Provost Holden Thorp decided to take on a different sort of project this summer—one that made use of his depth of experience working as an administrator in institutions of higher education.

Earlier this week, I was talking to a friend about the future. (It’s senior year, and this is therefore a frequent topic of conversation.) He was lamenting the lack of conviction that many of our senior classmates have regarding future job prospects. “Why do so many people only want a job that pays well?” he asked.

On the scientific scale of pain, job hunting normally falls somewhere between root canal and dropkicking tiny kittens. In an economy like this one, however, it’s closer to letting an English major perform open-heart surgery on your gaping chest without anesthesia. (And no, English majors, you are not going to qualify for jobs involving open-heart surgery. Try again.