4 Commentary
student I
Poll
When is it OK
to "narc" on a
friend?
Clackamas Prìj
Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2005
One reason we hate matf
The college’s latest
math text, under review,
should be dropped
Elizabeth Hitz
The Clackamas Print
“Iftheycom-
mited a really
bad crime. It’s
just part of
being a really
good friend.”
Melissa Summerton
“If it affects
someone in
a negative
way that’s
more bad
than anything
good then it’s
okay.”
Justin Harlo
“Never.”
SECOND EDITION
Last
year
Clackamas
Community College switched
from Jim Streeter’s math text­
books to the “Mathematics in
Action” series. Now the new
texts are up for review by
the math department and the
question has risen: will the
books stay in use, or will they
be tossed out like last year’s
phonebook?
If a company wants to
know if there is a problem
with a product they some­
times ask the consumers. The
textbook’s consumers are the
math teachers, students and
tutors who are required to
use the curriculum on a daily
basis.
With the exception of an
eternally optimistic few, who
almost certainly color code
their socks, the overwhelm­
ing majority of “cqpsum-
ers” intensely disliked the
“Mathematics in Action” text-
Photo illustration by Jeff Sorensen Clackamas Print
books.
When asked what kind of
impact he thought the new math
textbooks were having, Math
Tutor Chris Howe declared,
“The math 65 through 95 text­
book is the worst textbook the
college has ever assigned.”
An array of math students
provided a hodgepodge of var­
ied attitudes. Kim LaRoche
offered the semi-positive asser­
tion that, “the book taught you
real life concepts, instead of
just numbers ... but ... I could
see how the book would be
difficult without all the sup­
port I received.”
On a more definite note,
another student, Kent Kline,
stated, “The ‘Math in Action’
textbooks are poorly«
ten and counter intui
... were it not for
highly competent J
instructors,
tutoi
staff, and the fact
I bought one of the
textbooks, I would]
have been able to d
pher the incomprehl
ble activities in the N
in Action series.” 1
So where does
trouble lie? Why
these books so |
Larry Emme, a
time math instruct!
Clackamas, pointed
that the problem witl
books is that they-
written on the prini
idea the greater
of students are ai
or group leamersj
idea has obviously I
proved untrue simp)
the vast unpopular«
the textbooks.
No offense to the i
teachers, most of whom|
followings that rival Mai
X’s, but in which galaxyni
these books actually work
Einsteinian Utopia? So;
the sanity of all math stu
and tutors, present and fa
ye who are in charge, pl
change the math books.
When entertainment masquerades as new
Neal Benjamin
I laura Cameron
| [ Commentary Editor
As a member of the news
media, I find myself increasingly
exasperated by the rest of the
profession.
Well, that’s not precisely true.
I’m not annoyed by all of the news
media, just by the subset of it on
the television. All too often, tele­
vision news shows are replacing
the news with entertainment.
I first noticed this several
years ago when, as happens
every year around December, the
weather started going foul. Why
is it, I wondered, that TV report­
ers feel it necessary to stand out
in the rain and sleet when report­
ing on winter storms? We don’t
need to see some guy in a parka
slowly turning into an icicle to
know that there’s freezing rain
falling; we can find that out by
looking out the window or listen­
ing to the radio. What reason is
there, other than entertainment,
to show some poor reporter slip­
ping and sliding across a frozen
overpass?
Once I had become aware of
this facet of TV journalism, it kept
jumping out at me like an excit-
^ed Jack Russell Terrier. I have
always found this rather insult­
ing. After all, we already know
that snow falls during a blizzard
and that the wind blows during a
hurricane. Not only does show­
ing the reporter out in the middle
of the storm imply that we don't
know anything about weather, but
the wind invariably blows directly
The
Clackamas Print
19600 S. Molalla Ave.
Oregon Gty, OR 97045
(503) 657-6958 ex. 2309
The C lackamas Print is a weekly
student publication and is
distributed every Wednesday except
finals week.
C o -E ditors - in -C hief : Ben Maras,
James Tombe
C opy E ditors : Katie Weinberg, E. E.
West
N ews E ditor : Katie Wilson
C ommentary E ditor : Laura Cameron
F eature E ditor : C.J. Ciaramella
S ports E ditor : N. P. Delzell
A&E E ditor : Jadon Triplett
P hoto E ditor : Jeff Sorensen
into the microphone, muffling any
pertinent information the reporter
might actually give us.
Of course, this strange need
to entertain the viewer extends
beyond the weather desk. Most
news stories, it seems, contain
some absurd observation or use­
less fact that serves no purpose
other than to titillate or shock
us. Telling us that the Columbus
Day Storm in 1961 knocked down
more trees than the 1980 eruption
of Mt. St. Helens is a ridiculous
observation, because the storm
front covered a much wider area
than the eruption.
What annoys me the most,
however, is when gossip is passed
off as news. Matt Damon getting
engaged is not news. Gwyneth
Paltrow naming her daugh­
ter “Apple” is not news. These
types of things don’t belong on
the news, they belong on shows
like “Entertainment Tonight” and
“Access Hollywood” - which are
on right after the news, so it’s not
like they’re in an awkward time
slot.
I was watching the local news
the other night. Now, when I
watch the local news, I ex»
hear things that will affect®
sonally, that will have somes
impact on my life. So whaj
the main story on the local
that night?
Britney Spears’s bra for
on eBay.
What does it say aboil
news media that they feel
have to entertain us in od
hold our attention? What
it say about us, the audii
that they’ve reached this
elusion?
Either way, I’m disgusted.
Letters to the editor
I object to Ms. Averill’s accu­
sation that detainees are classi­
fied as “unlawful combatants”
rather than “prisoners of war”
simply to justify torture. Article 4
of the Third Geneva Convention
affords POW protections only to
those resistance fighters who (a)
are commanded by a supervi­
sor who is responsible for their
behavior, (b) carry arms openly,
and (c) act within the laws &
customs of war. Terrorists (or
“insurgents” if you prefer) who
wear no uniform, conceal their
weapons, target civilians, and
behead journalists do not - and
should not - qualify for “pris­
oner of war” protections. POWs
may not be “threatened, insulted
or exposed to unpleasant or dis­
advantageous treatment of any
A d M anager : Sam Krause
A d A ssistant : Megan Cline
S taff W riters : Frank Jordan,
kind.” (Article 17) If detainees
were to be given this status,
they could not be subjected to
any coercive methods what­
soever.
This is not to say, of course,
that they shouldn’t be treated
humanely or afforded a review
of their detention. But neither
should we tie the hands of
our military by granting pris­
oners “rights” that they do not
deserve.
Nathan Dahlin
Student
Attorney General Albert
Gonzales talks of “accq
able methods of torture
This moves the discs
sion from whether or 1
there should be torture I
a discourse on acceptai!
methods. Torture is ni
ther a Christian value n
an American value. Conti
Amnesty International. Wri
letters of protest to yourse
ators and legislators. Mai
your voice heard!
Diane Averill
English Instructor
Note: Dahlin’s letter is in re­
sponse to a letter published in
the last issue. Averill’s letter
at right is not the one being re­
sponded to.
P roduction A ssistants : Megan
Koler, Tayo Stalnaker, Kyle
Steele, Jesse Arguello
Matthew Olson, Tayo Stalnaker,
Courtney O'Byme, Mike Guidice,
Jimi McDonnell, Gabe Stone, Joe P hotographers : Andy Zehrung
Piazzisi, Megan Koler, Kimberly D epartment A dvisor : Linda Vogt
Maier, Elizabeth Hitz, Adam J.
D epartment A ssistant Pat Lichen
Manley
G oals : The C lackamas Prints
to report the news in an honest
unbiased, professional manner.
The opinions expressed do not
necessarily reflect those of the st
dent body, college administrate
its faculty or The Print. E-mail
comments to diiefl
edu.
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