[687] in Depressing_Thoughts
Re: Writing Requirement, cont'd...
amgreene@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (amgreene@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Fri Dec 16 16:41:43 1988
I agree with Sharon's last statement. There *are* people who get a
marginal pass who don't really know how to write and who would benefit
from the classes.
I hope that this doesn't come out as smug or conceited, but I *can* write
well. I *did* write well. I failed the freshman exam because they thought
it sounded like I had cheated by regurtitating a paper I had written in
high school. I don't know why they failed me this time; I need to call
them to set up an appointment to discuss it.
I get very annoyed when people whose judgments I do not respect decide
that I have not met their standards and whose decision affects me in a
non-trivial way (e.g., forcing me to take a writing class). The upshot
of this whole godofrsaken mess is that I have to take a class next term
that will muck up my schedule, be boring much of the time, and which I
don't need, all because someone inBuilding 20 didn't necessarily catch
(sorry, appreciate) my style.
The paper had gotten a 93 in the class for which it was written. That
grade was about half based on writing quality. The TA wrote on the cover
sheet that the paper was well-structured and covered all the salient points,
and that I had a firm grasp of the material. The content was good and the
form was good.
And a little slip of paper signed by Les Perelman says that it wasn't good.
