Pollock offers a thank you and a clarification
I wish to thank Paige Nestel and The Signal for their generous article on the communication studies department and my own work in health communication in particular. I do, nevertheless wish to offer two clarifications:
a) The health communication concentration I created is interdisciplinary and open to all students at the College, not simply those in the communication studies department.
b) By suggesting that some grad students may be "jaded" in comparison with undergraduates, I did not mean to suggest that all graduate students are cynical. I simply wish to suggest that graduate students usually accept the boundaries and key questions already considered important by their fields of choice and are less likely to ask fresh, boundary-crashing questions that challenge prevailing assumptions.
Thanks again for capturing my excitement for health communication!
John Pollock
Vouchers not a cure-all
While I agree with S. Lee Whitesell's assertion in last week's article "School vouchers necessary to ensure equal education opportunities," that the public schools are in crisis, I disagree with his belief that school vouchers will save them.
Our low-achieving schools have huge problems that cannot be solved by merely shuffling a small percentage of students into private or parochial schools. It seems that Mr. Whitesell does not view the socio-economic situations of many students in failing schools to be vitally important to learning.
A school voucher will not solve these problems. At the end of the school day, poverty will still greet the students when they get off the bus.
Furthermore, ask any veteran teacher from an urban school and he or she will tell you that one of the biggest problems with the education process is parental support.
Parents may indeed want to be active participants in the schools, but they simply do not have the time. And, unfortunately, there are parents who are non-existent and/or simply do not care about education.
Mr. Whitesell would be better served to think of ideas to help a majority of the students, not just a select few.
By advancing programs designed to combat poverty and improve education, he would put the compassion back into "Compassionate Conservatism."
Tony DeCarlo
Jodelka vs. Cunningham:
an 'ill' humor article
The last time I checked, the humor column was actually supposed to be funny, wasn't it? But, 'au contraire,' Mr. Cunningham, I rarely find humor in your so-called "Humor Column."
A rant about the composition of soups? Or perhaps that gem of an article about textbook expense? You call these articles? I hope not, because I call them "Not funny enough to line my metaphorical bird cage."
If that didn't get it through your head, think of it like this, your column is so unfunny that someone is actually making an effort to silence you.
I refuse to be a victim of the disappointment caused by your lack of clever things to write about, and quite frankly, overall lack of wit.
Mr. Cunningham, this caliber of "work" is really inexcusable. How easy is your job? Your only requirement is to be funny. You get to write about whatever you want - anything - and you still manage to fuck it up week after week.
I know what you may be asking at this point, "Wow, if this bitch thinks she's so great, why doesn't she write the goddamn column?" Good question, my friend, good question.
Maybe I will ... actually, you know what? I challenge you to a duel! I propose a "Who Can Write a Funnier Humor Column" duel. It won't be pretty, and I won't go easy on you ... that is, if you're even man enough to accept the challenge.
If in the case you are not man enough to accept the challenge, I think I should be allowed to slap you for not only being a pansy, but for writing a shitty column.
Melanie Jodelka
