Broken Parts
By Niall Twohig
Josh MacPhee “No to the University as Factory”
The knowledge factory
churns towards
Innovation and
Achievement.
It produces
great minds in their fields,
efficient algorithms,
glistening technologies,
and life-saving drugs.
But what does it mean
if this machine
requires even one
sacrifice for it to run?
And it’s more than that:
the hospitals
around town
call May
“Suicide Season”
because so many
students are on watch.
broken parts.
spent gears.
Is the force that breaks them
the same that compels us
to sacrifice
all that gives us light?
Is the force that breaks them
the same that forces us
to see care
as a waste of time?
Is the force that breaks them
the same that forces us
to choose another hour’s work
over a loved one’s call?
Is the force
that breaks
new ground
the same force
that breaks
too many of us?
(One is one too many)
But what would
a university
look like
if it were more a garden
than a machine?
What forces
would nurture
and cultivate us?
And what would
we look like
if the university
sacrificed
its resources
for our growth
rather than
the other way around?