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By Laura Wong
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Oct. 9, 2003 |
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Administrators grant LSA, Shield
and Scroll first pick for self-scheduling
The administrator's decision to allow student government and honor society students to schedule their classes first continues to stir up controversy.
Members of the Shield and Scroll Honor Society and the Lowell Student Association scheduled before the rest of the student body in order to allow them to spend the rest of the day helping others with their schedules, according to Shield and Scroll sponsor dean Janet Tse.
To help alleviate concern that Shield and Scroll and LSA members are receiving any special treatment, Tse said that if Lowell Electronic Arena (LEA) were to return, these students would schedule their classes in their original rap priority.
There is no reason for them to pick first if they are not working, Tse said. Picking first is not a reward in exchange for their service to the school. They pick first only to help things work more efficiently.
Auditorium self-scheduling is extremely difficult to manage and execute without the assistance from LSA and Shield and Scroll members, according to Tse.
Picking first is
not a reward in exchange for
their service to
the school.JANET TSE,
dean
All students are assigned a special position and job that they are supposed to be doing, but if they get pulled out of their assigned spot in the arena to schedule classes, it messes things up, Tse said. Its hard to keep track of where they are because they may be in the arena when they are supposed to be working, leaving the teachers wondering where their help went.
Tracy Zhu, Shield and Scroll member, said she agreed that student participation in the arena is crucial and necessary in order for self-scheduling to run smoothly and efficiently.
I think letting us pick first is more efficient for the whole self-scheduling process because it is difficult to work and schedule at the same time, Zhu said.
Junior Lisa Wong said she disagrees with the administrations decision to allow some students priority over the regular rap system.
It is really not fair because those who are in Shield and Scroll already do pretty well in school, Wong said. Oftentimes, other people dont do well in school because they are stuck choosing the harder classes and teachers. Everyone else needs an opportunity to pick first at self-scheduling.
Twice, students have enrolled in classes using the Lowell Electronic Arena instead of manual scheduling. Therefore, the administration decided Shield and Scroll and LSA members no longer needed the privilege of scheduling first because LEA did not require their services any more.
As a way to save thousands of dollars in the schools budget, administrators decided to return to manual self-scheduling in the auditorium this fall semester, once again making both Shield and Scroll and LSA assistance necessary for everything to run smoothly and efficiently, according to Tse.
Zhu defended the decision of the administration.
I am not supporting it just because I benefit, but also because in the end it benefits the entire school community, Zhu said.
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