Assessment is crucial to understanding where Geneseo stands, not only in comparison to other schools but as a respected and progressive higher education institution; an increased transparency within assessment and the conversation surrounding evaluation is even more important.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: Presidential debate format offers no new discourse, campaign trajectory
On Friday Sept. 28, The New York Times reported that, as part of his debate prep, former Gov. Mitt Romney has a “series of zingers that he has memorized and has been practicing on aides since August.” This is yet another glaring example that the current debate status quo is an inadequate way to further political discourse during the election season.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: NFL referee lockout echoes union validity across professions
Since the NFL officials’ union went on strike at the start of the 2012 season, there has been a series of game mishaps and controversial calls resulting in widespread support for the defiant referees.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: Leaked footage indicative of Romney campaign’s continual conservative shift
The leaked video of former Gov. Mitt Romney claiming it is not his job to “worry about” the 47 percent of Americans who do not pay income taxes has been treated as a new development by most but, in fact, is nothing new. It is simply another example of the Romney campaign that, as the months have worn on, has grown both increasingly conservative and erratic.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: Chicago teacher strike illuminates pressing need for education reform
In Chicago, Il., 30,000 public school teachers are on strike, leaving 350,000 students out of school. The strike is a serious indictment of the state of education in the United States. It is an issue that, simply put, should not be an issue.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: "Summer of gun" demands immediate policy response from presidential candidates
Twelve dead, 58 injured in Aurora, Colo.; two dead, nine injured outside of the Empire State Building; 82 wounded or killed during a single week in Chicago. The gun violence that has haunted this summer makes one thing clear: The issue needs to be addressed, and it needs to be addressed now.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: Tuition, not interest rates, should be focus of higher education affordability
Recently, President Barack Obama has urged Congress to freeze current federally subsidized student loan interest rates at 3.4 percent.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: President Dahl must enact Senate’s sexual misconduct policy recommendations
After the adoption of a new Sexual Misconduct Policy in the Student Code of Conduct following 2011’s Sexual Assault Teach-In, the College Senate made recommendations to President Christopher Dahl on April 3 of this year about further changes to address current weaknesses in the college’s sexual assault policies.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: SOFI improvement, rather than elimination, necessary for accurate professor evaluation
On April 3, the Geneseo College Senate held a discussion to recommend to President Christopher Dahl that he not consider the data or comments of online Student Opinion of Faculty Instruction evaluations in the college’s assessment of instructors.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: Supreme Court ruling on strip-search procedures threatens rights of all U.S. citizens
In a federal ruling that passed 5-to-4 on Monday April 2, the United States Supreme Court made a decision that violates the rights of all American citizens. We at The Lamron strongly oppose this decision to allow strip-searches of people that are arrested for any offense.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: Hunger Games, Trayvon Martin responses expose racist evaluations of human worth
An outpouring of tweets expressing indignation that several characters from The Hunger Games, especially 12-year-old tribute Rue, were cast as black actors in the film tarnished its record-breaking premiere.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: Remedial classes necessary to keep higher education an option for everyone
In an effort to cut costs, the State University of New York system is considering eliminating remedial classes within the next decade. Our staff strongly opposes this movement, as it could make higher education an almost impossible goal for a high percentage of students.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: Higher education should be a viable option for all socioeconomic classes
On Saturday Feb. 25, republican presidential candidate and former Sen. Rick Santorum responded to remarks made by President Barack Obama that encouraged all Americans to attend at least one year of higher education. Santorum said, "President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college; what a snob."
Read MoreHigher education should be a viable option for all socioeconomic classes
On Saturday Feb. 25, republican presidential candidate and former Sen. Rick Santorum responded to remarks made by President Barack Obama that encouraged all Americans to attend at least one year of higher education. Santorum said, "President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college; what a snob."
Santorum's comments demean the importance of higher education as well as offend those who choose to pursue higher learning. His conclusions are ignorant and misinformed.
Higher education should not be scoffed at or seen as a privilege for the upper-middle class. We support Obama's desire for all Americans – no matter their socioeconomic status – to have the opportunity to attend some kind of higher education, whether a university, vocational school, community college or otherwise.
Continuing your education in whatever capacity past the high school level to increase your marketability and number of job opportunities does not make you a "snob." There is nothing wrong with someone who chooses not to continue their education past high school, and there is certainly nothing wrong with pursuing a higher degree. What matters is that you have the option to choose which path you want to take. Higher education provides a wide array of opportunities, providing those working toward higher degrees with a greater realm of job options.
Santorum continued, "There are good, decent men and women who work hard every day and put their skills to the test that aren't taught by some liberal college professor [who] tries to indoctrinate them." By insinuating that liberal colleges are simply indoctrinating students, Santorum expanded his earlier comments that the liberal university system is ruining America. He ignores the fact that there are also a large number of private, religious and conservative universities for students to attend.
Additionally, in 2006 Santorum pushed for affordable college educations for all Pennsylvanians when he was senator. According to his website, "[he] supported legislative solutions that provide loans, grants, and tax incentives to make higher education more accessible and affordable." His hypocrisy simply translates as a mindless attack on Obama's policies.
As we attend a fairly liberal college, it's offensive that we're a bunch of mindless drones to Rick Santorum. Santorum is correct in one sense: People naturally change in college. It's a place to learn, grow and become the person you want to be. On the other hand, these changes are not necessarily the result of "liberal indoctrination."
Santorum's false impression of Obama's comments led to misguided conclusions. We fully support Obama's desire for higher education access for all Americans. The idea that higher education should not be something of luxury is one that should be understood, not only by Santorum, but everyone.
Staff Editorial: Women misrepresented in contraception debate
On Feb. 16, a House Oversight and Government Reform hearing was held to address the Obama administration's new legislation on contraception and whether it infringes on freedom of religion or conscience.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: Journalist's comments on military women, rape completely antiquated, asinine
On Sunday Feb. 12, journalist Liz Trotta was featured on Fox News' "America's News HQ" in a segment about new rules concerning women in the United States military. In less than four minutes, Trotta attacked feminists and government spending to protect our soldiers, in addition to implying that women in combat should expect to be sexually assaulted.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: A majority vote should not determine civil rights
On Tuesday Jan. 24, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said that he would take the question of same-sex marriage in his state to a public referendum rather than sign a bill if one were to be passed by the state legislature. Then on Tuesday Feb. 8, the Ninth United States Circuit Court of Appeals found California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage – Proposition 8 – unconstitutional.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: Evidence of Occupy movement’s rhetoric in national conversation promises hope for change
The Occupy movement has spread again. This time it has not marched into a new country or an unoccupied city, but rather into a new, much more uncertain territory: the national political rhetoric, where its presence marks success even if the movement's own words are used as politicians' pandering tools rather than as sincere promotions of change.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: State of the Union address outlines concrete plans, challenges Congress
When President Barack Obama took the podium to give his third State of the Union address on Tuesday Jan. 24, he demonstrated a rhetorical dexterity which cannot be anything but admired. Throughout his speech, Obama simultaneously and separately was talking directly to the American people watching at home and the members of Congress in the House chamber.
Read MoreStaff Editorial: It's time to get serious about holiday diversity
America is often confused by its own diversity and this becomes painfully clear during the month of December as Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa approach and people start panicking either because their holiday is being attacked, excluded or diluted.
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