Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

Classes link traditional studies, current issues

Professors offering to teach without pay; seminars are outlet for sharing emotions

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor in Chief  Timothy Kudo

Managing Editor

 Michael Falcone

Viewpoint Editor

 Cuauhtemoc Ortega

Staff Representatives

 Kelly Rayburn

 Amanda Fletcher

 Marcelle Richards

 Michaele Turnage

Editorial Board Assistants

 Maegan Carberry

 Edward Chiao

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The creation of the seminar series “Perspectives on September 11” represents the best of what a university can and should be.

The seminars will bring an academic perspective to the attacks while providing students with a much-needed outlet to discuss their emotions.

At a large, overcrowded school like UCLA, these classes provide respite from classes which often have much less relevance and immediacy to our lives.

With potentially thousands of interested students and only a few weeks to plan, UCLA has put together 46 small seminars that will be taught by such high-ranking university administrators as Chancellor Albert Carnesale.

These seminars show how current issues can be, and must be approached by multiple disciplines across campus from the sciences to the arts, and how our fields of study are relevant to the world we live in.

Keeping the classes small so students can personally interact with their instructors and classmates adds to their benefit and further personalizes the experience.

Inside the big impersonal building that is Murphy Hall, there are real people – people who care about the needs of students and value the purpose of relevant and contemporary education along with traditional academics.

The fact that professors are teaching these classes without pay shows us they value a university education for its own sake, not just for research purposes or to gain academic notoriety.

The administration must carry the spirit behind the seminars into the regular school year by encouraging the development of a curriculum that seeks to bridge the gap between what we’re taught and what we live.

We must move beyond reflection: by seeking answers to the Sept. 11 attacks, we’re truly honoring the memory of the victims.