Re: Crappy Pay - WHY???

>A couple of things. Ivy League bashing is just wasted time really.
I don't know if that is the case.  While I cede that, across the board, one
has more opportunity, academically, at the Ivy League programs, based on my
interaction with three score or so archi-grads that now practice from the
Big Four, they are no more impressive than those with the less acclaimed
degrees.  They do however, land a disproportionate number of jobs at name
firms.  This may have to do with the fact that the Ivies draw from a higher
income pool, allowing the grads to take less lucrative positions
(financially), or that firms are unnecessarily impressed.  In the past
decade, some of the most interesting work has taken place elsewhere (GA
Tech in the mid to late 80's and Iowa State today), but the impression that
is always received is that if you aren't in New York (or New Haven,
Cambridge or Princeton) you are nowhere.  It all comes down to humility.
The Ivies _are_ good, but they are also stupider than they think (in the
most crude and simplistic fashion.  I am always surprised when someone
tells me they attended).

>Worrying is wasted energy on ignorance. I have worried a lot in my 26
>yrs and found that information is a sure cure. Thus my presence here on
>design-l.
But, if one is measuring the information you need for success, you are
terribly ignorant.  JYA doesn't reveal his client list, I don't say who I
work for; these facts, rolodexes, and how to negotiate vendor contracts,
which engineers and consultants you can dangle, who's hurting and who you
can leverage; this information is nowhere here.  The information you can
get, sucking up to professors (and don't think it is anything but; cross an
egotistical academic and you can kiss goodbye plum invites to publication,
favorable jury review in competitions, job offers or cushy honorariums to
show slides of work you can never get built or paid for), making goo-goo
eyes at them during lectures and dinner parties, this something your
expensive and exclusive education provides you but that I shall never have.

>To end, in undergrad. my prof asked me to work for him
>and I think not to undercut profits so much but to show me what to
>look forward to...;)
 I think in many it is unconscoius idealism (the work situation as
described above is more egalitarian, or edifying or something), but in
others, it is outright opportunism (the more humorous version is Eisenman
recruiting unpaid interns to bolster the quality of his softball team.
This is the man, after all, who described Clemson's football staduim and
the attendant ritual that encompasses the Tiger games as outre).

nic musolino
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