Degrees of Separation
One of the things I've been following about the state of Maine is the incredible effort by local and state government to not only keep college graduates in their state, but attract college grads from other states.
That got me to thinking. Why don't the kids who graduate from the Block Island school and become professionals come back to the island and hang out their shingles? Meaning no disrespect to those who are providing able services, but are you telling me that in the last forty years or so, Block Island has produced no doctors, no lawyers or veterinarians, dentists, teachers, CPAs, Ministers or Public Service Officials?
Now, don't get me wrong. There are exceptions to every rule. I'm not saying that Block Island doesn't produce professionals...we do. Nor am I saying that Block Island is losing all its kids. Not yet. Nor am I forgetting that there are plenty of kids who stay here and work for a living - sometimes taking over family businesses. There are hard-working generations who fill many public and private positions. Many take over their families propane, construction, and hospitality businesses. Good, honest work that one can be proud of. And these are the kids who are also participating in the volunteer Fire Department, the Lions Club, the Rescue Squad - the real backbone of any community. And I'm fully aware we have a Block Island alumni at the Bank, and one at the Pre-School, and one teaching Health. I'm sure if I think about it for a minute, I can come up with a few more. But I'm disappointed (without in any way editorializing on anyone's competency, so get off that boat before it sails) that a Block Island school graduate doesn't own/publish/run the paper. Or that one of the many qualified doctors and interns at the Medical Center isn't a Block Island school grad.
Perhaps these students who graduate from Block Island and go on to get four, six and eight year degrees could come back and live in their parents accessory apartments? Until the parents retire to Florida (or Culebra, or St. John's or whichever the hip island is at the time) and live in the accessory apartment themselves during the summer so as to spend time with their grandchildren. Perhaps there would be a lot less bitching about the way the town is run if it were kids who grew up in the Block Island system that were running it? Or would that make a difference anymore? Would the paper print different stories if it were published by a BI grad? Would Block Island church attendance be higher if BI grads were leading worship services? Or would nepotism and favoritism be the order of the day?
Anyway, like I said, I was just thinking...
posted by The Warbler | 4/13/2005 10:09:00 PM
11 Comments:
Question. Are you talking about Island kids, like "Island" kids-- meaning those who come from generations of Islanders? Or do you just mean kids in general whose families set up shop on the Island and send their kids to school...?
I graduated from Block Island School because that's where my parents happened to live at the time & went to a great college & now I trade stocks.
While I lived on the Island I worked in my parents business & read magazines, smoked cigarettes and wrote checks all day.
Being on the Island was totally unmotivating for me, so I chose to leave to do get a career.
You can do a lot out there, but you can't be a securities dealer. You can't get licensed & sell stocks on your own. I mean, unless you're already a ga-zillionaire and make some very unusual deal with the SEC.
For me it was just a matter of having more options. Job, housing, that kind of thing. Not having to start 4 or 5 rungs further down the ladder. (Meaning here I can get a job and a house very easily, compared to the Island where now I'd have to start from zero again).
Oh, no, no, no, puh-lease. I'm way too mid-western to start slinging around "Island" kids references. I just mean kids who went to school here in general. And from what you say, Deirdre, there's a lot of that going around. My husband is an "Island" kid in all the senses of the word/s, without a college degree, and we still have to move off to afford a house, cultural entertainment, groceries, etc. I, too, have/had (hopefully again!) one of those careers (which I love dearly)but cannot do here on the island, no matter how much I try and wish it so. There's just too much swimming upstream, even with all the folks who'd love to see me succeed here.
As for options, some folks do really well in this kind of environment. And some folks don't want to do well or have any expectations put upon them and live in this environment. And some kids think this is the best place in the world to grow up, then go out into the rest of the world and while they still talk as if Block Island is the Holy Grail, they're taking their missions elsewhere.
No disrespect meant, but if you want to become a securities broker, you're going to have to deal with the fact that it's not likely you're going to be doing that on Block Island (not impossible, just not terribly probable). Whereas, if you're in Medical School, wouldn't you at least consider giving back to your community if you can?
I don't know. I'm not from here. I never went to school here. Heck, if I could click my heels three times I probably would and then everybody wouldn't have to listen to me saying "I don't understand New Englanders" *shaking head as if to emphasize there's such a big difference*. I'm no longer giving back to the community I grew up in, so I'm a big ol' hypocrite. Then again, my Island boy, Swamp Yankee (is that even a polite term? He calls himself that but I've always wondered...) husband refuses to live anywhere but the original 13...so what's a gal who likes regular conjugal rights to do?
P.S. What business did/does your folks have? Not The Broiler was it?
Now Warbler, I had a chance when I was young to meet people like Sam Mott and I thought he was like, a god or something. His wife, even smarter, I think. I met some Dodges, Roses, and Littlefields tho' no our blogger Everett. So you're asking why we don't have any rocket scientists of Block Island origin? No Rhodes Scholars? No little junior Sir Isaac Newtons?
Well, I've also heard a lot of BI kids went onto University of Rhode Island and other colleges and I don't think there is any real problem here, except that all that living on the Island and payng for kids to go the college can eat your lunch. So you have to be rich or get one heck of a scholarship.
Remember, Michael Dell, considered to be a genius in the computer world, didn't last one year in college. There are many just like him, no Pulitzer-prize winners there - but some became the most powerful folks in the world. There's maybe a couple dozen in the whole world. So not one from Block Island?
To your credit, Block Island has always attracted some very creative people. I remember when they caught Father Berrigan in our backyard at the old Rose property and then looked up some of his writings, which were right smart (the chicken blood thing was stupid as a heck). Perhaps what you were trying to say was that these super-smart people would hang out on the Island but the locals never picked up on the smarts.
That's rather silly, don't you think?
Oh, Sam, you misunderstand me! I'm not referring to Block Islanders smarts or education whatsoever. I'm referring to the fact that LOTS of Block Island School graduates go on to institutions of higher learning and LOTS of those kids become professionals that are needed here on the island - so why aren't they returning as our doctors and lawyers, vets and dentists and ministers?
If you could click your heels 3 times, trust me, you would not pick Block Island School. Unless you start in pre-school with the kids, it's a VERY tough environment. It is virtually--no, it's impossible-- to break in to the clique after Kindergarten.
My parents owned the behemoth formerly known as Esta's. It was theirs from 1982 until 1996.
My daughter has been at the Block Island School since the beginning, is now in middle school and STILL hasn't broken into the cliques. Part of the problem being that she has some challenges (who doesn't?) and we all know what peer pressure is like. If you "fit in" with your classmates, the Block Island School can be a great environment. But if you do not, or you have issues to overcome (again, who doesn't?), then the Block Island School can be a personal nightmare. In larger schools, you have a better (but not guaranteed) chance of finding a lid to your pot.
And while I'm at it, please let me try to clarify my point of this post. I'm not suggesting that Block Island doesn't produce geniuses or college grads - I'm telling you that they do. I just want to know why their not coming back home? Is there a reason that BI locals are leaving as soon as they get a degree? (Most, not all) Or is it as the old song says - we just can't keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree?
Well, maybe it's because the Island economy is a tourist trap. Unless you're a consultant, published writer, or something like that, where you just do things by computer and don't need any meetings or to show up at the office, BI is not where the money is.
Don't get me wrong, but with a permanent population of less than a thousand folks, you just don't have a strong demand for jobs that college graduates can apply for. It's a wonderful place to retire and still work (the days of retiring without working are over, baby!).
After kinda missing your point at first, I'm starting to learn what you mean. These real smart kids leave, go to college, graduate, and never show up again except once or twice a year for a few days. Where did all those Island babies go and why?
Well, consider it an honor that they didn't flake out and move back into the parent's house on the Island until they were over 30. Lot's of that these days, to be honest. I've got two like 20 year-olds doing that! The economy just sucks for young kids these days.
Young birds are supposed to fly away from the nest and, one day, never looking back, just keep flying.
I left the nest at the age of 17. I went to work on Block Island during those summers off from college. Don't worry, we'll be back! It just takes time ...
Am I getting close?
-Sam
Ah, now we're somewhere on the same (web) page. So...let's take that thought one step further. This town/island/community already supports two doctors, three clergy, and (sort of)a lawyer. That's six jobs right there that are degree required and none of them are filled by a Block Island School Graduate. This town also has a full time paper - which is not owned, operated or edited by a Block Island School Graduate. Are you telling me not a single Block Island kid is interested in growing up to be a doctor, lawyer, clergyman or journalist? Or are they interested, but they want to do these things elsewhere? And if that's the case - then why?
Cost of living + pay scale = Poverty
When you go to college, take out loans, and then return home. You (usually) don't want to live with Mom and Dad. Even if they have a place separate from their main digs, it doesn't appeal. So faced with the same housing dilema of most 22-30 year olds, they can't find a place to live.
They look for a job to make it owrth their while to live in an unheated barn with a hotplate. But, either due to seasonality, or competition (How many lawyers, architects and Doctors can an Island support?) or the cost of living they can't rationalize the move.
And then there is the social scene.
Which as we all know is basically non-existant in the winter. After stimulation, meeting lots of people and a plethora of social outlets, moving to Block Island can be almost harmful emotionally and pshycologically.
The dating pool is more like a puddle, and there is only so much beer you can drink.
I used to worry about the kids graduating from the BI School. Many of them didn't make it through a year of college before flying home. I worried that they were not equipped to handle the "real world"(whatever that means). I though maybe the Block Island school was incapable of producing graduates who could handle the shock of switching from the Big fish/small pond, to the small fish/ocean.
But in the last few years, BIS has produced several Brown University students (soon to be grads.) As well as others who have gone on to very nice colleges and Universities across the East Coast.
Everyday, the BIS seems to get better. It used to be parents would send their kids to boarding school in HS. Now more kids stay, and the more that stay the better for the school and it's sports and other progams.
So, I think it is a bittersweet situation. Not unlike the parents who are proud to see their children make it, but sad to watch them go.
Well said, BIB
if you think BI is bad in the winter, just try a small island or town in Alaska or Newfoundland. You basically camp out for six months and maybe see a dozen people. Some folks like it; half go crazy as loons; the rest, well, the jury is still out, there.
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