Here, in the rugged South, we know all too well about the division and strife that comes with the split of railroad tracks. In my eastern North Carolina small town, your position on either side of the tracks often determines whether you’re white or black, rich or poor.

That’s not an isolated case, but rather a common phenomenon.

In the post Civil War era — the Gilded Age — railroad tracks were the main source of travel between cities and states. Their efficiency saved so much time and money that they began to be constructed almost as quickly as the modern Starbucks. In the South, these tracks became a convenient source of segregation.

It just so happens that N.C. State was founded as a land-grant institution at the height of this pre-industrial era — 1887 to be exact. Thus, our University was bestowed the splendor of our very own railroad segment. Those of you who live in Sullivan, Metcalf, Bowen and Carroll residence halls are sure to appreciate its presence every time a train vibrates your dorm room in the wee hours of the morning.

Yet, it’s no secret that this same railroad divides our campus into two disconnected and sometimes conflicting worlds. The University is separated into so many disjoint groups that we frequently forget we’re one community. We have racial divisions, academic polarities, such as science vs. humanities, socioeconomic spectrums and political differences, just to name a few.

But I’m not referring to any of these splits. Instead, I’d like to suggest that the greatest divide here is intensified by our railroad tracks — academics vs. student affairs. On one side of the tracks you find laboratories and classrooms, and on the other, theaters and dining halls.

Now, before you convince yourself that I’m predictable, I don’t blame Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Tom Stafford. And I don’t blame Provost Larry Nielsen either. From my past interactions with these two campus leaders, it seems they have a cooperative working relationship with few conflicts. However, rumors of their battle over tuition and fees this past fall were quite humorous.

Although the purpose of a university education is debatable, many of our educators in academics and student affairs will agree that students should explore a variety of life philosophies and discover a meaningful understanding of their roles in the world. Of course, there’s the more shallow belief that students should be equipped for the workforce as well.

While there seems to be a general agreement that higher education should include a balanced mix of theoretical and practical applications of knowledge, our professors and student affairs educators have found limited opportunities to fuse the two. On one side of the railroad we balance chemical equations and read Plato’s Republic, while on the other, we question the role of a leader and watch the latest musical.

What’s missing is the big picture. How does my future profession fit within the framework of our technological, democratic society? How does Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences apply to my leadership role in Student Government?

Already, several educators have taken advantage of the invigorating connections between academics and student affairs. CSLEPS involves academic instructors in their LDS series, the Caldwell Program hosts academic seminars with professors, and English professors give extra credit to those students who attend certain performances put on by the arts.

We need more of this.

Education is most meaningful when students are told the goals, shown connections between fields, and given concrete opportunities to apply the knowledge they have obtained.

Unfortunately, across the educational spectrum — from kindergarten through graduate school — our educators like to believe that subjects are independent of one another. Solving equations has nothing to do with poetry. Canoeing has no application to physics. But this fragmented thinking is wrong, wrong, wrong.

At NCSU, I want to challenge our academic departments to find more opportunities to collaborate with student affairs. While reading Thoreau’s Walden Pond, students could spend a weekend camping and white-water rafting. While exploring genetic developments, students should have thorough discussions on how religion and societal influences determine what scientific methods will be deemed ethical.

My education here should be holistic. Why isn’t the political science department more involved with Student Government? Why doesn’t the communication department work with Student Media more often?

Our educators need to cross the railroad tracks and bridge our educational divide.

E-mail Forrest suggestions on how to cross the tracks at [email protected].