| Money Talks
Some day a woman will be president, just not today. Elizabeth Dole, the only female candidate seeking the Republican presidential bid, withdrew from the race Wednesday, citing fund-raising problems. "The bottom line remains money," she said in Thursday's Dallas Morning News. "Wherever you go you find yourself answering questions not so much about guns in the classroom or China in the World Trade Organization, but money in the bank and ads on the airwaves." It's sad to see that the campaign has revolved around who has raised the most money and not about who would be a better candidate. Whereas male candidates are expected to clarify and defend their stance on issues, Dole first had to prove competency. And she did that. She was transportation secretary under Reagan, labor secretary under Bush and president of the American Red Cross. It still wasn't enough. Clearly America is not ready to elect a female. Even people who liked Dole didn't believe she would be elected. The lack of confidence in her bid translated to lack of funds. Most people donate money to the candidate they think is going to win, and they may have felt their money would be wasted on Dole. "The overwhelming influence of money on our political life has claimed another excellent candidate before a single vote was ever cast," said Sen. John McCain in the Morning News. "Mrs. Dole made history as the first credible woman candidate for president but sadly even that achievement could not eclipse the overwhelming money chase of the campaign." Sadly, this race has proven that some people still have to run farther than others.
Standardized tests unfair So, what was your SAT score? A little hesitant to admit it? Whether it was good or bad, most people would simply rather not say. Why? Because people tend to automatically make a judgment about your mental prowess based solely on that number. Luckily, most colleges and universities are enlightened enough to realize there's much more to a person than just a standardized test score. Academic record, work history and extra-curricular activities are all taken into account. A more accurate perception of that person results from examining these areas of their life. Unfortunately, it seems that Texas public school students are not given the same opportunity to prove themselves. It has become increasingly easy to categorize a student based on whether or not they've passed the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills test. The ones who have passed it are good students and worthy of a high school diploma. The ones who haven't are slackers. After all, the TAAS test covers only the basic skills that all Texas schools should be teaching. Students who can't pass the test simply aren't trying hard enough. In fact, the graduation-level TAAS is probably too easy. Whoa! If I remember correctly, the TAAS is a long, grueling test spread over a three-day period. A true slacker wouldn't even make the effort to take the test. These slackers are just regular students who have been trying to learn in a sometimes substandard environment. Don't get me wrong. The TAAS test is perfectly valid. In theory, at least. All students are taught the same basic subjects and should be held accountable for demonstrating basic knowledge in these areas. But the reality is that not all Texas students are taught or taught well these so-called basic skills. And minority students are often the ones shortchanged. The passing rates for minority students today are still below what the rate was for white students in 1994. That's right - 1994 - when the passing rate for white students was 67 percent. What TAAS results do show is that some districts are failing to teach requirements. This is not surprising. These are often the same districts that have archaic computers, outdated science labs and worn-out textbooks. Is it fair to hold students in these districts to the same standards? The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund said, "No," in a class-action suit that is trying to stop the state from using the TAAS to determine if a student can graduate. The MALDEF agrees that students should not be held to the same standards until all districts are teaching at the same level. MALDEF is looking out for the well-being of all Texas students - not just Mexican Americans. They realize that more minority than white students continue to fail the TAAS. And they realize that these minority students are inordinately represented in the less-than-stellar school districts. Until students in all Texas school districts are given similar learning opportunities, students should be allowed to receive their diplomas without passing the exit-level TAAS. Admittedly, this is not an ideal solution. But, likewise, having substandard school districts is not an ideal situation. It's unfair to punish otherwise good students for something they have absolutely no control over. TAAS testing should continue. If nothing else it acts as a diagnostic tool showing what districts need the most help. If we make an effort to assist these districts, we can assure that students really are learning basic skills. We can do so without judging an individual's ability solely based on a standardized test score.
Sarah Mullen is a senior advertising/public relations major from Fort Worth. She can be reached at (sarah92978@aol.com). Education valued above all There is a quietly unfolding divide in the image that students, faculty and administrators are trying to carve out for our school in the next decade. On one hand, there are students who are engrossed in their own expectations of what TCU should be about. The familiar slogan, "It's about you," seems to be the standard in conversation relating to what students get for the money they spend. There is a heightened demand for more amenities, which people seem to blindly believe will bring better students to our campus. I have even heard classes compared to cereal, as if education was a commodity and not a gift. Although we do pay for classes, many professors take seriously their charge to educate and not just train. On the other side of this divide lies the faculty and administration. With the Commission on the Future of TCU, diversity week and the fraught attempt to bring big-name speakers to our campus, the faculty seem to be embracing other causes. Namely, the cause of a liberal arts education. Programming can lean in two ways here, that which is designed for the entertainment and pleasure of the students and that which is designed for educational value. I propose that a liberal arts education is not simply job training. All majors - including art, journalism and theater - must value a wide range of topics from math and science to religion and history. If we concentrate simply on getting the skills to be able to earn money when we get out of here, then we are contradicting the very principles on which liberal arts schools like ours were formed. The individual who has a strong liberal arts education has the ability to perform well at any job. Classical background and diversity of knowledge is essential to creating an analytical and progressive society. These are a few proposed values that we as students must consider if we want our diploma to be worth something more than a winning football team or new buildings. In addressing the issue of student amenities, I would say that students need to consider what time and effort they put into their studies and not the need to have more send-home machines or computers or unnamed convenience stores. I don't think that these are all bad things, but the time to shift our focus is now. If students are expected to perform higher, the recognition of first-tier school will come. It doesn't matter how many football games we win, in so much as we have a team of scholar athletes who set examples instead of records. The challenge we have before us is creating a learning community and not just a church camp. There is nothing more rewarding to a student than to be present and participatory in an intellectual environment. This could mean eating lunch with a professor, starting a new club or simply working hard on programs that were formed to make a difference. The tools for TCU are there. We can choose anything we like. New buildings are nice but will soon become a part of the everyday landscape, and winning teams are nice, but eventually we will lose. However, sending educated students into the world with wide perspectives and critical minds leaves a legacy that can be passed to our children and others around the world. We must face the challenge of creating these kind of students with vigor and a renewed sense of who we are and what we want to become. I will end with a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche who said, "What does not kill us, makes us stronger." Imagine a football player quoting Nietzsche.
Matthew S. Colglazier is a freshman news-editorial journalism major from Fort Worth. He can be reached at (mscolglazier@delta.is.tcu.edu). Excel despite common mindset I recently read in the Wall Street Journal about Kevin Prigel, a bright TCU student who turned down the opportunity to attend Harvard University. He accepted a full-ride scholarship to come to Fort Worth instead of attending one of the most prestigious colleges in the world. Purportedly one of Prigel's criteria in making the decision to attend TCU was that he was allowed to opt out of some of his undergraduate studies. The university awarded Prigel 69 hours of advanced credit. What would give a person greater advantage in life: graduating magna cum laude from TCU or having a college degree from Harvard? Perhaps we underestimate ourselves at TCU. We are learning at an accredited university with every advantage a student could want. Our endowment is $750 million, and people in Fort Worth support our university. We have a faculty and a learning environment that are excellent. Still TCU has a reputation of being a rich kids' school. No doubt about it, we could do better than to be known for our fancy cars and social activities. Our football team is middling. We have a reasonable number of minority students, and we tolerate those among us who have alternative lifestyles. Does TCU excel in anything? One thing that stands out as above average is our library facilities. The resources we have on campus exceed other schools our size across the nation. Our research facilities are magnificent, and, as a general rule, the staff and faculty have concern that students learn. TCU students are surrounded by people who care. Men and women who have graduated from TCU have gone on to do great things in the world. We could name the most famous and successful, but that might leave out the quiet business people who work hard and make a payroll every week. Or we could exclude the TCU graduate who teaches public school and mentors children far beyond what is expected. Thousands of successful people have been educated on this campus and lead productive lives. Having bright students like Prigel inspires the rest of us to do our best. In mediocrity, there are many who are growing in knowledge and working beyond their capabilities. This university nurtures people and can bring out the best in them. As an undergraduate, I had a friend who was an All-American marksman. She was in the top one percent of all women in the nation with a rifle. For all her success, she is quoted in the yearbook as saying that it takes great effort to rise above the mediocrity of TCU. Yet, she was a great example of someone who excelled. Before I came to TCU, I had my heart set on going to Princeton Theological Seminary. I found the campus to be exciting and liked the opportunity to attend a prestigious school. In retrospect, it would have been the wrong choice. I have lived in the Southwest all my life and reflect the values of this culture. Living in Fort Worth and attending this university is a nurturing experience. I know exactly why Kevin Prigel chose to attend TCU. This is a great place to be.
Dave Becker is a student at Brite Divinity School from Pueblo, Colo. He can be reached at (evadgorf@aol.com). Letters to the editor Respect key to understanding those with different lifestyles Not only do I want to commend Shavahn Dorris for her honesty and self-reflection in her column in Tuesday's Skiff, but I want to commend her for standing up for a group of people who already endure enough persecution and hatred daily. I may not have been brought up religiously, but I was taught to think as logically as possible about people and situations before passing any kind of judgment. I believe that homosexuals choose to follow the lifestyle that is comfortable for them. To live a lie is to live as a coward. To fear those who are not cowards is to forego the possibility of solid, enlightening friendships with them. We should challenge one another to live life to the fullest and respect the choice of others to do the same. Natascha Terc junior news-editorial journalism major
Honors Program, McDorman not to blame for cancellation I was dismayed and disappointed by the Tuesday's article regarding Maya Angelou. As a lawyer, arts administrator and TCU Honors Program alumna, I wish to reply to that article. First, it seems apparent that neither Charles Becker nor Roger Pfaffenberger have "standing" to complain about Kathryne McDorman's actions. The article states plainly that the Fogelson Honors Forum is a separate entity from the Honors Council and that the Honors Council procedures did not govern in this situation. Did Becker and Pfaffenberger not know this? That seems unlikely, as it is certainly apparent to Vice Chancellor for Acadmic Affairs William Koehler. Therefore, McDorman did not err. There was no violation of procedures despite the allegations of Becker and Pfaffenberger. Second, as an arts administrator, I know what a risk and a challenge it is to book singers, speakers, etc. There is no certainty when booking human beings. It is commonplace in the opera world for singers to cancel at the last minute. However, that does not keep a company from booking big names like Pavarotti or Battle. Changes and cancellations are part of the business and must be taken in stride. It would be absurd, for example, to blame the general director of the Metropolitan Opera for a cancellation by Pavarotti. Why be so absurd as to blame McDorman? Furthermore, Angelou's cancellation was due to a death in the family. Not even Angelou herself had any control over that. To refuse to book a performer due to a reputation for canceling is to forego enjoying the talents of some great people. Finally, I speak as a TCU and Honors Program alumna. When I was a student at TCU, I had the great fortune to study with McDorman during my junior and senior years. She is a respected scholar and a superb teacher. I also know her to be a person of the highest integrity and professionalism. I am absolutely certain that she did not circumvent any procedures or act improperly in any way. Sandra L. Wenner class of 1981 |
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