ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 30, 1995 TAG: 9601020026
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
BONITA WHITLOW'S letter, "A setback for freedom of speech" (Dec. 21), demonstrates a profound lack of understanding about the case of the Christ essay.
I respect her strong feelings about religious freedom and her right to express an opinion. But I have to wonder, did she actually read the Nov. 28 article, or just hear about it second-hand?
If she read it, she must have done so with emotion-tinted glasses, because she definitely did not get a clear view of the real issue. As correctly noted by the court, the issue was not religious freedom. It's a question of (a) what is the purpose of public education, and (b) who controls the classroom, the teacher or the students?
I find it ironic that some of the same people who want more discipline in the schools and more rigorous academic requirements are so quick to rush to the defense of a student who disregarded a teacher's instructions (very reasonable instructions, I might add) in an apparent attempt to create controversy.
Is it not reasonable for a teacher to exercise approval over students' research topics? Is it not reasonable to insist that students write an objective, analytical essay on a topic that they are not already familiar with?
What Whitlow sees as an attempt to deny the student's religious freedom was no such thing. The public-school classroom should be a place for learning new knowledge and skills, under the guidance of a teacher, and not a forum for students (or teachers) to substitute personal religious expression for secular education.
What does Whitlow propose as a "solution" to this supposed example of government tyranny? She says "concerned Americans" should "let [their] voices be heard in next year's elections." What does this mean? Vote for politicians who can't see the distinction between public education and Sunday school? No thanks, we seem to have enough of those already.
DAVID HANSON
ROANOKE
All those bicycles
THE PICTURE taken by Eric Brady, on the front page of your newspaper on Dec. 19, says it all. Imagine all those bikes with smiling kids on them. All who were part of this event should be recognized for a great job.
NEIL GAUDREAU
ROANOKE
An ill-conceived decision
IT IS VERY CLEAR that financial considerations and university mandates to the college to reorganize, sharpen its focus and design an education college for the 21st century were not the only or even the most critical concerns of the university administration in its decision to eliminate the College of Education as an administrative entity of Virginia Tech.
The College of Education did all of these things and in the doing earned unanimous support of the college faculty, five different university governance committees and a committee appointed by the president to provide an independent assessment of the plan.
Yet, less than a year later, Paul Torgerson unilaterally ordered the search process for a new dean halted and announced his intention to make the College of Education part of another college by July 1, 1996.
Most of the ingredients of all ill-conceived decisions are present in the current scenario: lack of current information, failure to involve those most affected, failure to follow established procedures, arbitrarily setting aside standing agreements, and allowing personal feelings to have major weight in the decision process.
In nearly 40 years of university teaching and administering, I have never seen a better example of how not to do the business of academia. If this decision and the manner in which it was made are a prologue for Virginia Tech, the university is in deep, serious trouble.
ROBERT STALCUP
Retired professor of education
BLACKSBURG
A picture and a prayer
ON DEC. 24, 1991, you ran a photograph of a Bosnian child and his grandfather bringing home a Christmas tree. The picture was somehow strangely heartwarming as the child's face reflects a spark of Christmas joy. But a closer look at the picture and the caption tell a heart-rending story of years of suffering and war.
I have hung this picture among my decorations each Christmas since then. It is a reminder to me to be more thankful for the peace and blessings I enjoy as an American.
I pray that this Christmas was a reality in that part of the world and that our troops' being there will make a real difference for the little boy, his grandfather and all those who are suffering there.
MARY CAROL WEEKS
VINTON
LENGTH: Medium: 93 linesby CNB