however: "Polls have shown that the prevailing view in America is that people are poor because of some character flaw such as laziness, promiscuity, addiction or moral failing, -Beckley] taught."

Is that really what most Americans believe? If so, it's stunning--and cause for something like despair. (It also explains a lot of our political choices.) It seems to me that the good work the W&L students are doing is ultimately futile so long as most Americans persist in such hard-hearted ignorance.

How do we show them they're wrong?

Brigid Schulte: When I began researching this story, I came upon a number of studies and polls that showed exactly that - that the prevailing view in America is that if people are poor, it's largely their own fault. That does help explain some of the political decisions that are made on every level. On the one hand, the traditionally "liberal" view is that people need a hand, and the more traditionally "conservative" view is that people need to shape up to get out of poverty. What I found a real strength of the program is that students are exposed to both those points of view, argued cogently and eloquently by numerous scholars and academics. They are constantly challenged to find their define their own view of poverty and what works in terms of solving it. Most come away realizing the problem is far more complicated and the solution will require more flexibility and creativity than solutions suggested by the more traditional thinking.

David Bradley, who runs the National Community Action Foundation, is a long-time poverty warrior. He became so impressed with W & L's approach to studying poverty that he's helping lay the groundwork for a consortium to spread the program to other universities. I was struck when he told me that the old ways of thinking and doing just aren't working. "Here's a fresh new approach that's desperately needed."

The first step before any change, as always, is education.

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Berwyn, Pa: Dr. Beckley, as an alumnus and as a father of a student at W & L, I thank you for the program. My daughter has been attracted and challenged by the program and its integrity. My question: as an interdisciplinary program in a liberal arts college, how does the program connect with students looking for careers with high salaries?

Harlan Beckley: Good question. Students at Washington and Lee make a variety of decisions about what income level they think they need to lead a satisfying life. Many are comfortable with lower income prospects. Almost all students will work in professions that can make a difference if the professionals don't seek to maximize satisfaction of personal or narrow interests but seek to serve the common good. Shepherd Program graduates are in business, law, healthcare, education, social work, and so forth. The program also impacts on their civic lives. You can Ingrid Easton this question. She would give an excellent answer. Harlan

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Bethesda, Md: I think the program you describe is a good start to introducing students to the broad spectrum of American society. I also wanted to ask how you prepare students to work with the homeless population. Many of the consistent homeless people have mental problems or are drug addicts. I have worked with the homeless population for over 2 decades and I see that new volunteers often make the mistake of assuming these people are just like us and not recognizing the potential dangers. A person can be friendly until drunk or until they have a psychotic break - both of which I have seen. Do you educate students about this before they begin their work? This has been different from my work, for example, in a low-income elementary school where these problems among students rarely occur.

Harlan Beckley: Students in the program do many different things and will enter different professions. Some package small business loans. Some work with children. Some, like Dane Boston, work with homeless persons. Homeless persons become their friends. They no their weaknesses and their strengths. Harlan

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Buffalo, N.Y.: As a former student of Professor Beckley, I have a question for him. First, I'm thrilled to learn of the growing success of the Shepherd Poverty Program. I was interested to see the campus Christian fellowship mentioned in the article (I participated in it as an undergrad); I've heard that in the last few years it has grown significantly. Has there been any synergy between that group and the Program, and in your judgment has the campus culture at W&L, more broadly speaking, changed in identifiable ways as a result of the Program?

Harlan Beckley: There has been a strong connectino between some religious groups on campus and the Shepherd Program. This connection serves both well. Harlan

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Falls Church, Va.: Substance abuse and mental illness are factors that can greatly exacerbate poverty. How are these topics approached in the Professor's class?

Harlan Beckley: We do consider addiction. You may wish to read one of the papers on our website about the importance of addiction therapy. There is a role for the public sector and the non-profit sector in dealing with addiction as a barrier to flourishing, but in the end there is also a need for individual responsibility. Success is possible. The paper makes this point. Harlan

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Washington, DC: Professor Beckley: I am a graduate of W&L, and have been

impressed with the program from its inception. I'm

wondering if the program has had any effect within the

student body as well about how people view their fellow

students? Although W&L has a reputation as an enclave of

privilege, there are students there who come from poor

backgrounds - I was one of them, and a few were

mentioned in the article. While I was at the school I

actually found it a difficult issue to deal with - my fellow

students seemed more interested in talking about 'The

Poor' as a general problem than in talking about my

personal struggles as a child of a working poor family.

Has the Shepherd program changed how peoplel interact

with their peers as well?

Brigid Schulte: I know your question was meant for Prof. Beckley and he'll answer shortly. But there were a few students I met who really stood out in my mind. Some of them came from disadvantaged backgrounds, Quiana McKenzie was one. She was one of a handful of African American students on campus. She was a force of nature - instead of joining one of the traditional sororities, she's starting up a traditionally African American sorority. Matthew Null was an impressive student from West Virginia. When I asked him about poverty, he said poverty had always had a face, because they were people he knew or was related to. He said he hesitated coming to Washington & Lee for some of the reasons you mention - the scene of privilege and money. And yet he's had an amazingly rich experience. One of his short stories was published in a literary magazine and his senior thesis, exploring Faulkner's depiction of poor whites in his literature was one of the finest piecest of literary criticism, student or professional, I've seen.

Harlan Beckley: Brigid has answered this question from an outside perspective. I don't have hard evidence, but as you can tell from the story, many students have changed their views regarding persons and families of limited means. I don't want to overestmate what we have done, but I think W&L is improving in the area you address. Harlan

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Philadelphia, Pa: Programs like Poverty 101 are great, but what about the students who do not come from an affluent background? I think talking about educating students about poverty while leaving out the fact that student loan debt makes taking poorly paying non-profit jobs extremely difficult is a glaring omission. What should students without the parental safety net do, go to grad school and take on more debt? Work at the poverty line for a few years in AmeriCorps?

Opening the eyes of the affluent and powerful (or soon to be powerful graduates) is important, but what about the average folks who through classes, or articles, or walking around their neighborhood are driven to help, but may not have the resources to do it?

Harlan Beckley: You are right! You will note that not all W&L students are affluent. Quiana and Dane are from modest backgounds. Quiana was poor growing up. We are working to increase the number of students from modest financial means who attend and benefit from a W&L education. They too participate in the Shepherd Program and can learn about poverty. Harlan

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Baltimore, Md: Hello, Prof. Beckley!

I just wanted to commend you for all your efforts in making the study of poverty such a meaningful and essential part of Washington and Lee's curriculum. In fact, I'm sure your Poverty 101 course ranks amongst the top five recommended courses to take at W&L! I have benefited alot from taking your course and from taking part in the shepherd poverty alliance last summer. I am excited to see the great strides the program will take in the years to come!

Congratulations and all the best!

Julian Ledford, Washington and Lee '06

Harlan Beckley: Julian:

You are kind. W&L also benefitted from you presence. Harlan

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Savannah, Ga: Hurray for Dr. Beckley and the others involves in this program!

I hesitate to ask this question, but it's the elephant in the room and i'm sure you've encountered it many times before.

I volunteer extensively at a soup kitchen/afterschool activity center for poor children. Savannah has a requirement that graduating HS seniors must have performed 40 hours of community service to receive their diplomas. We are a favorite charity because the hours are right, we have fairly cute kids and the work is not physically taxing. But what this means is that the kids become sort of the "flavor of the month," especially as graduation nears and those who have not been accumulating these hours over the course of their high school years start to panic.

The idea behind the program, of course, is that the students both become more knowledgeable about poverty, the environment, or whatever, and become interested in continuing to volunteer at their chosen projects. But we find that this almost never happens. Instead, they swoop down in their fancy cars (people have seen our parking lot when especially weathly students are volunteering and assumed we really didn't need the money!), makg promises they don't keep (about taking kids to basketball games, etc.), and then leavethe kids more bereft than before when they don't return. Do you have any thoughts on how we could counter this?

Thanks, and keep up the good work.

Brigid Schulte: How disheartening - and in some ways familiar. I've seen that all too often - head to the soup kitchen, log your hour or so, feel good and righteous about helping your fellow man and then heading back to your life without a second thought. What I found most impressive about the poverty studies program was that the experience the students had with those in need was sustained. The internships were in the same place and lasted eight weeks. The students also LIVED with as well as worked alongside those in need. They were also expected to live on $10 a day (which brought cheers when they discovered how cheap noddle ramen was and tears when all of a sudden gourmet Whole Foods organic fare was financially out of reach)

Even in the Bonner Leaders program, students are required to do 900 hours of community service, and again, usually at the same place, with the same people. That gives the students enough time to make connections.

It's heartbreaking when children who have so little are given false hope and broken promises - hardly seems worth the effort to enforce community service rules. Perhaps take the issue up with the school board and school administrators - to make sure service hours are regulated and can't be done in one fell swoop.

Harlan Beckley: Brigid answers your question well. The Shepherd students accept responsibilities voluntarily and they commit to a sustained experience. They know that this is not an opportunity for completing a requirement or for getting special credit. They know that they will learn more than they give. Harlan

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Harrisburg, Pa.: Hi, I read the article this morning and I felt as though my experiences with poverty were much the same as the students mentioned. I grew up outide of D.C. and my father took me to the SOuth Baltimore Women's and Children's shelter from the time I was in 3rd grade. I would bring friends to help out in the kitchen or to play games with the kids. I learned so much about myself from listening to others. Do you think community service focused on poverty should be mandatory for youngsters? It made all the difference for me, I am now a public policy major hoping to change the system form the inside. Thanks

Harlan Beckley: I dont' think it should be mandatory, but it should be encourages and students should be given many opportunities to learn from persons who are not as advantaged as they are. Harlan

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Washington, DC: The program at Washington and Lee sounds amazing- I attended Brandeis University where hundreds of students packed in every year for Robert Reich's course on Wealth and Poverty. It changed the way I looked at the world- I hope Brandeis will consider expanding the course into a program like the one you have developed.

Harlan Beckley: I agree with David Bradley that many universities should incorporate a sustained academic and co-curricular study of pvoerty into their curricula; we need poverty programs that parallet environmental studies and other interdisciplinary studies. There are none of that kind in undergraduate education. Harlan

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Harlan Beckley: I wish to thank the participants for excellent questions. You can learn more about the program by checking our website at Washington and Lee University or by e-mailing me at beckleyh@wlu.edu. Harlan

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Clemson, SC, Sociology Professor: Hello,

I am very impressed by your "poverty project." I implemented a similar project, "Breaking Ground" here at Clemson University, with a particular focus on homelessness. I'm curious: did you also talk to your students about the importance of moving beyond community service to engaging in advocacy (interacting with policy makers about the need for change to housing policies, for example)?

I plan to e-mail you for additional information. Thank you!

Harlan Beckley: Advocacy and policy studies are a very important part of studying poverty. Students who have a first-hand experience and also commit themselves to rigorous academic study are then ready for more informed advocacy and a better understanding of what policies can be effective. Harlan

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Washington DC: An absolutely inspiring piece. Thank you! I am a product of 13 years of Catholic education, and environmentalist and an avid traveler to developing countries, this article certainly touched a nerve to follow through on the serious volunteer commitments I say I wish to do -- transformation of people, not just0 charity.

In addition to Idealist.org, locally Georgtown University maintains a long list of volunteer opportunities (I believe open to Gtown students however, but a good place to research orgs.) Do any of our DC area colleges currently offer similar poverty courses/studies/internships?

Harlan Beckley: Georgetown University is a participant in our Consortium proposal for a demonstration project in higher education that focuses on the sustained study of poverty that will complement any major. Harlan

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Omaha, Neb: I found your story really fascinating. It seems to me, college is typically a place where students have life changing moments because of a class or organization. In your opinion, what makes this Poverty curriculum stand out from the variety of sociology courses and volunteer opportunities already available? How would I succinctly explain the unique nature of this program to another person?

Harlan Beckley: This program differs because it offers foue to seven courses and an intense and sustained intern experience focused on a single topic. The students integrate these courses and this internship with their majors and their career plans. Harlan

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Washington, DC: It's widely accepted that the "needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." If that is true, then why do tax cuts favor that top 1 percent and welfare favor the botton 5 percent? If think if it were more advantagous to be among the other 94 percent of society, the bottom 5 percent would not be in poverty. The sad fact is that it's easier to live in government subsidized housing and work a minimum wage job than to excel at life to become a contributing member of society.

I agree that welfare should still exist to get people off their feet after taking a hard hit, but the assistance the government gives to the poor merely magnifies the problem. The private sector should be encouraged to pull citizens out of poverty through incentives. Private enterprised has proved it can do more with a single dollar than the goverment can do with a thousand dollars.

Harlan Beckley: I recommend that you read Lawerence Mead, Government Matters. Mead offes a counterpoint view from a conservative perspective by analyzing Wisconsin welfare reform. You will find it engaging. Harlan

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Northern Virginia: Thank you for writing your article. I'm encouraged to know that such meaningful programs like The Shepherd Program and Campus Kitchens Project exist and are successful. This question is for Harlan- do you make public appearances sharing your experience and views on poverty? I teach at a public school in one of the highest poverty districts in Virginia. I believe that as successful teachers, we need to be able to understand the dynamics of poverty and how it affects our students and their families. Yet, I believe that is an area where our school, including myself, could improve. Any chance that Harlan could personally share his expertise with our school or does he have any suggestions for what we can do? Thanks for your response!

Harlan Beckley: I would gladly make an public appearance when I have time. I am delighted to talk about the program and also about the importance of addressing poverty as a field of study that needs more attention. You may contact me at beckleyh@wlu.edu.

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CEO greed: I hear all the time how CEO's are greedy and overpaid. They can maake anywhere from a couple hundred thousand a year to millions. But aren't hollywood actors/actresses also greedy? They make millions (Tom Cruise 67 million) for a few weeks work....then flaunts it in our facws with their expensive clothes and cars? Does Tom Cruise really need to marry and date young females?

Harlan Beckley: Wealthy persons are not of one mind in this regard. I learned that from Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd, who work and earn money so that they can give prudently and wisely. Harlan

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Washington, DC: Prof. Beckley,

I am truly moved by this story on the impact of your W&L program.

What would you say is the biggest/most common change in your students who take the course -- awareness in how they judge others or stereotype, awareness in their individual impacts on poverty thru consumer and employment choices, awareness of political and social failures, denial, disregard or ignorance?

Thanks.

Harlan Beckley: All of these changes and others occur, but not from taking a single course. Changes occurs from sustained academic study combined with first-hand experience. Harlan

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