Send e-mail to letters@gainesvilletimes.com (no attached files, please, which can contain viruses); fax to 770-532-0457; or mail to The Times, P.O. Box 838, Gainesville, GA 30503. Include full name, hometown and phone number for confirmation. They should be limited to one topic on issues of public interest and may be edited for content and length (limit of 500 words). Letters forwarded from other sources or those involving personal, business or legal disputes, poetry, expressions of faith or memorial tributes may be rejected. You may be limited to one letter per month, two on a single topic. Submitted items may be published in print, electronic or other forms. Letters, columns and cartoons express the opinions of the authors and not of The Times editorial board.
In the article Oct. 13, I was pleased to learn that the Board of Regents is considering changing the core class requirements in the future.
As an English major in my junior year at North Georgia College & State University, I am often frustrated with some of the classes I am required to take. Is it really necessary for English majors to still be required to take multiple science classes and other classes not related to literature? As an English major, why struggle through required science classes when I could be using that time to improve my writing? This could go for many other majors, also.
Other degrees may benefit from courses not related to the major, but these should be looked at on an individual basis. Taking time for unnecessary classes only deprives students from valuable hours that could be spent on relevant coursework. If students are ready to start on their majors sooner than others, then they should be allowed to.
Also, under the new changes the institutions would be held more responsible by students being "assessed by national tests, improvements between mid-term and final term papers or on portfolios containing various course work." Holding teachers responsible for learning throughout a semester will greatly improve the quality of student learning.
These changes also make it easier for students to transfer to other schools if they so choose. Making it easier for students to transfer would help a lot of people in the academic world. Students would be able to go where they wanted to without losing a step. Many students would be able to get the different experiences that they long for without losing credit hours and time.
Changes to the college education system are long overdue. Students should be allowed to concentrate on what they want to do instead of learning in meaningless classes and regurgitating the information back out on a test. Holding institutions more accountable for the students’ learning is something the youth of today and the employers of tomorrow with benefit from.
Matthew Sanchez
Gainesville
As president jets around the world, rest of us struggle
Again, I am voicing my concern over the direction our president is leading us.
My unhappiness comes from having one jet liner in Europe for the president while his family flies over in another to join him days later. They returned in separate planes. Was there anything accomplished during this trip other than some fashionable shopping spree in Paris? At the same time, he tells us we’re running out of money because we’re in a recession. I suppose the rules to spend wisely apply to poor Americans and the middle class, but not to the wealthy and those in power.
The second issue that turns my stomach is sending the wife to court the Olympics. And just where were they going to be if they did come? Chicago, his hometown. I guess he must be scratching some of his buddies’ back. What would the U.S. get out of that? Wouldn’t Chicago get the pot? Again, one plane was not enough. When he decided his wife wasn’t getting the job done, crank up another jet, and he went. But they came back empty-handed. It does make one wander if this was another pleasure trip.
All this jet-setting was done while he put on a back burner a request for troops from his own hand-picked military leader. The military man said the troops were needed to win the war in Afghanistan. I guess winning the war is not as important as having the Olympics. The best I can figure out, it has not been acted on even yet. Didn’t he accuse President George W. Bush of things along these lines during his campaign?
And now us poor ol’ retired Americans are going to get a gift of $250. Oh boy, I can’t wait! My banker will love it. But you know, somebody will have to pay that back eventually. Will it be retired Americans or our children who have their own retirement to worry about since Social
Security is about to go belly up?
Is this man the who made so many eloquent speeches during the campaign? He had so many great sounding promises. But it appears he is going to take us under faster than those two jet planes took them to Europe.
You know I had a few days vacation planned around Thanksgiving but I don’t think we will get to go. We got our property tax bill this week. It had been increased by about 33 percent over last years. It starts at the top and goes all the way to the bottom, doesn’t it?
Bobby Slaton
Oakwood