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Show COMME ARY THE THUNDERBIRD• SOlJIHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1992 • PAGE • CLASS-SIZE QUOTA REDUCES ELECTIVES SUU's Deans' Council may have inadvertently set a "conformity trap" for students. Their long-standing policy on minimum enrollment limits emphasizes courses required for degrees yet discriminates against courses that fall outside the list of "recommended electives." The deans' policy requires the registrar to cancel any undergraduate classes that have fewer than 10 students enrolled. While not having a major impact on most course offerings, the policy did lead to the cancellation of HORT 292 and ACCT 335/02 this quarter. As the deans consider beefing up the policy, more courses could be canceled. The deans' purpose is to maximize the number of students in degree-related courses and to free up faculty members for teaching larger classes. This policy does make available more state tax dollars for use in degree-related courses, said Provost Terry Alger, who conducts deans' council meetings. Minimum enrollment quotas do not affect classes such as private music instructio n or where the number of wo rk stations are limited. Deans and faculty will review canceled classes to determine if these could be offered alternating years or set up as "self-supporting," meaning that classes such as aerobics must operate by charging students extra fees. Degree-seeking students should not let this administrative policy indirectly determine which electives are kosher. To circumvent the deans' policy, friends should take "unusual" courses together and help meet the minimum enrollment quota-this action could keep a class from being canceled. Students must be daring, taking ballet and horse riding classes even if these courses aren't included in their major. What's a well-rounded education if students watch only the elephant's tail in front of them as they march toward a degree.? Degreeseeking should also mean challenge- and education-seeking. By interviewing professionals out in the working world, students can get an idea of what non-recommended electives are actually relevant to a job's situation-maybe business Russian. Student unity and interest will become more important in -keeping classes open, as the deans' council considers raising the quota. In November the d ean s' council will continue discussion of a more formal policy, setting the minimum enrollment levels at 15 for undergraduate courses and 10 for upper division courses. Budgetary requirements may continue to pare down the number or frequency of SUU's course offerings, especially non-recommended electives, but students don't have to be trapped in a plain, conforming degree with no escape. Through effort, students may find at least 14 others beside themselves who would enjoy "non-recommended-elective" fun. THE THUNDERBIRD SOlTfHERN lITAH UNIVERSl1Y • CEDARCllY, lITAH f.tltor Cl,ala Tucka ~ f.tltor Jennik, Moder o,;...,. Oh.- Ja,on North Phoeo DI.- Eric Rodaidt A.ta Llilar Ben Wac S,O,. f4leor J,ry Hln11>n .u..-w.. ... Brian Co Ttwit Newman .,_,.., AdYioer I.any Baur ~ .u.i- Lynn 0-- s. n.. n....ln6i,,j is publlll,,d eam Moret,,, and Tbuncbr or ,1,c aademlc: .,_ bf and "' me IIUdent body or me Uni¥eni,y'1 dq,enmmo of a,mmuniadon. 'fbt yiew, and O!'WOlll ~ in n.. ~ - "'- or indMcbl .....,. and c1o - n«:aArilr m1«t me ¥lows of d,c lnmtulion, facuky, IDlf or .....,. body In a,mntl. 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I LETTERS SUU's Columbus monument is insulting TO THE EDITOR: On Monday, October 12, a few people gathered to see the honoring of a "hero" at the SUU dedication of a Columbus monument, and a few Native Americans were stating an o pposing opinion across the stteet What is a "hero," may 1 ask! ls a " hero" someone from a fo reign land who had no respect from his own men, even his own country? ls he a "hero" because he hungered for worldly possessions and, to get those possessions, had to annihilate the native inhabitants of ' the country he fo~,s·nhabitantsl who would have gi.Vflt ·' what hel wanted without physi force? You. see, the natives at that time were"' not a people who lusted after gold." l s a "hero" someone who stole men, women, and children to have as slaves and then sold them for more worldly possessions? Is a "hero" someone who to rtures, murders, and rapes to get his point across? NO! He is not a "hero!" A hero is someone who fights for his country because the cause is just and his faniily is here, while he is on foreign soil. Veterans should be honored heroes, and native veterans should be ho no red in Cedar City or at SUU ...especially the ones from this area. A hero of the Paiutes who fought for his country should be honored, not someone who did what Columbus did. The memorial square dedicated1 at l •,SUU should be I named for veterans"''I native veterans, Ll or other true1 Amencan heroes, but NOT for Columbus. That is an insult - J .., # (I While walking the sidewalk and holding a sign which stated my opi n ion on this matter, I was approached by a young Anglo girl. She said, "Forget about it. It happened in the past" One cannot overlook a wound that has been festering for 500 years, and now has salt rubbed into it by SUU's honoring of Columbus. I challenge President Sherratt to start a healing process. Please don't get me wrong. I'm not crying over spilt milk.. I believe Columbus did discover and record another route to the "Indies," even if by accident That incident is good for maritime history, but not for a holiday or a monument. SUU's honoring o{ · Columbus by dedicating a monument to him is wrong. Andy Begay Election: Choosing among,'Three Evils' "[Clinton's) decision to avoid the draft. ..has no relevance as to how 1 commend Ms. Green on a well. he would lead the U.S." What does written column that was written the title of Commander in Chief before the presidential debate. 1 mean? How can he send men into agree with her opinions of both battle when he, himself had no Bush and Perot, but she puts too intention of risking his own life for much blind faith in Clinton. Bush a •national cause.• might have been made to look a Clinton's plans to revive the twit in lut weekend's debate, but economy are only dreams and have he did bring up some valid points been proven ineffective by again st Clinton . Green wrote, economists from both Time TO THE EDITOR: magazine and 60 Minu!LS. This election has turned from choosing "the right person for the job" to choosing "the lesser of three evils." Perot, Bush, and Clinton are mudslinging o pportunists out to fool the American public into voting for who they "trust." But, we are not voting for the lesser of three evils, but the evil of three lessen. R.obett Richardson |