[Leica] Writing, Literacy, and College

[doubs43 at cox.net (Walker Smith)]

>
>
>Moreover, the good old days were not so good. Many of the students then did
>not know how to write.
>

Too true! I recall that in the late 1950's, a Senior at the University 
of Maryland majoring in agriculture brought an essay he'd written for my 
mother to read. He'd gotten an "A" , I believe, and was very proud of 
his work. My mother, a high school graduate Class of 1935, was beside 
herself in disbelief. She had survived several English teachers who were 
genuine sticklers for correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. The 
young man's paper would have been failed by any of her teachers on all 
three counts. My mother was incredulous that such a paper could be 
submitted at college level and be graded as superior. For years 
afterward, just the mention of that paper set my mother to spluttering 
in disgust.

I've often thought that my father's 1929 high school Academic deploma 
was easily the equivilent of many of today's college degrees in terms of 
actual education attained.

Walker