Be a Mensch!

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Shimon Schocken




Discussion Board post for English 201 - Non Fiction Writing


Be a Mensch!

It’s rather odd that I am choosing to write about Shimon Schocken’s, “The self-organizing computer course”.  I am so far from a computer-type-person that it’s not even funny.  I have The Zone (Boise State University's on campus IT tech support) on speed dial, and we are practically on first name basis.  So why would I write about how to build your own computer?  (The thought of which makes me shutter!)  Well, this gentleman, “had me at hello”.  “Self-learner”, “Self-study”, “self-exploration”, “self-empowerment”, “community building”, these are the gems that caught my eye. 

Long story short, he surrounds himself with brilliant, open-minded thinkers, who don’t mind failing.  Dr. Scholcken and his team came up with something they called “Nand to Tetris”, which is a free online class, with all the necessary tools to build your own computer and then write code to create games.  And this, all before anyone had heard of a MOOC (Massive Open On-line Courses).  So now, I’m writing well beyond my expertise.  Let me rein it in. 

I feel strongly that anyone can take his basic principles and apply them to life.  I love his parting statement that he found as graffiti on a wall in Tel Aviv years ago, “High tech, schmai tech, the most important thing is to be a mensch!”  (Mensch is a person of integrity and honor) He states, “In the end, it’s all about people”.



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