The Idea of the City as a course is not meant to supply answers, it is designed to promote discussion, broach new ideas, and promote the tolerance of new ways of looking at who we are, what we are and where we are going. Indeed the ultimate purpose of the MLA program is to help us think more clearly, understand our world a little better, articulate our thoughts more persuasively both verbally and in writing, and, as a by-product, learn to make the best use of the tools at hand, including the computer, the internet, and the World Wide Web. The reward is that mark of distinction and achievement, the MLA degree from the Johns Hopkins University, School of Continuing Studies, but the satisfaction comes long before through the process itself, through the reading, the discussions, the writing, and the dynamic exchange of ideas which are the hallmarks of what it means to be a master of liberal arts. Thank you