C'mon, man.

To graduate from Contra Costa College, students must pass a test to show they understand how to find, sort and judge information.

In order to prove this, students are taking an “Information Competency” test where they use library resources - Internet databases, encyclopedias, etc. - to answer questions on various topics and site the information found.

Not all students are required to take this test, however. Students looking to solely transfer, not receive an associate’s degree or those who have obtained a certificate of completion from their English 142B class stating they are proficient at finding and evaluating this information do not have to take the ICT.

But there are students who have to take this test and have not taken 142B, not because they aren’t prepared for it, but, instead the exact opposite, because they came to the college prepared for English 1A.

Although the majority of students do not place into 1A when taking the COMPASS assessment test when they fist come to the college, there are some who do.

They have already proven their knowledge and abilities in a test they took before registering for any classes, so what is the point in requiring this competency exam?

If there is a concern for all students to understand how to find, evaluate and site information for college-level papers, 1A professors should go over these points early in the semester, not as in depth as in 142B, but enough for all students to understand what is happening.

Professors in other disciplines – history professor Carolyn Hodge and biology professor Chris Tarp, for example – make their students complete assignments that cover the information in the ICT.

If these instructors outside of the English department are making students understand MLA format and researching skills, it is important for 1A professors to do so as well.

By doing this, students, professors and librarians will all save their time when it comes to researching, writing and grading essays, not to mention when it comes time to take the ICT.

bAbel.

The word has changed

Barack Obama promised change during his presidential campaign. The word was everywhere – pictures, posters, and buttons.

Furthermore, everyone was into it.

Potential voters, even those who had never voted or hadn’t in years, were excited in the possible alteration in the political system they jumped on his promotional band wagon pushing for change and hope.

When Obama was elected president in November and sworn in Jan. 20, Obama said change had come to America and declared, “The world has changed.”

This slogan and campaign of and for change is fantastic, but has been over publicized and became more of a catchword than goal.

What began as clever political tool has devolved into an unwelcome cliché.
“Change” has invaded every facet of life and has become an overused annoyance.

During the NBA All-Star game on Sunday night, TNT sideline reporter Craig Sager commented twice on Obama bringing change to the NBA. Sager even took a little shot at Republican presidential candidate John McCain (R-Ariz.) if the firing of the Phoenix Sun’s coach was the kind of change Obama meant. This, however, was after he used it when talking about a pair of shoes.

The next day, the bottom scroll of ESPN showed the USC men’s basketball coach complained there was no freedom of speech in college basketball or when dealing with referees and continued by asking if Obama would be able to change that.

If the sports world was polluted at least three times in two days by the popular political platitude, it’s only a guess how often it has been used, or overused, since it has been introduced.

If real change is to be achieved, taking the word and using it when talking about games, which pale in comparison to actual struggles, needs to come to an end.

Want to change something? Stop saying it.

bAbel.