Friday
Editor in chief: Jack Clifford
Managing Editor: Jessica Blanchard
Newsroom: (541) 346-5511
Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu
EDITORIAL EDITOR: MICHAEL J. KLECKNER opededitor@journalist.com
’’“classroom:
af0Ifor all**
Two recent letters to the editor (“Keep your opinions to yourself,” ODE, April 2 and
“Stand up for conservative views,” ODE, April 4) have raised the issue of professors ex
pressing their own biases in the classroom. The letters were both a bit angry, and both men
tioned that conservative opinions seem to get the harsh end of the stick at the University.
The Emerald editorial board was immediately animated as it discussed this topic, so we
decided to write a open letter to professors and a counterpart to students. Our hope is that
with some rational thought, we can disarm the reflexive emotional reaction that we all feel
when our views are threatened.
Giovanni Salimena Emerald
Letter to the editor
The Register-Guard should be a leader
I join many others in urging Tony Baker
and the management of The Register-Guard
to bargain in good faith with the Eugene
Newspaper Guild. Our hometown paper has
been in a longtime standoff with its employ
ees. On May 1, the Guild will have been
waiting two years for a contract with The
Register-Guard. Two years is a long time for
working families.
Many Eugene residents take pride in be
ing fortunate enough to have a locally
owned newspaper, but what good is that if it
is not worker-friendly? Not only has The
Register-Guard refused to fairly negotiate
with the Guild, but now also with the press
men union. In addition, The Register-Guard
must answer to charges of illegal actions
from the National Labor Relations Board,
and it has to be held accountable for bring
ing in a negotiator who brags about union
bashing.
In its editorial pages, The Register-Guard
advises the state of Oregon about what it
must do to better assure Oregonians of ade
quate wages, yet a full half of the Guild job
classifications would qualify a family of four
for food stamps. I appreciate the continuous
effort the Eugene Newspaper Guild has
made for these families.
Come on, Register-Guard! Step up to that
leadership position you have in our commu
nity.
Kitty Piercy
Eugene
Dear professors,
We write this letter with good intentions. We genuinely only want to offer con
structive criticism. But every student we know has a war story or two about terri
bly biased professors or teachers who feel the need to inject unsubstantiated
opinions about politics or social issues into their lectures.
The war story goes something like this: In the midst of a lecture, the professor uses a
weak segue to make a bitingly sarcastic comment about a controversial or debated topic.
The biased remark is presented as the end-all be-all. No opportunity is made to present
anyone else’s opinion on the matter, and any student who disagrees is cut down with a
quick verbal jab, intended not only to silence the offender, but to keep quiet any other dis
senters. Students who have information to the contrary are left with no recourse but to
stew in their own juices. The student’s face turns red, and he or she is unable to continue
taking notes effectively. The whole class period is ruined by anger. The best that can be
done is for the student to finish the term, write a scathing review and sign it.
We are very upset when we hear these stories. You need to understand that you do not
have the only answers in the world, and you are not being paid to add colorful commen
tary about every topic under the sun. Students pay tuition to learn about a subject. Yes,
some subjects will involve hot-button issues and some opinions have better research to
back them up and seem more valid than others. But there is a right way and a wrong way to
present opinions.
Ideally, a class reading list will involve a range of opinions on an issue. Ideally, that
range is balanced with opinions from all sides, whether they are the most valid or not. And
then a good professor should certainly present his or her analysis of the subject. Political
and social comments, when germane, can be introduced. A professor’s opinion can even
be presented, as long as opposing views are given air time and students are encouraged to
debate the point. And professors should always suggest that students come to office hours
and discuss the contested idea at length.
To be fair, most of our experiences have fallen somewhere in the middle. Most profes
sors try to provide support for their opinions (they are, after all, learned professionals who
have studied their subject at length), most professors keep their opinionated comments on
topic and most are open to debate. This is great.
We just want to be sure you understand that it is critically important for students to feel
that they’re represented in the discussion. Even if there is much expert evidence and opin
ion to the contrary (say they believe the world is flat), the view should be presented with as
much support as possible, and if it’s considered “wrong,” why it’s wrong should be dis
cussed, and students shouldn’t be ostracized for remaining steadfast in that opinion.
Just remember, if there are views out there that you want to see discredited (for instance,
conservatism), you will only be effective if you fight the war with ideas. Cheap late-night
comedian potshots won’t win you any adherents and only serve to make the classroom a
hostile environment. If your opinion is so correct, you ought to be able to back it up and
make a convincing argument for it. Otherwise, maybe you don’t have all the answers.
Dear students (especially new students),
The recent letters to the editor and the above comments directed at professors
may make the University seem unfriendly. Be assured, this is really not the case
most of the time. There are a few rarities — professors who are known for their
unflinching and hostile criticism of certain opinions — but the vast majority of teachers
are even-handed or open to debate.
But you shouldn’t enroll in college if you think you will be getting an opinion-less,
value-free tutoring of just the facts, sir. If you want that, go read a textbook. Actually, we
take that back. Even textbooks frame issues with a certain bias and present the facts in a
prejudicial manner. Don’t fool yourself; the world is full of people who disagree with
you, and you’re going to have to deal with it. In college, the whole point is to be exposed
to a variety of opinions, to have your beliefs challenged, and to learn the process of criti
cal analysis of those beliefs along the way. Stay at home if you want to remain in a bub
ble of safe conformity.
Professors shouldn’t be ignoring or discriminating against you for disagreeing, though.
Don’t stay quiet. Complain (to the department head, if necessary) if the professor is a
worst-case scenario, as described above. Write and sign a scathing review of them. Find
out from other students who the bad apples are. As an aside, it would be nice if student
government would put together an online resource of professors’ reviews, so that students
could easily acquire a sense of which teachers are open to all ideas.
The other side of the coin, however, is that you’re in college now. You don’t have to sub
mit to the tyranny of authority any more. This isn’t high school; you’re an adult, and you
have access to a lot of information. If you think the professor is wrong, find out more. Pre
sent evidence to support your claim. If the opinion doesn’t rely on facts or research, then
strongly express that maybe everyone doesn’t see it that way. Everyone’s education is im
proved by this effort.
The time to be meek has passed. Sitting in the back row fuming won’t fix anything. In
the real world, the opinions with the most emphatic supporters often dominate. Find out
all you can, generate an informed opinion and debate it with others. This is how we
change the world. Join in.
This editorial represents the opinion of the Emerald editorial board. Responses can be sent to
ode@oregon.uoregon.edu.
Leftfield
Frank Silva
©fXw|LSh-V* l/ilfo