In a discussion I had with a grad student in my English 471 class of the proposed budget cuts, I realized how much damage this proposal will cause in the long run. Not only will jobs be lost and college drop outs will increase, but the lack of creative arts courses will damage future generations' contribution to a creative society. Art, whether it be painting, writing, playing an instrument, is a way to express oneself and draw emotions from others. With no opportunities that were given to us as kids, it would be more of a challenge for people to be creative. With no creativity, no one will have his or her own voice.
One specific effect from the budget cut would be the transformation of creative writing courses and English courses from a small classroom environment to a large lecture hall. Peer review and critique is important in the whole writing process. It is the way one gets feedback on how others perceive his or her work. In a lecture hall, the professor cannot recognize each students' unique voice in his or her work. Like exams in a lecture hall, every student is a number, not a person.
How can anyone view this budget cut in a positive light? What is the point to raising money for more building when there are no students or teachers to fill them? Literacy will decrease due to unaffordable education. Creativity would become lost. I can only view students in matching uniforms, in organized rows, writing in the same exact style, taught the same way, like soldiers being trained to be commanded by a higher authority.
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6 days ago
2 comments:
I concur.
Do we need soap dispensers in every bathroom on campus that specifically say Penn State University on them? Do we somehow magically forget during our down to business time in the bathroom where we are?
WTF! (<~ the ONLY time I'll use computer "lingo")
Last year, instead of giving raises and cutting jobs and departments could Penn State have done something a little more reasonable? ...YES!
Let's not forget that Penn State is big business FIRST. Research grants and patents are the first concern of this college. From Penn State's money raking patents on mycelium inoculation to the artificial heart, this school concerns itself with it's own agenda, and the creative arts are not high up on their list of valuable pursuits.
MFA killed. Dead. Shot in the head without the loving send off old Yeller received.
I hope the powers-to-be are happy when they see the thousand of dollars they spent moving all the "eye-sore" power lines by the stadium underground go unnoticed, by the drunkard alumni next football season.
...and what about the solar house they used a helicopter to move 100 yards which cost an unrecorded $200,000?
Penn State cooks the books, it's just business baby, BIG BUSINESS!
Evil J, your post is awesome, in a pathetic way.
Penn State spends so much money on superfluous “things” that will not in any way “make or break” a student’s journey through Penn State; but cutting the creative writing program or any other arts programs at Penn State will.
Trying to look on the bright side for myself and everyone else, by cutting the unnecessary English classes, I’ll be sure of getting only the best teachers who “survive” the cuts. Whichever English classes I decide to take next year, I won’t have to worry that I’m getting a lousy teacher who slipped through the cracks or a grad student. I know this is a small consolation for the unnecessary cuts, but at least I’ll be getting my money’s worth in the classes I take (hopefully).
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