Louisiana's Nobel Prize

Louisiana always seems to get national attention for f'ing up. I sometimes wonder if it is because we do it so much down there or if it's a conspiracy to discredit us because we are a southern state. As much as I love conspiracy theories --like Client 9 and usually anything involving UFO's -- I'm sad to say that I'm coming to terms with how much we really just screw things up terribly down home.

Right now I'm thinking about education. I'm a product of Louisiana public schools, which ranked 49th out of 50 states for education in 1998 (the year I graduated). They have not ranked higher than 44th in decades. This is obviously a k-12 ranking, but in a state where so many people stay close to home, this obviously impacts the interests and abilities for people to move forward in higher education. The lack of investment in higher ed is abundantly clear. Two years ago, I was shocked at LSU's decision to cut the entire Comparative Literature department, which impacted English and foreign language courses. Now, state officials continue to cut rigorous academic programs, like this cognitive science PhD program, because they are determining the quality of academic programs based on how many people graduate rather than on the depth, content, and quality of education and need for specialization.

There is a part of me that would love to move back there and try to help make an impact and expand opportunities for my fellow Louisianans. But a bigger part of me is just happy that I've been able to expand my educational opportunities outside of the state and don't have to deal with it. 

This joke -- a favorite of my hometown -- comes to mind and seems appropriate to share since it is witty yet revealing about cajun values (and yes, stereotypes too...):
Boudreaux was headed into town one fine spring morning to buy some fertilizer. On his way, he saw Thibodeaux out standing in his rice field. Boudreaux thought it was odd, but went on into town.

So he got himself his fertilizer and then had coffee with the feedstore owner and one thing led to another and it was nearly noon when he headed back home. When he drove past Thibodeaux's place, there was Thibodeaux still out in his rice field, just a' standin' there.

So Boudreax stopped his truck and got out and went over to his old friend. "Thibodeaux, what are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm gonna' win me one of them Nobel prizes." Thibodeaux replied.

"Thibodeaux, you're an ignorant old farmer. Ain't nobody gonna give you no Nobel prize."

"They will too! I done heard it on the radio. They said you get a Nobel prize for being out standing in your field."