Earlier release

As a parent of a GW student I read the articles about the final exam scheduling with great interest. I have experienced the same frustrations with the Academic Scheduling Department. My interactions with that office – and others at GW – left me with the impression that they are not only disorganized but also reluctant to provide any customer service whatsoever.

Their disorganization became apparent in my first contact with them last year when I was trying to book travel arrangements for my student. I could not/cannot understand the difficulty in generating an exam schedule before mid-October. What was/is so different about the scheduled courses from one year to the next that necessitates creating an entirely new schedule from the ground up every year? Why does this process start so late – are the changes from the spring published course offerings so major that it is impossible or inefficient to begin the exam scheduling at that time so that an exam schedule could ready when classes start?

The student quoted about the lack of responsiveness to student input from the administration has my wholehearted support. As the person writing the huge checks to GW every year, it is very frustrating to receive the level of customer service that the administrative personnel from many departments offer. If this were any other vendor I would have ceased giving them my business long ago.

-B. Gilman, GW parent

Arrogant analysis

I was offended and aghast over the arrogance of Gary Livacari’s column “Power over principle” (Oct. 25, p. 4). Livacari pronounces his opinions on a variety of subjects as the voice of the American people. He also demonizes all successful leaders falling slightly to the left of center.

While excusable given his conservative agenda, Livacari distorts Bill Clinton’s record; as the president, he presided over one of our nation’s largest periods of economic growth. He is mistaken when he says Clinton “insincerely” declared the end to big government while at the same time reduced the federal payroll to its smallest size ever. He even claims Clinton “begrudgingly” signed a Republican authored welfare reform bill, despite welfare reform being one of his best achievements as the governor of Arkansas. It’s possible that when he signed this bill he was still angry that Bob Dole blocked the passage of his health care reform, one which would have would have allowed millions access to medical care at affordable costs.

Livacari’s most disturbing words, however, claim that the American people have resoundingly spoken with a conservative voice when it comes to social issues. Perhaps he was too young to recall the election of 2000 when, although not decisively, the majority who did care enough to vote – those whose voices are heard in government – cast their vote for Al Gore, a man even more liberal than leftist in disguise Bill Clinton. With John Kerry’s stand on abortion, he allows an individual’s faith to be the lowest common denominator; a person’s faith should guide them to the morally correct decision, not the government. However, if the conservative agenda has its way, President Bush’s faith will be the lowest common denominator; thus putting the government in charge of deciding one’s faith. What happened to the end of big government?

People originally came to this country to avoid religious persecution. It now seems that it is the conservative agenda to make religious persecution one of our core beliefs. Livcari wonders about the “sorry state of today’s liberal establishment,” but it isn’t any wonder people are afraid to admit liberal tendencies if they are then ridiculed as being “Godless” or “morally corrupt.” Most of the liberals I know are God-fearing people who believe that the Government has no right interfering in our faith. How is that for small government?

-Benjamin Morrissey, sophomore