—
The Blue Banner
Nover
Opinions
Letters
Continued from page 2
Women's
rights
not secure
Dear Editor,
This is my response to last
week’s Corner Comments
question, "How do you feel
about abortion?"
As I was growing up, I
wanted to think that the
battle for the rights of
women had been won. Yet
everyday I learn that all of
my rights are not secure.
Anti-abortion legislation
and court rulings are
ignoring the fundamental
rights of women. I asked
myself, do women need to
fight for their reproductive
rights? Yes, they do. And so
I went to the Mobilization
for Women’s Lives Rally on
Sunday, Nov. 12. I joined
others - men, women,
parents by choice,
grandparents - to stand for
the belief that our
government should protect
the right for all women to
have access to a safe, legal,
affordable abortion, if they
so choose; the belief that
women have the right to
decide what is done to their
body and reproductive
organs; the belief that
motherhood should be a
voluntary act.
The (so-called) Pro-Life
Movement feels that the
issue lies not with the rights
of women, but with the
rights of the unborn. This
appeal that our government
should grant a "right" to life
to a fetus or embryo, a life
that only a woman, not a
government can actually
provide, does not consider
the intuitive consequences
of such a belief. Allowing
the "rights of the unborn" to
rule a woman enslaves that
woman, denies her liberty,
freedom, and the dignity to
decide when she wishes to
become a mother. All
women have the right to
make decisions about their
bodies, and this right
supercedes fetal privilege.
Our society was founded
on the very principle of
tolerance of different
beliefs. No one would
compel a woman who
believed abortion was
wrong to have an abortion.
Nor should a woman who
makes the weighty decision
to have an abortion be
denied safe, affordable
medical care. The law
should provide for each
individual to act within her
own moral framework. John
Stuart Mill, who at the age
of seventeen was arrested
for distributing information
about birth control, was
later a member of
Parliament and supporter of
women’s rights. He wrote in
1859 in his essay. On
Liberty, "Each is the proper
guardian of his own health,
whether bodily, or mental
and spiritual. Mankind are
greater gainers by suffering
each to live as seems good
to themselves, than by
compelling each to live as
seems good to the rest." We
will be greater "gainers" if
we allow individuals the
freedom to choose when
and if they want to be
parents. The reality of
choice denied will be the
births of thousands of
unwanted children, the
hopless impoverishment of
single mothers, the
agonizing deaths of scores
of women who will seek
unsafe, illegal abortions,
and the unjust denial of
women’s fundamental rights.
Laws need to be based on
such reality and not on the
presumed privileges of the
fetus or the moral beliefs of
some trying to govern us all.
Caren Cooper
Undeclared
mr WORLl> FAMOUS
REFORMER HAS A
SAVAG-E NEW WEAPON
IN HIS PERESTROIKA
ARSENAL...
CORRUPTION!
Rej»ort ON THE
UNIUSTI KAiTlM - *~-
H£H,H£H...
-THE WORLD FAMOUS
REFORMER DECIDES
maybe joe STAUN
WASN’T So BAD
after ALU...
From Wendell's Window
Wendell W. Thorne
Articles in Changing Times, U.S. News and World Report
and USA Today cannot hide the fact that there are some minor
(at least for the moment) problems within the faculty here at
UNCA. Lately, people have been coming to me complaining
about things like instructors’ grading, testing styles and
downright lack of knowledge about his or her particular "forte."
At first, I felt as though the complaints were merely lack of
proper preparation on the students’ part, a "sour grapes"
attitude that befalls even the best student at this time of the
semester. Then, I began to recall experiences of my own; things
like this, I remembered, had happened to me.
I remember the professor who entered the class each day at
precisely 12:15 with a cheerful "Good morning!" Though it
seems a minor oversight, not knowing if it is morning or
afternoon for an entire semester is serious enough. However,
this same professor would then ask, "What would you like to go
over today?" Again, I kept an open mind about this style, since
the topic we were "learning" required, as all classes, a certain
amount of independent study.
But then, the end of the semester came. With two tests
securely under my belt, as well as a 97 average, I felt I was in
good shape. Then came the final, which counted three-fifths of
the grade. I lapsed on one part of the exam, while doing well
on the other two, and ended up with a B.
I recalled the visiting professor who regularly graded my
papers wih a B + +. "What the heck is a B + + ?," I would ask.
The answer would always be vague and unhelpful. This is the
same professor who admitted a weakness in the course material
at the beginning of the semester and who admitted a certain
disdain for that same material.
Now the accusations that I am hearing about a few members
of the faculty carry a certain amount of credibility. Professors
who Einstein would have trouble getting-an A from; a professor
whose high grades on his first two tests is in the 70’s; A
professor who has admitted that his final grade will be
"completely subjective," the same one who has neglected to
return a test that his students took on October 11.
One of the major beefs concerns the vast approach to the
teaching of the Humanities core. While the information should
be about the same for every class, teaching techniques as well
as testing techniques are as different from class to class as the
teachers themselves. This, the administration says, is one of the
unique components of the Humanities idea, that each instructor
contributes his or her own individual input is a bonus, not a
drawback. I tend to agree. However, while one instructor is
adminkstering objective tests with multiple choice, short answer
and essay combination, another may be giving just essay, or just
multiple choice. This lack of standardized testing tends to cause
problems.
It may backfire, as well. Students may begin to avoid classes
with professors who have a reputation for subjectivity and/or
tough tests.
Teachers who have more interest in their own success than
that of their students, or who have lost the desire to teach, or
who are arrogant enough to believe that they cannot learn from
those who- they are teaching, have no business here at one of
the best- kept secrets in American colleges and universities.
Education requires equal effort from at least two parties. If one
link in the system breaks down, the entire process is jepordized.
We, as students, will do our part, if you, as teachers, will do
yours.
Corner
Wbat kinds of entertainment
options would you like to see
offered at UNCA?
"I think we need more
parties on campus instead
of off campus because most
people don’t have cars, and
the shuttles don’t come at a
good time.
"In addition, when
Rockmont comes around, it
would be nice if we had a
variety of acts instead of
just one rock group. They
should include some kind of
rap group, or a soul group
because there are not only
white people here. There
are some minorities here
that would appreciate
something like that in there,
too."
Crystal Dunham
Freshman
Computer Science
"I guess what Fd like to
see at UNCA is more
quality movies from
Underdog Productions.
They have some movies, but
they are not as good quality
as other campuses. Also,
Underdog could provide
more comedians because
they put on a good show
and students really like
them."
Steve Fidrych
Sophomore
Economics
"Not only do I think we
need more parties on
campus, but we could have
more social events like
more picnics, more concerts
on campus, and I’m also in
favor of the Greek system."
Kymberly White
Freshman
Secondary Education
"Male strippers because,
well, there’s nothing else to
do."
Dahn Cutshaw
Freshman
Financial Management
Photos by
Miranda Wyatt
"Maybe nude mud
wresting, because you’d get
a pretty big turnout from
the student body. It’s
something you can really
get into - really get
involved by diving in with
them."
Danny Holcomb
Sophomore
Journalism