Hi Richard! I found your Obstructions section especially interesting. I have noticed that, as someone who went to an undergraduate institution that was very political (due in some part to student self-selection based on its being in DC), those who had worked on certain issues in the past were least receptive to alternative viewpoints. I made an effort to take small seminars whenever possible, as I felt they supplemented the larger required lectures in the business program well, and I enjoyed them best. That said, as someone who leans left politically myself, I was frustrated when a student on either side refused to make a good-faith effort to respond to another's argument in a class discussion. While bona fide personal attacks were rare, they did happen on occasion, which was a disappointment for someone looking for a well-thought-out discussion both for variety and interest's sake. I was especially disappointed when classmates with an internship or other relevant experience regarding the topic of discussion resorted to them rather than drawing on their background to respond. This could also go too far in the other direction, though, when people with hands-on experience refused to believe that their opinion and lived perspective was not the only one worth talking about. I feel improvements in listening could have helped address both extremes, and I enjoyed reading your essay.

-Michael