I was utterly offended by the remarks of Kenny MacDonald (in theFeb. 4 Campus Rave) about the supposedly "belligerent" students whodisrupt his classes this term.
What he fails to realize as an immature freshman is that somestudents actually come to college to enrich their experiences inways other than sitting in class scared to appear stupid.
As an "older" senior transfer student who has had many lifeevents, I can attest to the fact that college professors do notknow everything about the subjects they are lecturing. Comments andinput from more experienced students vastly improve the learningprocess.
Besides, we students pay good money to be stupid, which is thereason we are in college in the first place. Being afraid toexpress yourself in the college environment only adds to thepremise that silence is golden and will leave most studentsswimming in the murky waters of mediocracy.
Roosevelt Nickleberry
Senior, Management of
Information Systems
I was really upset when I read the (Feb. 4 Campus Rave) in TheHelmsman. He came across as really offensive when he made a commentabout the belligerent students.
I am an older student, and I am usually the only student whowill participate in class discussions. My professors appreciate myremarks.
Comments like his in the paper will discourage many studentsfrom participating in class discussion. In virtually all of myclasses, there are not many students who offer thought or evenattempt to participate in the learning process. If MacDonaldchooses not to do so, that is his own personal choice.
Furthermore, my professors make fun of the students who do notoffer anything valuable to the classroom environment. They thinkthese students are dumb and really don't care about theireducations.
I wonder what MacDonald is going to do when it is time to askone of his professors for a scholarship recommendation or somethingof that nature.
Hey, all of my teachers know how "belligerent" I am, and mybelligerence has gotten me one of the most prestigious internshipsin the country because of recommendation letters from teachers. Mybelligerence has also kept me in the top of the class with a veryhigh grade point average. My belligerence has also helped me tolearn.
The teacher's opinion of my classroom behavior is more importantthan those who sympathize with MacDonald, who has made a name forhimself and has probably discouraged many students, young and oldalike, from getting their money's worth by active classparticipation.
Disgusted,
Amelia Jamison
Senior, Computer
Engineering Technology
