Columns

LEVIN | The Problem of Weed-Out Classes

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Teachers of weed-out courses do just the opposite. They shrink from the task of being responsible educators. They build the illusion that students aren’t good enough despite their best efforts instead of taking charge as teachers. Sure, it’s easier to place the burden of understanding notoriously taxing topics on inexperienced students, antagonizing them when they don’t get it right on the first try, than it is to put in the added effort of making a difficult subject clear and manageable. But just because it’s easier doesn’t make it right.

Columns

TRUSTEE VIEWPOINT | I’m Tired

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I woke up this morning in cold sweat from a dream that I slept through a prelim. Before I had a chance to reassure myself that it was a Monday and it was too early in the day to be sweating, I glanced at the 12 messages that needed responses on my phone, thought of the reading that I had to complete for my 10:10 class, and then felt the pile of laundry that has been sitting at the foot of my bed for the past week. I glanced at the date, only to realize that I had to begin racking my brain for an idea to write about for this column, and then noted the time only to realize that I had a meeting on campus in 15 minutes. As I rushed to try to pop a pimple under my nose and brush my teeth before I headed out the door, it dawned on me: Do I even have time to think? It was a question I asked myself several times last week each time I received a message from the University.

Columns

WEISSMANN | How Not to Write an Essay

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First, notice that you classmates are asking the professor a lot of questions about the big paper that was due in the middle of the semester. They must be getting a crazy head start, the sycophants. Check Blackboard (it’s probably not due) and realize that the big paper is due in two days. Feel your heart momentarily stop. When exactly did it become October?

Uncategorized

Ithaca School District Accused of Racism

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Local residents and students gathered yesterday at the Ithaca City School District’s offices to rally against what they see as tolerance of racism by the district.
The most publicized accusation of racism came from Ithaca resident Amelia Kearney, whose daughter reported she was physically and emotionally abused by her classmates two years ago at the district’s DeWitt Middle School.