The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 180, No. 02, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 4, 2008 Page: 3 of 12
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0'PINION
September 4, 2008
Falling short in
higher education
■ Students rarely ready for college
at high school graduation
ASHLEY
FUQUAY
So you have graduated and
you now have your high school di-
ploma. You think you are all set to
start your adult life and go to col-
lege and ultimately start a career.
Well, you my friend are wrong.
American public education is
worse than ever before and in no
way prepares upcoming college
freshmen for the big bad world of
academia.
With watered-down standard-
ized testing, high school is more
like day care that the state forces
upon young adults than a place of
learning. When students approach
college level, it is either sink or
swim and far too many students
sink. Too many college freshman
are dropping out of their first se-
mester.
Remember how your high
school teachers used to nag you
to turn in your assignments? Well,
most college professors will not
even take late work. Remember
how your parents use to wake you
up to make sure you got to class on
time? Well, your roommate does
not care if you sleep in and miss
your chemistry test.
It is not just these little changes
to adapt to. Most students when
coming out of high school do not
know how to retain large amounts
of information. Students actually
have to learn how to learn instead
of the memorization trick we all
did five minutes before a test. Sor-
ry to burst your bubble freshmen,
but that doesn't cut in college. Most
high school students have no idea
how to study and are not even ac-
custumed to doing homework reg-
ularly.
Something has to be done. Col-
lege students should be intelligent
and well-educated. They should
not struggle with basic classes, but
I can't fix this problem with a col-
umn. Tell us what you think the so-
lution is. Write to us at httyJ/www.
thejtac.com/home/lettertotheediior/.
Best of the Boards
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formation at www.thejtac.com/home/lettertotheeditor/.
"Who is arrogant (or ignorant) enough to think that TSU Alumni are
allowed to walk on the grass?
So we've been demanded to RESPECT THE RING! I, for one, do re-
spect the ring but ONLY when the wearer of that ring has respect for the
reason she gets to wear that ring in the first place.
If it were not for John Tarleton and his 8,000 dollar bequest to estab-
lish this great university, then you would not be wearing that ring that
you want us to respect. Do you even know why Tarletonites do not walk
on the grass? Since you believe that it is okay for you to walk on the grass,
it is doubtful. It is because of people like you that make this place a little
less than perfect.
I regularly approach those that do walk on the grass and tell them
why we don't. Some just didn't know our tradition of respect and others
think we need to bow down before them because they graduated. Why
don't you do some investigation and see how many people actually think
that they can trample on the grass because they have a ring. You are a
journalist so that should come natural, no?
When I get my ring, I do not plan to disrespect the only reason I am
able to be at TSU. I do not plan on being so arrogant that I EXPECT peo-
ple to respect me because of something I wear. I do not plan on thinking
I am better than anyone else here, but just the same.
I would rather earn respect based on my actions and things I have
done for this University. Maybe people will respect the ring, or even
more, respect your ring, if it were backed up with impacts that the wearer
of that ring has made on this campus AND what the school has done for
YOU. Instead of thinking about how this school is better because of you,
why don't you consider how YOU are better because of Tarleton.
I know that the ring signifies a great acheivement, I plan on wearing
it with pride, not arrogance. Start asking around and you will find out
exactly who it is that walks on the grass.
NO ONE!, except the disrepectful and arrogant!"
Submitted by Micah Moore
Comment in response to "Curmudgeon" in the April 24 edition.
"If a student is a CHL holder the person next to them in class will
never know if they are carrying concealed or not by definition and law
the weapon must be 'concealed'."
Submitted by Chester Leeds
"Handguns are an absolute necessity, especially in today's society. I'm
in total agreement with ol' Chester in that a CHL holder by law has to
keep his side arm concealed. Kill 'em all that is people such as the nut
bag at Virginia Tech."
Submitted by Topsy Krett
Comments in response to the article "Heated debate over packing
heat on campus" in the April 24 edition.
The J-TAC
Page 3
Making stories you
can tell your children
Texans and TexAnns,
It is customary for the editors of The J-
TAC to welcome you with excitement and
fervor while addressing all the events of
the upcoming semester. On the contrary,
we want to challenge you to look five, 10 or
15 years down the road.
Sure, you'll probably (hopefully) be
graduated and maybe even settled down
with a dental plan, a 401K and, heck, a
couple of kiddos. You'll look back on these
years at Tarleton with a twinkle in your eye
and fond memories.
WThat is it you'll remember most? Is it
the football games? The Silver Bugle Hunt?
The Purple Pancakes? No matter what your
answer is, you'll likely cherish the experi-
ences that come with this time in your life.
So, we here at The J-TAC encourage you to
soak up the Tarleton experience as much
as possible; if not for the instant memories
you'll make, then for the cool stories you
can tell those kids someday. These are defi-
nitely some of the best years of your life
and Tarleton is one of the greatest places to
hang your hat.
Welcome to (or back to) the place you
were meant to be.
Sincerely,
Mike Cedeno and Joanna Hensley
Curmudgeon
By
Katy Thompson
rp G?
h
It
"How do you feel about the cancelling of 'Cruise the Island'?"
"It's making it harder
for freshman to feel like
they're a part of this
community. It feels like
they're taking away more
traditions."
Phelix Reissnecker
Sophomore
"It disappoints me dear-
ly-"
J.T. Hatton
Sophomore
"It's a disappointment
because it ends the tra-
ditions that freshmen
once enjoyed."
Kymberlee Trnka
Senior
"It was always a way
for you to meet new
people. So now that
leaves one less social
event where people
can came together."
Shelia Bishop
Junior
'I didn't know about it.'
Keith Davis
Freshman
"It sounds like it
would have been pret-
ty cool."
Dakota Holder
Freshman
"I can understand why
they did it, but at the
same time I regret that
they had to."
Lindsay Holder
Junior
MS* ;
"I think it should keep
going. It's a tradition."
Kristen Evans
Freshman
All photos by
Kelsey Fitzgibbori
The J-TAC
Visit us online at:
www.thejtac. com
Managing Editor
Joanna Hensley
Production Manager
Mike Cedeno
Advertising Manager
Amanda O'Shields
TSU-9408-A03-B.iridd 1
Staff
Ashley Cambanis
Alexandra Evans
Kelsey Fitzgibbon
Ashley Fuquay
Caitlin Fuquay
Seth Griffin
Shawn Hughes
Austen King
Courtney Leonard
Katy Thompson
Marcy Waters
Student Publications
Director
Jim Looby
The J-TAC is published on
Thursdays during the fall and
spring semesters with the
exception of University holi-
days and examination periods.
Office: Barry B. Thompson
Student Center, Room 20
Telephone: (254) 968-9056
Fax: (254) 968-9709
E-mail: jtac@tarleton.edu
Mailing Address:
The J-TAC
Office of Student Publications
Box T-0440
Stephenville, TX 76402
Editorial Policy
The deadline for submission
of opinion/editorial works is
noon of the Monday before
publication. Letters to the
editor should be typed and
signed. Letters can either be
hand-delivered, mailed, or
sent via email to:
jtac@ tarleton. edu.
Please include a phone
number, student ID number,
classification and major. Anon-
ymously signed letters or let-
ters signed under a pseud-
onym or "pen name" will not
be published.
Letters should be limited
to 250 words. The J-TAC re-
serves the right to edit let-
ters for content, length and
grammar. The J-TAC also re-
serves the right to refuse to
print any letter deemed to be
in "bad taste".
Opinions expressed in The
J-TAC are not necessarily those
of Tarleton State University or
The Texas A&M System.
Content of this pub-
lication is copyrighted
material of The J-TAC.
Written permission must
be granted for reproduc-
tion of any portion of The
J-TAC.
7/17/13 10:21 AM
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Hensely, Joanna. The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 180, No. 02, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 4, 2008, newspaper, September 4, 2008; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth477485/m1/3/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Tarleton State University.