How is the tradition of Western classical music faring on university campuses? Before answering this question, it is necessary to understand what has transpired with classical music in the wider culture, as the relationship between the two is so strong. In this article, the author discusses how classical music has taken a big cultural hit in America. He uses the marginalization of classical music in the contemporary academy, including in music departments, to open a window on the soul of today's students. He argues that rock, pop, and even jazz are superficial when compared to classical music, with its richness and depths, but the ability of young people to listen and experience it is eroding. Since today's students are most familiar with pop songs of a very short duration, anything much longer tends to create confusion, discomfort, and eventually outright fatigue. He contends that this generation hardly knows how to think, but it certainly doesn't know how to feel. The author describes the role of classical music in the general university environment today. A brief modern classical music reading and listening list is presented. (Contains 1 footnote.)