No response, and he really didn't expect one. They came to class the first day, even the freshmen, expecting a free ride. Syllabus distribution, a few announcements, and then time to go home. Back to bed or a party. Or both. Ludwig liked to shake them up right away, disavow them of their preconceived notions.
"Okay, I'll give you an example. You've all been taught, and have no doubt grown up believing that education is the path to success in this life. I'm sure that's why most of you are in college, to ensure a better future, a better paying job, a better chance at an early heart attack or divorce." Silence. "How many of you believe that a college education is the key to a higher income and a better life? Show of hands."
Almost every hand went up. A few didn't. Either they were asleep, or they could see where he was going. If they could already see where he was going, he wasn't sure he could teach them much of anything this semester. It was the other ninety-nine percent, the followers and true believers, who needed him the most.
"So that's an example of folklore, something that we have all been told and we all believe about our culture. Would you believe me if I told you that it's no longer true? That being a college graduate no longer guarantees you a spot at the table where they're serving the American Dream?"
Silence. More stares.
"Too early for that, I guess," Ludwig said, half to them, half to himself. "Maybe we should move the topic of conversation closer to home, to New Cambridge. Do any of you know anything about the founding of this town or the area nearby?" No response. No surprise, he thought. Most of them passed through New Cambridge for four or five years without ever having a real interaction with the local community or any of its inhabitants. "It's a good thing I'm here, isn't it?"
A few chuckles. Maybe they were relaxing. Or waking up.
"You're fortunate because my own research focuses on the myths and legends—the folklore, if you would—of this part of the country, particularly the area around Fields University and New Cambridge. And it might surprise you to know that there are a number of interesting legends relating to the settling of this area, and one of them has recently become my life's work. Would you like to hear about it? It's rather fascinating."
Most of them nodded. He knew they didn't want to hear what he had to say, but they were so fresh from high school, and many of them had attended private schools where discipline was the order of the day, that they couldn't imagine saying no to a professor, especially one as overbearing as Ludwig knew he was. That will change as well, he thought. All in good time.
"The first settlers came to this area in 1796. They set up shop about ten miles west of here in what we now call Union Township. Like any good settlers they thought that this area afforded them some opportunities. Abundant food and water, the possibility of safety from the native people who were already here, and the hope that a town could grow, a place they could put their stamp on and make their own. Nothing unusual about that, right?"
Some nodding. A few were along for the ride. Others were thinking of dropping the class and trying to figure out what subject might be easier to pass.
"But like all good plans, things didn't work out exactly the way they hoped they would. Food was scarce. People got sick. The indigenous population made trouble. That means Native Americans, or Indians as most of you would say. And, at one point, it looked as though the very future of the settlement was in jeopardy. Just think of the narrow tightrope they walked, the thin edge between survival and death. A break here, a misfortune there, and pretty soon, Fields University doesn't come into existence at all. Frightening, isn't it?"
No response.
"But the founders of this settlement decided to do something about their precarious position in those early days. They formed The Pioneer Club. Have you ever heard of it?"
Again, no response.
"I'm glad none of you have ever heard of The Pioneer Club because no one has ever admitted that it existed. They left no records behind, no membership rosters. They're not mentioned in any official documents related to the founding of the township or the town. For all intents and purposes, it's as though they never existed, right? They're just a legend, a piece of folklore that gets passed around among the townspeople. And as time passes, fewer and fewer people remember the stories. Maybe their grandparents or great-grandparents remember hearing something about it, but it's likely that in a few years, no one except me will even care whether or not there had ever been a Pioneer Club.
"And why should any of us care?" he said to the room.
This time Ludwig waited, and just as he expected, a tentative hand went up in the middle of the room. "Yes?" he said, nodding toward the woman.