Not A Poet, part I : Article about capabilities and challenges

I’m not a poet. I’m not very good at writing poems  Even though you are not very good at something does not mean you can not learn how.The article Not A Poet, part I is interesting in comparison to finding the skill to become something that is of no interest to you. The article relates to the college experience to me. There are several college majors: education, math, psycology and other majors that student are overwhelmed by intro classes. Some intro classe are so intense and students feel the class itself should not be a criteria to obtain said major. However on the other side of the argument just because  a skill can be performed does not entitle you to wear the skill’s title. If a student completes all the required English with a passing grade that will not make them a English professor.

Can you write a poem about this picture?

I can sing all of Madonna’s songs but I am no singer.  In general some of the God given skills can be embraced and evolve into a career. The authour states how she feels whe she writes her poetry and the state of mind she may be in to cause her to write in the first place, which means she has a choice. On the-other-hand holding the title means not only do you need the skill but the accredidation to.

What are some of the skills you have that you have obtained through life’s journey? Would you say those things inspire you to master that skill through education? Does this article help you understand why it is necessary to  study all subjects to reach your major or should you focus on just the classes that pertain to the major.

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College: The Road to the Ivory Tower?

In a recent New York Times article, “What is College For?”, Gary Gutting argues that the “raison d’être of a college is to nourish a world of intellectual culture.” However, Gutting is concerned that the quality of higher education is diminishing due to low expectations and performances from instructors and students alike. And what is the source of this deterioration? Gutting believes that there is a “basic misunderstanding” for the purpose of college; for higher education to “work” there needs to be deep regard for “intellectual culture as essential to society.” Some critics would disagree by saying that college is there to provide you with tools to be a successful and productive member of society, but Gutting would respond with something sassy, like, “Well, there are cheaper ways of doing that.” He wants us to take the college experience BACK into the classroom. GET OFF THE QUAD, PUT AWAY YOUR FRISBEE, AND GO TO THE LIBRARY. (Those are Gutting’s hypothetical caps not mine!)

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