School districts across the nation are drowning in red ink much like wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico is drowning in BP’s oil. So, to cut costs, more than 120 districts in the USoA, Inc. are cutting back to four day school weeks. Save a little dough, keep little Johnny dumb as a bag of rocks. Makes sense.
Matriculating up the ladder, University of Nevada Regents aren’t cutting days, they’re cutting programs. Among those now sleeping with the fishes are the Resource Economics program at the College of Agriculture, the Supply Chain Management program in the Mathematics Department, and the Center for Nutrition and Metabolism. I don’t get it…UNR can spend millions upon millions of dollars fielding a mediocre-at-best athletics department and they can’t (or won’t) spend a dime to keep important academic programs running. Aye caramba.
This kind of thing kills me because the common bogeyman on the dumbing down of America is television. And as I’ve said before: Every time you watch television, we here at PTB get one million dollars. But the turn of the USo’A, Inc. into Idiocracy isn’t being caused by the boob tube, it’s being caused by bureaucrats cutting education to save a few dollars at the cost of the country’s future. Don’t believe me? A survey just out says that seventy-five percent of those polled couldn’t name one Supreme Court Justice. Depressing, neh? The highest court in the land…the chucklenuts that just voted corporations have the same rights as people…and 75 out of 100 people cannot name one of those nine judges. No wonder they're keepin' y'all dumb.
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6 comments:
Hey PJ. While I will agree it's probably a waste of time for UNR to keep fielding mediocre teams, I think you ought to better check your numbers. Universities waste incredible amounts of money on many non-sports related things that are of little to no educational value - such as the women's or ethnic studies programs. Sports programs, primarily Football and Basketball usually bring in more money than they cost. For instance - when UNR was Notre Dame's punching bag warm up partner - they made $650,000 just for showing up. They make profits from jerseys, T-shirts, hats, jackets and whatever else they can put their logo on. Not to mention the hot dogs, beer, cokes, pretzles, tickets, parking, broadcasting rights etc. etc. etc. When was the last time you could say that for the women's study programs. Now if they started churning out high quality, affordable lesbian porn, I might beg to differ - but I'm guessing the sports programs bring in more money.
Well Dave...not exactly. Football makes a little money over their operating cost but all other sports are money losers. The money that the athletics department brings in stays with the athletics department...it doesn't go toward academics.
So...what's your beef with women's studies?
Not so much a beef - but what use is it? What career can be had from it? Granted, only a small percentage of Athletes make it to the pros - but at least it provides entertainment for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. I would agree with you that cutting out usefull classes like Resource Economics, Supply chain management, or Nutrition/Metabolism classes sucks ass. People who learn those subjects would actually be able to contribute something good to society.
But what can be said of Women's studies, or various Minority Studies classes, or Sociology in general? Why not cut those programs? What non-mall job are they qualified for? What do they contribute to society? Apart from Hatred, Division, Jealousy - Nothing. Well - I take that back. They contributed the crappy Title 9 law which cut funding to successful Athletic programs which brought the WNBA that nobody watches. So now in addition to your mediocre Football and Basketball programs, you get to watch sub-par Women's Basketball, Soccer and Hockey. Woo Hoo!
I think classes should be kept or cut based on their career potentials, with emphasis and priority to private sector jobs. Even Art programes are more useful than sociology, humanities or ethnic studies programes. Does every stinking university really need to have that program? I think the market for angry Starbucks Baristas is pretty saturated by now.
And if Football is more or less self-funding, then what good comes from shutting that down?
I saw the Nevada women's soccer team for three years. They were the most exciting, successful team on campus.
The football team spends more than they take in.
"...Art programes are more useful than sociology, humanities or ethnic studies programes..." <-- I disagree with that.
Shutting down the football program will allow the University to do what it was intended to do...educate.
so called "Humanities" and "ethnic studies" programs do not educate, they indoctrinate. You'll have to show me the numbers on the football program costing more than it takes in. Football brings students and money in. Why do you think this whole bowl vs. playoff system is so hotly contested? Bowl games bring in money. Maybe not at UNR as much - but I'm sure they cost lest than any ethnic studies programes. There are no "real" jobs that come out of there. Cut that before football - but if in the end football needs to be cut? Fine. As long as it leads to more science or mathmatics. Fat chance of that happening in the socialist breeding grounds that are universities.
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