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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 30, 2000)
Editor in chief: Laura Cadiz Editorial Editors: Bret Jacobson, Laura Lucas Newsroom: (541)346-5511 Room 300, Erb Memorial Union P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403 E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu Thursday March 30,2000 Volume 101, Issue 120 EriWakl Requisite writing classes stifle student freedom for educational exploration, while committing students to a false sense of community nret Jacobson anicking like an ^animal caught in hunter’s steel W trap with the as sociated impulse to chew off my own limbs on the path to liberation, I look around and realize why I put off taking Writing 122 for so long: the forced, artificial community GTFs love to push. The writing classes push a counterfeit sense of community and should not be required. Community is a hackneyed buzzword that has become pop ular again of late. Besides Hillary Clinton’s insightful pre scription on how to raise chil dren, the recent Supreme Court case on student fees revolved around the idea that universities play the role of community square so that all voices can be heard on public matters. People seek new ways to connect with others like themselves on Inter net chat rooms and America On line’s Instant Messenger. These types of interpersonal associa tions are important and bring people together in new and dy namic ways. But there’s a clear and impor tant distinction between those forms of gathering and the requi site writing classes. The classes, which attempt to hone composi tion and analytical skills, derive the basis for written assignments through oral classroom dis course among students of greatly varying intellect, interest level, knowledge base and reasoning skills. This is in contrast to more chooser-friendly associations. The type of public discourse en dorsed by the Supreme Court al lows the use of student fees to fund student groups, allowing participants to choose to be active where their interests lie. When one is drawn to a particular cause or issue, they are more likely to be informed and passionate and ready to speak in the group. Such is not the case with the writing classes at the University. The sad attempt at a commu steps into the classroom — the conversations usually settle to the level of the least expressive minds and most robust voices. The variability in argumenta tive ability also leads to an all around insufficient quality of class. The variable level of stu dent skill makes sure that the writing classes don’t adequately suit the learning needs of the majority of students. Besides this fact, GTFs contrast widely in their own abilities to relay their inconsistent ideas on writ ing. These variances offer proof against the idea of a general skill base expected of graduates. The coerced community also goes against the sentiment in volved in the advent of on-line degrees to be offered at this insti tution. The on-line education al lows students to formulate their own ideas at their own pace and moments of brilliance as op posed to the on-site writing classes that force those of dis parate ability and interest into the same room. Some may argue that all other classes require similar gather ings of dissimilar people. That is true inasmuch as no group of people are completely alike. Within the bounds of major re quirements, almost every other class is chosen by students to ad vance their degree progress or expand their perspective in a way they desire. This freedom ensures, to a higher degree, their participation and input. The University can maintain the high level of public dis course throughout campus by relying on student interest groups and class choices that students are able to make for themselves. Student activism and self-motivated choices offer better forums for important dis cussions than demanding the writing composition classes cur rently required. Bret Jacobson is editorial editor for the Dregon Daily Emerald. His views do not lecessarily represent those of the Emer ald. He can be reached via e-mail at 3jacobso@gladstone.uoregon.edu. XXXLjr IXCUllllO UlO Liadd quality to mediocrity from the start. Given the general sense of politeness and the politically correct notion that we’re all equal — an idea proven false every time one
