When one enrolls at a public university, one expects one will receive a liberal education from a state institution — not a religious denomination. This has been the tradition of academia. Professors design their lessons based on semantics familiar to their fields. Language involved in the lectures is a First Amendment right.

Often, students misinterpret information when it poses a threat to their core beliefs and values. I argue the goal of education is to present disagreement. This is the beauty of scholarship. In the real world, we cannot replace everyone who has an opposite view.

In his column (“We need better professors,” June 25), Tristan Bennett mentioned organized religion. Religion is a private issue. Daily, professors have their jobs threatened for not conforming to religious, cultural and political norms.

Furthermore, students are not the teachers. Some think they are. Students are apprentices. Altogether, the reason we have diplomas is to decide to whom we are going to listen. Bennett speaks without credibility.

Let’s appreciate our faculty more. They are underpaid and undervalued. We need visionary leaders — those who promote intellectual progress. If one is here to grow, it’s wise to keep one’s noxious attitude off of our liberal (pejorative word in this country today) campus.

Even though Bennett insulted our faculty, we will keep our world-class, highly funded and research-happy professors.

No one should be required to give a foreword for their opinions. What a waste of time this would be for our lecturers to tiptoe more than they already do.

Angela Palmer Senior, French