Editor:
This letter is written in response to the editorial in the June 19 Chronicle, “Charity Donations Fail Academic Test.” First of all, I feel it is important to give both sides of this story. The Chronicle’s editorial did not do this. I am enrolled in another class (Economics 3100-Labor Economics) taught by Dr. Yeagle in which the same extra credit assignment was offered. Dr. Yeagle made it very clear when she offered the extra credit that 80 percent of the donations to the charity were to be made by outside sources. To make sure students complied, Yeagle said checks were the only acceptable form of payment. If more than 20 percent of the checks came out of a student’s checking account, Yeagle could know they were not from an outside source and would not grant the extra credit.
We are university students now. One of the most important skills we can learn at this level is persuasion. Yeagle gave us an optional extra credit assignment to raise up to $100 by persuading people to donate to a worthy cause. How often would this type of skill be used in real life? In my current occupation, there have been countless times when I have had to persuade my co-workers and my superiors to support a particular issue. This extra credit assignment teaches the type of real life skill that many university graduates lack as they enter the job market. This assignment really had very little to do with students “buying” their grade. Rather, it focused on students’ abilities to persuade others.
Life is not always fair. If you are not able to step up and accomplish the task at hand, step back so the rest of us don’t have to bear the burden of your “that’s not fair” attitude.
Nate Smith, Senior, Economics