Professors can’t force students to think liberal
I found Jason Dore’s viewpoint “Leaning Left” to be little more than just a run-on platitude. He gives weak examples to the sorry point that he is trying to address. The real point should be that college is subjective – no matter what your political background may be.
Dating back to the 80s, I can remember my older siblings complaining about teacher bias. This is nothing new. It’s unfortunate, but it’s how the system works. IT IS possible to adjust without having to subscribe to the viewpoint of every professor you encounter. The point of a higher education (in my opinion) is to expand your mind. The point is not to fill schools with cookie cutter images of yourself in order to reinforce your own opinions. How will you ever be able to grow as an individual if your beliefs are never challenged?
As for your story of the long suffering Christian students whose faith is not being reaffirmed by STATE employees in the classroom, my advice to them is to attend a CHRISTIAN school and not a PUBLIC one. I am Catholic, but I do not presume to walk into a biology class and have the professor not teach evolution but instead insist on the Bible’s interpretation of how we got here.
And what is wrong with a political science professor exercising the same freedom of speech rights that they teach in class? How does it hurt any student for their professor to participate in an anti-war rally outside of class? Should professors not be allowed to stand up for what they believe, in order to prevent them from soiling student’s minds with their own agenda?
LSU, as well as any other public university, does not force you to convert to the ideologies of their faculty. They do not claim that their professors are all knowing, nor do they put up any pretenses that their professors will always tell you what you want to hear. They do challenge your beliefs, and if you are not strong enough to handle that, what does that say about YOU…and YOUR BELIEFS?
Claire Cummings
Senior — English
Thanks to Crisis Center student volunteers
On behalf of the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center, home of THE PHONE, I want to thank the many LSU students who responded to our e-mail request for volunteers last week. I also want to thank Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences, William Demastes for broadcasting the e-mail regarding our volunteer opportunity.
In April 1970, THE PHONE, a 24 hour telephone crisis counseling service was founded by faculty, staff and students at LSU after 6 students (including the SGA president) died by suicide in one year. In less than a year, THE PHONE expanded from a campus only service to one that served the whole Baton Rouge community. Today THE PHONE receives approximately 15,000 calls annually, and the nature of these calls covers the entire range of human experience.
While THE PHONE remains the “heart” of the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center, many other programs have developed over the years. Survivors of Suicide is a support group for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. The Children’s Bereavement Group helps children deal with the death of a loved one. The Local Outreach to Survivors of Suicide (LOSS) Team is available 24 hours a day to respond to family members when they are notified of a loved one’s death by suicide. ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) is a workshop that trains individuals in the community face-to-face suicide intervention skills. United Way 211 provides information and referrals to the 11 parish capital area.
Although THE PHONE has branched out in the past 33 years, its roots still lie at the LSU campus, where we once worked out of a tiny room in the Student Infirmary. It has been a long and rewarding partnership. LSU students can contact THE PHONE (578-LSU1) 24 hours a day to hear a compassionate, empathetic voice on the other end of the line. Meanwhile, LSU students continue to donate time and energy as crisis counselors, making a difference to individuals in need of support. Without you it would be very difficult to continue to carry out our mission.
Sincerely,
Annemieke Henson
Training Staff
Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center
‘Excuse Me, I’m Sorry, Excuse Me’
I’m sure nearly every student can associate with the all too familiar hassle of the auditorium style classroom disrupted by a latecomer. First, the late attendee must commit to the “vacancy scan”. This involves scanning the entire class to find a seat that is the most convenient.
However, one must ask what is convenience when there are two hundred students and an unpleased, disturbed professor eying you until you have settled comfortably. That would be having a vacant aisle seat to slide into almost unnoticed and definitely inobtrusive to the row of peers that would have otherwise had to shuffle their books, hold on to their laptop, or guard their hot cup of coffee to avoid any accidents. My suggestion to this long endured epidemic that is witnessed on campus everyday is to move on down. If we leave the seats closest to the aisle open for the few late-comers that will cause a lot of disturbances, we can save the “on-timers” and his or her personal property from being kicked, stepped on, and shuffled while someone’s rear end is staring them in the face. This would serve the good for all, as we would witness more pleasant professors, better rest for the class sleepers, and fewer “excuse me, I’m sorry” for the latecomer that may have had parking difficulty, alarm mishaps, or just enjoys being fashionably late.
Heather Oliver
Junior — Mass Communication
A few reasons to be pro life
I am writing in response to Ms. Marchiafava’s letter on Wednesday, “A few reasons to be pro-choice.” First off, where did you get the idea that if abortion was outlawed,more women would die? Do you have anything to back that up, or is it just a theory of yours? You do realize that there is a that a woman’s chance for abortion-related complications are much more than any birth- related complications? If a mother’s life becomes endangered during pregnancy, a C-section or induced labor are performed.
Secondly, I would like to take issue with your statement that you “understand the sanctity of life.” Are you aware what happens in an abortion? In a partial birth abortion, for example, during a woman’s third trimester, a doctor delivers the child from the mother’s womb until everything but his or her head is exposed. He then plunges a pair of scissors into the child’s skull until the baby, kicking and wiggling, bleeds to death. The doctor then suctions out the child’s brain with a catheter. So no Ms. Marchiafava, I don’t belive you understand the term the sanctity of life. The term the sanctity of life refers to every individual’s right to life, not just those that society deems important.
Third, you claim that “if it not your, womb than it is not your choice.” Apparently our founding fathers thought differently than you do. The Preamble to the Constitution states that “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union … provide for the common defense, promote general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and to our posterity.” Posterity refers to our unborn children.
I too would also encourage people to read the thoughts and wishes of Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe). She is now an avid supporter of the pro-life movement. She has started “Roe No More”, an organization designed to fight against abortion rights.
Jeff Bennett
Senior — Accounting
Abortion takes human lives
I’m writing in regards to Ms. Marchiafava’s letter regarding the pros of being pro-choice. In it she stated that if abortion were to be outlawed again poor women would die because rich women would have the money to go to other countries to have abortions done expensively. Maybe I’m confused, but the point of making abortion illegal would be to prohibit them, not to let the rich have them and punish the poor women. Another point that I found interesting was “do people’s lives cease to be important once they are old enough to make mistakes?” In answer to that question, no, they do not cease to be important; however, if one makes a mistake, one has to live with the consequences. There are other ways, like adoption. For the record, a “fertilized fetus” is a living being. Perhaps it isn’t breathing yet, but it IS living, and one day it will be a “living, breathing human being.” Another thing, a “fertilized fetus” is a child, NOT a choice. Abortion is NOT a way to “fix” a mistake, it is the deliberate taking of a life.
Amori Landry
Freshman – Physics
The new Reveille staff rocks
I have only been back in Baton Rouge for one week and the new Reveille staff has already blown me away! I am very impressed with the way they have recently published so many diverse opinions from the LSU community concerning abortion and the pro-life “cross movement”. This staff is unafraid and willing to address a lot of controversial issues that competing papers make sure to avoid. I believe that these issues are essential and I know I can trust the Reveille to keep the eyes of LSU open. Awesome work guys and girls!
Lindsay Simms
Sophomore — Mass Communication
Cheesy movies provide stress relief
In no way am I supporting “Kangaroo Jack” and “National Security”, but after reading Mr. Gremillion’s Viewpoint in Monday’s paper, it got me thinking a little. Who really cares that “mindless and boring” movies are doing so well? Granted, they’re nothing more than a few laughs, but that’s what a lot of people need from time to time. After a long day in class, then an even longer one at work, watching “Just Married” didn’t seem like a bad idea. It turns out it wasn’t. The mindless factor let me chill out and laugh for an hour and a half.
Movies are movies, nothing more and nothing less. Just like the Pro-Life display on the parade grounds, if you want, look and care, if not, keep walking. Actually, the movies out right now are really spread out. You can watch “Kangaroo Jack” to “A Guy Thing” to “Chicago”, and I doubt that a person our age would pick Jack over Chicago, unless of course, your little brother is tagging along. But hey, watch what you want and get your money’s worth. We all know what we’re paying for, even if it’s “mindless and boring.” Come on Mr. Gremillion, don’t tell me you’ve never died laughing from watching “Dumb and Dumber” or “Half Baked”. Now that’s great mindless stuff.
Michael Chua
Sophomore — Mass Communication