It CAPITAL TIMES September 20, 1991 Student opposes cancelled classes Editor If we shell out ten bucks for a pair of movie tickets we won't be too excited if the manager tells us we can't see the film have our money back, either. We wouldn't dream of paying for a load of groceries, then leaving the store without them, if we pay for air conditioning on a new car, we won't be happy if we discover our car doesn't have that option. When we go to a restaurant, we don't pay for our food and then leave without eating it. We want a lot of bang for our buck. We expect--we demand-our money's worth...except when it comes to education. If you're an undergraduate student and a resident of Pennsylvania, twelve credits at Penn State costs you $2,166. Missing one class is equivalent to losing twelve dollars. But rather than become upset over losing that amount of money, some students respond to cancellation of class with uncontrollable joy. They streak to the parking lot so quickly they create a sonic boom in their flight. When the new semester schedule of classes are issued some students hungrily peruse them in search of the fabled WPSH fall '9l radio schedule Time 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:00 PM 1:00 PM 2:00 PM 3:00 PM 4:00 PM 5:00 PM 8:00 PM "cake" courses. Professors are deluged with phone calls from prospective pupils asking questions like, "Do you have a final? Do we have to write a paper? How many pages?" Fellow students are interrogated with detective-like insistence. "Does he grade on a curve? How much reading do we do? what are her tests like? Multiple choice? Great; let's sign up. All essay? NOOO!" Quick scribbles on the class selection form. We too often rate courses on little more than the popularity of the professor or the amount of effort required to receive a passing grade. Assuredly, some classes are less worthy of our dollars than others, but we need to GO to class, to be able to participate, in a class, in order to make that determination of quality, or whether the class is worth the money. We're more than happy to complain about the sorry state of education and the spiralling cost of tuition, but yet toom many of us accept the personal okey-doke of taking the easiest classes we can find, doing the least amount of work possible. If we're faking clatsses for entertainment only, that attitude is acceptable; we're absolved. But if we're enrolled for any other reason, shouldn't we be more concerned about what we're getting for our money? Or what we're NOT getting? Monday TBA TBA Joe Silver "Alternative" Terry Wolf "Classic Rock" The Dickster "Alternative" Lee Schmalbach "Classic Rock" Sharon Barris "Rock" Jim Foster "Classic Rock" OPINIONS Tuesda The Fui "Glam «gis lock" Tammy [Siegfried "Big Mi|t" Android Andy "Unreal Rock" "Talk Beat" Bunny & Clyde "No Format, Format Hr" John Bedova "Dance/Altemative" Simmers & Zeiders "Dance" Joe Silver "Alternative" Reader Responds to 'Voice" Editor I am compelled to respond on the comments by Mr. Caton in his column, "Voice from Hell," that appeared in the August 26th edition of the paper. My comments are two-fold: First, I have been at Penn State Harrisburg for three years as a part-time graduate student. Throughout this period, the Capital Times has maintained a vary professional image as a quality newspaper. News was objectively reported and the paper prided itself on maintaining excellent standards in its' reporting and writing capabilities. These standards have "gone to hell” in the article by Mr. Caton. His use of expletives and general substandard language would be more appropriate for an article in a supermarket tabloid than the newspaper of a nationally respected academic univosity. Yet, the article was printed, as is, without coisorship or editing. Second, my question to Mr. Caton is why are you still attending Penn State Harrisburg and the Penn State system? Ron Wortz Wednesday Karen Simmons "Not Top 40" The Morning Show With Larry Luv "Crazy Mix" Mark Slater "Alternative" Caleb Smith "Alternative" Aaron Croop "Alternative" Kevin Kremmerer "Mix" The Infamous Mike Stone You are obviously very displeased with the system's management, tuition rates and course offerings. Why have you not attempted a transfer to another institution where the tuition might be lower and the course offerings different? Certainly the opportunity to "blast" the management of the univarsity in a newspaper has not been the motivating factor to remain at Penn State. I recommend Mr. Caton relook at his own motivation to be at Penn State and do a better job at "investigative reporting" on why some of these changes were made before he takes the shotgun approach to criticism. He may just find people involved in the decisions who are much more dedicated to improving the entire Penn State system of education than someone who prides himself on drinking enough cheap beer to incapacitate the Ecuadorian Navy or who is still searching for the John Holmes Institute fra Penis Enlargement Paul Motel Thursday TBA Fast & Hard W/Larry Luv Mark Slater "Alternative" Android Andy "Unreal Rock" The Ripper & Brian "Classic Rock" Scott Wolfe "Top 40 Dance" Friday Dave Ancharski "Alternative" The Dickster "Alternative" Tom Wagner "Alternative" Ron Welsh "Classic Rock" Mark Slater "Alternative" Jerry Eltringham "Alternative" Aaron Croop "Alternative" Bruce Priestner "Old & New Rock"