Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve W
CommanderRachek, I hope that you do not feel that I am putting you down. My intent was to show that we all change and our perspectives also change.
|
I apologize that I came off as more than a little vindictive in my last post. I'm sure most (or at least some) of you meant well, and I was certainly being unnecessarily cranky. Be this as it may, I do not apologize for my essential point. I was annoyed because a large number of people, mostly older people, had written that my opinion will change as I get older, with the implication (intended or not) often (not always) being that my current view is immature and thus illegitimate. I found, and still find, this "you'll understand when you're older" tone (when used) to be extremely patronizing.
Certainly my opinions on a number of things will change over the next five years; perhaps this issue will be one of them. However, I can only lead my life
now as I see fit
now. That will be as true when I am 80 as when I am 18, or when I was eight, for that matter.
Again, I apologize to everyone who has given his or her comments with tact and good faith. My indignation was not meant for thee.
On a related subject:
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Steve Wherry
Dear _________ University: I am a happy student who does little in the classroom to separate myself from the majority. I hate homework, my grades are a little lower than they probably should be, and teachers bore me...but I did FIRST, and Dean Kamen says "Hi". Please accept me into engineering school or at least allow me to do something in the field of science and technology. Remember, I am happy, and I want to be an engineer!
|
1) I don't do FIRST to get into college, I do it to better myself. It's incredibly shallow to do something just because it looks good.
2) Such a juvenile and poorly written bit of text would probably do little to enhance the chances of a student at most colleges or universities. Certainly no school with a large applicant pool would look twice at it. This notwithstanding, I (a happy student who does little in the classroom to separate myself from the majority) was certainly not served ill by a brief and articulate explanation of why I was planning to withdraw from IBH Math at the end of the semester (my abbreviated message: "it bored me"). I was accepted into the Math program at Virginia Tech anyway, with a scholarship, for what it's worth.
3) Not everyone who does FIRST wants to be an engineer. Me, for instance. Or, better yet, David, my esteemed colleague who will be attending St. John's next year.
4) Not everyone who does FIRST wants to go to the kind of school where such a missive would be rejected or ignored out of hand. Again, just ask David.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Steve Wherry
I think that most mentors are basically playing the percentages and are looking out for the best interest of students because that is what we do:
|
I maintain that trying to force fit kids into a certain set of standards is not looking out for their best interests, especially when that means cutting them out of something that really is good for them in a meaningful way. By your own list of antecedents and consequences, FIRST has little bearing on kids' opportunities for material success, but gives them "a well developed skill-set and defined leadership skills." In other words, FIRST builds character. Why would you want to shut someone out of that?
Lastly:
Yes, RogerR, sometimes I do like to do things the hard way. The path of least resistance is rarely the most informative or the most fun.