A poem by Glen T. Martin

(Dedicated to University Professors of the United States of America)

We pledge ourselves the following principles: noble, inspiring, without compromise:

We will inspire others to pursue noble ideals: tolerance, ethical insight, scholarly integrity,

And live by the laws of pettiness, viciousness, and mediocrity.

We will inspire others to live with courage and vision,

And live by the laws of cowardice and short-sightedness.

We will inspire others to tolerance of diversity,

And enforce among us sameness and conformity.

We will inspire others to self-questioning in pursuit of truth,

And live by our own absolute certainty of truth.

We will inspire others to grow to maturity,

And live our lives as shameful children.

For we are dedicated to the proposition that all teaching is appearances,

And to a reality forever hidden from the outside world.

Masters and Mistresses of smoke and mirrors,

We hold our students to the honor code!

Refrain:

We are the educated ones!

We are the thoughtful ones!

Standing together!

We are the scholars!

We mold young minds!

Robert’s Rules forever!

We above the crowd!

We imbibe the cultured!

Sensitive, refined!

We preserve the knowledge!

We bemoan the ignorance!

Deserving the pay-raise!

Such our mission statement!

Our syllabus for success!

Our institutional goals!

Forever we go on!

The endless chain of words!

Chanting, and teaching!

These truths we name!

And pledge our sacred honor:

for this, oh this,

Religiosophy!

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