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Show Opinion SOUTHERN UTAH STATE COLLEGE, CEDAR CITY THE THUNDERBIRD MONDAY, APRIL 16, 1990 PAGE 4 GRADES REMAIN KING OF ACADEMIC HILL A policy is currently being considered by the ASSUSC Senate that will introduce a creditno credit option designed to allow students a broader base in education without jeopardizing their cumulative GPA in their major or minor field of study. Should the proposal pass through all of the administrative wickets, the option will be implemented no later than fall quarter, 1990. At first glance, the proposal does sound appealing. But we feel a closer review of this issue is needed to avoid making decisions that we may later regret. Historically, the CRNC option was born in the turbulent decade of the 60s, created by educators believing that the letter grading system had somehow outgrown its usefulness. The prevailing belief was that the letter grade was the tail that wagged the dog and that students should be encouraged to take courses they might otherwise avoid. One of the stipulations of SUSCs CRNC grading option is that no class taken under these guidelines will help satisfy major, minor, or general education requirements, except when specifically.. .designated by the department head. This clause, we assume, will help weed out students who are less sincere in their motives for taking a CRNC class. The fact is, we believe many students will view CRNC classes as an extended study period opting to concentrate their efforts in maintaining a higher GPA in their major field of study rather than expanding their mental horizons. History bears this out. It was this very practice that ultimately created discontent among administrators through the 70s compelling many schools to cut the CRNC option altogether. Another reason many schools have chosen to forego CRNC courses is that it fails to fulfill one of its primary objectives to provide a less negative attitude toward grading. Given the universal acceptance of letter grading in gauging a students classroom performance, studies have shown that students foster a poor attitude toward classwork under the CRNC grading option. This poor attitude tends to permeate the classroom environment creating an atmosphere that tends to stifle the learning experience. Letter grading still remains the most popular method for college and university evaluation; it is still widely used and, therefore, its value has been proven as a communication tool for graduate school entrance, transfer between schools, and potential employment It must be said that CRNC classes may allow students to explore topics outside their major studies, but given the urgency to get through school that many students foster, and the reliance that letter grading provides, we believe the need for CRNC classes is minimal and that the four little gods (A,B,C,D) and the little devil (F), will still hold sway. The Thunderbird VOLUME 84, NUMBER 47 Editor Kathleen Midgley Associate Editor Natalie Coombs Opinion Director James Spainhower Photo Editor Jeff Dower Arts &. Leisure Editor Jason North Sports and Outdoors Editor Brent Richey Production Manager Lynn Dennett Ad Representatives Brent Richey Earle Severance Faculty Adviser Larry Baker The Thunderbird is published each Monday and Thursday of the academic by and for the student body of Southern Utah State College and is not affiliated in year any way with the College s department of communication. The views and opinions expressed in The Thunderbird are the opinions of the publications individual writers and do not necessarily reflea the views of the institution, faculty, staff or student body in general. The unsigned editorial directly above is the opinion of The Thunderbird as a single entity. Letters to the editor must be typed and include the name and phone number. Only the name will be printed. Names will not be withheld under any circumstances and the editor reserves editing privileges. Letters must be submitted by noon Fridays for Monday editions; 5 p.m. Tuesdays for Thursday editions. J!lJ!ttdeTbiTd: editorial offices in SUSC Library 103; advertising in Library 102. Mail at SUSC Box 9384, Cedar City, UT 84720. Phone (801) 8 or Access An Easter message; unlikely source Access is a recurring column through which members of the campus community may address themselves to topics of concern andor interest. Todays column is by Larry Baker, SUSCs director of publications and the faculty adviser to this newspaper. The Easter season always seems to do something to me. Often, it is a time when students go home for the weekend and leave the newspaper to those of us who live here. It also leads me to dwell upon Christian behavior or the lack of it So, here I tie both of those aspects together in what is, in the final analysis and as usual, a bit of personal indulgence. At times, even I am a man of compassion. While there have been instances, regrettable though, where I have acted less than kindly allowed the stern exigencies of life in this 20th century to overcome my sense of Christlike behavior I still cling to the vindication that warmed me that day in 1967 when I played the Good Samaritan to Walter Hathaway. Its pitiful that to this day, almost a quarter of a century later, I so remember this act, despite that it was one that anybody might or should have performed whose body was stunted into by one ravaging disease or another, shuffled and dragged himself about on what I called professional crutches. They werent at all the type one could rent from the medical supply shops, but rather seemed tailored to him. Leather straps served in the place of the foam-rubbcovered metal tops we were most accustomed to when we broke a leg or tore some cartilage. No, Walters were the real nent for the long, long haul. Id seen Walter around school for years, but seldom had occasion to interact with him. I was a bit too even then. He presented unpleasant, troublesome pictures, images and thoughts that most high school students would rather ignore. Thus, Walter Hathaway was far from my consciousness that day as I made my way from the snack bar toward class and saw the large, circled crowd on the Walter, er thing-perma- sloping ramp to the upper campus. A fight? I asked myself. No, I answered myself. Its too quiet. There was no uproar as is usually heard when high school boys fought, and certainly no noise that approached the fevered mayhem, the carnival-lik- e cacophony that attended a girls fight. There were only a few, shrill, somewhat whiney voices. I pushed through a portion of the crowd that numbered perhaps 40 altogether. I was, after all, a senior. Upon reaching the center of the circle, I was shocked to see Walter Hathaway on the concrete walkway, looking like some emaciated tortoise, shed of his shell, groping frantically but slowly, painfully, for the professional crutches which lay a few feet away, leaving patterns like vagabond petroglyphs in the fine dust that had migrated onto the walkway. Three or four junior-varsit- y type football players were taunting him and laughing. Cmon, crip, get those crutches. Yeah, gimp, crawl on over there. I was momentarily torn. What to do first? Should I thrash Walters tormentors? Should I aid Walter? What sounded like a moan escaped Walters lips and my choice was made. I bent over him and asked softly, Walter, what can I do to help? He looked up at me with a pain that I can only imagine approximated that of a crucified Christ and said, Help me up, which made me feel stupid and helpless. Can I lift you under the arms? I asked. Yes, carefully, he said. I lifted him as if he were a child. He couldnt have weighed more than 70 pounds. After helping him on his way, I turned to fix a cold and accusing stare on his tormentors. They looked absolutely shamed, with more punishment than any thrashing would have inflicted. Now, lest readers see this as a ludricrous example of hypocritical sermonizing from one who is far from suited to Easter messages, please note that the feeling that came to me at shaming the bad guys was just as warm as the feeling I got from aiding my fellow man. After all, none of us is perfect although for about 20 seconds one day long ago, I almost was. |