Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! Harvard.com (serious)

I know I could make a lot of jokes about Harvard, but Minesurfer's comment that this here isn't Harvard.com got me thinking about the Legionnaires and higher education.

It's certainly unclear how schooling works in the 31st c. - and on a multitude of planets. But who do you think would be the most educated - or likely to pursue further education?

There was some discussion of Cosmic Boy and academia - so I'll accept that he could be a bit scholarly.

Brainiac 5 - self-educated.
Invisible Kid - didin't he already get a chemistry degree? Anyways, I have him pegged for the first Legionnaire with a PhD.
Others: Triad, Chameleon, Gates, Saturn Girl.

Not the warriors (Timber Wolf, U-Boy, Umbra, Wildfire)

Apparition - no, but lately I don't like her and think she's acting like a bubblehead. So I'm prejudiced.

Maybe Kid Q, Ferro and Violet. Karate Kid - another maybe, but it would be something esoteric.

Shikari, Sensor - don't know; I'd say no.

I think it might depend on what you would term higher education. Sensor, for instance, would probably have had some your of specialized education in such regal things as diplomacy and government, finance and probably language. M'onel more than likely learned quite alot from his 1,000 years of watching.

It's hard for me to say that this guy is more educated than that gal (or whatever). Alot of life is really about education, and eduacation is really about experience so education can take many forms. Having been through many institutes in my life (team sports, college, military, professional and non-professional work environments, family, and such) I have run across alot of people with varying educations. Some formal, some not so formal.

Let's just say that there are situations when I think Ultra Boy or Timber Wolf are more educated than Brainiac 5. See Brainy's first (I believe)encounter with The Persuader in the reboot for an example.

No reflection on intelligence when I wrote of "higher education" - I was thinking more of institutionalized book learning, or whatever form it may hold 1000 years ago. It may take a particular type of character to be interested in following that path - just an exploration of how I and others might see different legionnaires in a particular context.

Some of the most mindwashed, brain-numbed people are products of the Ivy League. No names mentioned.

And... I put the (serious) in the title because Harvard.com was initially mentioned as a bit of a joke, I thought - and I didn't want people to think that I was goofing around on this one.
Enough explanations. Remove foot.

FC, I tell you...

I am thinking of changing my name to Fat Minesurfer just because I find myself agreeing with you alot. Even if I don't know the meanings of some of the words you are using.

I'll see what I can do about degenerating this conversation later though.

Preboot, it was stated in the Legion Constitution that all Legionnaires had to continue their education, though it wasn't specified whether this meant high school, college or beyond.

I've always likened the Legion to an institution on par with military academies. At some point, I imagined, all Legionnaires would earn the equivalent of a bachelor's degree. Some might go in for specialized training or higher degrees. Obviously, they would learn at different paces. Brainy would have completed his bachelor's degree in 15 minutes. Others may take the standard four years or longer.

I agree that higher education does not necessarily equate with intelligence, and many people do just fine with "people smarts" or "the school of hard knocks," etc. But, for a professional organization such as the Legion, with wide-ranging responsibilites that put them in contact with a wildy different cultures, I would think some form of continuing education is preferred, if not mandatory.

Fat Cramer: "..maybe Ferro..."

I seriously doubt it. The boy was raised in a lab and lived on the streets before he hooked up with the Legion. I have no idea where he took up sewing (maybe with the homeless folks he lived with? It'd be a necessary skill for them), but I don't think he got the proper education in that prison he grew up in.

I know that pre-boot, WILDFIRE was in university for astro-engineering before his accident.

All of them are open for reconsideration - maybe Brainy could go to art college, ifhe could get his ego out of the way.

Interesting bit about Wildfire which I didn't know or remember - so there's some foundation for him to continue. I was thinking that I really typecast Jo and Brin, but I think the writers have as well. Typical gang members. I'd like to be surprised in the future. DnA also put Wildfire in Jo's gang in Imra's diner dream - because he's a rough talking fighter? . Certainly all the legionnaires strike me as being above average intelligence.

Ferro sort of reminds me of a friend of mine who dropped out of high school, became a locally successful poet yet always felt inferior or incomplete because he didn't have the "credentials". He went back to school in his 30s and now has a PhD in literature. It's probably ruined his poetry - but he's happy to have done it. Ferro's insecurities could drive him to get the sheepskin just to show he could - maybe he's changed on Steeple and lost some of the inferior feelings.