THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 4, 1994 TAG: 9412010018
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
Regarding your report on the increasing popularity of criminal-justice programs (``Students pack classes on crime,'' news, Nov. 27):
I would urge students and administrators not to abandon the liberal arts too quickly. These courses can encourage and teach the ``higher order'' thinking so essential in engaging the complex situations and issues of personal, professional and occupational life, including that of police work.
When English teachers challenge students' sometimes superficial readings of literary texts, and suggest alternative interpretations, students frequently do feel, as did the ODU former English major, that ``. . . they pretty much told you what the stories are about.''
In fact, the teacher is probably trying to get the student to more carefully consider the textual details (the ``evidence'') to see if these actually support the student's identification of significant theme in story, poem or play.
Only by meticulous scrutiny of character, plot, setting and symbol can one begin to discern the ``truth'' of a text. Isn't this ability to sift evidence and rationalize complexity at the very heart of good police work?
MICHAEL THRO
Associate professor
Humanities Division
Tidewater Community College
Virginia Beach campus
Norfolk, Nov. 27, 1994 by CNB