opinion
State of Union
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editorial
I wonder how many editors of college newspapers have
put together a State of the Union editorial? Probably not
many. Well, this editor is going to do just that.
Not that my opinion matters. I’m going to use my title
and space to sort of “Get my feelings out on paper” so I
can take a good look at the situations. You may like to
read along. Who knows, we probably agree on a lot of
things.
The next thing to do when writing a piece like this is to
itemize the issues. Wow, there are so many: inflation, gas
prices, food prices, the crisis in Iran, Afghanistan...etc’. I
think I’ll stick to the two most closely related and most
recent subjects: Iran and Afghanistan.
The reason I call this my State of the Union editorial is
that I want to help show the reader what state the union is
in, which isn’t too good. For the past months, the papers,
radio and television have screamed, “America held
hostage,” as 49 of our people have sat with their hands
tied and their eyes blindfolded while some guy trapes
around the world looking for a place to live. In the mean
time, his countrymen are asking for his return so they may
prosecute a guilty man for injuring innocent people.
While they’re waiting, they are injuring innocent people,
our people. That makes them no better than you know
who.
So, America, whatcha going to do? It’s been 80 days
since the takeover of our embassy in Iran. Does anyone
know what to do?
So much for that old news. Let’s get on with the new.
Not too far away from Iran there lies a small country
that is in just as much turmoil, Afghanistan.
Just recently, the country was invaded by none other
than our big neighbor, Russia.
What is this country going to do? We are being backed
up against a corner and shivering with fear of the thought
of another war.
If we go to war, where will it be? We have two choices;
maybe both places. And if we do go to war, how will it
end? Will we win? We have in the past, but that does not
matter now.
As I stated, my opinion doesn’t really matter. I’m just
one. But still, I voice mine and you should, too. This is
not the time for apathy. Americans should stick together
like we did during the first two world wars. If nobody
cares, we will lose. That’s what makes all the difference.
19600 S. Molalla Avenue, Oregon City, Oregon 97045
Office: Trailer B; telephone, 656-2631, ext. 309
editor: Leanne Lally; news editor: Mike Koller
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The Print, a member of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers
Association, aims to be a fair and impartial journalistic medium
covering the campus community as thoroughly as possible.
Opinions expressed in The Print do not necessarily reflect those
of the CCC administration, faculty or Associated Student Gover
nment.
Page 2
Instructor upset
Teacher reacts against storu
By Terence M. Shumaker
, Drafting Instructor
I For The Print
I’m upset. I get like this once
' in a while. Human nature I
guess. Being an instructor, I’ve
developed
a
meaningful
measure of tolerance and
patience towards those who
are learning new skills. But like
I said, I’m upset.
Students are not the source
of my distress. No. Unfor
tunately I’m losing patience
with certain “academics”
lurking within the recesses «of
C.C.C. Yes, they’re out there;
those academics, and I’m just
an
unfortunate
“non
academic”, “non-traditional”
drafting instructor. Uninformed
in the subjective world of
grades and bell curves.
GRADE INFLATION! God
grant me a “C” student so my
curve will work! Why have we
divided a system that turns out
quality employees? Where is
mediocrity?
Why do I rave? Read the
front page article on grade in
flation in the Jan. 16 edition of
The Print. Therein lies the
source of my anger.
I won’t mention the shallow»
nature of the article. I won’t go
into the fact that only-science
and social science instructors
were interviewed at an in
stitution that is principally (dare
I say it), vocational. Where
were the vocational instructors
when the reporter was making
the rounds?
Specifically I’m referring to
two quotes. Statements made
by John Hooley, division
chairman of social science and
humanities, and Don Epstein,
history instructor.
John Hooley stated that,
“...in some of the non-transfer
areas, the instructors, who of
ten come from non-traditional,
non-academic backgrounds
such as industry, have a dif
ferent attitude toward grading.
And as far as they’re non
transfer it doesn’t really matter
what those students aet...”
I ask you, is industry non-
traditional?
Then
my
background in drafting is non-
tradtional. Given the point of
view of academia, industrial
endeavors such as welding,
They’re learning somethihi
they will use to feed themselve
one day; and they produce.!
Perhaps Mr. Epstein need
to take a deeper look withii
himself in his search for the
problem instead of poinfjj
such accusing fingers at th;
vocational areas.
I guess my one peeve thes
days is.that so many peoplt
refuse to question themselve!
and accept responsibility fol
their actions (or inactioi®
Why must there always b<
finger pointing? Why do people
so often feel the problem i:
someone elses?
A few parting remarks con!
cerning the horror of grade in
flation. I don’t doubt it
existence. We drafting instrua
tors have talked of it before ant
have tried to find some an
swers. But there are many con
tributing variables. One big m
is our system. We insulate ani
Let’s go back to the first part
protect our students! $<
of his statement. “Many of the
thoroughly
from
thi
vocational courses give out too
humiliation of the “D” of “F
many ‘A’s and ‘B’s . . .” Too
that we deny them the right t<
many? How many is too
fall flat on their butts. Failprol
many? How does he know?
an integral part of success, ant
Upon what does he base his
conclusions? He pedantically any system that strives t<
eliminate failure from it
postulates that we give too
regimen is doomed to fail itself.
many and then informs us in
As was stated in the articl
the same breath of his grading
previously quoted, a student)
policy and the policy of the
given great leeway in regards ti
College, the latter of which aids
droppping a course. Thi
in promulgating the alleged
problem. Nonsense. This slur remaining students may tend t<
towards the vocational areas is be the brighter ones.
Another point: the drafting
totally unneeded and will only
add fuel to the fires of program strives to erm
quality .employees; we don!
“traditional”
faculty
turn out average drafters: Wi
polarization.
The second half of that run our program with th
quote was, “we tend to be thought that life isn’t just atone
grateful for any work at all.” time, fill-in-the-blank-get-a
grade shot. If students sere'
Who, may I ask, is “we”? Cer
tainly not myself or several of up we give them a chance t
my colleagues. Perhaps he has rectify their errors and get .1
that problem in history? Has he right. Like I said, we strive fc
ever expored the possibility quality. When you turn out
that this may be a direct reflec quality product, not too man
tion of his teaching abilities? J‘C”s appear on the grad
Maybe some of his students do rosters.
I would hope that the poin
not recognize the importance
of the destruction of the ting fingers and pedanti
Spanish Armada and only wish platitudes emanating from th
to
concentrate
on
the social sciences and humanitie
mechanical abilities which will don’t continue. The last thin;
eventually secure them em we need at our “non
traditional” vocational! in
ployment.
I personally find no lack of stitution is a good! oli
“traditional” polarization of th
production within the drafting
department. The students put disciplines.
Let’s look first at ounjowi
out tremendous, amounts of
performance,
not that o
work, and we don’t have to
grovel and be grateful for it. others.
. Wednesday, January 23,1980
machine shop, drafting and
mechanics are non-traditional
areas. But 1 might add that it
has been the “non-traditional”
areas and “non-academic”
disciplines that not only helped
build this country and create a
favorable atmosphere for
“academic” pursuits, but have
built and are a strong sustaining
force in the life of this in
stitution .
Mr. Hooley’s statement was
mild and seemingly tempered
by the diplomacy befitting his
position, but a statement by
Don Epstein, history instructor,
was not so tempered.
He contemptuously con
cluded that “many ot the
vocational courses give out too
many ‘A’s and ‘B’s . . . the
range of studnts here is so
great that we tend to be grateful
for any work at all.”