At Boston University, and several other schools, students
are no longer
graded on their writing. Marisa
Milanese and Glen Kordonowy, master and senior lecturers respectively, wrote
an article recently in which they said the school's writing program is
undergoing an “‘ungrading’ movement.” In the column, Milanese and
Kordonowy state that, of the 100 instructors in the B.U. program, “nearly half
employed contract grading in some form this semester.” Contract grading values effort and labor over “subjective” ideas of
quality. The lecturers themselves say they still comment on
students’ writing, but “no longer place a letter or number on anything they
write. No As and Bs. No 82s or 94s.”
Who is to say that one piece of writing is better than
another? Can one conglomeration of words truly be more elegant, uplifting, informative,
insightful, or pleasing than any other? Or is this idea really just another racist
trope? “Competence” and “quality” are so yesterday, right? They are probably
just dog whistles aimed at oppressing minorities and strengthening the white
patriarchal society.
Lincoln said at Gettysburg: “Four score and seven
years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived
in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
What if he had labored long and hard and said: “Like,
dude, a really long effing time ago, the people who came here earlier, like,
started, you know, the country and shit, and supposedly believed in freedom and
equality…you know, um, like for certain people, anyways. Or whatever.” Would it
have mattered? Is the opening to his actual speech any better than this
fictitious alternate one? Why?
Sadly, the writing is on the wall. Competence,
quality, eloquence, discipline, merit, self-control, reverence—and virtually
everything else that used to be valued and considered vital to a rewarding life
and a prosperous society—is under attack by leftist thugs. Many of whom wear
tweed and are called “professor.”
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