The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/19934
Sam Spokony Feeling testy? On a college campus, telling certain students not to worry during the few weeks leading up to finals is psychologically equivalent to advising a French soldier, circa 1918, not to worry about the oncoming bayonet. For others it’s more like staring at one of those old, rickety machine guns, and more than a few have already succumbed to the mus- tard gas, although that could just have been one of the parties on Market Street last weekend. So, as we all try to make sense of the generation of AP exams and preschool entrance exams, not to mention standardized exams many will take before and after graduation, I thought it might be nice to take an astonishingly brief look at the history of standardized testing, and to share my thoughts on overly competitive students. China’s Qui Dynasty instituted the first standardized test, the Imperial examination, in 605. It was given nationwide, and touted as a more efficient way to choose government offi- cials while also expanding the pool of applicants beyond the bounds of the aristocratic class. The test was based on the Six Arts: music, arithmetic, writing, knowledge of both public and private rituals, archery and horsemanship. Think about what The Princ- eton Review could have done with that! Just think about it: They would be the ones occupy- ing Tibet now. The Imperial examination, amid changes, lasted an incred- ible 1,300 years and finally rubbed off on imperial England in 1806 when the Brits created their own civil service test. Later in the cen- tury, the test broke new ground. Although schools in the United States and most of the Western world had for generations relied on the essay- type evaluations adopted from ancient Greek culture, the advent of the Industrial Revolution and compulsory education made it necessary to create a simpler, more objective process of examination. Fast-forward to today, and you get an academic society ruled by Scantron, the latest online aids, high-priced tips for success and plenty of well-har- bored tensions between edgy students. Which brings me to my point. Doesn’t it sometimes feel like we’re still in the days of the Imperial examination? Not the horsemanship part. I’m talking about that idea of competing for a livelihood and a place in soci- ety against your fellow students, your peers and friends. It can be infectious, spread by a virulent few _ those students who cre- ate a detached personal world based on numerical successes and failures while always look- ing for an audience with whom to share their latest grade or accomplishment, not in a spirit of camaraderie but of paranoid showmanship _ marathoners stealing mid-stride glances at the opposition. The biggest problem is not these mentally obstructive students themselves, but the aura they pass on to others If these lunatics consider the race to the finish to be so important, maybe I should get my spikes on, too! Photo by Scott Schleiff And then we’re just doing laps. I may try not to care that you’ve men- tioned your 17-page literary article just to compare it to the one I’m writing … but now that you mention it, I’ll bet your thesis was dated, pointless. Mine isn’t a waste of time. And sooner or later, we’ll be dragging out the Chinese horses. There’s no use in trying to stop the very human urge to com- pete, but we don’t all need to give in to the pull of that cycle. It’s very popular for people our age to speak ill of those members of older generations who they feel have created the difficult situations of which we are now on the cusp; but some- thing as fundamental as strong relationships with peers is what we need to supply and enrich ourselves with. It is what might really change things someday. Sam Spokony is a junior majoring in English and music industry at SUNY Oneonta. Jennifer Tighe Water Street, I love you Dear Water Street, Of all the places to go in One- onta, you’re my first choice. From The Sip all the way to the Sake Club _ whether you’re technically Water Street or not _ if you’re poppin’ bottles, then this one’s for you. Because of you the weekend no longer consists of Friday, Saturday and Sunday; instead, it’s become Tuesday through Sunday. I’m not sure how you did it, but you’ve taken our weekly structure and completely obliterated it to satisfy your own needs. And by the way, you better believe I’m thanking you for that. Because of you I’ve managed to drink away endless amounts of brain cells, bad test grades and even boyfriends. I have to say, you’ve helped me through some rough times. With the stripper poles, dance floors, pool tables and last but not least, your wonderful staff members, I’ve sipped away all my bad memories and made new ones that even an open tab at one of your establishments couldn’t make me forget. It’s the atmosphere, the hype, the flat-out raunchy realism of the lifestyle you encourage that brings so much joy to my life. As we get closer and closer to Thanksgiving break, I begin to resent the Pilgrims because I know I have to go home and spend an entire week two hours away from you. Frankly, I’m not sure if I’m go- ing to survive. Because of you I think I officially qualify for weekly AA meetings, maybe even daily. You could host the meetings and maybe even serve half-off drinks for us. Because Water Street, if anyone can pull off having an AA meeting in a bar, it would be you. You should be proud. Frankly, I don’t think I have one negative thing to say about you. Some people might find the bar scene a little unap- pealing. Not me. Once Tuesday hits, all I want to do is cram into my favorite bar _ FYI: that’s the Sip _ and drink up while I get pushed around by the sweaty crowd and music and scream- ing pierces my ears. In fact, I flat out look forward to it. When it gets cold outside, which is 90 percent of the time here in lovely Oneonta, I look forward to warming up with a beer and my closest friends. And thanks to you, that’s more than possible. So Water Street, you go ahead and keep doing what you’re doing because without you my life would have no purpose. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s Thirsty Thursday and I have a bar to get to. Jennifer Tighe is a senior major- ing in English at SUNY Oneonta. 6 O-Town Scene Nov. 18, 2010