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Volume aaa, Number 7 |
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Grading system: time to move on
To the Editors:
Given the recent surge of commentary about last semester's plus/minus controversy, I wonder why certain students feel compelled to dig up a dead horse only to beat it up some more. The fact is that it is a non-issue, and the students of Bowdoin need-and deserve-to put it behind them.
Last week, all three letters to the editor addressed the plus/minus debate. One letter bravely questioned the recent flare-up of rhetoric on the issue and urged that we finally move on. Unfortunately, the other two letters simply pressed the issue further. I cannot fathom how pluses and minuses will increase competition among students. As a college student, I don't go around comparing grades, hoping to derive some middle school satisfaction that Frank and Louise got Bs in the class in which I got an A. Furthermore, the argument that pluses and minuses warrant an impossible level of accuracy in evaluation does not hold either. Grades measure achievement, not ability. The addition of pluses and minuses, then, can indicate that there is still room for improvement where, under the old system, we would have seemingly achieved our "best" possible work with greater ease. Let us not forget that, as students, we are all called to relentlessly pursue academic excellence, even if that now takes the form of a "+."
Two of last week's letters attack the faculty for not "caring" and seemingly ignoring student opinion. I firmly believe that Bowdoin's greatest offer to students is the opportunity to closely interact with enthusiastic, knowledgeable professors who are deeply committed to their success and are not tyrants of the report card. That the faculty ostensibly ignored the "screaming" of an "overwhelming majority" (the "overwhelming majority," in fact, consisted of a mere 548 students who officially opposed +/- in a poll) is further proof that the faculty prefers to see students as individuals and not one giant activist group to whose every demand it must bow. To place such unnecessary importance on an issue as insignificant as pluses and minuses in evaluating Bowdoin is to ignore the many attributes that make it a great place. For those who continue to point fingers at the "totalitarian" regime that is the Bowdoin Faculty, you are alienating yourselves from a tremendous asset. And for those who would rather be where there are no pluses or minuses, there's still time to leave. If you do, please take your misguided activism and groundless accusations with you.
Sincerely,
Adam R. Baber '05
To the Editors:
There appeared in the Orient two weeks ago an article criticizing the NESCAC presidents for their decision to reexamine the role of out-of-season athletic training. The article was inaccurate on a number of levels, but most erroneously when it alleged that the presidents had decided to ban out-of-season activity altogether. As co-chairs of the Student Athletic Advisory Council and captains of our respective sports, we are greatly concerned by this issue. We have spent numerous hours in the past weeks examining the NESCAC policy and reviewing how Bowdoin teams train in the off-season along with other captains, athletes, coaches and the athletic director. It is our opinion that most of what takes place at Bowdoin is not only within the spirit of NESCAC athletics, but is a fun and healthy compliment to our academics and other activities. The few extremes that existed at Bowdoin, such as off-season intercollegiate team competition, have now been eliminated due to this review by the presidents. Optional out-of-season training, as many winter and spring teams are engaged in now, will continue. We hope that this will help assuage the concerns of any members of the Bowdoin community.
In the future, when issues surrounding athletics and their place at Bowdoin arise, we invite members of the Bowdoin community to seek out the Student Athletic Advisory Council as a forum for meaningful discussion and debate.
Sincerely,
Lindsay Steinmetz '03, Captain Women's Lacrosse
Patrick Vardaro '03, Captain Men's Cross County and Indoor/Outdoor Track
& Field
Co-Chairs, Student Athletic Advisory Council
To the Editors,
We are in full agreement with last week's editorial that praised the Bowdoin community for no longer being indifferent to political and social issues. We are proud to be at a school where, regardless of their political affiliation, students, faculty, and staff see the value in expressing opinions and encouraging respectful exchange of ideas. Given the commitment of the Bowdoin community to freedom of speech, it is surprising that the student email digest is needlessly censored.
Last week, the Bowdoin Women's Association sent a message to the digest informing the campus about our table in Smith Union promoting awareness of emergency contraception and reproductive rights. The message included links to various relevant and informative websites. To our great disappointment, the message was not included in the digest. The moderator of the digest, a fellow student, rejected the email due to the fact that it included opinions and political statements.
While the message included some opinions such as "emergency contraception is basic health care," the intent of the message was to draw attention to the issue and to provide information. Upon doing careful research, we discovered that there is no policy dictating that the digest must be devoid of opinions or political statements. In fact, messages to the digest frequently have such content. Our fundamental concern is that one individual is interpreting and enforcing policy in a way that is limiting students' ability to communicate with their peers.
The digest is an effective way to inform and organize students. We believe that the digest and the policies that govern its use are too important to be under the control of one individual. The moderator of the digest is overusing the power of the position and this should be stopped.
Instead, answering questions such as who can use the digest for what purposes should be the task of a group representing a wide range of viewpoints. The student digest is an important tool, particularly for student activists.
We appeal to all students, faculty, and staff to review and challenge policies that allow one person or a few individuals to limit access to the community and restrict freedom of speech. Censorship of this kind is not in the best interest of promoting an active and involved community.
Sincerely,
Allison Barz '05
Kate Brinkerhoff '03
Barbara Condliff '04
Caitlin Connolly '05
Jenn Corris '03
Hannah Curtis '03
Eric Diamon '03
Rebecca Fontaine '05
Clare Forstie '02
Mara Gandal '04
Madeleine Robillard '05
Jill Shirey '03
Jessie Solomon-Greenbaum '04