Hi Friends! My name is Mac Peterson (class of 2013, to save you the scrolling). I’ve thoroughly enjoyed these essays by other alumni and felt compelled to share my own story and advice to current students. My musings may seem a bit different than the other content on here, and I hope they offer both encouragement and admonition.
I think back on my time on the Oaks, I think of it fondly, by and large. I’m one of the rare souls who made it from K-12, and I feel in retrospect that the Oaks is largely responsible for giving me an upper edge on my peers, post-grad.
In the spirit of some semblance of organization, rather than word-vomit my feelings and ramblings, I would like to focus on 4 key parts in this open letter, which I probably will completely disregard as I grow more passionate throughout (fair warning).
Cons of the Oaks,
Pros of attending,
A critique of other writers
And a bit about me.
My “thesis statement”, if you will: You should attend the Oaks if you’d like to be a powerful force of change in the World.
Cons of the Oaks
Yes, the Oaks has a number of things to improve on, which are well-known, so I need not spend too much time on those critiques, but will do so briefly below.
STEM courses are severely lacking, although you’ll be hard-pressed to find a science teacher as passionate and delighted in his work as Mr. Dykstra is. If you want a career in medicine, consider additional studies on the side. In my Chemistry course in college (Sic ‘Em Bears), we covered in the first week what took us an entire course at the Oaks.
The time focused on Western history is a bit excessive, as Eastern culture is nearly a footnote in history classes. Since embarking on my own post-college studies, I’ve become enamored with Eastern Philosophy – I wish it had been discussed more at the Oaks. In regard to history, I certainly do love the ability to recall dates of specific events, thanks to the many history songs we had to learn. The tools you learn at the Oaks for memorization are superb.
Many critique the study of Latin in these letters, but I think it’s a fabulous tool for learning other languages. My other friends who studied Spanish or other “living” languages in high school have all but forgotten those languages, anyways, but I can sort-of-guess what something means in another romantic language. Also, Mr. Indgjerd is awesome. Even though I got in trouble a lot (all throughout K-12: more on that later).
I fear that the Oaks’ devotion to raising children in a bubble may lead many to become one-dimensional bores. I do not believe there is such a thing as forbidden knowledge, and I do enjoy reading the works of many authors who would make Oaks faculty squirm. But, more on that during my “About Me” section. This gets me to my second topic, the Pros of the Oaks.
Pros of the Oaks
The Oaks will make you a powerful critical thinker. It will teach you to read between the lines. It will make you understand that which is driven by logic and data, and that which is driven by emotion.
It will give you excellent verbal and written communication skills. That, I believe is attested by the quality of writing in these alumni letters.
It will give you practice speaking in public. I have no qualms now standing and presenting my ideas to executive leaders at my company, and to speak my mind. I never struggled with that in college, either. I did however, have to watch many other students squirm. And I frequently see coworkers with over 20 years of experience on me struggle with it.
The Oaks will teach you discipline, and the power of rules. A person who has no rules is more a beast than a human. We are the one species who has the ability to employ the power of metacognition – or thinking about thinking. And that ability enables us to decide what brings us closer to the ideal, and that which detracts.
The Oaks will push you, if you’re lucky. Too many people nowadays have weak work ethics and so fall vastly below their potential. I know this on a personal level, for I did not push myself until halfway through University, and regret it. To operate below your potential is not only a disservice to yourself, but is also a slap in the face of God.
I wish I had listened to Mr. Palpant when he told me I was operating below my potential – but nonetheless, I made it eventually. I’m grateful for the ability to reflect on that conversation, which angered me at the time, but showed just how much Oaks teachers love their students – and want them to be great.
I wish I’d cared more about philosophy at the time, and had more time to pick Mr. Gore’s mind: there are few subjects I care more about now at my age. A lot of things I wish I’d done differently, but if I hadn’t gone to the Oaks, I’d likely still be wandering aimlessly. I’d still be hedonistic. I’d still be working 8-5 and then calling it a day… but I know there is more to life than that.
A Critique of Other Writers
The ability to express yourself boldly and confidently is an art lost on many today. Perhaps - because of their inability to put down their phones, and their yearning to constantly seek validation from within a fictional world of glass. But - I digress.
The Oaks may not teach you about how the systems development life cycle operates. It may not teach you how to code Java or C#, and it may not teach you how to use MATLAB. But guess what? All of that is online, and OFTEN FREE to learn.
It’s inexcusable for you to think that education is the responsibility of a school. No - the responsibility is all yours, my friend. Those who think that education stops with a diploma or degree are doomed to a lifetime of the mundane. If you stop reading and learning, you will become stagnant. So, want a STEM degree in college? Pick up a damn book. I have a career in Technology and am leading a team of developers who are 20 years my senior. If I can do it, so can you.
Want to hear something difficult? No school is perfect. If a teacher hurts your feelings, talk to: a therapist, your parents, a friend….and if you don’t have any of those? Journal. Journaling and writing have brought me immense pleasure and free therapy over the years. Journaling also makes you a better speaker as you learn to order your thoughts from the chaos often residing within your mind. I cannot recommend it more.
Where others in these letters complain about specific teachers, that’s where I disagree. In your life after graduating from the Oaks, you’re going to meet all sorts of silly and nasty people. There’s no reason you should expect everyone to like you, and vice versa. It’s ok to butt heads with other people and disagree – especially your teachers! I have met my fair share of nasty people post college, but to be able to deal with such people in a dignified and calm fashion is of paramount importance.
Many of those who believe they deserve something in life, will not go far – mark my words. Do not be so self-serving and vain so as to think that you’re owed something.
If you want to be a success in business, you NEED to have thick skin. Too many in my generation think everyone needs to like them or be nice to them. What a silly notion. You’re owed absolutely nothing in life. Take every disagreement you have as an opportunity to strengthen yourself.
A powerful leader is one who can stand up for his sheep in the face of a wolf. In my career, I frequently have to face such wolves – people who are self-serving and will walk over you if given the chance. People who are, frankly, assholes. And I have the Oaks for giving me the tools to be a clear and rational thinker in the face of the foolish.
About Me / Why the Oaks May or May Not be a Good Fit
Now, for a bit about me, for context’s sake. Perhaps the quality about me that made me survive the Oaks’ sometimes silliness is my devotion to Stoicism and living “in the moment”. My practice of introspection has always been near and dear to me, and in recent years – a healthy practice of daily meditation and yoga has left its mark on my mind, in a positive way. Also recommend that (it’s ok to pull some things from Eastern culture).
I rarely did any homework (Holly Lewis remarked once on how I had the lowest homework times of any student), didn’t need to study really – to receive my mostly “A’s” and “B’s”. I got my name on the board, all the time. Was suspended a couple of times in Kindergarten (for stealing candy from KinderMart and then lying about it). Made plenty of jokes and fooled around. Didn’t really value the education I was receiving at the time. I lived so in the moment that I really didn’t think about my future at all, just enjoyed life for what it was in the present. Questioned everything, but didn’t care to vocalize it.
I got along well with teachers like Mr. Fugitt, who shared my same sense of dry humor and sarcasm (and also thick skin). I didn’t as much like Mr. Palpant at the time (as I mentioned earlier, mostly because he pulled me aside and told me I was not performing nearly at the level I could – he was certainly correct in that regard). In retrospect, there are few other teachers I’d rather grab a beer with now – mostly because of my lifelong love for books and writing, and his ability to think critically about what he reads (the most important skill to acquire in life – debate me on that). I enjoy keeping up with what he’s reading on Goodreads now.
Growing up, it’s easy to think of your teachers as brilliant people who have their lives figured out, but they are in every way as broken as you and I, and are still struggling to figure life out. In fact, there is little difference between a 20-year-old and a 50-something when it comes to wisdom. Aging is less a gift than a curse. You’d be well-off to operate under the assumption that you’re in every way as qualified to be a free-thinker as your teachers.
As Thoreau said, “Age is no better, hardly so well, qualified for an instructor as youth, for it has not profited so much as it has lost. One may almost doubt if the wisest man has learned anything of absolute value by living.”
Age? Pshhh. I work with people thirty years my senior who lead huge teams of people… yet haven’t gained a single ounce of wisdom in their lives. It’s ok to disagree with those older than you. In fact, if you don’t, you’re in for a lot of trouble.
Not to beat a dead horse here, but the biggest problem with the Oaks, is that it keeps you in a bubble. Some people never leave it even after graduating, and their “selves” remain as one-dimensional as they were at the Oaks. So if you’re one of these people that believes everything they’re told and can’t employ any critical thinking or curiosity – maybe you shouldn’t attend the Oaks.
Without understanding the rationale for other channels of thinking, many Oaksters graduate and remain exhausting and boring (I think). It’s ok to deconstruct your faith and to question everything you are told. Don’t be afraid to do so: you will emerge from the other side more powerful. My faith is of utmost importance to me now, but I had to deconstruct it, and explore, in order to understand the rare gift I had.
I encourage other students to explore what the grass is like on the other side. When I graduated from the Oaks, that’s exactly what I did, much to the chagrin of my parents and others. I went into full-blown hedonism, partied several times a week, and all weekend. Was that the best approach at the time? Probably not. But as most of the world seeks only pleasure in life, do not think that you’re above it without having had a taste of it. Looking back on these times, all I can do is laugh. It made me who I am today, and I like who I am today an awful lot.
I’m not encouraging anyone to follow in my footsteps, as it’s frankly exhausting. But at least question the firmly-held ideals you have. Work hard outside of your assigned studies.
There is no forbidden knowledge, and you have the rare opportunity to have millions of books at your fingertips…unlike millions of people who lived before we do. Don’t believe anything until you have found it to be true for yourself. Read voraciously. Read about Buddhism. Read about Atheism. Read books with “fuck” littered throughout. Read like all of the books in the world will burn tomorrow. Do not squander that gift.
To lose the desire to read is to become stagnant in your personal development. And while you teach yourself the many things you’re curious about on the side, be that how to develop a web app (it’s pretty easy) or how to make kombucha, thank your lucky stars you are at the Oaks.
The Oaks is NOT FOR YOU if you’re afraid to question authority, or you are afraid to explore other paths to “success”. If you just want to follow instructions and not think for yourself, you may end up as one of those “bores” I mentioned. I know several classmates who struggled, according to the Oaks’ conventional definition of success (look at how the Oaks selects valedictorians, for instance), and yet are doing incredible things with their lives. I’m talking about excellent people leaders, STEM workers, and life-savers. If you are afraid of the “pagans” in the “city of destruction”, maybe you should go to a public highschool.
It’s a bit off-putting how the Oaks holds other high schools in regard. To go to a public high school just might save you from having to rebel in college, as I did. I did well at the Oaks because I didn’t really give a shit at the time and thought for myself. But, if you drink too much of the kool-aid, you may drown in it.
Thank your parents for the investment they are putting in your education. Thank your teachers for teaching you that to operate below your potential is inexcusable. Thank both your parents and the faculty for having sacrificed so much in the name of love.
For when you emerge from the other side of the Oaks, you may not have learned the difference between riding boots, wingtip boots or Chelsea boots due to the strict dress code (although the latter style should be discarded anyways, in my opinion) - but you will be ready to speak your mind boldly in the face of the fool, and do so with grace, tact, and power. If you want to be a force for change in this world; if you want to inspire those around you; if you want to be a protector of your flock, and you do not operate with a mindset of entitlement…then the Oaks may be the place for you, after all.
With Love and Encouragement,
Mac Peterson (Class of 2013)
We can all see why Mr. Reidt’s nickname for you was The General, cuz you take no prisoners! Seriously, even though you ran my mama heart through the freakin’ wringer, I am so proud of the man you’ve become. Fiercely independent and opinionated, I am always challenged and blessed by our conversations, and jealous of your rhetorical skills, which often leave me feeling defenseless. But on one point here, you are ABSOLUTELY and positively wrong, as wrong as wrong can be. Because just recently, I bought your daddy some Blundstone Chelsea boots, and he is a fine, sexy specimen of a man when he wears them. So bask in your Moleskine musings, my dear boy, but come talk to me when you want some fashion tips.
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