RI Students Must Watch 'Inconvenient Truth' to Graduate

[Vegas]

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200705/CUL20070509a.html

To receive a degree from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, students are being forced to watch "An Inconvenient Truth," the documentary on global warming produced by former Vice President Al Gore.

The science class requirement has prompted one conservative student to declare that "we should stop calling these schools 'bastions of knowledge' since they're really bastions of leftist thought."

The controversy at Roger Williams University (RWU) in Bristol, R.I., began the week before Earth Day, when the professors teaching the laboratory portion of "Core 101: Science, Technology and Society" required their students to watch Gore's Oscar-winning film in class.

The course is one of 12 that students at the university must take in order to graduate.

However, Dana Peloso, an RWU junior and president of the school's chapter of the College Republicans, sent a letter questioning the course requirement to Jeffrey Hughes, assistant dean of marine and natural sciences.

"With the issue of global warming being such a highly politicized topic, with the scientific community unsure if global warming is man-induced or part of the natural cycle of the earth, do you think that it is intellectually honest to only show the alarmist viewpoint?" Peloso asked.

"If the movie is still shown, what plans are there to incorporate the ideas of leading global warming skeptics into class discussion?" he added.

In his email response, Hughes stated that "I only recently saw 'An Inconvenient Truth' and have to think that it's an ideal subject for a Core lab," because "the point of Core is to inform students of scientific principles and help them make decisions on issues with a scientific basis in their everyday lives."

"After an initial and heated debate, scientists no longer question whether the atmosphere is being warmed due to human activities and instead are increasingly impressed with the speed and impact of the process," Hughes wrote. "I repeat: there is no doubt that we're warming the earth and that a continuation of our activities will lead to profound changes.

"Penguins, polar bears and your unborn children have no vote in this. They must live with decisions we make today," the assistant dean said.

"As educators, we're charged to encourage your intellectual growth," Hughes added. "That can (actually, will) be uncomfortable at times, and we're also here to help you deal with that discomfort. It's truly what makes being a human such a joy, privilege and challenge."

Peloso told Cybercast News Service on Tuesday that his fellow students have reacted to the situation in one of two ways.

"Those who understand that there are multifaceted points of view" are "really troubled by this," he said. But others "are so naive" that they take Gore's position "as gospel, the final word on global warming. They see Al Gore is a former vice president, so it's got to be true."

The RWU junior approached other members of the faculty and staff regarding the matter, but "I can count on one hand the number of conservative professors I actually know of" at the university, he stated.

Peloso also sought assistance from the conservative Young America's Foundation, and Jason Mattera, a spokesman for the group who graduated from RWU in 2005, responded that Hughes' behavior amounted to "gross intolerance" at a university that promotes itself as a place that values "collaboration of students and faculty in research" and "appreciation of global perspectives."

"That aside, it's a bold-faced lie for him to argue that all scientists agree with Al Gore," Mattera added.

[Jiddy78]

I was forced to read the bible to graduate grammar school, high school and college.

Whatever happened to the good old days when EVERYTHING you watched/read in high school was hated...

[Reagan Smash]

I had to watch Pretty Woman to pass film class. I'd take Truth over that any day

[Vegas]

I was forced to read the bible to graduate grammar school, high school and college.

Whatever happened to the good old days when EVERYTHING you watched/read in high school was hated...

What schools did you go to?

[Jiddy78]

What schools did you go to?

They all started with Saint or St.

Catholic upbringing baby. Christian Brothers for my last 8.

This is my undergrad university...I'm so proud:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/12/20/stmarys/

[pnkpanther]

you should see what they make them do to get a Degree at Bob Jones University. (of course they're not an accredit University)


did you know BJU has it's own art musuem of Art Work collected by Bob Jones himself?

I wonder where a white supremacist got all of his European paintings in the 1940's?


Lucky for us BJU doesnt have a lot of Political sway, Dubya did kick off his 2000 campaign there, but...

[Ed Who?]

You have to watch it, nothing says you have to remain quiet, right?

An Inconvenient Truth = The Cocky Whore Picture Show.

[Jiddy78]

You have to watch it, nothing says you have to remain quiet, right?

An Inconvenient Truth = The Cocky Whore Picture Show.


*ring ring*

Yeah, I know Jesus...This show f*cking blows. F*cking commies.

[Ed Who?]

*ring ring*

Yeah, I know Jesus...This show f*cking blows. F*cking commies.

I kinda like the part of it where Gore's fat head shows up on screen, and everyone pulls out their 12 gauge and turns the screen into a, well, half a screen.

[Reagan Smash]

I kinda like the part of it where Gore's fat head shows up on screen, and everyone pulls out their 12 gauge and turns the screen into a, well, half a screen.

At least it has Bender.

[Hotpapa666]

Things I didn't want to do in order to graduate with my English degree.

1) Read Shakespearean poetry.
2) Read "The Canterbury Tales". Much of it middle English.
3) Read Spencers "The Fairy Queen".
4) Read Milton's "Paradise Lost".
5) Take Social Science classes. There is allot of promise for science in the future but right now, it is tough to take a class on something like Psych when you are coming from a pure science background.
6) For my BS I had to take Calculus.

etc...

Most of them I'm glad I did. They made me a better reader, put the world in better context and made me understand things that I would've have otherwise.

Part of going to school is balancing the things that you want to do with the things that you have to do. This girl is closing herself to a view point different from her own and that is sad. Perspective is never a bad thing, listening to both sides of a debate is never a bad thing. Instead this young lady wants to cover her ears, scream and puke out quotes from Republicanist hacks. Hopefully she gets a little perspective with age.

[LSU]

Things I didn't want to do in order to graduate with my English degree.

1) Read Shakespearean poetry.
2) Read "The Canterbury Tales". Much of it middle English.
3) Read Spencers "The Fairy Queen".
4) Read Milton's "Paradise Lost".
5) Take Social Science classes. There is allot of promise for science in the future but right now, it is tough to take a class on something like Psych when you are coming from a pure science background.
6) For my BS I had to take Calculus.

etc...

Most of them I'm glad I did. They made me a better reader, put the world in better context and made me understand things that I would've have otherwise.

Part of going to school is balancing the things that you want to do with the things that you have to do. This girl is closing herself to a view point different from her own and that is sad. Perspective is never a bad thing, listening to both sides of a debate is never a bad thing. Instead this young lady wants to cover her ears, scream and puke out quotes from Republicanist hacks. Hopefully she gets a little perspective with age.


Ryr and Vegas are pretty damn old.

[Ed Who?]

Things I didn't want to do in order to graduate with my English degree.


Wow, I considered myself an expert in the English language by 9th grade, but I guess now I couldn't tell you what a gerund is. Thinking back that far is pretty tough though.

[Hotpapa666]

Wow, I considered myself an expert in the English language by 9th grade, but I guess now I couldn't tell you what a gerund is. Thinking back that far is pretty tough though.

Yeah, getting a degree in English is a little more rigorous than identifying parts of speach.

I'm guessing that you didn't realize that "A degree in English" is short hand for a degree in English Literature (college talk) and it requires, at my Alma Mater, a very comprehensive curiculum including, Arts, Sciences, Math Philosophy, etc...

BTW, there are great, brilliant writers, who make their living writing who don't consider themselve experts of English. Care to give me the root, part of speach and definition of "gnof"?

[LSU]

Yeah, getting a degree in English is a little more rigorous than identifying parts of speach.

I'm guessing that you didn't realize that "A degree in English" is short hand for a degree in English Literature (college talk) and it requires, at my Alma Mater, a very comprehensive curiculum including, Arts, Sciences, Math Philosophy, etc...

BTW, there are great, brilliant writers, who make their living writing who don't consider themselve experts of English. Care to give me the root, part of speach and definition of "gnof"?


I had some sweet English classes in college. Science Lit was one...we read The Hot Zone and Imago...at least, those are the 2 I remember. Hot Zone is awesome.

Also had a couple Scientific and Technical Writing courses, which were mega-helpful for what I do now.

If I had gotten into these classes earlier on in the college career, I probably would have had a minor in Technical Writing, but I ended up being 1 class short, which was Publishing or something like that. Didn't want to stick around an 11th semester for that one.

[Hotpapa666]

I had some sweet English classes in college. Science Lit was one...we read The Hot Zone and Imago...at least, those are the 2 I remember. Hot Zone is awesome.

Also had a couple Scientific and Technical Writing courses, which were mega-helpful for what I do now.

If I had gotten into these classes earlier on in the college career, I probably would have had a minor in Technical Writing, but I ended up being 1 class short, which was Publishing or something like that. Didn't want to stick around an 11th semester for that one.

Yeah, where Science and popular writing overlap (at least in a meaningful way) has always been a fascination of mine. Carl Sagen has always been a bit of a hero. Scientific American has been my friday reading off and on for years. Of course, when I worked in science I read journals, but my complaint was always 'why isn't this out there in a form that lay people can understand?'. The work that is out there is fascinating and has such potential.

Probably too specialized to tear people away from their daily lives...


BTW, you should presure your undergrad college to let you take that class and get that dual degree. You probably know this, but technical writing is huge source of growth for science and scientists and is huge in Industry...

[LSU]

Yeah, where Science and popular writing overlap (at least in a meaningful way) has always been a fascination of mine. Carl Sagen has always been a bit of a hero. Scientific American has been my friday reading off and on for years. Of course, when I worked in science I read journals, but my complaint was always 'why isn't this out there in a form that lay people can understand?'. The work that is out there is fascinating and has such potential.

Probably too specialized to tear people away from their daily lives...


BTW, you should presure your undergrad college to let you take that class and get that dual degree. You probably know this, but technical writing is huge source of growth for science and scientists and is huge in Industry...


I'm 7 years removed from graduating from there and about 1200 miles away. I'm not sure it would make much difference having it versus not having it...I published one of my thesis chapters and will likely publish 1 or 2 of my dissertation chapters, as well as being listed as an author on at least one lab publication. So, I'm getting my experience with publishing there.

As for scientific american, I just ordered me a subscription a couple weeks ago, still waiting for the first issue. I've read it online occasionally and enjoyed the stories, so now I finally ordered a hard copy.

[Ed Who?]

Yeah, getting a degree in English is a little more rigorous than identifying parts of speach.

I'm guessing that you didn't realize that "A degree in English" is short hand for a degree in English Literature (college talk) and it requires, at my Alma Mater, a very comprehensive curiculum including, Arts, Sciences, Math Philosophy, etc...

BTW, there are great, brilliant writers, who make their living writing who don't consider themselve experts of English. Care to give me the root, part of speach and definition of "gnof"?

I apologize for being mean about it. I know it's not a cakewalk. I actually don't know the word "gnof." Actually surprised I've never encountered that word in a crossword...guess it must be pretty uncommon. I used to solve a lot of crosswords, and dabbled in crossword construction. Not exactly the same as English, but it's a start LOL.

[Jiddy78]

scream and puke out quotes from Republicanist hacks. Hopefully she gets a little perspective with age.


Ryr and Vegas are pretty damn old.



I learned something today.

[Hotpapa666]

I apologize for being mean about it. I know it's not a cakewalk. I actually don't know the word "gnof." Actually surprised I've never encountered that word in a crossword...guess it must be pretty uncommon. I used to solve a lot of crosswords, and dabbled in crossword construction. Not exactly the same as English, but it's a start LOL.

It was a set up. It is a word that only shows up in the English Language once. In "The Canterbury Tales", a word from vulgar Dutch meaning 'fool, simpleton, A-hole'. English isn't the kind of language that anyone masters. There are 1/2 million non-science words and 1 million if you include scientific words. The dictionary of the English lang. is 100,000 pages or more and isn't something someone sits down and reads...

[Jiddy78]

This kid's interview on (surprise surprise) Fox News showed up on Colbert today....


They asked him how his grade was for the class....His response? "My grade was well."

[hannitykillspuppies]

i feel bad for this kid. he made it to his early twenties before he was introduced to the real world where a majority of the time you have to do shit you don't want to do.